Well, that makes it a clean sweep. All three winners of Golden Calipers this year entered their competitions as dark-horse candidates. Each was overshadowed by flashier, sexier, or more “newsworthy” candidates. In the truck realm, those frontrunners included a purpose-built 440-mile electric pickup with midgate and tailgate tricks up its sleeve, an apocalypse-ready bullet-resistant origami EV bristling with 48-volt electrics and by-wire steering, and far newer versions of two popular midsize trucks. Alas, our exhaustive testing and evaluation process gradually revealed flaws in these competitors and brilliance in the significantly revamped 2025 Ram 1500 lineup.
Ram strategically sent us three very different trucks, chosen to vividly illustrate the breadth of what’s new for 2025, starting with its budget back-road bomber, a Tradesman-based, off-road-oriented Warlock. Under its humble work-truck costume lies some serious off-road capability, powered by the standard-output (420-hp/469-lb-ft) variant of this year’s biggest Ram news: the Hemi-replacing straight-six turbo (SST) Hurricane engine. At the other end of the spectrum were two premium models—the RHO and Tungsten for those seeking performance or luxury. The former replaces the late, lamented Hellcat-powered TRX, using a high-output (540-hp/521-lb-ft) version of the SST, while the latter represents a new luxury flagship model positioned above the Limited and Limited Longhorn. And in a new twist for Ram, the Limiteds and Tungsten now enjoy additional power by sharing the RHO’s high-output engine.
Engineering Excellence
The headline-grabbing engine-swap news initially vexed trucking traditionalists, but since its introduction, we’ve clearly demonstrated that the new, more powerful, and more technologically advanced engine outperforms its Hemi predecessor. In a race of like Laramie 4×4 crew cabs, the standard-output SST is 1.6 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the old 5.7 V-8. The high-output version widens that lead to 2.2 seconds. Yeah, sure, the RHO is slower than the mighty TRX—but only by 0.7 second to 60 mph and through the quarter mile, and it becomes a much more livable daily driver in the bargain.
An important element of the performance story is weight; this all-aluminum entry I-6 weighs less than the iron-block V-8s it replaces. And although it’s longer, packaging the turbos aft of the axle helps make the nose feel lighter. The difference from standard output to the 5.7-liter is about 50 pounds, but the high-output SST is about 150 pounds lighter than the 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. That difference noticeably improves the RHO’s handling relative to the TRX, though some editors felt the steering ratio could be tightened a commensurate amount.
And Ram could never have packaged a Hellcat motor in a luxury Limited model, but the SST is considerably more civilized. “This engine and transmission perform as if they’re installed in a Mercedes,” deputy editor Alexander Stoklosa said. “They’re sharp and feral when you want, quiet and demure the rest of the time, surfing along on torque and imperceptible shifts.”
Another engineering advance is Hands-Free Active Driving Assist, Stellantis’ hands-free answer to GM’s Super Cruise and Ford’s BlueCruise. Available for use on about 125,000 miles of well-marked divided roadways, the system worked reasonably well on our Michigan freeways. We like the bright green cluster-surround lighting that shows when it’s working. The system is not perfect, but it just rolled out, and in our limited experience we rank its functionality just behind BlueCruise and Super Cruise. It’s also already due to be supplanted by a superior setup. For now, the system comes standard on the Tungsten trim and can be bundled in packages priced from $3,315 to $9,995 from Laramie on up, which includes three years of service. (Subsequent subscription pricing has yet to be announced.)
Screen real estate expands for 2025 with the segment’s first 10.3-inch passenger screen joining the available vertical 14.5-inch display, 12.3-inch digital cluster, and 10.0-inch head-up unit. Passengers can view any of the truck’s camera images, navigation, or onboard computer information, and of course play media via streaming or HDMI, which remains invisible to the driver. What’s more, we noted that even the Warlock’s tiny basic screen offers more interesting information than Toyota’s bigger screens, and we found the dedicated hard button for the home screen superior to finding a “RAM” icon on a phone-mirroring screen.
This section wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the available phone-as-key feature, twin wireless phone chargers, or the Tungsten’s 1,228-watt, 23-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system. It’s that brand’s first automotive offering, and senior technical editor Matt Chudzinski declared it “the best in any truck ever. The surround effect makes me feel immersed instead of just being able to point to which speaker a particular sound is coming from.” Technical writer Jered Korfhage found it mindblowing: “I swear my hair levitated on one of the more bass-heavy tracks.”
Performance of Intended Function
Trucks are engineered to serve a lot of disparate needs, from towing and hauling to backcountry exploration, from daily commuting to night-on-the-town strutting. These three Rams covered that gamut thoroughly, and they’re merely slices of the truck’s broad lineup.
Ram chips away at Ford’s towing supremacy with a new reverse steering aid for trailering. It calibrates itself without the need for programming and stickers. It also allows the driver to steer the trailer with a knob, adding a Push-to-Center feature that steers the truck to keep the trailer moving straight back once you have it pointed the way you want. This feature comes as part of a $1,345 Trailer-Tow package on the Tradesman trim and up. The corner radar units that calibrate the trailer automatically measure its length, adjusting the blind-spot warning accordingly. Properly optioned, the Ram can also assist in lining up a trailer and monitor its tire pressure; digital camera mirrors, standard side-view mirrors with parabolic inserts, and proper trailering mirrors are also available to ease the job.
Max trailer weight ratings range from 6,370 to 11,600 pounds, and we hooked a 6,870-pound Mastercraft XT22 T wake boat to our Tungsten (75 percent of its rated maximum). Several editors remarked that this truck pulled its load more easily than any other truck here. The air suspension makes trailer attachment a breeze—lower it all the way down, back under the hitch, and raise it back up. It levels loads easily, and the dampers were deemed best at absorbing road imperfections. The SST whisked this load up to highway speeds without drama, perhaps revving a bit higher in the process than the V-8s used to. The Tow/Haul mode seems to maintain lower gears when cruising—perhaps at some cost to fuel efficiency. It’s a pity that neither Highway Drive Assist nor any other lane-keeping aids work when a trailer is attached. (That remains a Super Cruise exclusive.)
When there’s stuff to haul, the 2025 Ram 1500 is rated to carry between 1,190 and 2,360 pounds of it. We loaded half a ton in our Warlock and were impressed that it rode even more smoothly and still handled fine. There’s still a RamBox option, providing side storage compartments, a box divider, and a cargo extender as a $995 package on 5-foot-7-inch beds from Big Horn up. Tailgate options include power release, power down-and-up, and a side-hinged barn-door or drop-down-capable Multifunctional Tailgate ($1,095 on Big Horn and up). A retractable corner bed step eases the climb aboard, where you’ll find the usual fixed and adjustable tie-downs.
Off-roading has long been a Ram strength, and for 2025 there’s a limited-slip or electronically locking rear diff (which can lock in RWD!) standard or optional on every model. The Ram Classic’s Warlock package of blacked-out trim and popular options now joins the main 1500 lineup in adding a 1-inch suspension lift, Bilstein shocks, skidplates, and a locking rear axle. Priced at $56,255, it delivers much of the Rebel’s capability at a $9,935 discount. Among the softest-riding trucks we took to Holly Oaks ORV Park, the Warlock’s compliance permitted more bottoming out, but technical writer Jered Korfhage appreciated its refreshing “lack of drive modes and its choice of snow-rated Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires,” noting it “sacrifices very little in the dirt.”
But of course, it’s the RHO that really shines here, and we generally dig its banshee wail and improved steering feel relative to the TRX. Korfhage appreciated the Bilsteins’ ability to “eat big hits without bottoming out,” and many noted how much lighter, wieldier, and rear-torque-biased the RHO felt. Senior editor Jason Gonderman’s only complaints were that “the off-road camera views don’t stay on, and they’re so low-resolution as to be nearly useless.”
As a commuter or long-haul tripper, it’s hard to beat a Ram 1500. All cabins from the Warlock to the Tungsten sounded quieter than any other competitor with an engine, outward visibility is exceptional, power pedal adjustment and A-pillar grab handles cater to varying body sizes, and all variants ride smoother than nearly any other truck, full stop. Deputy editor Alexander Stoklosa was struck by how well the truck “pours itself down the road. Jeep’s Grand Wagoneers don’t drive this well, and this is a truck. With a live rear axle.” And the Tungsten, with its 24-way-adjustable seats and five massage programs, is clearly top dog among half-ton luxe-truxe.
Advancement in Design
The 2025 Ram 1500’s sole leap in pickup design was the choice to integrate the Tungsten model’s front bumper beam behind a soft fascia, as on a car. All other variants (and competitive models) employ a separate painted or chromed metal bumper. You might not have even noticed at first glance, but this leaves no unsightly gap running around the nose below the grille, and it allows the front wheel-lip moldings to continue right down to the chin spoiler. This approach lends a nicely tailored and posh-price-appropriate look that hopefully won’t balloon insurance rates.
The Tungsten model delivers next-level opulence for a truck interior. Ram has long set the standard, and this new model moves the goalposts yet again. There’s intricately woven carbon-fiber trim and miles of stitching atop the dash, doors, seats, and console. Then there’s the Tungsten center console badge, the epic execution of which Chudzinski reckoned “could probably substitute for an engagement ring.”
Efficiency
It was clearly an efficiency play to swap V-8s for twin-turbo sixes, but the improvement is modest on mainstream trucks. Their highway economy improves by 9 percent, but in the city, rear-drive models are equivalent, and 4x4s measure 6 percent worse, so combined ratings change little. Of course, relative to the TRX, the RHO improves by 40 percent city, 14 percent highway, and 25 percent combined.
More important, though, the base SST bests the equivalent Chevrolet Silverado 5.3-liter V-8 by 12 to 17 percent and Ford F-150’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8 by slimmer margins. (The RHO runs about even with the ZR2 Bison, faring slightly worse than the Raptor but way better than the Raptor R.) Of course, the mild hybrid 3.6-liter Pentastar eTorque V-6 still anchors the Ram 1500 line, and it outsips Ford’s entry 2.7-liter V-6 by 5 percent and Chevy’s 2.7-liter I-4 by 16 to 17 percent combined, so Ram remains strong here as it readies its electrified models.
Safety
This criterion may be Ram’s weakest. The IIHS has yet to test the 2025 model, but NHTSA has, awarding four stars for frontal and rollover crash survivability and five stars for side impact, with overall rankings of five stars for crew cabs and four stars for quad cabs. Here both Chevy and Ford earn a fifth star in frontal crashworthiness for five stars overall on all tested variants.
Value
Ram truly offers a truck for every purse and purpose with a 10-model lineup for 2025—and that’s before the REV electric and Ramcharger EREV models arrive. By now we’ve tested several and are struck by how each model puts forth its own distinct and interesting personality. Most of us agreed with Korfhage, who declared the Warlock “the best truck per dollar here.” Likewise, we found the $89,070 Tungsten model worth the scratch, owing to its incredibly quiet, refined ride, impressive roster of equipment, and high quality of materials and workmanship. The general consensus was that despite a $50,000 price walk, these Rams all feel worth the money.
After a week of intensive instrumented testing and another week spent driving and evaluating this year’s field, all the brightest-shining newcomers had dimmed relative to their respective competitive sets against one or more of our six key criteria. But the Ram shined ever brighter against its half-ton competition, and that’s what earned it a near unanimous vote as our 2025 Truck of the Year.
