2023 RAM 1500 Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Write a reviewPros
Great ride quality
Strong powertrain
Premium interior materials
Cons
Advanced safety features are not standard
Competition offers more technology
The Ram 1500 has been a perennial favorite, but the competition is catching up quickly.
Do you remember when pickup trucks were used only by construction workers and gardeners? They were work machines, meant to have scratched beds, a cab full of McDonald’s wrappers, and a big dent on the tailgate from an unfortunate run in with a telephone pole.
No anymore. Today’s trucks give luxury vehicles a run for their money with fancy features and ridiculous amounts of technology. Today we’re looking at the 2023 Ram 1500. This truck hasn’t gotten a major update since 2019, and while it still holds its own next to the offerings from Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota, the others are catching up quickly.
The full-size Ram 1500 can be had in a quad cab or larger crew cab with a 6-foot, 4-inch bed. The crew cab can also be had with a 5-foot, 7-inch bed, as in our review model. We drove the Ram 1500 Limited, which sits almost at the top of the eight trim levels: Tradesman, Tradesman HFE, Big Horn/Lone Star, Laramie, Rebel, Limited Longhorn, Limited and TRX.
You’ll find plenty of chrome on other 1500 trims, but this particular tester gets the $4,145 Night Edition option for a more stealthy look. Included here is a blacked out grille, black badging, as well as black headlamp bezels and mirror caps. And you can’t forget 22-inch black aluminum wheels. If you’re not a fan of shiny chrome, this package is well worth the money.
Inside, The Limited treats drivers to plenty of leather. There is some nice contrasting stitching as well, and the leather is embossed with the Limited logo on the center storage console. Especially nice is the open-pore wood on the dash with some metallic trim running horizontally through it. The steering wheel also gets some fancy wood and leather trim for an upscale look.
The 12-inch portrait-oriented screen gives the interior a unique look, and we like the chunky volume controls. You also get a Ram logo on the dash, watching over a little storage area. Between that and the Limited logo between the seats you’ll never forget which truck you’re driving.
Drivers of the Ram 1500 get their choice of rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). A 3.6-liter V6 with Ram’s eTorque 48-volt mild hybrid system is standard on lower trims while a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with eTorque is optional on lower trims, standard on upper trims. Ram also offers a 3.0-liter diesel engine as an option on all but the top TRX, which sports a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 powerplant. Regardless of engine choice, all 1500 trucks are equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The eTorque mild hybrid system provides better fuel economy and short bursts of extra power, up to 130 pound-feet of supplemental torque at takeoff. The V8 already produces 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, making this engine super-strong off the line. Passing on the highway is a breeze and the eTorque also makes the stop/start system extra-smooth. The eight-speed automatic is well-mated here, shifting like butter in the background. You’ll hardly even notice it’s there.
The EPA gives V8 4WD eTorque models like our test truck an official rating of 17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined. However, our vaguely heavy right foot netted us just 18 mpg during our week with the truck.
If you’re looking for a truck with a smooth ride, we think the Ram is one of the best. The rear is blessed with a coilover set up, rather than a more common and primitive leaf springs suspension, and it’s an excellent standard feature. However, the available air suspension—standard on our Limited tester—is even better, smoothing out any pavement imperfections.
The 14.9-inch brake rotors provide confident stopping power and the steering has a nice heft to it. Drivers who prefer heavy steering may find it doesn’t go far enough, but most should be satisfied. Regardless, the steering is accurate with a quick ratio. No complaints here.
If towing is your jam, the 1500 can get the job done, depending on the configuration. It has a maximum towing capacity of 12,750 pounds and can haul up to 2,300 pounds of payload, but our tester is rated for a bit lower, even though it does have the option 3.92 rear axle ratio. Also keep in mind that you can’t get the best trailering and payload out of the same truck. If you want max towing you’ll need a RWD truck with the long box and the 5.7-liter V8. Max payload is achieved with the 3.6-liter V6, however.
If you’re going to tow, the $1,095 Trailer Tow package is worth it. Newbies will appreciate the Trailer Reverse Steering Control, which uses a dial to take over the weird think-backwards mindset you have to adopt while backing up a trailer. Simply turn the dial in the direction you want the trailer to go. Easy peasy.
Even though our tester comes with 4WD, a rear locker, and a two-speed transfer case, it’s not the truck you want if you plan on off-roading. Here Ram gives you two options. Choose the Ram 1500 Rebel for a 1-inch lift, skid plates and hill-descent control or go totally bonkers with the Ram 1500 TRX and its 6.2-liter supercharged V8.
When we tell you the TRX is the epitome of off-road trucks, we are not kidding. That V8 engine pushes out 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. Bilstein active performance shocks just beg to take on all the whoops and jumps the desert can provide. This thing is ridiculously quick, chirping the 35-inch tires on the pavement and throwing up roosts of sand in the dunes.
There are seemingly one billion cubbies scattered about the cabin of the Ram 1500, so no worries about storing any small items. Particularly cool is the two-tiered center console. The upper level cupholders and storage bin can slide fore and aft, revealing a lower-level storage cubby. And if that’s not enough for you, the center console is big enough for a laptop, a purse and a big box of Cheez-Its.
The front seats here are heated and cooled, and both the driver’s seat and front-passenger seat can be adjusted eight ways. For those who need extra wiggle room, power-adjustable pedals are standard on this Limited trim as well.
The rear seats recline up to eight degrees—a boon for longer road trips. The crew cab means rear legroom is plentiful at 45.2 inches, nearly 10 inches more than the quad cab. The floor back here is flat so it’s easy to load cargo and if you need a bit more room, the rear seats flip up. There are even tie down rings to keep it all secure.
The multifunction tailgate of our tester can open either like a 60/40 split door or like a traditional tailgate. With the optional air suspension, the open tailgate is just 32.8 inches from the ground (it’s closer to 35.5 inches without it).
Finally, the RamBox storage integrated into the rear quarter panel is genius and well worth the $995 price. If you’re someone who needs tools handy but don’t want to leave them in the open bed of the truck, these lockable boxes are for you.
The Ram 1500 gets a bit of a tech upgrade for model year 2023 thanks to a new available reconfigurable 12-inch gauge cluster. With all kinds of menus and information tiles, plus the choice of digital or analog gauges, we wish it were on our tester. No such luck this time.
Although a small 5-inch infotainment screen is standard on lower trims and an 8.4-inch touch screen is the norm for mid trims, Ram was the first to add an available 12-inch portrait oriented infotainment screen in its upper level 1500 trucks. It’s great having the ability to run two functions simultaneously—you can see your audio and navigation screen at the same time, for example. You can even connect two phones to Bluetooth and use one for music, the other for phone calls. The Uconnect infotainment system layout can be confusing at first, but take a deep breath and you’ll realize it’s all well-organized.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both here, but we noticed a bit of lag time in tapping the screen when using the former. Tap the “skip 30 seconds” icon while listening to a podcast and it takes at least a second to register, though whether this is the fault of Uconnect or Apple CarPlay is tough to say.
Our tester also had the optional Equipment Group 1, which adds tech features like a head-up display and nifty digital rearview mirror. We love this feature for its wide-angle lens that gives drivers a better field of vision for what’s behind them. Also included in this package is a surround-view camera system, great for when trying to park this beast in a tight spot.
Feel free to bring all your devices on a road trip in the Ram 1500 Limited. This truck has multiple USB-A and -C outlets, a wireless charging pad up front, two 115-volt outlets as well as a 12-volt outlet. Charge all the things!
The Ram 1500 falters a bit on standard advanced driver-assist systems. Nothing is standard across the board, not even automatic emergency braking. Other features like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning are all either optional or part of a package.
If you do add blind-spot monitoring, it can cover the length of any trailer you might be dragging behind you. We really appreciate this function when towing on crowded streets.
Despite its lack of standard driver aids, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2023 Ram 1500 crew cab an overall safety rating of five stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives it Good marks across the board except for Marginal grades for seat belt reminders and LATCH ease of use. IIHS also gives the Limited, Longhorn and TRX headlights a Good grade, but Marginal marks on all other trims.
The most fuel efficient Ram 1500 is packaged with the 3.0-liter turbo diesel under the hood. This will push out 260 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, all while returning 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined.
If you don’t care about spending money on gas, the TRX returns a paltry 10 mpg city, 14 mpg highway, and 12 mpg combined. That’s horrendous for any full-size pickup. And it takes premium fuel only. Ouch.
The least expensive trim is the Tradesman with RWD, the long bed, and quad cab. That will set you back just under $40,000 including $1,895 for destination. Our Limited tester’s MSRP is north of $75,000 including destination, while the TRX can break six figures without hardly trying.
While the Limited trim is nice, the Ram 1500 is well into its fifth generation. The competition has more modern trucks on the market, with more interesting and useful tech features. The Toyota Tundra can be had as a full hybrid producing 437 hp and 583 lb-ft of twist, while netting 20 mpg combined. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500 can both be had with GM’s hands-off driver assistance technology Super Cruise, albeit only on the top trims.
However, Ford is the company to beat. It offers six engine options on the F-150 including a hybrid V6 powertrain with output in line with the Tundra and a fuel efficiency rating of 23 mpg combined. The Ford hybrid also has a built-in generator to power worksite tools or tailgate parties. Further, you can grab a fully electric F-150 with up to 320 miles of range in the form of the Lightning.
The Ram 1500 gets a standard five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty for the gas engine, but the diesel goes a bit bigger with a five-year/100,000-mile warranty. Either engine comes with five years or 100,000 miles of roadside assistance as well as a rust-through limited warranty.
The 2023 Ram 1500 is still a viable option for a full-size truck thanks to its classy design and smooth ride. However, those who want the latest and greatest in powertrain offerings should take a long look at the Ford F-150. If you want a hands-off driving assist system, the trucks from Chevrolet or GMC should be on your radar.
