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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  Best Truck on the market. - 2012 RAM 1500
  By nclemons1985 - April 6 - 7:04 am

  Bought a Dakota 4.7L 4WD. Traded it in 4 months later for a 2012 4WD Ram with a Hemi. Right off the bat I noticed a huge difference between this truck and the others I have owned in the past. More power than I need. Which is a good thing. It accelerates and tows up a hill like it is not there. Very comfortable ride. I barely noticed bumps in the road I noticed with my Dakota. Its the smoothest shifting vehicle I have ever driven. My girlfriend didnt understand the big deal until she drove it herself. Now she wants a Ram. She hated trucks before she drove it. My favorite part: More power than Ford, Toyota, Nissan, GMC and Chevy yet priced better.

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  2016 3500 Ram Longhorn - 2016 RAM 3500
  By Jeff Woldt - March 2 - 1:32 pm

  Buy it!

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  2011 Dodge Larimie - 2011 RAM 1500
  By Dave - February 15 - 2:00 am

  More decedent than any other vehicle I owned (have had several trucks, including 95 and 03 Dodge 2500 Diesels.) My main interest was the ram box, which limited my choices - crew only. From there I loaded it up cause I could. (A heated steering wheel is over the top, but being storing over 4200 songs on the HD is cool, since I have almost that many.) It fits a certain niche. Ram box allows me to store everything I need to carry in the boxes, and keep the cab clean. Managing about 16 mpg avg. Love the sun roof. Leather. This is an old mans truck (which I am). Better for towing (9500) than hauling (1200). Pretty and comfy - works for me. Only 750 mi so far, no mechanical to report.

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  10K miles 2500 4x4 Ram/Cummins DIESEL - 2012 RAM 2500
  By dundonrl - January 17 - 12:59 am

  I bought my Ram in Nov with 20 miles on it, and just rolled over 10K, so far its been 100% reliable, and a fun vehicle to drive. I went from a 500+ hp Mustang Cobra to this truck, and while I do miss the accleration and handling, overall the truck definitely makes up for the Mustang.

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  Love it! - 2011 RAM 3500
  By mscmdurham - December 12 - 7:15 am

  We bought a 2011 used with about 40k miles on it already. I use it to pull my horse trailer and you can hardly even tell it is back there. I have loaded 2 full tons of haycubes in the bed and although it squated a little it handled it just fine. The only issue we have had with it so far is one day the key fob would not unlock the door. I made the mistake of using the manual key and everything went haywire. We had to disconnect the battery and let it reset. Also a couple of times while using the hands free device for the phone, even after the call was ended and the keys were out of the truck, the display stayed on. Again had to disconnect battery and reset. That happened 2 times.

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  Ram big horn - 2017 RAM 1500
  By James - November 19 - 5:15 pm

  Great truck. Looked at the silverados as a comparison but the price difference was insane. For a Silverado with less equipment than the big horn, chevy wanted almost 9k more. Im sorry but even if chevy has better resale I doubt its that high. If I wanted a comparable truck from chevy it was almost 15,000 more. Ive heard of people saying ram isnt as reliable but I believe thats a myth seeing as how everyone I talk to about rams says they love it and have never had any problems. Because of the new "knob shifter I opted for an extended warranty just in case" . The truck rides great. It seemed more smooth then the chevy and just about as quiet inside the cab. The stock stereo has great sound and the engine noise is just the right amount not too loud but it makes its presence known. The cab is huge. Crew cab has more room then our old suv. My mpg gauge tells me Im doing almost 20 mpg but the real word when I do the math its closer to 18. Overall its a great truck with great looks. Good engine. The hemi sounds awesome. One thing Ive noticed is the small ft and finish stuff where ram falls short. Little things that dont hurt the truck but makes you think "really...." definitely recommend it though.

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  The Ram Express is a winner! - 2012 RAM 1500
  By ramilia2012 - October 11 - 12:55 am

  I purchased a 2012 Dodge Ram Express in October of 2012. I fell in love at first sight, or maybe at that point it was lust. Nonetheless, within the first mile of the test drive I was in love. This truck is exceptionally smooth and POWERFULL! It is not a truck, this thing is a Race Truck! If you like having plenty of power readily accessible you will be well pleased. I have installed an aftermarket intake on my Ram and imagine it has well over 400 horsepower. The ride and overall smoothness of the truck are incredible. People comment on how smooth it is. I would highly recommend the Ram to anyone. I have gotten 19mpg on a trip to and from the mountains in NC.

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  The 8 speed makes this truck, along with the Interior..... - 2013 RAM 1500
  By 2013laramie - September 19 - 9:07 pm

  I am in love with the 13 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 8speed Hemi! The engine and 8speed trans is buttery smooth and the 8 speed allows you to really harness the 400hp hemi making it VERY fun to drive. The interior is rated TOP TEN in the world versus any other vehicle on the road! Yes, it is that nice. I drove the 6.2l and Ecoboost Ford F150 and while it was good, the trans is nothing close to the 8 speed and the interior is cheesy at best. I drove the 2014 Chevy and with all the vibration and recall issues,I would not touch it with a 50ft pole, not when spending 45k+. My best advice is, dont think of this as a RAM of old, this is a completely new animal. Very Awesome! MPG is also unreal 17.5ave!!

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  2012 ram express - 2012 RAM 1500
  By core4 - August 24 - 1:02 am

  Purchased a Ram express at the end of May. I am very pleased with the ride and build quality of the interior. I used it to pull my boat this summer and was impressed with the power of the Hemi. Fuel economy pulling the boat on the hghway was about 15-16. I am very light on the throttle and can get up to 18.2 driving to work everyday. That means letting the vehicle drop below 55 when going up hills to keep the ECO system engaged. I compared it to the ford before buying and the ford has a higher towing capacity around 10,000 vs 8500 lbs for the Ram. I cant remember towing over 4,000 lbs with any truck I ever had.

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  Great customer service - 2017 RAM 1500
  By Carlos Sanchez-Santiago - August 2 - 11:34 am

  A big thanks to Jesse fakhoury and rich Nicosia for helping me get approve on my new ram truck.