2025 Ram 1500 Limited: What's It Like to Live With?
The Ram 1500 is significantly updated for 2025, so we're putting it through a one-year test to evaluate the changes.
| Miles Driven | Average MPG |
| 5,432 | 15.7 |
Latest Highlights
- The Ram 1500 is significantly refreshed for 2025.
- We bought a 1500 when it was redesigned in 2019.
- And we're curious to see what's changed, and what hasn't, since then.
What do you want to know about?
What We Got And Why
• Our test vehicle: 2025 Ram 1500 Limited
• Base MSRP: $75,155
• MSRP as tested: $88,475
The Ram 1500 is one of our top-rated trucks, a regular foil to the Ford F-150 in an eternal battle for full-size pickup dominance. We've owned a pair of F-150s in the past five years — one Hybrid and one Lightning — and the Ram 1500's significant updates for 2025 are enough of a reason for us to add one to our One-Year Road Test fleet.
This is the third Ram 1500 we've owned and it's the second in this generation. So, why buy another? The big updates to the 2025 Ram 1500 include a new engine, exterior styling tweaks and a new top-of-the-line trim. The 5.7-liter V8 is gone, as is the massive off-road-focused TRX.
But the loss of the V8 isn't a big deal. In addition to the base V6 engine are two turbocharged straight-six engines that both make more power than the outgoing V8.
What did we get?
We went for the second-highest trim, the Limited. That got us the high-output six-cylinder engine with 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft of torque, as well as 20-inch wheels, an air suspension, leather upholstery and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.
We got our Ram 1500 in Delmonico Red Pearl and added a couple of towing packages along with an off-road package. We also opted for the Limited Level A Equipment Group, a $4,765 pack that includes a bunch of advanced driver aids like traffic sign recognition, hands-free active driving assist and evasive steering assist. It also includes an upgraded 14.4–inch touchscreen display and a surround-view camera system.
That's good because this is a big truck with large mirrors. Those will be great for towing, but not so much for forward visibility.
None of this was cheap, by the way. The total sticker price for our Ram 1500 is $88,475, including a $1,995 destination charge. The list price was $60,540 for our 2019 Ram 1500, albeit in one trim lower than our 2025 model.
Why we bought it
The upgrades to the Ram 1500 are significant. We've also got a full-size pickup truck hole in our fleet now that we've sold our Ford F-150 Lightning. Plus, we were big fans of the F-150 Hybrid we had in our fleet for the better part of three years, so the bar is high for the Ram.
We'll be doing truck stuff with the Ram 1500, taking it off-road, and seeing what it's like to live with this latest edition of one of America's most venerable pickups.
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purpose of evaluation.
You can go a long way on a single tank
"Fuel economy and range are pretty impressive. Driving up to NorCal in a mix of highway, traffic and mountains, I averaged just shy of 20 mpg.
"It was the range number that stood out, though. On a full tank, you can expect a healthy 550-plus miles out of a tank. Just don't expect fill-ups to be cheap. With a tank that'll hold over 30 gallons of fuel and an engine that demands premium (and California gas prices), my fill-up from a nearly empty tank crested $150." — Jodi Tourkow, executive director, written content
A word on rotary-style shifters
"IF YOUR CAR, TRUCK, OR SUV HAS A ROTARY SHIFTER, IT SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH TO PARK WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR OFF. There are a bunch of other cars with electronic shifters of one sort or another that automatically shift into park when you turn the car off. The Ram will automatically shift to park if you open the door with the engine running while in drive, so it CAN do it. But if you stop the truck and hit the power button it'll go to that mode where the engine is off but the car itself isn't off and insist you shift to park. But once you shift to park you're still in that awkward mode where you have to hit the power button again ... which just restarts the engine, and then you have to turn the car off.
"It's super annoying, and with a rotary shifter it's much easier to forget to put it in P yourself than with a lever." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
The inline-six engine is very satisfying
"Wow, this Hurricane inline-six engine is a gem! I've heard others sing its praises in other vehicles, but it feels made for this Ram 1500. Super responsive, buckets of power and torque. Probably not the most efficient thing, but a joy to operate. Makes driving a full-size truck a seemingly effortless task." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
"This thing rips! Very impressed with the engine and transmission in this truck. Zero part of me misses having a V8 ... OK, maybe a tiny part of me misses the sound. But the Hurricane is a mighty engine that, even once Ram adds a V8 option, would be my choice of powertrain in a truck like this. It's seriously powerful, responsive, doesn't lose output at altitude, and I managed a little under 20 mpg over a mix of highway, mountain roads, and stop-and-go traffic — with a few floor-it-for-fun moments mixed in for good measure. Hurricane season has officially arrived." — Duncan Brady, script writer
As comfy as they come
"The Ram 1500 still earns my vote as the best-riding full-size pickup you can buy today. That four-corner air suspension works a treat and makes this truck so, so comfortable on city streets and highways alike. Until Ford or GM comes up with something similar, Ram will always have an advantage here." — Steven Ewing, director, editorial content
"It's been a while since I've been in a full-size truck, but I still think the Ram rides quite nicely. I seem to remember the previous version being a little bit more cushy but that could just be me misremembering that experience. Still as a full-size truck driver, I could easily drive this every day from a ride comfort standpoint." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
Which truck has the best seats?
"For my money, the F-150 has the best seats in the class. The Ram's seats are pretty good, but they're a bit firmer, and on the whole feel a bit less lounger-like. While the interior materials in our truck are really, really impressive, and there are all sorts of great touchpoints and textures around you, I still prefer sitting in the F-150." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
BUT! The Ram 1500 has zoned cooled seats
"TOTAL GAME-CHANGER! The Ram 1500 has ZONED COOLED SEATS! We've seen zoned heated seats on GM products for a while: where you can select whether to heat the whole seat or heat up only the seat cushion or only the seatback. But this is the first time I can think of I've seen the same principle applied to seat ventilation.
"Now, I've got a bit of a dodgy back, and blasting cold air on my spine can sometimes tighten up the muscles. But I'm also a hefty boy who hates sitting on leather that's been baking in the LA sun until it's hot enough to sear a steak because I will instantly sweat through my britches.
"So being able to chill my bottom without risking a back spasm is an absolute game-changer for me. And on top of that, the Ram's cooled seats have some really strong ventilation — way more effective than your average cooled seat." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
Not enough knee space?
"How am I wanting for knee space in the front of a truck this big? The control pod that houses the rotary shifter sticks out from the center console in front of my right knee. If I want to be far forward enough that I can reach the steering wheel the way I want, even with the wheel telescoped all the way out, my knee is rammed (get it?) up against that control pod. Hardly a deal-breaker but a little disappointing." — Duncan Brady, script writer
We've experienced problems with the blind-spot monitoring system
"I got in our Ram 1500 right after it had come out of the wash. I started it up, pulled out of the parking lot, and realized the blind-spot monitoring system wasn't working. It took me a second to find the warning message from the vehicle, but once I did I was surprised to see it was telling me the system was disabled because of an obstruction and advising me to wipe the sensors on either side of the rear bumper.
"Again, freshly washed car.
"At this point I was on the freeway, and I opted to just drive home and deal with it later. It turned out, all I needed to do was restart the car, and the system started working again.
"We'll have to see if this is a recurring issue or just a one-off." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
"Tons of electrical issues with this thing. The blind-spot monitoring system is constantly malfunctioning and I have to turn it off to keep the lights from staying on at all times. This unfortunately means I can't have the lane departure assist on either because it requires the blind-spot lights to be on.
"The screen is big and modern-looking, but operation is laggy and a lot of times I'm pressing and waiting for something to happen and sometimes pressing it multiple times because I'm not sure if the screen is going to respond. This is not a great user experience. I also wish there was a shortcut button to call up the cameras when I need them. This is something that Stellantis has not thought about in most of their vehicles." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
"What's up with the driver aids? The blind-spot monitoring system cut out on me again, this time about halfway through a long freeway drive. Gave me the same warning to clean off the sensors, but they started working again immediately once I turned the car off and then on again. I'm not sure why it thinks the sensors are too dirty to use, but it has nothing to do with actual dirt.
"Also, the hands-free driver assist we paid for hasn't worked once. The car pops up a message every time you turn on adaptive cruise saying that it needs to be serviced." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
The camera system is too quick to shut off
"The programming for the camera system drives me nuts. See, in my Mazda 6, when the front sensors detect an object, the surround-view camera turns on to show me what's there. And if I'm in reverse, then switch into drive, the camera will switch to the surround-view mode just in case I'm in a parking lot and still trying to maneuver around stuff. Also ... there's just a button on my dash that'll turn it on anytime I want it.
"In the Ram, it's a swipe and then a tap on the touchscreen to get into the camera. And if you switch from reverse to drive, the camera view closes immediately so you have to repeat the swipe and tap. That makes navigating tight parking lots an exercise in constant irritation. In one particularly cramped and busy Trader Joe's lot, I must have done the swipe-and-tap six times.
"Just make it so the front/surround camera comes on if you switch from reverse to drive and stays there until you hit 10 or 15 mph. Please!" — Will Kaufman, manager, video
We haven't been impressed with the red-light camera alert
"The Ram's red-light camera alert is AWFUL. It's just a chime that's not attached to any sort of visual warning, so if no one's told you what it is you'd never guess. And you'd never guess because it doesn't know all the intersections with red light cameras, and on the flip side it delivers a TON of false positives. At one point, it went off while I was on the freeway. Another time, I was driving parallel to a dedicated bus corridor that had red light cameras at every crossing. At each intersection, the chime went off, even though I'd have to make a right turn to go through the cameras and I was driving in the left lane." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
We're experiencing too many errors with our Ram 1500's tech
"It's been a while since I've driven a vehicle that's thrown so many errors at me in such a short amount of time. There were several messages related to driver assist features: One was related to the Auto Emergency Braking system and stated that functionality was limited — cycling the vehicle on and off didn't help. The next day, I got a similarly-consistent warning related to the blind spot monitoring system. In fact, at one point, both BSM warning lights in the mirrors lit up at the same time for the duration of a 20 minute drive.
"Additionally, the overall tech interface leaves something to be desired. The Uconnect system was slow to boot up, and when it finally did, it often failed to automatically connect to my phone for wireless CarPlay — I had to manually select it within the system. Plus, for the entirety of a 25 minute drive in the morning, it wouldn't play a single sound from the CarPlay system, even after restarting my phone; the radio worked just fine, though." — Ryan Greger, social media content strategist
At last, a compliment to the Ram 1500's tech
"The Ram's hands-free driving is mostly remarkable. At times, I was able to cruise along for an hour with my hands crossed in my lap, only touching the steering wheel to adjust speed or request a lane change. Braking and acceleration were as smooth and natural as any system I've used.
"That last 5 percent, though, that's not perfect. At times it would go from hands-free mode to saying the road I was on wasn't mapped, just to go back to hands-free a moment later. In a couple instances, lane changes wouldn't work even with no cars around, and they would only work again once I restarted the car. Also, the system wasn't the best at staying centered in the lane. at times, it would hug one lane line or another.
"Still, hands-free driving dramatically improved my 1,000-mile road trip this weekend and is well worth the $3,000 add." — Duncan Brady, script writer
We could do without the massive side mirrors
"If you live in a city, the tow package is a TERRIBLE idea — specifically because of the mirrors. The towing mirrors are enormous; it's like sitting between an elephant's ears. As a result, they create massive blind spots right where you need to be looking for cross traffic at stop signs. You can easily totally obscure a pedestrian in the crosswalk, or even a smaller car.
"I do really love the smaller convex wide-view mirrors that sit below the main side mirrors. They give a lovely wide view. BUT, since you have those, Ram opted not to make the main passenger-side mirror convex. No "Objects may be closer than they appear" text. That means since you're sitting across the cabin from the mirror, you actually get a very small field of view in the biggest glass surface. That's an issue in a crowded metro area where bicyclists and motorists can hew up alongside you at any moment.
"I'm sure they're great for towing, but I hate these mirrors for daily use." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
"The extra-wide double-decker sideview mirrors are excellent for seeing stuff in back of you; however, they are also excellent at blocking a significant amount of your view in the front when making turns or at an intersection. I would gladly trade some of that rearward view and rely on cameras in order to downsize these mirrors and make them less intrusive for things in front. I'm constantly concerned that I'm going to miss a biker or pedestrian because of these mirrors." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
"OK, I get that these mirrors are optional and designed specifically for towing — but they quite literally create their own blind spot. Forward-side visibility is SO rough in the Ram; seeing beyond the massive mirrors is extremely difficult. I appreciate the added rear visibility, but wow, I'm not sure it's worth the compromise in daily driving." — Jonathan Elfalan, director, vehicle testing
The Ram 1500's interior is very nice
"This interior is beautiful and functional — I love the burgundy leather, textile accents, massive and versatile center console (it fit my laptop!), and the feel of the shifter and volume knob — but there are a few things to change on my wish list.
"Too many controls route through the screen and sometimes that screen isn't as responsive as I need it to be. For instance, the heated/cooled seats require tapping a touch button to bring up a Comfort menu, and sometimes there are a few seconds of lag waiting for that screen to pop up. I'm hoping the next Ram 1500 has a faster processor and more of those great-feeling physical controls.
"Audio settings are a few menus deep, too. On that note, the audio system leaves room for improvement. At higher volume levels, highs and mids get tinny and overwhelming, and the bass, although present, lacks the depth and complexity of more powerful systems. (I'm thinking of the AKG audio I was listening to last week in the Escalade IQ.)
"Also, over a thousand miles this weekend, I couldn't quite get comfortable in the Ram's seats — I think it has something to do with the lower seat cushion. Tried positioning higher, tilting up for more thigh support, and still couldn't get comfy. This could have as much to do with my butt as with the seat. Mostly unrelated, the lateral thigh bolsters are pretty soft, and I won't be surprised if the driver's seat bolster on the door side will be wrinkled and nasty within a year.
"Great interior! But like any, not perfect." — Keith Buglewicz, managing editor
2025 Ram 1500 Limited: Miscellaneous
If it doesn't fit elsewhere, it ends up here
Is the Ram 1500 too big?
"Buyers should really think if they need to step up to something bigger than a Tacoma/Ranger/Colorado. Especially with our truck's optional tow mirrors, this thing feels huge on the road.
"Navigating a car wash drive-thru, I had to make a five-point turn. In one parking lot, it took me three tries to park within the lines, and still my driver- and passenger-side tires sat atop them. Call me pampered by modern tech, but I have no idea how you'd drive a truck like this without our truck's 360-degree camera view. I didn't even try to fit the thing in my apartment building's tight parking, and navigating the local mall's garage was an exercise in taming anxiety and holding up others while I slowly rounded corners, sometimes taking more than one try to make sure I didn't scrape the corners.
"Out on the open road, it feels great to drive a truck this size. There's tons of room in the cab for people and cargo, and even in the Aero suspension height, you have a commanding view of the highway ahead. But man, unless you live somewhere with Texas-sized parking spaces and big, wide roads, this might be too much truck." — Duncan Brady, script writer