The refreshed-for-2025 Ram 1500 pickup continues to have the highest road test score of any full-sized pickup truck. It remains a kinder, gentler pickup in a crowded field of full-sized models, with a keen ability to satisfy the needs of the most demanding commercial driver, while providing surprising levels of ride comfort, tranquility, and overall refinement for those who use it as their daily commuter or family-hauler.
The biggest change to the Ram 1500 is that the optional V8 engine has been dropped in favor of a new twin-turbocharged six-cylinder. While that may seem like a downgrade, the new inline-six is smooth and powerful, and endows the big Ram with both better fuel economy and quicker acceleration. Upper Ram 1500 trims come with a high-output version of the inline-six, making a prodigious 540 horsepower.
The other big news is the upcoming Ramcharger model. It’s what’s known as an extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV. It operates like an EV, with electric motors which power the wheels, and boasts a whopping 663 horsepower. But unlike an EV, it also has a gasoline V6 engine that can recharge the battery while driving in order to extend the driving range. When combined—with its battery charged up and a full tank of gas—the Ramcharger promises a driving range of 690 miles.
We’re happy to report that the Ram 1500 comes with a plethora of important active safety systems standard, along with lots of driver assistance features.
We bought a 2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 with the optional twin-turbocharged inline-six engine for $61,785—anonymously from an area dealer, as we do with every vehicle we test—for the purpose of this road test review. The Ram 1500 is assembled in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Driving experience
The Ram 1500’s base engine remains the familiar 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6. But the optional engine is now a 420-horsepower, twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder. It replaces the 395-hp, 5.7-liter V8, known as the “Hemi.” Not only is the smaller engine—which is shared with the Jeep Wagoneer—more fuel efficient than the V8, but it also makes the big Ram quicker and quieter, and gives it a more polished feel overall. And, aside from losing the V8’s satisfyingly burly rumble, we didn’t feel the least bit “cheated” by the new engine. It’s smooth and refined, and is a thoroughly delightful powertrain in every way. There’s plenty of power on hand anytime you dip into the gas pedal, thanks to a healthy 469 lb.-ft. of torque, and it builds power in an engaging way up higher in the revs, too.
Proof that the six-cylinder isn’t any less pickup-worthy than the V8 is that the Ram 1500 was much quicker at our test track. It shaved more than a second off the outgoing V8 model’s 0-to-60-mph time, zipping to the mark in just 5.8 seconds. That also makes it quicker than any of its full-sized rivals.
The smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission remains, as does our truck’s “Auto 4WD” mode which can stay engaged indefinitely—a real boon, as it means you don’t have to remember to shift it from rear-wheel drive to four-wheel drive if you encounter slippery conditions.
Switching to the six-cylinder also benefits fuel economy, with the truck managing 18 mpg overall in our testing vs. the outgoing model’s 17 mpg with the V8.
The Ram’s coil spring rear suspension carries over and helps ensure that the truck still rides more comfortably than any other full-sized model. The suspension absorbs bumps effectively and endows the truck with a feeling of stability and composure. Throw in a remarkably quiet cabin and the Ram imparts an upscale feel. Handling is relatively responsive, with more of a willingness to go through corners than Ford’s and Toyota’s full-sized pickups. The body stays fairly flat through turns, and the steering has a natural effort and gives a touch of feedback to the driver. When pushed to its limits at our track, the Ram was secure and predictable, but typical of most full-sized trucks, it only achieved a modest speed through our avoidance-maneuver exercise.
The brake pedal feels firm and confidence-inspiring, and our drivers found it easy to modulate for smooth stops out on the road. It turned in competitively short stops on our dry surface during our panic-braking tests, but stopping distances on our wet surface proved disappointingly long.
In terms of truck duties, the Ram is plenty capable. Our test truck is rated to tow up to 8,220 pounds, but it’s possible to equip the Ram 1500 to tow up to 11,430 pounds. Payload capacity is a reasonably stout 1,735 pounds. While those numbers aren’t quite as brag-worthy as some of its full-sized competitors, given the Ram’s comfortable ride and refinement, we think this strikes the right balance for most people.
Cabin comfort
The Ram’s interior is fairly plain, with lots of hard plastic panels, and we noticed visible mold lines and rough edges here and there. None of that is out of the ordinary among full-sized models at equivalent trim levels, though. But while we appreciate that Ram at least thought to pad the front window sills, and include cloth door inserts and a fair amount of silver trim throughout to brighten things up a bit, the 1500’s overall cabin appearance is underwhelming considering our truck’s nearly $62,000 price.
We found the Ram 1500’s front seats fairly comfortable and reasonably supportive. Although they are wide, there’s enough bolstering to hold you in place through corners without being overly restrictive. There’s also tons of headroom and zero intrusion from the wide center console with the driver’s right knee. Both armrests are well placed with reasonably plush padding.
In crew-cab models such as our test truck, the rear seat is very spacious, with lots of headroom, tons of kneeroom, and excellent foot space. As with most pickups, the bench seat can be flipped up in two sections, allowing for extra storage space inside the cab that’s protected from the elements—rather than in the bed.
Also like other trucks, the Ram’s tall stance and high floor mean it can be a bit of a chore to get up into the cabin. Our truck’s running boards eased that issue for some, while others found them too narrow to use consistently. We found it baffling that our $60,000-plus truck didn’t have keyless entry. Instead, you have to press a button on the key fob anytime you want to unlock the truck. At least the bed is deep and the tailgate is easy to open and close.
Controls and usability
The Ram’s updated controls remain mostly user-friendly. The optional 12-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen in our truck gives the cabin a high-tech vibe, and it responds promptly to commands. But some knobs and buttons are a long reach from the driver, including the icons that are on the right and bottom edges of the display. We appreciate the large physical climate buttons lining each side of the screen, which are easy to use. The center screen is highly customizable with widgets and shortcuts.
Active safety & driver assistance
Impressively, even the base Tradesman trim of the Ram 1500 comes standard with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking that operates at highway speeds, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams.
High-end versions of the Ram 1500 are available with a “Hands-Free Active Driving Assist System,” similar to Ford’s BlueCruise and GM’s Super Cruise, which enables hands-free driving on pre-mapped divided highways.
A rear occupant alert system comes standard. It’s designed to remind the driver—based on rear-door logic—to check the rear seat when the Ram is turned off to help prevent children and pets from suffering heatstroke or hypothermia if unintentionally left behind in the vehicle. Unfortunately, the Ram 1500 isn’t available with a rear belt minder, which would alert the driver if a rear passenger unbuckles their seat belt during the trip.