2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 Road Test

The truck's dash won't look unfamiliar to those that have spent time in the recently upgraded Ram, accept for the red starter button.

The truck's dash won't look unfamiliar to those that have spent time in the recently upgraded Ram. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

The interior plastics quality was number one in the industry before Ford one-upped all rivals with its close-to-premium F-150, but Dodge buyers still shouldn't feel like their scraping the bottom of the barrel. SRT-10 buyers should especially feel good about their ride, which gets the addition of a black on white face instrument cluster, aluminum foot pedals and aluminum-finish interior trim. The thick and purposeful carbon fiber-patterned steering wheel is covered in leather, of course, as is the 6-speed shifter knob, but such trivialities fade to irrelevant when factoring in the Viper-inspired seats. These are by far the best in the pickup truck class, offering superb support under the legs, at the small of the back, surrounding the shoulders and kidneys, and everywhere else a seat needs to support. With that support is the ability to grip

Dodge will capitalize on the new truck's notoriety even further by releasing a much more practical SRT-10 Quad Cab for 2005. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

the hind-side when pushing the performance envelope, thanks to leather bolsters and suede-like alcantara inserts.

Of course, pushing the performance envelope is what the Ram SRT-10 is all about, not to say it can't be used for light-duty service work too. Dodge will capitalize on the new truck's notoriety even further, however, by releasing a much more practical SRT-10 Quad Cab for 2005. Witnessing the new model's introduction was one of the reasons the domestic brand invited me to Chelsea in the first place, and it was well worth waiting around in the scorching sunshine for. The new entry will be much more useful for family-oriented truck enthusiasts, and its heavily massaged 48RE 4-speed automatic transmission appreciated by those looking to tow or haul heavy loads.