10 Things You Should Know About the 2021 RAM 1500

Pickup truck owners are famously brand-loyal. If you buy a Ford F-150, odds are you always drove Fords. If you buy a Chevrolet Silverado, your previous truck was probably another Chevy.

But in recent years, the RAM 1500 has been winning hearts and minds in the full-size half-ton segment. All modern half-tons have a mix of comfort, luxury, and capability, but the Ram’s mix of those virtues has proven to be captivating for a growing segment of buyers. Here are 10 things you should know about the 2021 Ram 1500.

The 2021 RAM 1500 is sold in a wide variety of models, ranging from the aptly named Tradesman work truck to the max-luxury Limited and max-performance TRX. You can’t get a two-door regular cab body style on the 2021 Ram — instead, there are the Quad Cab and Crew Cab four-door variants, with the latter having a roomier rear seat — but it’s otherwise easy to find a model that fits your needs.

Optional equipment on the Ram 1500 spans everything from an enormous 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, to heated and ventilated front seats, to driver aids like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping steering assistance, and automatic emergency braking. But while no 2021 Ram is a bare-bones vehicle like trucks of old, you can get one without all the latest gadgets and high-end amenities, if you’re so inclined. What’s more, the Ram is competitively priced in comparison with its Chevy and Ford competitors.

Nearly two decades ago, Ram (then part of the Dodge brand) brought high-performance swagger to the pickup world with its Hemi engine and started a horsepower war in the segment. Even if you don’t remember the “got a Hemi” ads from that time, the Hemi (referring to the hemispherical combustion chamber) remains part of the Ram’s image.

Today’s 5.7-liter Hemi V8 — making 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque — is more competitive than mindblowing by today’s standards. But whenever you drive a pickup truck that’s faster than some sports cars, part of the credit goes to Ram.

The modern Hemi is available with a mild-hybrid configuration, which Ram calls eTorque. Mild hybrid means the electric motor saves a bit of fuel without fully powering the vehicle, unlike the “full hybrid” powertrain available on the Ford F-150. But the eTorque version of the Hemi costs just $200 extra while improving EPA fuel economy ratings by a significant 2 mpg, to as much as 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

The eTorque electric motor powers the vehicle’s electrical system at idle, letting the gas engine shut off more smoothly and less disruptively than competing trucks’ stop-start systems. This isn’t the thriftiest pickup in the class, even aside from the F-150 hybrid, but the eTorque system can save a bit of fuel without much of a downside.

Most RAM 1500 buyers will get a Hemi, but there are also other choices. The base engine is a decent 3.6-liter V6 with 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque, which also has an optional eTorque variant. The fuel-sipper of the lineup is the EcoDiesel V6, which manages up to 23 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

Going the other direction is the new 2021 TRX. With a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, it packs 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. And yeah, it’s a Hemi, too — the same Hemi you find under the hood of the famous Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger Hellcat models. No, Ram hasn’t thrown in the towel in the horsepower wars.

Moving past the engines, the RAM 1500 has the fanciest interior in the pickup segment. The current generation debuted with a stunning cabin in 2019, and its redesigned rivals haven’t moved the luxury needle yet.

From the handsome design, to the in-cabin technology, to the quality of the plastics and other trim pieces, to the careful assembly, to the tactile feel of the buttons and knobs, to the elaborate stitching on some trim levels’ leather upholstery, this can become a ridiculously high-end machine. That shouldn’t be astonishing at the Ram’s high price points, to be sure, but some luxury brands should be taking notes.

Every 2021 RAM 1500 has a touchscreen infotainment system, but the screen’s size and functionality varies by model. If you’re just looking for a basic display for your radio information and backup camera view, the base 5-inch system will suit you just fine. But most folks will want to upgrade to the 8.4-inch display, which can present more information and supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration — letting you use handy apps like Google Maps on the truck’s screen.

The showstopper is the 12-inch touchscreen that’s available on high-end Ram models. This vertical screen takes over the entire center stack, but handy physical buttons and knobs still surround it for some common functions. You can customize the screen for different upper and lower views, or a single large view.

Another appealing quality of the 2021 RAM 1500 is the unusually gentle ride for a full-size pickup. No modern half-ton is a rough vehicle by historical standards, and none is luxury-car smooth either. But the Ram comes closest. Credit its multilink coil spring rear suspension, in contrast with the sturdy but less sophisticated leaf springs that its competitors use.

For extra comfort, there’s an optional four-corner air suspension, another class-exclusive feature. It lets you adjust the ride height for either superior ground clearance or improved aerodynamics (thus better gas mileage), and it automatically levels the truck when it’s weighed down with cargo or a trailer.

We’ve spent some pages talking about the Ram’s comfort and luxury. But don’t worry — this truck also knows how to be a truck. It can tow up to 12,750 lbs and carry a payload of up to 2,300 lbs. Those aren’t dominant specs in the half-ton pickup class, but it’s still exceptional compared with trucks from just a few years ago.

The Ram is happy to go off-road, too. If that’s your priority, probably focus on the Ram Rebel model; compared with normal Rams, it has a higher ground clearance (an extra inch), hill-descent control, and more rugged tires. The new extra-fast TRX version boasts even greater capability but costs $70,000 and up. 

The RAM 1500 is available with a pair of optional clever cargo-management tools: the RamBox and the Multifunction Tailgate. The RamBox is a pair of lockable, waterproof, drainable storage bins — one on each side of the bed, built into the sides of the vehicle. They collectively provide a total of 8.6 cubic feet of storage.

The Multifunction Tailgate can either drop down like any other truck’s tailgate, or it can swing to the sides in a 60-40 split. This approach lets you access the bed without having to lean over a tailgate. Chevrolet and GMC have an even more sophisticated tailgate approach, but the Ram’s is already quite appealing.

There are two different Ram 1500 trucks available today. We’ve focused on the regular 2021 Ram 1500, but you could also consider the 2021 Ram 1500 Classic. It was originally the previous generation of the truck, sold from 2009 to 2018.

It doesn’t have the latest technology, the highest fuel economy, a long list of high-end features, or the best crash-test scores, but the Classic is still comfortable, capable, and well-finished. And as you might expect, it’s less expensive than the newer Ram 1500 generation. It’s also the only way to get any Ram with a two-door regular-cab body style, while four-door Quad Cab and Crew Cab models are also available. Prices for the Ram Classic start at $28,700.