Our expectations for the Ram 1500 are well established. This being the third 1500 of the current generation we’ve put through a long-term test, the only real question mark was under the hood.
For 2025, Ram pulled the Hemi V-8 from the lineup. In its place came the Hurricane: a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six making 420 horsepower and 469 pound-feet of torque in its base form. Sure, that’s more power than the Hemi produced, but some buyers hold V-8-powered full-size trucks as a fundamental truth, right next to basic arithmetic and gravity. These folks would probably dismiss the Ram’s twin-turbo six outright. Their loss.
Over 40,000 miles, our Big Horn 4x4 model was a six-passenger, 5765-pound workhorse for all manner of tasks: towing trailers, swallowing luggage, devouring interstate miles, and hauling the kind of oversize objects people buy because they have access to a pickup, a credit card, and a Costco membership.
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With the Hurricane, the Ram proved smooth, strong, and surprisingly sophisticated, like a BMW wearing Carhartt. We loved its power too. Our initial testing logged 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds at 100 mph. That’s serious pace for a crew-cab pickup on Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires, and it was 1.3 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the 395-hp 5.7-liter V-8–powered 2019 Ram 1500 we ran through a 40,000-mile test. Our 2025 example repeated its 60-mph time at 40,000 miles, though its quarter-mile effort slipped a little to 13.8 seconds at 96 mph. Still, leave it in rear-drive mode, and the traction-control light will occasionally flicker during moderate freeway acceleration in the wet. That is not a complaint.
Indeed, driving the Ram 1500 leads to few complaints, which is why it’s been on our 10Best list eight times. The 1500, with its four-corner coil-spring suspension, rode with the calm authority that has long separated this truck from its rear-leaf-spring competitors, cruising and towing with the ease of a long-legged Clydesdale at a trot and making you wonder why other pickups don’t ride this well.
The Ram was a happy mile eater, as the optional 33.0-gallon fuel tank regularly showed more than 500 miles of indicated range after a fill-up. The cabin was a great place to while away the hours. Ram has been doing excellent truck interiors long enough that the surprise has worn off, but the usefulness remains. The front bench gave us seating for six and a healthy dose of nostalgia, the rear seat offered limo-like sprawl-out space, and the front armrest placed a hand naturally in line with the shifter and stereo controls.
Our most vocal complaints fell on the large mirrors from the Trailer-Tow Group package. They were fantastic when there was a trailer behind you and a nuisance when there wasn’t, blocking entire cars at roundabouts and requiring chicken-like head bobbing to see around them.
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Worse, the mirrors fold and extend manually on this near-$70,000 truck (power-extending and folding mirrors are available). Also missing is passive entry, because Ram limited its availability for 2025 to Laramie and higher trims, and we didn’t notice when we ordered ours. Oops. We did go for the Big Horn Level 2 Equipment Group, which adds a 12.0-inch touchscreen, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, navigation, and a larger digital display in the instrument cluster. Keyless entry should be part of that package. Having to get the key fob out to unlock the doors would be acceptable on a contractor-spec truck. Or in the year 2015.
Remote start was present but inspired its own confusion. It would not operate with the fuel tank at a quarter full or below, which seems overly cautious when a quarter tank is over eight gallons and could get you halfway to Chicago from Ann Arbor. A considerable delay from when you double-tap the button to when the engine starts raised doubts that it had worked. This is especially charming on a winter day when your spouse is standing beside the truck holding a toddler who has entered the combat phase of development.
Fuel economy was the other great qualifier. We averaged 15 mpg; our long-term 2019 Ram V-8 managed 14. On our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, the new Ram returned 18 mpg while the V-8 logged 17. A real-world 1-mpg improvement isn’t the efficiency promise we were told would justify ditching two cylinders. Instead, the Hurricane delivered improved acceleration, which is arguably a better bargain.
The last great frustration was our dealer’s service center and how often we visited it. Scheduled maintenance came at 10,000-mile intervals. Each appointment at Suburban Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Ann Arbor was more expensive than we expected. Examples included $60 for a cabin air filter that retails online for roughly half that and added services that aren’t in the owner’s manual.
High prices didn’t end at the service department either. A plastic clamp and a section of railing broke on our trifold tonneau cover, likely from one of us loading the bed with more enthusiasm than finesse. A replacement tonneau cost $2200 at the parts counter, which is curious considering it was a $550 factory option. We replaced the broken pieces instead, but even those bits cost $148. All in, our out-of-pocket maintenance costs amounted to $829.
The unscheduled visits were more troubling, because there were five of them. When the truck arrived, it couldn’t tow until we replaced the integrated trailer-control module, and that required a return visit once the part arrived. Around 18,000 miles, the forward-collision warning stopped working. At roughly 30,000, a wastegate actuator failed, throwing a check-engine light and effectively shutting off the turbochargers. Near the end, the infotainment system needed a dealer visit for an update. None of these problems stranded us or created a repair bill, but considered together, they made us wonder about reliability outside the warranty.
The Ram stayed beloved anyway, because the driving experience and utility outweighed the annoyances. Ram revived the Hemi for 2026. It’s as charming as ever and sounds amazing, and anyone claiming immunity to a V-8 pickup should have to explain themselves under oath. The smooth turbo six-cylinder is more efficient (slightly), powerful, and modern in ways you feel every time it comes onto the boost.
We entered this test wondering whether a six-cylinder Ram could make us forget the V-8. Forty thousand miles later, we remember it just fine. We just wouldn’t order one.
From the Logbook
“The peaceful ride of a luxury car, the acceleration of a sports car, and the cornering ability of, well, a pickup.”—Tony Quiroga
“I drove five hours in a snowstorm. In 4WD Auto, the Ram 1500 handled the challenge with ease.” —Collin Morgan
“I find myself feeling at peace in the Ram.” —Caleb Miller
“I drove about 500 miles with the truck unloaded, then 500 miles pulling a side-by-side, and can say this just might be the perfect road-trip vehicle.”—Dave VanderWerp
“Nix the tow mirrors and add a proximity key, and you’ve got a practically perfect full-size truck.” —Greg Fink
“Despite creating forward-facing blind spots the size of Texas, the tow mirrors were great for seeing behind a trailer during a seven-hour trip.” —Jack Fitzgerald
“There is no better half-ton truck for a long-haul road trip.” —Eric Stafford
How We’d Spec It Now
Our two regrets of our long-term Ram’s build are the lack of passive entry and the Dumbo towing mirrors. Ram now includes the former item on the Big Horn Level 2 Equipment Group, but ditching the latter means going without the helpful, but unnecessary, surround-view camera. So, scratching the mirrors but keeping everything else the same results in a 2027 price of $69,985. It might be the perfect non-luxury-spec pickup.
2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn 4X4
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 4-door pickup
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $53,530/$68,320
Options: Big Horn Level 2 Equipment Group (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, power adjustable pedals, leather wrapped steering wheel, 12-inch infotainment screen, 115-volt rear power outlet, heated front seats, 9 speakers with subwoofer, remote tailgate release, garage door opener, in-floor storage bins, LED footwell lighting, 2-way driver lumbar adjust, rear window defroster, auto dim rearview mirror, power sliding rear window, navigation, SiriusXM w/360 connected services, heated steering wheel, configurable drive mode, 400-watt inverter, dual-zone climate control, digital instrument cluster, eight-way powered driver seat), $2770; 420-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6, $2695; air springs, $1995; Trailer Tow Group (manual black trailer tow telescoping exterior mirrors with supplemental signals; power-adjustable convex mirrors; trailer reverse steering control; trailer-tire-pressure-monitoring system; trailer light check; trailer brake control; accent-color tailgate handle, mirror clearance, and running lights), $1345; Off Road Group (off-road decals; Falken tires; increased ride height; heavy-duty dampers; full-size spare tire; front tow hooks; electronic locking rear differential; skid plates for the steering gear, front suspension, transfer case, and fuel tank), $1245; multifunction tailgate, $1095; Bed Utility Group (spray-in bedliner, adjustable tie-down hooks, LED lighting), $945; Towing Tech Group, $595; trifold tonneau cover, $550; surround view camera system; $495; 33.0-gallon fuel tank, $445; Forged Blue Metallic paint, $295; 3.92:1 rear axle ratio, $195; rear under-seat compartment storage, $125
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in3, 2993 cm3
Power: 420 hp @ 5200 rpm
Torque: 469 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/live axle
Brakes, F/R: 14.9-in vented disc/14.8-in disc
Tires: Falken Wildpeak A/T AT3WA
LT275/65R-18 113/110S M+S 3PMSF
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 144.6 in
Length: 232.4 in
Width: 81.2 in
Height: 78.6–79.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 64/68 ft3
Curb Weight: 5765 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 4.8 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.6 sec @ 100 mph
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.2 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.0 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 106 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 196 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.72 g
C/D TEST RESULTS: 40,000 MILES
60 mph: 4.8 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.8 sec @ 96 mph
100 mph: 15.2 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 106 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 183 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.74 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 35 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 69 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 66 dBA/20 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 15 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 18 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 590 mi
Unscheduled Oil Additions: 0 qt
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 19/17/24 mpg
WARRANTY
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain
5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection
5 years/60,000 miles roadside assistance
30,000-Mile Update
Thirty thousand miles in, associate news editor Caleb Miller offered perhaps the strangest compliment a pickup truck has ever received. "I find myself feeling at peace in the Ram," he wrote in the logbook.
At peace. In a pickup truck. That's either a testament to this truck's deeply soothing character or evidence that Miller should talk to someone. But he's not alone. Praise for the Ram has run throughout its logbook since the truck showed up. There's a steady stream of staffers angling for the keys each week.
So, it's a real shame that the truck can't stay out of the service department.