Change is coming to pickup trucks. Full-size pickups are booming now that electric drives have entered the segment. As appealing as electrified pickups may be, it’s Ram’s traditional approach that results in the most satisfying full-size pickups to date. This truck was last redesigned for 2019, and its EV spinoff is still a concept. But the Ram 1500’s thoughtful execution has given it incredible staying power, landing it on our Top 10 list for the fifth year in a row.
What the Ram does, it does better than any other full size model. Its coil spring rear suspension gives it an SUV-like luxury ride quality, making the bouncy competition feel like a rudimentary farm truck by comparison. The optional 5.7-liter V-8 gives off a satisfying nostalgic roar, but still manages decent fuel economy when equipped with Ram’s 48-volt eTorque hybrid system. At the top of the range, there’s the supercharged Ram 1500 TRX. With a 702-hp 6.2-liter V-8, the TRX is a worthy off-road exercise in the wonder of absurdity.
The Ram’s interior is its most surprising and delightful attribute. The top trim levels feature carefully selected materials—leather, metal trim, open-grained wood—and the kind of attention to detail we’ve come to expect in a Mercedes-Benz S-class. Even the basic version has sound ergonomics, a crisp digital display, and buttons and knobs that are satisfying to the touch. Chrysler’s luxury Imperial brand may be long dead, but its spirit lives on in today’s Ram.
If you’re one of those people who actually uses your truck like a truck, there are features such as an optional separate tailgate that opens in a few different ways, an air spring that can lower the Ram to load or attach a trailer, and a lockable storage box in bed wall. We’re not going to debate which pickup currently has the bragging rights for the highest towing and payload capacities, but if the half-ton Ram can’t handle your hauling needs, you should still buy a heavy-duty truck. For everyone looking for an everyday pickup—which many Americans are—the Ram is what meets all your needs and exceeds your expectations.
