Overview & Reviews

Ram is a recently formed subdivision of Chrysler. Its lineup consists chiefly of full-size pickups that were formerly called Dodge Rams. This offshoot brand was created in 2009 as part of a reorganization by Fiat, Chrysler's new owner, to increase awareness for the company's trucks. It all became official for the 2011 model year. The slightly renamed vehicles didn't change, and as such Ram trucks and vehicles are well suited for both work and play.

The Ram name itself was first used back in 1981 on Dodge's then-redesigned pickup trucks. Previously, Dodge pickups had more typical (and mundane) naming conventions, with a letter indicating drivetrain, and numbers indicating capacity. For example, a Dodge D150 was a two-wheel-drive ("D"), half-ton ("150") pickup, whereas a Dodge W150 was a four-wheel-drive ("W") half-ton pickup.

Though the Dodge Ram offered cab styles (standard and extended), powertrain options (inline-6,, V8, turbodiesel) and features similar to its Ford and Chevy competitors, it always trailed them in the sales race. A complete redesign for 1994 gave the Ram pickup line a huge boost in image and popularity. The aggressive styling -- featuring a big-rig-style grille and flared fenders -- was a huge factor in the Ram's increased appeal. Highlights for this generation included the debut of the popular Quad Cab with its reverse-opening rear doors that eased the loading of passengers and cargo. The Quad Cab (along with more luxury features) also signified the ever increasing use of pickup trucks as daily drivers and family vehicles.

Another redesign of the Ram pickup took place for 2002 (2003 for the heavy-duty models), giving sharper edges to the truck's already macho styling, which was backed up with the debut of the burly 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The current version of the Ram 1500 was introduced for 2009, boasting a much-improved interior as well as a unique coil-spring rear suspension. The latter offers notably more refined handling and ride characteristics compared to the more traditional leaf-spring setup used on the Ram's rivals.

In addition to the popular full-size Ram pickup lineup detailed above, the Ram brand also incorporates the midsize Dakota pickup as well as the Dodge Grand Caravan-based Ram C/V (Cargo Van).

User Reviews:

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  First Dodge - 2011 RAM 1500
  By Anonymous - November 19 - 2:00 am

  My Ram is quieter and smoother driving then my previous(01,03,06)Sierras. It has quite a few handy features that make it easier to use. I prefer the 4 doors w/Dodge then the suicide type w/GM. I am underwhelmed by the fuel economy because I am averaging 16mpg for the same exact roads/driving style I got 18mpg w/Sierras(all non-mds V8s w/4sp autos and 4wd, Ram is V8w/mds w/5sp auto and 4wd). I was surprised to find out the 5.7L needs spark plug replacement (there are 16 of them!) every 2 years because they are standard plugs, not platinum tipped. In the service manual it recommends 89 octane w/5.7, that too was a surprise since all info I received before purchase mentions 87 octane.

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  Awesume Truck - 2017 RAM 1500
  By Robert Peters - September 16 - 1:02 am

  I have only 1200 miles on the truck so far. To date, it has met all of my wants. The night visibility is great even in rain storms. The ride is comfortable, but road noise is greater than I had expected, louder than my 2012 Ram Bighorn.

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  After 3 years, still a good truck, but a few flaws - 2011 RAM 1500
  By gianofan - August 24 - 6:48 am

  After 3 years of owning this truck and putting 44k miles on it, I thought I share a few thoughts. First of all, this remains a very good truck overall and Im still happy with it. That said, Im eyeing a new 2014 or 15 Longhorn and considering a trade. This is primarily due to the new 8 gear transmission. The 2011 had only the 5 gear, and there is a huge performance difference between them (which I realized after a test drive of a 2014 model recently). There are also a number of other nice new features in the newer models....

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  2011 Ram 1500 ST - 2011 RAM 1500
  By blueram1500 - June 2 - 8:38 pm

  My 2002 S10 was on its last legs and I realized it was time to trade in for something new. The purchase of the Ram came down to one simple need: Value. I come from a Ford family. My dads employment enables me to get the some of the best discounts that Ford offers. I have always loved the F-150 and was planning on buying one. Dodge won me over not only with their newer design on the Ram but also with their promises of renewed quality (backed by a pretty good warranty). That and the Ram was $5k cheaper than Ford AFTER all of my discounts. After a month of driving, I have none of the typically reported Chrysler drivetrain problems to speak of... Knock on wood.

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  worried - 2012 RAM 1500
  By phatdad - December 31 - 8:06 pm

  After owning fords for 22 years I bought this Ram 1500. I love the power and the interior features. Worried about floppy rear windows that rattle when down. It also shudders between 35-45 mph when not accelerating hard. With slight gas pedal the truck feels like its in the wrong gear. It feels like my f-150 that dropped a coil.

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  window noise - 2012 RAM 1500
  By wwebbys - November 15 - 5:27 am

  The rear windows on this model(Outdoorsman) seem to be loose. When they are partially down and driving there is a very loud bothering noise. I took it to the dealership. They said this normal for this model and year. I have owned F150s and a Frontier and never had this problem. Is anyone else having the issue?

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  Nightmare - 2014 RAM 1500
  By flalum06 - September 15 - 8:13 am

  I have never had more trouble in my life then with this new ECO Diesel! Pulled out of the lot with 16 miles on it check engine light came on. Took it in 3 times before it was fixed. Then I finally got to drive it and the drivers side window leaked and I could not put fuel into the truck without getting a bath or having fuel run all down the side of the truck or vapor locking. Has been in and out of the shop for well over a month (this will be the 3rd time) and they are telling me they do not know what is wrong with it. LEMON! Will never buy another dodge again. Called Dodge numerous times and they are SLOW... I spent 41,000 on a truck that now has 2100 miles and I can not even drive it.

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  Great to drive - 2011 RAM 1500
  By bigmiles - March 3 - 12:24 am

  Purchased used June 2010, 34K miles, now have 68K. Cons: Have heard clicking/grinding noise under pedals when traction breaks. I suspect universal to transfer case, but dealer will verify. Other issue is the Uconnect / radio, cuts out, pops, this too will be dealt with at dealer. No cabin air filter for these trucks, guess that was a cost savings from manufacturer, I installed my own in 15 min. at a cost of $28.00 great investment. Glad I purchased the warranty. Pros: Drove on vacation, I always use cruise, 19 MPG avg for trip of 2600 miles.

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  Very Nice - 2017 RAM 1500
  By J Stamps - December 9 - 4:53 am

  The basic truck is perfect. Plenty of power, great suspension, quiet cabin, comfortable seats. Like the high ride for the ability to see far - plus less fatiguing for long trips. My only beef is the stereo. Like all FCA products, it automatically turns on each time you start. The only fix is to turn the volume all the way down rather than pushing the power button. Also, it only reads USB drives up to 4 GB (FAT32). It would not play my 64 or 128 GB NTFS-formatted USB drives. Fords are better here. Fuel economy display and other Driver Information Center functions are not intuitive (had to read the manual). Gas mileage was as advertised. Liked the outside door handles for the quad cab doors (Ford and GM require you to open the front doors to access the buried rear door handles). Great looking exterior! Under hood is an amusing sight with the 3.6 - about two feet of empty space between the radiator and engine. Still, Id take this over the Fords amped-up 2.7 with that annoying start/stop feature. Better to suffer slightly lower MPG than to feel annoyed most of the time. I never considered a Chrysler product before, but the trucks seem to have better owner reviews than the Fords and GMs. Ill probably end up buying one of these. A better truck for less money. Ill just buy and install a proper stereo from Crutchfield.

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  Get the hemi, get the crew get the RAM - 2012 RAM 1500
  By tylerg4 - October 2 - 12:08 pm

  I started off test driving a ford f-150 Eco boost, well when I put that thing to the floor it didnt spin and tj felt like a Prius on wheels Then I went to the ram, I put it half way down and layed a black strip down the road. The hemi definitely has a lot of power! I also got the crew can because I have kids. The crew cab is super roomy with storage everywhere. I also got the dual exaust which is nice although I wish it was slightly louder I wont complain. Over all its a great truck but theres one major thing I hate about dodges, which is rust, I noticed a quater inch rust spot that will be fixed immediately.