Big-time truckin’ these days involves more than just payload, towing and ground clearance. Consumers demand that their hauler have all the comfort and luxury of their family sedan.

I tested two of the big boys – the F-150 SuperCrew, the undisputed sales leader, and the Ram Crew Cab, the newest kid on the block – to see how they stack up against each other.

Pickups have come a long way from their two-door standard bed origins. I tested two family friendly four-door versions and both were great for holding five passengers or for keeping small amounts of cargo dry and secure inside.

Even with the short, standard beds there is enough room to hold bicycles, drywall sheets (tailgate down), bags of fertilizer and other smaller items with the cargo bed organizers.

The biggest downside with pickups is fuel economy, which suffers due to the size, weight and the power of these beasts of burden. In this case, the Dodge Ram’s mileage numbers are 13 mpg city and 18 mpg highway. The Ford F-150 checks in with 14 mpg city and 18 mpg highway Edge goes to Ford.

Power and towing are some of the main reasons pickups are purchased. My Ram test vehicle came with the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 with 390 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and a beefy 407 feetpounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. As the numbers suggest, this engine has the power and torque to launch this heavy (5,500 pounds) truck.

The F-150 comes with Ford’s tried-and-true 5.4-liter V-8 engine producing 320 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 390 feetpounds of torque at a very usable 3,500 rpm. The lack of 70 horsepower is noticeable as the F-150 felt sluggish and did not leap from the line like the Ram did.

Advantage Ram.

The Ram directs the power through a slick-shifting five-speed standard automatic transmission. The F-150 uses a new sixspeed automatic that helps gas mileage but is not as fluid. It felt more like a work truck than a multifunction passenger hauler.

Slight advantage goes to the Ram.

Exterior styling is open to debate. The Dodge Ram is an allnew design that has a handsome streamlined look with lots of chrome ladled on. I personally liked the nose – it leans forwardfor an aggressive look. The Ram stands tall with big 20-inch off-road tires around great-looking chrome wheels.

The Ford F-150’s styling is basically a carryover from last year. Under the skin, Ford beefed up the frame rails and stiffened the cargo bed supports. Tie between two great-looking trucks.

On the work side, the Ram Laramie 4x4 with the big engine and the 20-inch rims is rated with a towing capacity of 6,300 pounds with a maximum payload of 1,360 pounds with the short bed. Ford counters with a 1,320-pound max payload and 7,200- pound towing capacity in a similar configuration.

In the towing category, the advantage goes to Ford. Both of these trucks offer some unique cargo and work advantages.

The F-150 comes with a box side step, which helps you gain access to the front of the pickup box. The tailgate step is a pullout handlelike step that is flush with the tailgate edge and provides a step rung for access into the bed. A stowable bed extender adds storage space to the end of the open tailgate.

One feature showing up on many Ford vehicles is the capless fuel filler system. This standard feature eliminates the fuel cap and helps to reduce evaporative emissions.

Out back, the Ram comes with the RamBox cargo management system that features usable, weatherproof, lockable, illuminated and drainable storage bins built into the bed rails.

A pickup bed divider/2-foot bed extender and cargo rail system with four sliding, adjustable cleats also is part of the package. The RamBox bins hold up to 10 cases of 12-ounce beverages or other gear like tools or fishing gear.

I really liked the “store in the floor” storage bins with removable liners, big enough for 10 12-ounce beverages and ice. So, on the fluid side, Dodge has you covered.

Dodge gets the advantage here.

On the inside, these trucks have steadily evolved to the point where they meet many near-luxury sedans.

The F-150’s interior has a big chunky design with a tall upright dash and big center console. The controls are easy to see and access and there are plenty of pockets and storage areas. The front seats are comfortable and there is actually some room behind the front seats for passengers. The rear floor is flat but storage under the seats is minimal.

The inside of the Ram features a nice leatherlined high-end Laramie interior and a fresh, clean look that is almost as roomy as the F-150. The interior appointments are a little higher quality than the F-150 and the design has a slightly richer look.

I also found the Ram’s seats to be a bit more comfortable. The rear is not as roomy as the F-150’s; there is a transmission tunnel hump that intrudes.

The Ram does have some under-seat storage. Nice touches include rubber liners in all storage pockets, a glove box that will actually hold more than a few tissues and a 115-volt power outlet.

The interior advantage goes to the Dodge Ram.

On the road, the F-150 returned a smooth onpavement ride. It was well insulated against noise. I also liked the road feel that the steering provided: I really felt connected to the road for such a big vehicle. I was disappointed with the braking; the pedal felt mushy.

The Ram features a strengthened frame design incorporating high-strength steel supports and an all-new, first-in-segment, multilink coil spring rear suspension that keeps the traditional live axle.

The new setup improves the ride overall but tends to get bouncy over rough pavement. The steering felt a little over boosted and therefore a little disconnected. Braking was solid and moderated properly.

Ford takes ride and handling. Even with the mushy brake pedal, the F-150 had the better overall ride and handling of the two trucks.

Nailing down the costs on these two brutes, the final as-tested pricing puts them in the company of some entry luxury sedans.

The Dodge Ram 4x4 Crew with the Laramie package came in at just more than $48,000 and featured full power options including the rear window, cargo system, chrome wheels and Sirius satellite radio.

The Ford F-150 SuperCrew with the Lariat package started at $37,990. It came with a generous sprinkling of options including a navigation system, chrome step bar, Laramie package with rear-view camera, tailgate step and hot/cool seats. Along with some other goodies, the grand total came to $45,800, including destination.

In head-to-head competition, both vehicles stack up pretty evenly against each other.

The Ford F-150 is tops in ride comfort, quietness and towing ability. So if those are priorities, then the Ford would get the nod. I would like to have more power and a better feeling in the brakes.

I liked the power and sounds of the Hemi in the Dodge Ram. The fresher design of the Ram’s interior won me over as did the new storage options in and under the Ram’s cargo bed. I also liked the new exterior design.

So – while the Ram is the pricier of the two – I give it the nod. The ride is decent and this truck has a strong platform that will handle light-duty needs.