2022 Ram 1500 Expert Review
Reviewed by Duncan Brady
The Ram 1500 is our pick for the best full-size pickup truck on the market, and the winner of our 2019 and 2021 Truck of the Year awards (the Ram Heavy Duty won for 2020). This year, Ram updates the truck with multiple special editions and updated infotainment software on higher trims. The Ram 1500 competes with other full-size American pickups including the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500.
What's New
- Ram TRX Ignition Edition with Ignition Orange paint, orange interior accents, and 18-inch black wheels
- Ram 1500 Limited 10th Anniversary Edition in Blue Shade with 22-inch wheels, unique Indigo and Sea Salt quilted leather upholstery, aluminum bezels, jeweled shift knob, and 19-speaker audio
- Ram 1500 GT Laramie and GT Rebel with sport details, bucket seats, and flat-bottom steering wheel
- Ram 1500 BackCountry package on Big Horn and Lone Star models with black accents, off-road group, and the 5.7-liter V-8
- Ram 1500 (RED) Edition on Limited Crew Cab with red badging
- Ram 1500 BackCountry Edition with added off-road capability
- Ram 1500 Longhorn Southfork positioned just below the Limited
- New Uconnect 5 infotainment software standard on Ram 1500 Big Horn and above
- Clean Air System filtration now standard on all models
- Harvest Sunrise joins exterior paint options, Delmonico Red is now available on Ram Rebel
What We Think
The Ram 1500 is our top-ranked full-size pickup and a two-time MotorTrend Truck of the Year winner. When it won in 2019, we said: "No pickup in the segment better balances capability, efficiency, value, and quality. The Ram 1500 retains its old-school appeal while being refreshingly modern in style and substance. It's refined and sophisticated without surrendering its dirty-fingernails roots. "
Even entry-level variants feel high-quality and upper trims are properly luxurious. Tech-forward buyers will appreciate the available portrait-oriented 12.0-inch touchscreen infotainment setup and Ram provides clever solutions such as a reconfigurable center console and Ram Box bed storage to make the truck even more usable.
The Ram's standard air suspension delivers great ride and handling, but it's also a capable work horse. There are plenty of powertrain options ranging from the capable mild-hybrid V-8 to the efficient diesel and, of course, the supercharged Hellcat V-8 in the Ram 1500 TRX. The Ram 1500 is a well-rounded, legitimately capable, luxurious truck that we'd take over any Ford or Chevy rival.
Performance and Efficiency
Ram offers a host of engine options under the hood of its bread-and-butter pickup, ranging from a hybridized V-6 to the legendary Ram TRX-exclusive supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V-8. In any case, the engines are paired with eight-speed automatic transmissions. For most variants, RWD is standard and 4WD is optional. Ram doesn't yet have an electric truck to challenge the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV, but there's a battery-powered pickup on the way.
3.6-liter V-6 eTorque Mild Hybrid
Drivetrain: RWD or 4WD
Horsepower/Torque: 305 hp/269 lb-ft
Efficiency (city/highway): 19-20/24-26 mpg
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 7.5 seconds
3.0-liter Turbodiesel V-6
Drivetrain: RWD or 4WD
Horsepower/Torque: 260 hp/480 lb-ft
Efficiency (city/highway): 22/32 mpg
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 8.1 seconds
5.7-liter V-8 (eTorque Mild Hybrid optional)
Drivetrain: RWD or 4WD
Horsepower/Torque: 395 hp/410 lb-ft
Efficiency (city/highway): 15/22 mpg
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 5.9 seconds
6.2-liter Supercharged V-8 (RAM TRX)
Drivetrain: 4WD
Horsepower/Torque: 702 hp/650 lb-ft
Efficiency (city/highway): 10/14 mpg
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 4.1 seconds
Safety Ratings and Features
The Ram 1500 is the only full-size pickup to earn 2022 Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS. It receives the highest possible Good crashworthiness ratings in all six tests, but you'll have to get the optional automatic emergency braking system and upgraded LED headlights (standard on Laramie Longhorn, Limited, and TRX) to qualify for TSP status. In NHTSA testing, the Ram 1500 gets a five-star overall safety rating with four-star frontal, five-star side, and four-star rollover ratings.
In terms of driver assist features, Ram includes forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking on all models other than the Tradesman and Bighorn, on which those features are optional. Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and trailer sway control are also available.
Cargo Space and Interior Room
The Ram 1500 is a vehicle built for hauling people and cargo so it's no surprise there's plenty of space. That said, Ram doesn't offer an eight-foot bed like Ford does with the F-150. Likewise, Ford offers more front legroom, but Ram has the Blue Oval beat in rear legroom looking at both two-row cab options.
Cargo space (bed):
- 2022 Ram 1500 (67-inch bed): 53.9 cubic feet
- 2022 Ram 1500 (76-inch bed): 61.5 cubic feet
- 2022 Ford F-150 (67-inch bed): 52.8 cubic feet
- 2022 Ford F-150 (79-inch bed): 62.3 cubic feet
- 2022 Ford F-150 (98-inch bed): 77.4 cubic feet
Legroom (first/second rows):
- 2022 Ram 1500 Quad Cab: 40.9/35.6 inches
- 2022 Ram 1500 Crew Cab: 40.9/45.2 inches
- 2022 Ford F-150 Regular Cab: 43.9/(none) inches
- 2022 Ford F-150 SuperCab: 43.9/33.5 inches
- 2022 Ford F-150 SuperCrew: 43.9/43.6 inches
Technology
Opting for a Ram 1500 can yield some of the best infotainment system in the truck world, but not all variants are treated equal. Entry-level variants work with a basic 5.0-inch touchscreen display, but there's also an 8.4-inch mid-tier system and the top-spec 12.0-inch unit. If you end up with either of the larger screens, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included. Six-speaker audio is standard, while 10- and 19-speaker premium systems are available or included on higher trims.
Fastest Pickup Truck in the World?
Ram stunned us last year with the introduction of the Hellcat-powered Ram 1500 TRX (pronounced tee-rex like the dinosaur, if you were wondering). We liked it so much that it took home our award for 2021 Truck of the Year. Hustling from 0-60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, the TRX is the quickest truck we've ever tested. Ram claims a top speed of 118 mph, which defines its supercharged monster as the fastest production pickup truck on the market.
Recommended Trim
We appreciate every trim of the Ram 1500; when it was new for the 2019 model year, we awarded the lineup our 2019 Truck of the Year award. That said, if you have the means and lack the environmental guilt, the Ram 1500 TRX is our current pick for the best truck in the industry. When it won our 2021 Truck of the Year, we called it "a game-changer, both on- and off-road: a truck equally capable of towing and hauling as it is ripping donuts in a field or whipping sports cars in drag races," and "the new benchmark that all supertrucks must beat." Shame it starts at more than $70,000.
