So we got a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie

This right here is the largest vehicle we’ve ever driven on the streets of Dubai. Or rather, we stuck to the highways and avoided the streets. Consider the fact that this Dodge Ram is two feet longer than the gigantic Toyota Sequoia, and you get an idea of how big this thing is.

The Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab barely fits in a parking space, since it is as long as its name. It sticks out front and back, and require a struggle to get out if there are cars parked alongside.

The Crew Cab has seating for five, four doors, a huge open cargo bed, dual exhaust tips and the ride height of a camel.

That ride height becomes explainable once you hear that the Laramie is a true offroad truck.

Check out the tread pattern on those aggressive offroad tyres. Also realise that the word “Dodge” isn’t mentioned anyway among the hundreds of chrome badges. That’s because the Ram is its own separate brand now in the United States.

The Laramie has the best interior among all American pickups, being the only one with a leather dash, as well as padded armrests, soft-touch front door trim and bits of wood. There’s no soft-touch on the rear doors, but rear passengers still get 4 cup-holders. People up front get six cup-holders, and there is a huge tub under the centre armrest to hold many more cans of beer for that deer-hunting trip in the forest. There’s even a little computer screen thingy that you can store your country music in, and a woman sometimes talks to you when you feel lonely.

And if that weren’t enough, there is a cooled compartment to store maybe six more cans of beer. That’s all you really need to run a ranch.

The front seats are spacious, maybe even too big for us small people. But with a non-telescoping steering wheel, you’ll be forced to sit upright if you want to reach the controls. We set the seats high to see over the bonnet, but still managed to reach the power-adjustable pedals, though the driving position isn’t really that relaxing.

The rear has ample legroom and an upright seatback, with just enough headroom. Climbing on is easy thanks to the optional side steps.

Here’s the plastic-lined cargo bed large enough to hold your horse, although stepping onto it is like climbing a mountain.

What the Ram Laramie really surprised us with was its rather good handling for such a huge truck, better than even a Chevy Tahoe Z71. It was really stable in high-speed corners and slowly gave us confidence to drive it like a car, after initially jolting us with its size.

More in the full review.