KEY POINTS:

• On-fob remote start
• SmartKey keyless entry/pushbutton ignition
• heated/cooled leather seats
• power front seats
• heated steering wheel
• Alpine 9-speaker AM/FM/SXM/USB/Aux/BT premium sound system
• 8.4" U-connect touchscreen
• GPS navigation
• rear camera w/swivel guides
• security alarm
• auto-highbeams
• rain-sensing wipers
• power folding mirrors
• power split rear window
• Sport Performance hood upgrade
• LED interior lighting
• 115v AC houshold power outlet
• auto-dim rearview mirror
• garage-door openers (3)
• remote locking tailgate
• Husky floor liners
• rear floor liner
• tonneau cover
• spray-in box liner
• chrome side-steps
• Class IV trailer hitch

The upgraded center console (including enhanced connectivity features and a phone/tablet mount) that debuted in last year's 2015 Laramie Limited and Rebel trims becomes the standard console on the 2016 Ram 1500. There are several new color and trim variations of the Ram Sport, and LED cargo-box lights are newly available.

Looking for a half-ton pickup with clever outside-the-box thinking? You'll want to look closely at the 2016 Ram 1500. A unique coil spring rear suspension gives it the smoothest unloaded ride, but it can still tow your trailer like a champ with its stout Hemi gasoline V8 or torquey turbodiesel V6 engine. Don't plan to tow much? We're big fans of the smooth and efficient base gasoline V6, too. Excellent cargo management options and an attractive interior complete the package.

Although its last full redesign was in 2009, you wouldn't know it from the way the 2016 Ram 1500 handles itself. From the high-quality cabin materials to the easy-to-use infotainment system and remarkably supple ride, there's plenty here to make up for the relative lack of newness. All the major players in this segment have been thoroughly overhauled over the last few years, but the Ram's refined manners belie its age. It's still a great choice if you're looking for a full-size truck.

That smooth ride remains one of the Ram's most distinctive traits, and it comes courtesy of the class-exclusive coil-spring rear suspension, which is better at smoothing out and reducing the harshness of rough road surfaces than the typical leaf-spring setup. The flipside is mildly reduced towing capacity, but if you're running up against this truck's towing limits, you'd probably be better off with a heavy-duty model anyway. The optional air suspension makes the Ram even more comfortable, and it has a self-leveling feature that keeps the truck from drooping when dealing with a heavy trailer or full payload.

Revisions to the Ram 1500 are minimal for 2016. The full center console with connectivity and storage for mobile devices, introduced on a limited basis last year, is now the default specification. Several new variants of the Sport offer a choice of bright exterior paint schemes and minor trim tweaks. Also newly available are LED lights in the bed, an especially useful feature with the optional tonneau cover in place.

From the driver seat, the Ram feels more refined than its competitors, as its ride quality is smoother and steering more precise than you'd expect in a full-size truck. Running at speed on the freeway, the Ram 1500 is impressively quiet and composed.

The Ram 1500's cabin is as good as it gets in the pickup segment. Even the lower trim levels boast an attractive design, with satisfactory materials and intuitive controls that are reasonably easy to reach, while the available wood trim and premium leather upholstery are predictably posh. Seasoned truck owners might be thrown off at first by the rotary shift knob on the dashboard, but it quickly becomes second nature, and it frees up useful storage space compared to trucks with console-mounted shifters. The front seats themselves are soft, yet strike an adequate balance between support and comfort. The crew cab's rear seat is very comfortable, offering loads of legroom and an agreeable seatback angle.

Two touchscreen interfaces are available (one measuring 5 inches, the other 8.4 inches), and they do a great job of controlling both simple and complicated tasks. The upgraded screen is particularly handy and appealing; it's one of our favorites in any vehicle. The virtual buttons are large and easy to see at a glance, while physical knobs and buttons provide much appreciated redundant control. Other modern convenience features include keyless entry and ignition, power-adjustable pedals, Bluetooth, voice controls, smartphone integration and even WiFi hotspot capability. The power-adjustable pedals on higher trim levels are a welcome addition given the steering wheel's tilt-only adjustment.

The Ram provides plenty of standard and optional storage spaces. The extended cab has a clever fold-out flat floor space when you flip up the 60/40-split rear seats, while the crew cab features watertight storage compartments under the rear floor as well as shallow bins under the flip-up backseat. A unique Ram feature is the optionalRamBox system, which places a pair of lockable compartments over the rear fenders inside the truck bed. With the right equipment levels, these compartments can even be locked and unlocked via remote.

KEY POINTS:

• On-fob remote start
• SmartKey keyless entry/pushbutton ignition
• heated/cooled leather seats
• power front seats
• heated steering wheel
• Alpine 9-speaker AM/FM/SXM/USB/Aux/BT premium sound system
• 8.4" U-connect touchscreen
• GPS navigation
• rear camera