2022 Ram 1500

Americans love trucks, and automakers are responding by outfitting their models with the latest in features, technology and safety. Ram introduced its current-generation 1500 in 2019 and has mildly updated its compelling package every year since. For 2022 there’s an upgraded Uconnect infotainment system, the towing package adds a useful LED light for the trailer hitch and a new cabin filter system, along with new trims and packages.

While we’re looking at the current-generation 1500 here, the last-generation truck is still being built as the bargain-bin Ram 1500 Classic. The current Ram also comes as the 702-horsepower TRX, which we review separately.

The full-size 1500 traditionally goes head-to-head with Ford’s F-150 and GM’s mechanical twins of Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. While that trio offers Regular Cabs, at least on low-end trims, the Ram 1500 comes only in a Quad Cab with a 6-foot-4 bed, or Crew Cabs with 5-foot-7 or 6-foot-4 beds. This omission isn’t surprising since buyers overwhelmingly choose four-door trucks.

Eight trims take the Ram 1500 from workhorse to luxury liner. The base Tradesman, Tradesman HFE (High Fuel Efficiency), Big Horn, Lone Star, Rebel, and Laramie all come in Quad Cab or Crew Cab, save for the Quad-cab-only HFE. The Limited Longhorn and Limited are strictly Crew Cab. All trims come in rear- or four-wheel drive (4WD), except for the rear-drive only HFE. There are three engine choices, all of them stout and proven. The base is a 3.6-liter V6; there’s also a 5.7-liter V8 or 3.0-liter diesel V6. 

Standard on the V6, and optional on the V8, is a self-charging 48-volt mild hybrid system called eTorque. The truck can’t run on electricity alone, as Ford’s Power Boost full hybrid can. Instead, the system assists the engine with extra gas-free torque on acceleration. It smooths the performance, particularly on step off, and provides a fuel economy improvement that’s as high as an extra 3 mpg on the V8 in combined driving. 

The Ram is defined by its excellent ride, comprehensive tech and upmarket cabin, but like its competitors, it can get seriously expensive with options, not all of which are useful. A four-corner air suspension lowers for easy entry and loading, or raises for off-road driving, although its weight cuts into the payload and towing capacity. 

You can opt for RamBoxes, which are locking storage compartments incorporated into the bedsides; or in-bed cargo extenders and dividers. There’s also a multi-function tailgate, but unlike GM’s six-position gate, it’s simply a two-piece gate that can be dropped down or opened sideways, barn-door style. It may be useful, but seems a little shaky, and the sections must be closed in the right order to prevent damaging it.

Performance: 13/15

The Ram 1500 offers a 3.6-liter V6, making 306 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque; a 5.7-liter V8 that makes 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque; and 3.0-litre “EcoDiesel” V6, making 360 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. All use an eight-speed automatic transmission. The eTorque mild hybrid system, standard on the V6, and optional on the V8, adds fuel-free oomph on acceleration but the Ram can’t run on electricity alone like the Ford F-150 or Toyota Tundra Hybrids.

For most drivers, Ram’s V6 should be sufficient, but the V8 is the better choice for frequent towing, and the eTorque version is the same price as the regular 5.7-liter, which uses cylinder displacement to save fuel. Ram’s diesel is a pricey $4,995 add, but its 480 pound-foot torque rating edges out its competitors, with the GM making a maximum of 460 pound-feet of torque, and Ford up to 440 pound-feet. Properly equipped the Ram can tow up to 12,750 pounds with the V8 or 12,560 with the diesel, but only in quad cab form (crew cabs lose a little bit of capacity to their higher weights), a little less than Ford or Chevy.

The Ram is big and drives like it; the F-150 and Silverado are tighter handlers and don’t feel as oversized. But the Ram uses rear coil springs instead of leaf springs, and the ride is smoother and better-planted.

Fuel Economy: 13/15

Most of the trucks in the full-size segment are fairly well matched for fuel economy, even though their engine sizes aren’t identical. One thing to remember when cross-shopping is that turbocharged engines save fuel in normal driving but can get thirsty when worked hard. If you tow a lot, a larger, non-turbo engine may be better than a smaller turbocharged one.

Rear-drive V6 Rams return 20 mpg city, 25 highway and 22 combined according to the EPA, a figure matched by the 2.7-liter V6 F-150. Both trucks are rated at 21 mpg combined with 4WD.

Ram’s 5.7-liter V8 with eTorque is rated at 20 mpg in combined driving with rear-wheel drive, a considerable improvement over the 17 mpg it gets sans eTorque. But Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 makes more horsepower and torque, and still matches Ram’s V8 eTorque rating of 20 mpg. Rear-drive Ram diesels return a combined 26 mpg and lose 2 mpg with 4WD. Chevrolet’s diesel inline-six gets 27 mpg in rear-drive and matches Ram with 4WD.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 9/15

NHTSA gives the Ram 1500 a five-star rating (though Quad cabs get only four), while the IIHS makes it a Top Safety Pick. As with its domestic competitors, if you want advanced safety technology it’ll cost extra on most trims. On the Tradesman, Big Horn and Laramie, the $595 Level 1 Safety Group adds forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and advanced brake assist. 

The desirable active-safety features start at the Rebel level, where the $1,695 Advanced Safety Group adds adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keep assist, a head-up display, a 360-degree camera and emergency front braking, but not blind spot monitoring, which requires upgrading to the Limited Longhorn (confusingly slotted below the Limited) where these extras become part of a $6,395 Level 1 Equipment Group that’s $6,395. It also includes niceties like power running boards and ventilated rear seats. A similar package is $3,395 on the Limited, which comes standard with blind spot monitoring, including coverage for a trailer.

Comfort & Room: 14/15

The Ram slightly trails its competitors in most interior dimensions, but no vehicle in this class is “small.” Crew Cabs, the most popular among buyers, offer 40.9 inches of front headroom, only fractionally less than Ford, Toyota or Nissan, but all trail Chevrolet’s 43 inches. At 39.8 inches of rear headroom, Ram bests only the Tundra’s 38.5 inches; all others are a margin above 40 inches.

GM takes the tape measure for front legroom at 44.5 inches, while Ram trails the field at 40.9 inches. But rear-seat passengers stretch out farthest in Ram’s 45.2 inches of room. The competition ranges from the F-150’s 43.6 inches to the Titan’s 38.5.

The Ram’s well-designed interior is hard to beat, with comfortable, supportive seats wrapped in materials that range from heavy-duty vinyl or a no-charge cloth option in the Tradesman to premium quilted leather in the Limited 10^th Anniversary Edition. Heated and ventilated seats, and a heated steering wheel, are standard on the Laramie and up.

Infotainment: 14/15

Ram’s Uconnect infotainment system is among the industry’s best for ease of use and functionality, and the new Uconnect 5 is faster, has crisper graphics and more memory, can simultaneously connect two wireless devices and can display multiple screens. It uses TomTom navigation and gets over-the-air updates.

The default screen is 8.4 inches, though in the Tradesman HFE buyers get an older version of Uconnect running on a five-inch screen. The Laramie and up offer an optional 12-inch screen that’s standard on the Limited. That big screen is pretty, but its vertical layout overwhelms the dash; Ford also offers a 12-inch screen, but it’s horizontal and better integrated into the design. 

Ford also retains more physical buttons and dials for frequently-used functions, while the larger Uconnect system stuffs them behind the glass or in a few buttons alongside. That means tapping two or more times for something as simple as adjusting the seat heater, which is needlessly distracting.

Cargo Space & Storage: 14/15

The Ram Quad Cab comes with a 6-foot-4 bed, while Crew Cab models offer a 5-foot-7 or 6-foot-4 bed. That’s within a couple of inches of the competition, although without their typical regular cab, 8-foot bed combos.

Unique in the segment, most trims can be ordered with the RamBox option for $995. These fit in the bedsides, and while they reduce usable space inside the bed, they’re very useful, especially for wet and muddy gear. The bins are lockable, lighted, and have drains for hosing out or to use as a cooler. 

One issue with Ram is that there’s little help to get into the bed. GM uses brilliantly-simple bumper steps, while Ford offers a step that pulls out of the liftgate, but Ram’s only assistance is an accessory kick-activated bumper step. Inside, Ram finally has a flat rear floor, which Ford has had for years. In the cabin, some models have rear under-floor bins and a sliding center console.

Style & Design: 9/10

Ram took the truck world by storm when it first introduced its “highway truck” styling for 1994, with an upright grille flanked by its headlights. It’s been modified many times over the years, of course, but still retains that handsome wide nose. The grille design changes over the models, from the basic all-black front on the Tradesman, to the unique slanted sides on the Rebel, to the chrome trim on Limited models.

The stylish interior is arguably the segment’s best, with quality materials and good fit-and-finish. Ford comes very close, but surprisingly, GMC’s top-line Denali includes a lot of cheaper-looking pebbly plastic for the price. For those who prefer a Western theme, the Limited Longhorn carries through with wood trim, engraved barb wire on the metallic dash trim, and rear seat pockets that resemble saddlebags. 

Is the 2022 Ram 1500 worth it? Which Ram 1500 is the Best Value?

The Ram 1500 starts at $36,195 in Tradesman Quad Cab 4×2 trim, including a $1,795 delivery fee, and runs to $65,005 for a Limited Crew Cab 4×4 before adding any option packages. That’s about mid-pack in the segment, although some competitors offer pricier engine options, such as the full hybrid models offered by Ford and Toyota. Moving up in the Ram from a V6 to a V8 adds $2,295, while the diesel is $3,200 to $4,995 extra, depending on whether the trim you’re optioning comes standard with a V8 or V6.

The mid-range Laramie, at $52,545 including delivery in Crew Cab 4×4 trim with V6 engine, will be a good choice for many buyers. It includes 18-inch wheels—less expensive than 20-inchers when it’s time for new tires—plus power-folding mirrors, driver’s side and rearview auto-dimming mirrors, heated and ventilated seats, 8.4-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi hotspot, in-floor storage bins, dual-zone climate control, a 115-volt power outlet, and heated steering wheel. For those who want the advanced safety features, the best value is the Rebel, which can be equipped with the advanced safety group and still squeak off the lot for under $55,000.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2022 Ram 1500?

The Ram 1500 is more expensive to insure than most of its peers. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,987 on a typical Ram 1500 Rebel, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $1,656 for the Ford F-150, $1,906 for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and $1,785 for the Toyota Tundra. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.