2022 Ram 1500 Road Test and Review

2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel ・ Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

The Ram 1500 is a key competitor in the largest market segment in the United States — full-size pickup trucks. While the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado are well-established competitors, the Ram 1500 battles them tooth-and-nail. Among its key advantages are ride quality and superior infotainment. The Ram 1500 also has a strong quality story backed by J.D. Power consumer surveys. As with the other top players, Ram gives its buyers many variations from which to choose. Among the new, limited-edition models and trims this year are Ram 1500 Limited 10th Anniversary Edition, Ram 1500 Longhorn SouthFork, Ram 1500 Laramie G/T and Ram 1500 Rebel G/T Crew Cab models, plus the Ram 1500 BackCountry. At the top of the line, the Ram 1500 TRX is the fastest and most powerful full-size truck on the planet. In addition to a wide variety of trims, the Ram 1500 also offers buyers a variety of engine choices — gasoline-fueled V8s, a gasoline-fueled V6, and a turbodiesel V6. All the Ram 1500s have handsome exterior styling, and the up-level versions have among the best interiors in the industry.

Exterior Style

For years, the Ram 1500 has hung its hat on a good-looking exterior. That’s still one of the truck’s strong suits for the 2022 model year. Conservatively styled, which is what most truck buyers want, the Ram 1500 leverages the RAM logo in its bold and highly recognizable grille. As we just mentioned, it is available in a variety of trims and special editions with a variety of engines. The Crew Cab versions have 5-foot 7-inch boxes or 6-foot 4-inch boxes. The Quad Cab (with smaller rear doors) has a 6-foot 4-inch box. The Ram 1500 10th Anniversary edition features an exterior color called Blue Shade, a multi-function tailgate, cold air intake, cold end exhaust, unique badging, and 22-inch polished wheels. The Longhorn SouthFork model includes a multi-function tailgate, deployable bed step, spray-in bedliner, metal pedal kit and Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires. The Ram 1500 Laramie G/T and Ram 1500 Rebel G/T Crew Cab models have a sport performance hood, black grille, GT decals, cold air intake, and cold end exhaust. The new Ram 1500 BackCountry, available on Big Horn and Lone Star models with 5.7-liter V8 engines, includes a body-color grille surround, black two-tone exterior paint, black badging, exhaust, headlamps, running boards and mirrors, tonneau cover, and a variety of off-road mechanical tweaks.

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Powertrains

The 2022 Ram 1500 offers a broad range of engine choices. For many, the sweet spot is the 5.7-liter V8 that delivers 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of peak torque. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 used in the TRX brings 702 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque, turning the truck into a desert racer right out of the box. The base engine in the Ram 1500 is the veteran 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that, in this iteration, offers 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. And finally there is a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 with just 260 horsepower but a rocking 480 lb-ft of torque. Rear-drive and all-wheel-drive are widely available across the lineup. Eight-speed automatic transmissions are standard up and down the model line, and the V6 adds the eTorque mild hybrid system. Three axle ratios and an electronic locking differential are widely available to add to your choices.

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Driving Impressions

We have driven all the full-size pickups extensively, and the one that stands out for superior ride quality is the Ram 1500. This has been a Ram hallmark for years. The base suspension uses upper and lower A-arms, coil springs, twin-tube shock absorbers, and stabilizer bar up front and five-link rear suspension with track bar, progressive rate coil springs, stabilizer bar, and twin-tube shock absorbers locating the solid axle. And optional front and rear air suspension makes things even cushier. Of course, the desert-running TRX has a suspension all its own. You can also add performance-oriented driver assists like launch control. The magic of all this is the Ram 1500 has all the capabilities required of a full-size truck in payload and towing, but it still has a ride worthy of a luxury sedan. When it comes to handling, none of the full-size pickups feels particularly agile, but the Ram 1500 offers predictable steering and braking to go along with its cushy ride.

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Interior Design

The 2022 Ram 1500 starts with a well-designed shell and then fills it with comfort and convenience items commensurate with the various grades. In crew-cab form, the Ram 1500 has the largest cab in the segment, and that spaciousness is complemented by the truck’s excellent ride quality. As you’d guess, the Tradesman work truck is fairly spartan, but as you climb the price ladder, the truck’s interior gets more and more sophisticated. Available equipment packages on just about every trim level allow you to outfit the truck the way you’d like it. Base versions of the truck have a 40/20/40 split bench front seat. Front bucket seats are widely available across the lineup, and so is a handy folding rear seat. Head, leg, hip, and shoulder room are substantial in the front seats and in the crew cab’s rear seat. The quad cab is more confining in the rear, but the front seat comfort is excellent. Just about every creature comfort you could imagine in a luxury sedan is available in the Ram 1500 — heated and ventilated seats, steering-wheel-mounted controls, and big 12-inch touchscreens among them.

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Infotainment &Technology

The 2022 Ram 1500 has led the parade when it comes to big touchscreens in pickup trucks. And for 2022 the pickup offers buyers Stellantis’s Uconnect 5, the latest version of the well-regarded system Ram has become known for, plus some other Uconnect systems. Uconnect 5 Nav features a 12.0-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, integrated voice command with Bluetooth, Alexa integration, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, Ram connected services, connected travel services, real-time traffic, GPS navigation, SiriusXM 360L, and HD radio. Many of the Ram 1500 models are equipped with Uconnect 5 with an 8.4-inch touchscreen. It has many of the features of Uconnect 5 Nav, but it doesn’t have navigation. Uconnect 3 with a 5-inch touchscreen is the standard system in the Tradesman work truck and other less expensive models. The base audio system uses six speakers. A 10-speaker premium system is standard on the Laramie, Limited Longhorn, Limited 10th Anniversary, and TRX trims, and it is optional on the Big Horn and Rebel. The top audio system is a 19-speaker Harmon Kardon system.

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Safety & Driver Aids

The 2022 Ram 1500 offers an array of available safety and driver assistance technology. A relative few are standard, and some fairly common driver-assist features are only offered on the upper trim levels. For example, the Limited Longhorn Level 1 equipment group includes blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage and rear cross traffic alert. The Limited Level 1 equipment group includes adaptive cruise control with stop, go and hold, forward-collision mitigation, lane departure warning plus, surround view camera system, automatic high-beam headlamps, and parallel/perpendicular park assist. The Advanced Safety Group offers adaptive cruise control with stop, go and hold, blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning plus, pedestrian protection, surround view camera, SmartBeam headlamps, rain-sensitive wiper, and parallel/perpendicular park assist. It is optional on Laramie, limited and TRX models. Since the Ram 1500 is an excellent tow vehicle it offers very comprehensive tow-related equipment in optional packages.

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Cargo & Towing

The RAM 1500 is available with a 5-foot 7-inch box and a 6-foot 4-inch box. The former has a cargo volume of 53.9 cubic feet and the latter 61.5 cubic feet. Access to the bed is excellent through the wide tailgate. Payload ratings range from 1,710 pounds to 2,030 pounds depending upon driveline. The maximum tow rating is 12,750 pounds. As with payload, towing capacity depends upon configuration and powerplant. The truck must be properly equipped to tow the maximum weight. The RamBox cargo management system, relocatable anchor points, bed divider, and new multifunction tailgate with a center bed step make the Ram 1500 easy to load and unload.

Photo by Ram Media

Trim Levels

The RAM 1500 is available in eight different trims — Tradesman, Tradesman HFE, Big Horn/Lone Star, Rebel, Laramie, Longhorn SouthFork, Limited 10th Anniversary Edition, and TRX. Quad cabs and crew cabs are available across the board. The Ram 1500 doesn’t offer a traditional regular-cab version. The new BackCountry Edition builds on the popular Big Horn and Lone Star models, providing customers with off-road features straight from the factory. Standard features include off-road shocks, all-terrain tires, skid plates, electronic locking rear differential, and hill-descent control. Ram 1500 prices range from about $36,000 for a Tradesman Quad Cab to around $65,000 for a Limited Crew Cab in 4x4 form. The specialty desert racer TRX has a suggested list of about $77,000. Options can take its price near $100,000.

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Pricing & Value

The RAM 1500 delivers exceptional value in the segment. Certainly, the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado have their fans. And this year, Toyota has introduced an all-new Tundra full-size pickup, replacing the former model that was long in the tooth. But for a dual-use work-leisure truck, the Ram 1500 is a great choice. Its ride quality, creature comforts, and excellent infotainment system are big points in its favor. For a work truck, the Ram 1500 is a good choice as well, but another alternative is the RAM 1500 Classic — the predecessor of the current Ram 1500. It’s simpler and less expensive than the current Ram 1500 and might do the trick. That said, the 2022 Ram 1500 pickup truck is a high-quality choice.

Photo by FCA Media