Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms out there today! Er, yesterday. Ahem. I for one cannot think of a better way to show appreciation for your mother than by keeping her current on all the happenings in the car world. And oh look, another award given out by another website. However, being a Dodge fanboy I was pleasantly excited when I learned that the 2009 Dodge Ram was named the best full-size pickup by Edmunds Inside Line, beating out the venerable 2009 Ford F150. So excited I decided to blog about it. Hit the jump for some more details.

After totaling scoring by the Edmunds’ crew, the 2009 Dodge Ram beat out not only the F150 but also the Toyota Tundra and Chevrolet Silverado. I must admit that after the F150 took home the Motor Trend Truck of the Year award earlier this year, I did not think the Ram would win any more notable awards. I was happy to be proven wrong as the Edmunds’ crew was extremely happy with the overall performance and practicality of the Ram. Dan Edmunds (no relation), when talking of the Ram wrote, “After all the points were tallied, the Dodge Ram takes the win with a very well-rounded performance. The optional RamBox proved itself useful by swallowing 85 pounds of greasy trailer hitch parts in its lockable bins, and its re-positionable bed divider is easily the best of its kind.” Sounds good to us, too.

The rest of the press release is as follows:

Capability testing was conducted over two weeks of day-to-day use and included tow-testing, off-road driving and hill climbing. All test vehicles were crew cabs and included sunroof, navigation system and other convenience features. Trucks were tested against their claimed tow capacity, as well as a fixed-weight face-off in which each truck pulled an identical trailer up a test mountain.

“We knew from previous experience that the Ram’s coil-spring rear suspension works well when the truck is unloaded, but this time we found it has the chops to handle a trailer, too,” wrote Edmunds’ Inside Line. “The Dodge Ram impresses us with a solid performance, an understated ability to tow the socks off some others, a feature-laden presentation and rugged good looks.”

“Our all-new 2009 Dodge Ram is the best truck ever built,” said Scott Kunselman – Vice President Jeep/Truck Product Team, Chrysler LLC. “It is a game-changing, class-leading truck that is second to none. We are glad Edmunds’ Inside Line agrees.”

The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram features the industry’s first-and-only RamBox™ cargo management system that includes versatile, weatherproof, lockable, illuminated, drainable storage bins; pickup bed dividers; a two-foot bed extender and a cargo rail system with sliding adjustable cleats.

The 2009 Ram also includes the first-in-segment coil-spring five-link rear suspension fitted to a solid rear axle that provides ride and handling not found on any other pickup truck. A new 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine with fuel-saving MDS technology provides more horsepower (390 hp) and torque (407 lb.-ft.) while its best-in-class aerodynamics (.387 Cd) improve fuel economy and performance.

In addition, the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram includes a first-in-segment, factory-installed four-inch dual exhaust styled dramatically into the rear bumper, first-in-segment store-in-the-floor storage bins, twice as many storage spots than the previous model and 35 safety and security technologies. Standard safety features include side-curtain air bags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which includes all-speed traction control, trailer sway control, hill-start assist and anti-lock brake system (ABS). Significantly upgraded interiors with a segment-first surround-sound audio system and live SIRIUS Backseat TV™ round out the interior.

Other premium amenities include first-in-segment heated and ventilated front seats, available heated rear seats, first-for-Chrysler heated steering wheel, one-touch up/down driver and passenger windows, automatic-on headlamps and dual-zone automatic temperature control – a first for Dodge Ram.

The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Regular, Quad and Crew Cab models recently earned Five Star ratings for driver- and front-passenger protection in a frontal crash, the highest ratings in the U.S. government’s safety crash test program. The U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 is $22,170 (including $900 destination).

In addition to winning Edmunds’ Inside Line’s full-size pickup truck competition, the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram has earned 15 other key awards since its introduction and was recently chosen by Car and Driver as the best full-size pickup in another head-to-head comparison test in Texas, beating the 2009 Ford F-150. Other key awards include:

• ICOTY – 2009 International Truck of the Year
• Texas Auto Writer’s Association (TAWA) – 2009 Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas
• MotorWeek – Best Pickup Truck
• Maxim – Achievement in Party-Enabling Technology (RamBox)
• Edmunds’ Inside Line – A 2009 Editor’s Most Wanted Vehicle
• Consumer Guide – Large Pickup – Best Buy for 2009
• Cars.com – Work Truck of the Year
• Truckin’ magazine – Truck of the Year
• Autobytel.com – 2009 MyRide/Autobytel Editors’ Choice Awards – Truck of the Year
• Ward’s AutoWorld – Interior of the Year
• Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association – Truck of the Year
• New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) – Best-in-Class Pickup Award
• Ward’s AutoWorld – Ward’s 10 Best Engines of 2009 (2009 Dodge Ram 5.7-liter HEMI® engine)
• Automobile Journalists Association of Canada – Best New Pickup
• Sobre Ruedas – Sobre Ruedas Best Pickup Truck for ‘08

[Source: Dodge]