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Quick Summary
The 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel is a functional and complete off-road package that delivers practical levels of off-highway clearance, traction and style without sacrificing payload or towing capability.
What Is It?
Prepare to be disappointed if you were clamoring for a Ford Raptor killer. The Ram 1500 Rebel was not conceived with the same sort of Baja-inspired desert racing mindset that birthed Ford's single-minded off-roader.
But for most of us that's a very good thing. The Rebel is a less expensive, down-to-earth collection of off-road components that offers meaningful performance and clearance gains without harming the payload and towing capabilities of the underlying 1500 crew cab on which it's based.
The formula is similar to the Toyota Tundra's TRD off-road package, but the Rebel ups the ante with a 1-inch lift, 33-inch tires, air suspension and hiked-up front bodywork that improves the Rebel's approach angle beyond what the lift would accomplish on its own.
What's Different About the Ram Rebel?
Unlike Toyota's TRD off-road package, the Rebel is not an option. It's a brand-new trim level that brings along the off-road goodies as standard equipment.
Ram's four-corner air suspension is one of those standard items, and for good reason. It allows the Rebel's 1-inch lift to boil down to a software tweak that transforms the former "Off-Road 1" setting into the Rebel's normal ride height. Likewise, the old "Off-Road 2" setting becomes simply "Off-Road" in the Rebel and offers a further 1-inch boost when extra clearance is needed.
Other suspension changes include the addition of Bilstein monotube shock absorbers specifically tuned to tame body motions on paved and unpaved surfaces alike. The cornering balance of the new combination was trimmed with a softer rear stabilizer bar, a tweak that also helps its off-road suspension articulation. Revised wheel alignment specs keep the tires in line despite the hike in baseline ride height.
The tires are aggressive 33-inch 285/70R17 Toyo Open Country all-terrain units that span nearly an inch wider and stand a full inch taller than Ram's usual 17-inch 4x4 offering. They're more ideally suited to crawling over rocky surfaces and maximizing traction on sand and mud, and they offer additional impact protection for the Rebel's distinctive new 17-inch aluminum wheels, which have enough extra offset to broaden the truck's track width by about a half inch.
That extra width is why the Rebel wears the black fender flares from the Ram Power Wagon. Its blacked-out front bumper, on the other hand, is all-new and has a wraparound steel brush guard/skid plate built in. The bumper's raised bottom edge gives the Rebel a 23.8-degree approach angle when set to normal height, an increase of more than 4 degrees. Clearance is even more dramatically improved out toward the ends, where the bumper's "wings" are cut higher to expose more of the tire tread to rocky obstacles that lie ahead.
What Is the Interior Like?
The Rebel's interior is based on the Ram Big Horn, which means it's comfortable and well-appointed without being so pretty you'd hate to track mud inside. Black and red are the dominant colors, so the instrument panel hood and leather steering wheel wrap are decorated with red stitching.
Likewise, the Rebel's instrument faces are black with red anodized aluminum bezels instead of the usual chrome. Additional red anodized aluminum trim encircles the air-conditioning vents, dresses up the door panels and frames the cupholders and new smartphone holder that occupy the bin just ahead of the console armrest.
But the grained-vinyl and fabric seats make the biggest impression because the tread pattern of the Toyo Open Country tires has been pressed into the seating surfaces. We can't actually feel anything different when we climb behind the wheel, which is a relief because Ram 1500 seats are some of the most agreeable in the segment.
If you ever look up you'll discover the Rebel's headliner has been switched to black. Let your gaze drift down and you'll see heavily ribbed all-weather rubber floor mats that are meant to keep mud and slush from soaking into the black carpet.
How Many Body Styles and Engines Are Available?
Because it's the combination chosen by about 70 percent of Ram pickup buyers, the Rebel will only come as a crew cab with the 5-foot-6-inch short bed.
But that doesn't mean there are no choices. You can get your Rebel with the 305-horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 or a 395-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine. In either case you'll get the sturdy and economical eight-speed automatic transmission, which remains a class exclusive in the pickup world.
And you can get a Hemi-powered Rebel in a rear-wheel-drive configuration and save yourself $3,580 if the clearance, suspension and stance are all you want.
How Does It Drive?
Our test truck is a 5.7-liter 4x4 fitted with 3.92 axles. It moves out smartly and offers plenty of the familiar Hemi punch, even at our test location's 7,000-foot elevation. There's a little hum from the Toyo tires, but it never rises to the level of objectionable, even when the 5.7-liter V8 is mumbling along quietly on cruise control.
As with other Ram trucks, the air suspension drops an inch at freeway speeds to reduce air resistance. But the Rebel starts out an inch higher than other 1500 4x4s, so this merely brings it down to the regular truck's standard height. The result is a freeway ride that feels more compliant and pothole-resistant because the suspension isn't squatting as close to the bump stops.
The Bilstein monotube shocks deserve credit for this, too, but they cope well with the insistent hammering of washboard dirt roads. And there's no wheel hop when climbing the steep volcanic cinder cones on our test loop. The ingredients are all around us, but the Rebel doesn't take the bait.
Our test area doesn't include the sort of rock-strewn roads and crumbly ledges we see back home, so the jury is still out on that point. But the suspension, clearance, gearing and tires our Rebel enjoys don't leave much to the imagination. There's no reason it shouldn't excel, but we can't be certain until we get a production model on home soil.
What Kind of Mileage Does It Deliver?
EPA regulations make allowances for special models like the Rebel, so its window sticker fuel economy matches that of the volume-selling versions of the Ram 1500 pickups that share its drivetrains.
The 3.6-liter V6 Rebel is rated at 19 mpg combined (16 city/23 highway) and the 5.7-liter Hemi 4x4 version is rated at 17 mpg combined (15 city/21 highway). The Rebel 4x2 Hemi matches the 4x4 except it earns 22 mpg on the highway.
Keep in mind that the Rebel's 3.92 axle gearing, broad Toyo knobby tires and the aerodynamic disadvantage of its taller stance were never part of the Ram 1500 fuel economy testing rubric. These attributes will surely take a bite out of its actual fuel consumption.
Rebel V8 buyers who want maximum fuel economy instead of maximum towing and off-road prowess should avoid the 3.92 axles and buy the standard 3.21 ratio. This strategy is unavailable to Rebel V6 buyers because 3.92 gearing is the only offering there.
The absence of Rebel-specific fuel economy testing makes it impossible to confirm, but what all of this means is the 5.7-liter Hemi 4x2 Rebel with 3.21 gears may well be the thriftiest real-world combination. It's certainly the cheapest one to buy.
How Much Extra Will It Cost?
The Rebel 4x4 with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 starts out at $45,915. If that's higher than you expected, remember that air suspension (a Ram option that usually goes for $1,695) is standard fare here.
Move up to the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and your cost of entry rises to $47,565 for the 4x4 configuration. Want the Hemi but don't need four-wheel drive? You're in luck. The cheapest Rebel by far is the V8 two-wheel-drive model, which starts at $43,985.
What Are Its Closest Competitors?
The Rebel offers much more than the retuned shocks and modest tire changes associated with the 2015 Ford F-150 FX4 or 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 packages. It would be unfair to characterize these stand-alone options as sticker packages, but the Rebel's 1-inch lift, air suspension, Bilstein shocks, redesigned front bumper and taller tires represent a more meaningful nod to enhanced off-road performance than either of them.
Toyota's 2015 Toyota Tundra comes in two off-road flavors, the TRD off-road package option and the TRD Pro off-road trim level. Both come with Bilstein shocks, and the basic Tundra has a goodly amount of underbody clearance and an admirable approach angle. Functionally, the Rebel slots between the two.
It has more to offer than the relatively inexpensive TRD off-road package, but Toyota offers that on any trim level at a lower price point. The 2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro V8 4x4 rides on a 2-inch lift and has extended suspension travel. Its Bilsteins are sophisticated big-bore remote reservoir units with multistage damping. The TRD Pro is more like the Raptor than the Rebel, but it costs less than either one.
Why Should You Consider It?
Ram's new Rebel is a strong choice for those who want an off-road package that offers meaningful performance improvements and a distinct personality in a truck that retains all of the payload and towing capability of the regular Ram 1500 on which it's based.
It's unique in the segment because the Ram's five-link rear suspension design allows the Rebel to employ standard four-corner air suspension, which allows elevated height modes off-road, supple ride comfort on pavement and a reduced-height mode to ease passenger and cargo loading when parked.
And let's not forget the two-wheel-drive Rebel, which is perhaps the most capable and complete example of that subspecies. There's no such thing as a rear-wheel-drive Tundra TRD Pro or Ford Raptor.
Why Should You Think Twice About It?
Diesel fans will need to look elsewhere for the moment. There's no engineering reason why a diesel-powered Rebel couldn't exist, but Ram is selling all of the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engines it can get its hands on already.
Those looking for a Ram-flavored Raptor and who are willing to give up payload and towing capacity (and the ability to park it easily) won't find it here. The 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel was never intended to be that single-minded. Thing is, the 2015 Tundra TRD Pro V8 4x4 doesn't sacrifice any of its payload or towing, either, and it costs less than a Hemi-powered Rebel 4x4.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
Used 2015 Ram 1500 listings and inventory:
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What's a good price on a used 2015 Ram 1500 ?
Save up to $300 on one of 256 used 2015 Ram 1500s for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $21740 as of Apr 26, 2018, based on data from 18 dealers and 89 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 1 to 5 out of 5 stars.
Price comparisons for used 2015 Ram 1500 trim styles:
The used 2015 Ram 1500 Express is priced around $25454 with average odometer reading of 38352 miles.
The used 2015 Ram 1500 Big Horn is priced around $21998 with average odometer reading of 67194 miles.
The used 2015 Ram 1500 Sport is priced around $32322 with average odometer reading of 30418 miles.
The used 2015 Ram 1500 SLT is priced around $25680 with average odometer reading of 51803 miles.
The used 2015 Ram 1500 Tradesman is priced around $25979 with average odometer reading of 38010 miles.
The used 2015 Ram 1500 Laramie is priced around $33405 with average odometer reading of 20645 miles.
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What options are available on the 2015 Ram 1500?
Available Ram 1500 2015 Submodel Types: Crew Cab, Quad Cab, Regular Cab
Available Ram 1500 2015 Trims: Rebel, Express, Big Horn/Lone Star, Big Horn, Night, ST, Harvest, Laramie, Tradesman, SLT Fleet, Outdoorsman, Sport, Lone Star Silver, SLT, Laramie Longhorn Edition, Longhorn, R/T, HFE, Limited, Lone Star
Exterior Colors: Delmonico Red Pearl Coat, Diamond Black Crystal Pearl Coat, Billet Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Black Clear Coat, Bright White Clear Coat, Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat, Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat (Late Availability on Quad Cab/Crew Cab), Pearl White, Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Maximum Steel Metallic Clear Coat (Late Availability on Quad Cab/Crew Cab), Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl Coat, True Blue Pearl Coat, Deep Water Blue Pearlcoat, Mineral Gray Metallic Clear Coat, Bright Silver Metallic Clearcoat, Maximum Steel Metallic Clear Coat, Blue Streak Pearl Coat, Low Vol Agriculture Red (Fleet), Low Vol Holland Blue (Fleet), Mineral Gray Metallic Clearcoat, True Blue Pearl Coat (Late Availability on Quad Cab/Crew Cab), Walnut Brown Metallic Clear Coat, Bright White Clearcoat, Flame Red Clear Coat, Copperhead Pearl Coat, Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat/Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearlcoat, Luxury Brown Pearl Coat, Black Forest Green Pearl Coat, Blue Streak Pearl Coat (Late Availability on Quad Cab/Crew Cab), Flame Red Clearcoat, True Blue Pearl Coat/Black Clear Coat (Late Availability), Western Brown (Late Availability), Black Gold Pearl Coat (Late Availability), Bright White Clearcoat/White Gold Clearcoat, Blue Streak Pearl Coat/Black Clear Coat, Bright White Clear Coat/Mineral Gray Metallic Clearcoat, Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearlcoat, Flame Red Clear Coat/Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Patriot Blue Pearl Coat, Prairie Pearl Coat, Rugged Brown Pearl Coat, Saddle Brown Pearl Coat, Sagebrush Pearl Coat, Sagebrush Pearl Coat/White Gold Clear Coat, Black Gold Pearl Coat, Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat/Mineral Gray Metallic Clear Coat, Bright White Clear Coat/Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat, Holland Blue, Hunter Green Pearlcoat, Light Cream, Low Vol Holland Blue, Low Vol Light Cream, Maximum Steel Metallic Clear Coat/Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat (Late Availability), Mojave Sand Clear Coat, Pitch Black Clear Coat, Prairie Pearl Coat (Late Availability on Quad Cab/Crew Cab), Rugged Brown Pearlcoat, Tequila Sunrise Pearl Coat, Tree Green, True Blue Pearl Coat/Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat (Late Availability), Western Brown, White Gold Clearcoat
Interior Colors: Black/Diesel Gray cloth, Dark Slate/Medium Graystone cloth, Black premium cloth, Black/Diesel Gray premium cloth, Black leather, Black/Red premium cloth, Dark Slate leather, Dark Slate cloth, Black cloth, Light Pebble Beige/Bark Brown premium cloth, Indigo/Frost premium leather, Black/New Saddle leather, Mountain Brown/Light Frost Beige leather, Mountain Brown/Light Mountain Brown premium leather, Black/Diesel Gray vinyl, Canyon Brown/Light Frost Beige premium leather, Light Pebble Beige/Bark Brown leather, Canyon Brown/Light Frost Beige premium cloth, Dark Slate Gray/Russet premium leather, Light Pebble Beige/Bark Brown premium leather, Black/Cattle Tan premium leather, Black/Yellow premium cloth, Canyon Brown/Light Frost Beige (Fleet) premium cloth, Canyon Brown/Light Frost Beige leather, Mountain Brown/Light Mountain Brown leather, Black premium leather, Black/Diesel Gray (Fleet) cloth, Black/Diesel Gray (Fleet) premium cloth, Black/Light Frost Beige premium cloth, Black/Light Mountain Brown premium cloth, Black/Red vinyl/cloth, Canyon Brown/Light Frost Beige (Fleet) cloth, Canyon Brown/Light Frost Beige cloth
Popular Features: Apple Carplay/Android Auto, Keyless Entry/Start, Automatic Emergency Braking, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Aux Audio Inputs, Post-collision safety system, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, USB Inputs, 6ft Bed, Stability Control, Crew Cab, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Rear Bench Seats, AWD/4WD, Bluetooth, Towing Hitch, 10,000lb+ Towing Capacity, Upgraded Engine, Back-up camera, Upgraded Headlights, Power Driver Seat, Mobile Internet, Alarm, Electronic Folding Mirrors, Upgraded Stereo, Remote Start, Blind Spot Monitoring, Heated seats, 8000lb Towing Capacity, Parking sensors, Navigation, Auto Climate Control, Multi-Zone Climate Control, 360-degree camera, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Pre-collision safety system, Leather Seats, Cooled Seats, Sunroof/Moonroof, Standard Cab, 5000lb Towing Capacity, 6000lb Towing Capacity, 8ft Bed, Rear Entertainment System
Engine/Mechanics: 8, 6 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC
Fuel Types: regular unleaded, flex-fuel (unleaded/E85), diesel
Drivetrains: four wheel drive, rear wheel drive
Used 2015 Ram 1500 Overview
The used 2015 Ram 1500 is offered in the following submodels: Diesel, Regular Cab, Crew Cab, Quad Cab. Available styles include Sport 4dr Crew Cab 4WD 5.6 ft SB (5.7L 8cyl 8A), Big Horn 4dr Crew Cab 5.6 ft SB (3.6L 6cyl 8A), and Laramie 4dr Quad Cab SB (3.6L 6cyl 8A). Pre-owned 1500 models are available with a 0-liter gas engine or a 0-liter flex-fuel (FFV) engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2015 1500 comes with four wheel drive or rear wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 8-speed shiftable automatic.
