Surprisingly luxurious and refined, the Ram remains fully capable of doing dirty work when duty calls. A unique coil-spring rear suspension gives it a smooth ride and the interior is whisper-quiet. Continued interior and powertrain improvements make the Ram a particularly well-rounded choice. You can also get a diesel.
All Ram 1500s now come with an efficient, slick-shifting eight-speed automatic, a pickup-truck exclusive. Most get a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 that delivers seamless power and still returns a class-average 15 mpg overall. A 3.6-liter V6 engine is standard, aiding fuel economy and a significant savings over the Hemi. It does an admirable job motivating this big truck, as long as your towing needs are modest.
More intriguing is the available 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6. It gives up some payload and acceleration compared to the Hemi V8 but dishes up tons of welcome torque for merging, passing, or towing. We measured 20 mpg overall -- the best fuel economy of any full-size pickup. Expect to pay around $4,000 extra for the diesel.
The available UConnect 8.4 touch-screen interface is one of the clearest and most intuitive of its type. Competitive interior fit and finish and all the storage of a Container Store make the Ram's cabin a nice workspace. The roomy Crew Cab has a huge backseat, which we found handy to keep cargo out of the elements. Towing ratings are competitive with other full-size pickups but payload numbers are a bit light.
Our few complaints are common to most trucks: It's a really steep climb up to the cabin; running boards are a must. So is a backup camera to see behind the tailgate before backing up. And unlike some other pickups, the Ram's tailgate isn't damped or sprung, so it's heavy, and there are no handy steps or ladder available to ease climbing into the cargo bed.