The 2024 Ram 1500 Crew Cab review: The extroverted truck is comfortable and capable

What’s new for 2024

Every new Ram 1500 gains a Tailgate Ajar warning light. The Warlock treatment comes back onto the Tradesman options list with dedicated off-road features. The TRX Final Edition marks the end of production for its supercharged V8 while offering new exterior colors. And the diesel engine is no longer available.

Also see: Are hybrid trucks worth it? Here are their pros and cons compared with gas and electric trucks.

2024 Ram 1500 Crew Cab pricing

The 2024 Ram 1500 starts at $38,750. That’s for the most basic Tradesman with a Quad Cab, 76-inch bed, and rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive costs $4,670 in this instance.

These are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and do not include the rather steep $1,995 factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge).

The big American rivals are the Ford F-150 (from about $35K) and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, starting in the mid-30s. The Toyota
TM,
-1.01%
Tundra is more like $40K, and the Nissan
NSANY,
-1.57%
Titan begins in the low 40s.

Before buying a new Ram 1500 truck, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. On the resale value tables, the Ram 1500 comes in above the Nissan Titan but below the rest of the pack.

Check out: The cars, trucks, EVs and SUVs with the best resale value in 2024

Power, ride, and handling

Comfortable seats, quiet cabins, and a generally confident driving experience make the 2024 Ram 1500 one of the more civilized choices we’ve encountered in this full-size pickup class. The standard coil spring rear suspension is so much more refined than the leaf springs found in other trucks and horse-drawn buggies. The Ram 1500 even has an adaptive air suspension on the options lists of the Rebel, Laramie, Longhorn, and Limited trims.

The base engine in the 2024 Ram 1500 half-ton truck is a V6 developing a useful 305 horsepower. For buyers with less extreme requirements, we think this is fine. The Ford F-150’s base engine has 325 horsepower. Then again, a big V8 in a Ram truck sounds like an American way of life, as opposed to just driving to work and back. The 5.7-liter version available here makes 395 horsepower and sounds great when it’s doing so.

This year’s Tradesman Warlock Package adds Bilstein off-road suspension parts with a ride height hiked by an inch, Goodyear 33-inch all-terrain tires, an electronic locking rear differential, and skid plates. The really wild off-road variant — the TRX — has a specialized suspension with Bilstein components, and its 702-horsepower supercharged V8 can leave its rivals in a cloud of desert dust, except perhaps for the F-150 Raptor that has 700 horsepower.

Also see: The 2023 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD: a big truck for big tasks

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of full-size trucks, including the Ram 1500.

Payload and towing

The Ram 1500’s best payload capacity is 2,300 pounds, achieved with the 3.6-liter V6. The 5.7-liter V8 enables a maximum towing figure of 12,750 pounds. For context, the Ford F-150’s top payload figure is 2,455 pounds, and its towing ability tops the class at 13,500 pounds. The Chevy Silverado 1500’s tow rating also pips the Ram (13,300 pounds). We still think the Ram 1500 has a lot to offer for most buyers, however.

Fuel economy

With rear-wheel drive, the base V6 returns 22 mpg in mixed city/highway driving; 4-wheel drive results in 21 mpg combined. These numbers are about as good as the F-150 and Silverado 1500. A 5.7-liter V8 and rear-wheeld drive setup achieves 20 mpg, or 19 mpg with 4-wheel drive. The monstrously powerful supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the TRX (with 4-wheel drive as standard) manages a paltry 12 mpg.

You might like: The 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning review: Pricing, range, performance and more for the all-electric truck

6-seater interior

Quad Cab or Crew Cab, those are the only choices. Both have seating for six (three per row), but the Crew Cab brings almost 10 inches more rear legroom at an expansive 45.2 inches (almost two inches more than the F-150 SuperCrew). Either way, in-cabin storage is plentiful, with a huge bin in the center console, plus more space under the folding rear seats.

As is the way with pickups, the cheapest Tradesman version is really basic, while pricier top trims like the Limited are essentially luxury vehicles inside with real wood and leather. The infotainment systems are user-friendly, with the capability for over-the-air updates. Touchscreen sizes are either 8.4 or 12 inches.

Extrovert exterior

It’s bed time. The Quad Cab comes solely with a cargo bed 76 inches long. The Crew Cab can be paired with that or a 67-inch bed. However, the longer bed/Crew Cab combo isn’t available with the HFE, Rebel, or TRX. These beds also have lockable compartments on either side. Naturally, a spray-in bedliner is among the options, along with adjustable tie-down hooks and a deployable bed step. In general, the 2024 Ram 1500 looks every inch a full-size truck.

Our favorite features and tech

Multifunction tailgate
This optional feature can flip down like a regular tailgate or open out like a pair of barn doors, albeit asymmetrical with a 60/40 split. The LED hitch light in the tailgate’s handle also becomes standard this year.

Digital driver information display
A 12.3-inch LCD instrument cluster is offered in the 2024 Ram 1500. It can be configured to show various types of information and have the settings saved to dedicated user profiles.

Glove box UV light
Available across the 2024 Ram 1500 truck range, this kills bacteria with ultraviolet light. Just pop something into the glove box, close the lid, press the button on the center console, and a 3-minute hygiene cycle takes place.

Trailer Reverse Steering Control
As well as steering a trailer in the desired direction (set by the driver), this optional feature can also help the driver reverse a trailer in a straight line.

TRX
The TRX version is pricey, sure, but it can sprint from a standstill to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, even though this full-size truck weighs more than three tons. It could probably pull the same kind of acceleration time even if there were no tarmac beneath it — which is kind of beautiful, hilarious, scary, and crazy all at once. It’s the last year of production this year, so get it while it’s hot.

ParkSense Active Park Assist
The driver controls the throttle, brakes, and gear selection; this optional self-parking system handles the steering. It works for both parallel and perpendicular spaces.

Engine and transmission

Even the basic setup has a 48-volt mild hybrid system to smooth out the fuel-saving stop/restart function and help the engine attain its peak output with optimum efficiency. That base engine is the 3.6-liter V6, a stalwart of the Ram/Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler family and regarded highly. Output here is 305 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque, created from regular 87-octane gasoline.

Ultimate towing chops of 12,750 pounds are delivered with the 5.7-liter gasoline V8, augmented by a mild hybrid system. Although 87-octane gas is acceptable, Ram recommends using the 89-octane stuff to access the full 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque.

More serious desert sports machine than work truck, the Ram 1500 TRX has its exclusive method of propulsion — a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 making a mighty 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque.

All engines connect to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard in the lower trims. Each form of 4-wheel drive — usually optional but standard with the Rebel and TRX — has high and low gearing with a shift-on-the-fly transfer case.

Read: Americans’ love affair with pickup trucks might be derailing their retirement plans

3-year/36,000-mile warranty

Ram’s new-vehicle warranty lasts three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles. This is all typical for the class. Some manufacturers also offer free scheduled maintenance, however.

Safety ratings

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) made this generation of Ram 1500 a Top Safety Pick, its second-highest accolade. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave this truck an overall score of four out of a possible five stars.

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This story originally ran on KBB.com.