Used 2021 Ram 3500 Regular Cab
Used 2021 Ram 3500 Regular Cab





+5
Ram 3500 model years
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
2021 Ram 3500 Review

byChristian Wardlaw
Correspondent
Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at Edmunds and was the first editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.
Pros
- Massive towing capacity with diesel engine
- Comfortable seating and a quiet cabin
- Easy-to-use and feature-packed infotainment system
- Numerous available safety technologies
Cons
- The diesel engine is on the noisy side
- Lacks competitive trailering technology
- No dedicated off-road package or model
What's new
- High-output diesel engine now has 1,075 lb-ft of torque, a gain of 75 lb-ft
- Maximum tow rating rises by 2,000 pounds
- Digital rearview mirror newly available
- Part of the fifth Ram 3500 generation introduced for 2019
Overview
Among truck owners, numbers matter. They settle claims, justify choices and validate bragging rights. This year, the 2021 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty holds two of the biggest ones among full-size heavy haulers.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Ram 3500 Tradesman 2dr Regular Cab LB (6.4L 8cyl 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of N/A undefined in Virginia.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia
Not Available for 3500 Tradesman
3500 Tradesman
vs
$267/mo
Avg. Large Truck
First, the Ram 3500 HD's optional turbodiesel six-cylinder engine delivers a claimed 1,075 lb-ft of torque. That figure beats the Ford F-Series Super Duty lineup's Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 by all of 25 lb-ft. The Duramax turbodiesel V8 in Chevy and GMC trucks musters no more than 910 lb-ft. Second, the Ram 3500 HD boasts the highest gooseneck/fifth-wheel towing capacity of any full-size heavy-duty pickup truck, at 37,100 pounds, depending on the configuration. The Ford Super Duty is slightly behind at 37,000 pounds, while the limit for the Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD is 36,000 pounds.
The Ram's numerical advantages matter much less in real-world situations — all of these heavy-duty trucks are supremely capable for towing and hauling. Yet there are still plenty of other reasons to select the 2021 Ram 3500, including its comfortable seating and wide range of available technology and driver assistance features. It's definitely worth checking out if you're shopping for a heavy-duty truck.
Which 3500 does Edmunds recommend?
Your decision about which Ram 3500 HD to buy depends on how you plan to use the truck and the size of your budget. Unless you can't live without leather seats, the cloth-upholstered Big Horn offers you the broadest access to cab styles, drivetrains, seating configurations and equipment at the lowest price. You can restrict options to keep the truck basic and affordable, or you can add lots of extras to increase capability, upgrade technology or improve its looks.
2021 Ram 3500 models
The 2021 Ram 3500 is available in five trim levels: Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, Longhorn and Limited. Regular-cab, crew-cab, and Mega Cab (the extra-large crew-cab) configurations pair with standard (6 foot 4 inches) or long (8 foot) cargo beds and rear- or four-wheel drive.
Engine selections include gasoline and diesel power plants:
- Standard 6.4-liter gas V8 (410 hp, 429 lb-ft) with an eight-speed automatic
- Optional 6.7-liter Cummins turbocharged diesel inline six-cylinder (370 hp, 850 lb-ft) with a six-speed automatic
- Optional high-output version of the diesel with 420 hp and 1,075 lb-ft
Equipment highlights for each trim level are as follows:
Tradesman
When you seek the maximum capability at the minimum price, the Tradesman offers:
- 18-inch steel wheels
- Locking tailgate
- Vinyl seats and floors
- Manual locks and windows
- Air conditioning
- Cruise control
- 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Bluetooth hands-free calling
- Backup camera
- Tire fill alert system
Big Horn
The Big Horn goes beyond the basics, adding:
- Chrome exterior trim
- Power, heated tow mirrors
- Power windows
- Power door locks with remote keyless entry
- Cloth seats and carpeted floors
- Trailer brake controller
Laramie
For a little more luxury and livability, the Laramie supplies:
- 18-inch aluminum wheels
- LED headlights and taillights
- Power-folding chrome tow mirrors
- Power-sliding rear window
- Soft-opening tailgate
- Leather seats
- Power-adjustable, heated front seats
- Power-adjustable pedals
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Heated steering wheel
- 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
- Satellite radio
- Nine-speaker premium sound system
- Remote engine start
- Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)
Longhorn
For a more premium pickup, the Longhorn installs:
- Upscale design details
- LED cargo bed lighting
- Spray-in bedliner
- Remote tailgate release
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Premium leather
- Front bucket seats
- Ventilated front seats
- Heated rear seats
- Navigation system
- Connected services including 4G LTE Wi-Fi
Limited
Choose this trim for the most luxurious and technologically advanced version of the Ram 3500:
- 20-inch wheels
- Power running boards
- Exclusive leather seats
- Real wood interior trim
- 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless smartphone charger
- Blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change)
- Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is approaching from the side while reversing)
Depending on trim level and configuration, numerous individual and packaged options are available for the 2021 Ram 3500. Significant upgrades for the truck include:
- Dual rear wheels
- Cargo bed storage bins (RamBox)
- Night Edition package with blacked-out exterior trim
- 17-speaker premium Harman Kardon sound system
- Digital rearview camera
- Trailer-reverse guidance camera
- Towing equipment, including fifth-wheel/gooseneck preparation
- Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
- Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Ram and the car in front)
- Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Ram and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2021 Ram 3500 Regular Cab.
5 star(60%)
4 star(0%)
3 star(8%)
2 star(12%)
1 star(20%)
25 reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
1 out of 5 stars
WHAT A LET DOWN
Manke Trucking, 06/29/2022
2021 Ram 3500 Tradesman 2dr Regular Cab 4WD LB (6.4L 8cyl 8A)
I purchased a new 3500 work truck with the Cummins diesel. 15,700 miles in and an injector goes out. OK not a huge deal its under warrantee. Well of course the part is back ordered and not sure when it will arrive. Around 45 days later they get the part and "fix the truck". I drove 2 blocks and the exact same code and engine light is back on. I had just gotten in the Freeway so I exited … the 1st exit (3/4 mile) and heading back to the dealer. Truck dies in the intersection, starts back up, drive 2 blocks and it dies again, a total of 5 times. Finally pull back into dealer and of course died as i entered the driveway. They proceed to tell me it is nothing they did, but it must be the fuel pump, but before they can work on that the "STAR" engineers need them to change the fuel filters, of course they did not have so I i had to run them down. Not the fuel filters but they needed to run more test according to "STAR" . 20 days later I get the call they think if is the fuel pump and they will change it when it gets off back order. When they received the fuel pump the dealer proceeds to tell me they do not have the tool to change it and they are trying to barrow one from another dealer. I had already opened a claim with the US Customer Service Department and was told i would receive my payments back for the time the truck was down. Bottom line 5 plus month later i get the call my truck is ready. I arrive at the dealer only to receive a bill for $195.00 to change fuel filters claiming that is not under warrantee. WTF! 5 month without my work truck, no loaner, no sorry, just you owe us. Finally ready to "Close My Claim" at their request and the tell me they can only give me 2 payments back. I have owned vehicles from DCJR for over 40 years and they have lost my business, not because of the break down, but their lack of performance from the Corporate offices down to the Dealer. I would guess besides my $3,500.00 in payments I lost 10's of thousands in work. We use this truck with a small trailer to haul small loads in the L.A. area.
2021 3500 Highlights
Regular Cab
Tradesman
Base MSRP | $35,795 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Seating | 3 seats |
Drivetrain | rear wheel drive |
Max Towing Capacity | 37,100 lbs. |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Our experts like the 3500 models:
- Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus
- Warns you of an imminent front-end collision and can apply the brakes to bring the vehicle to a stop.
- Blind-Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Path Detection
- Warns you if another vehicle is in your blind spot or is approaching from the side as you reverse. Includes automatic trailer detection.
- Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist
- Warns you if the truck is drifting out of its lane and steers the truck back into the intended lane of travel.
People who viewed this also viewed
1.5 average Rating out of 2 reviews. |
Starting at $46,050 |
3.9 average Rating out of 13 reviews. |
Starting at $37,410 |
Starting at $45,015 |
Related Used 2021 Ram 3500 Regular Cab info
Shop used vehicles in your area
- Used Mitsubishi Eclipse 1994
- Used Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 2011
- Used Bentley Flying Spur 2016 For Sale
- Used Lincoln Continental 1996
- Used Hyundai Azera 2009
- Used INFINITI QX4 1999
- Used Maserati SL-Class 2006
- Used Cadillac Escalade 2012
- Used Audi A3 2008
- Used GMC Sierra 3500HD 2015
Popular new car reviews and ratings
- 16 Ford Fusion
- GMC Sierra Ev
- Lexus Es 250
- 2024 GMC Yukon XL News
- Ford Bronco
- Kiaev9
- Fisker Ronin
- Jeep Wagoneer Car
- Car Lamborghini Urus
- Grand Wagoneer Wagoneer
Other models
- New Chrysler 300 for Sale in Lancaster, SC
- Used Nissan Murano-Crosscabriolet in Southampton, PA
- New Mercedes-Benz Cla-Class for Sale in Laurel, MD
- Used Polestar 2 in Johnstown, PA
- Used Ford Freestyle in Ashland, KY
- Used Pontiac Aztek in Canyon Country, CA
- Used Toyota Corolla-Im in Lake City, FL
- Used Infiniti M56 in Anderson, IN
- Used Toyota Prius in Canoga Park, CA
- Used Honda Passport in Mission Viejo, CA
- Used Saturn Sky in Newport, KY
- New Audi A7 for Sale in Monroe Township, NJ
- New Mazda Mx-5-Miata for Sale in Iselin, NJ
- Used Dodge Charger in Topeka, KS
- Used Isuzu I-Series in Springfield, VA
Vehicle rankings by type
- Electric Car Luxury Electric Cars
- Best Convertibles
- Best Subcompact Vehicles
- Best Coupes
- Electric Car Luxury Electric SUVs
- Best Sports Cars
- Truck Midsize
- Best Economy Vehicles