2025 Ram 1500 First Drive: There’s a Hurricane Under the Hood!
For 2025 the Ram 1500 is more refined, more luxurious and more powerful, thanks to the new Hurricane engine. So of course, we took it off road and got it muddy!
Erica Mueller
|
More Power, Subtle Changes and Luxury That’s Beyond Belief
With V8 engines losing the battle to environmental protection initiatives, truck companies like Ram have had to figure out how to get the same power and stamina out of a smaller engine. Ram answers this dilemma with the brand’s new twin turbo 3.0 liter Hurricane and High Output engines, which is the focus of the 2025 Ram 1500 , as well as a new look and a stunning new trim, the Tungsten.
Ram’s Hurricane engines, paired with eight-speed transmissions, offer 420 horsepower with 468 lb.-ft. of torque and 540 horsepower with 521 lb.-ft. of torque respectively and are more powerful than an the V8s, and more fuel efficient too. After driving the 1500 both on and off-road, I can personally say they are the smoothest, most responsive Ram trucks I’ve ever driven. And if you aren’t brave enough to drive a Hurricane, the Ram 1500 is still available with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 eTorque engine.
Related: The Most Powerful Pickup Truck Made Me Squeal with Delight: Ram 1500 TRX
The front seat in the 2025 Ram 1500. Notice the screen in front of the passenger’s seat! Photo: Erica Mueller
Same Reliability, Bold New Look
We’ve all seen cereal boxes boasting the flavor is what you know and love, even if the box looks different. The Ram 1500 might say the same thing: A bold new look from some pretty major upgrades, but it’s still a Ram 1500 through and through. Even the most loyal Ram owner (myself included) will love this truck for everything that makes it a Ram truck: it’s built to serve, ready to work, and instantly recognizable, even with it’s sleeker, more aerodynamic appearance and bold new grille and lights.
And, the lights! The LED headlamps frame the high beams and create a sleek modern line that wraps slightly around the front corners of the truck. These and the new tail lamps have a fun sequential light-up feature when you turn the truck on and directional headlamps that steer with the truck for better visibility at night.
The grille of the 2025 Ram 1500 has grown both taller and wider with the RAM emblem raised a bit, increasing the heroic appearance of the truck. And, the new Tungsten trim offers a new facia color-matching front, extra chrome and 22” wheels that really bring the luxe vibes.
Related: Why Girls Love Trucks, and How the Best Trucks Make Us Feel
The 14″ multimedia screen in the 2025 Ram 1500. Photo: Erica Mueller
Ram Celebrates Technology with Three New Screens + Hands Free Driving
Bigger isn’t always better, but the new Unconnect 5 multimedia system with the available 14.5” screen proves that sometimes a few extra inches goes a long way. With static buttons at the bottom of the multimedia screen, the things you need are always easy to find. This makes for a safer driving experience because you’re not hunting for the climate controls, media, navigation and settings.
The screen can be set to a split screen, and drag-and-drop icons allow for customization of the home screen and the ability to add new widgets. This massive new screen comes standard with the Tungsten trim and is available on the Limited trim; the 12” screen is standard on everything above the Big Horn and Tradesman trims which come standard with a 5” screen that can be upgraded to an 8.4” screen.
The Ram’s new 12.3” digital driver’s display, head up display and digital rear-view mirror offer the driver plenty of views to help to keep your eyes on the road.
New for 2025 is an available 10.25 inch passenger display that’s inset into the dashboard. It has with co-pilot functions, entertainment, and exterior camera views so your passenger can help you to navigate, or sit back and enjoy a movie while you drive. And, it’s distraction free: it’s positioned at an angle and dimmed so the driver can’t see the screen from the driver’s seat.
For 2025 Ram has added hands free driving on limited access highways. There are two levels of drive assist, one hands-on and one hands-off. The hands-free technology is reliant on GPS and works on most interstates, whereas the hands-on is more of a radar/sight technology that helps to keep you in your lane and prevent collisions by sensing vehicles or objects you may not see. Then to top it all off, the multimedia system has a voice-activated assisstant. The “Hey Ram” voice activation helps you navigate, change the climate controls and more without ever touching a thing.
Related: The Best Road Trip Car Just Might Be a Truck: RAM 1500 Laramie Crew Cab
The lavish leather in the 2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten trim. Photo: Erica Mueller
New Year, New Trim
This new 5th generation Ram 1500 comes with a new trim option that we absolutely love. It’s a little less western than the Laramie or Longhorn and even more luxurious. I’d call this high-fashion, ready for a night on the town. It’s beauty in all the right places without feeling gaudy or over-the-top.
We saw this new trim level in Indigo/Sea Salt interior, with premium leather, real suede and textured metal trims. Adding to the luxe feel are the 24-way power front seats that massage and have 4-way adjustable headrests, heated and ventilated rear seats, a unique keyfob with power up and down tailgate button, ultra-premium Klipsch audio system with 23 speakers, dual wireless chargers (the first we’ve seen of this in a pickup truck!) and metal pedals for an extra sporty look.
Tungsten trim’s luxe details are also seen in the rear seat, which features all the leather seating details, beautiful speaker grilles, and a luxe fold-down center arm rest with cup holders and storage.
But if you know, you know: The front seat with massaging seats is the way to go. I really, really enjoyed the massaging seats on my 2.5 hour drive through central Texas – and would happily do it again! The large drivers display and head up display completed the experience.
The new wider front grille in the 2025 Ram 1500. Photo: Erica Mueller
What You Need to Know About the 2025 Ram 1500
Key details include:
- Available as 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive
- Maximum Payload: 2,300 pounds
- Maximum Tow capacity: 11,580 pounds
- Available dual-wireless charging
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Smartphone as key technology + card key backup
- Advanced safety including adaptive cruise, brake assist, forward collision protection, lake keep assist alerts and assist, park assist, plus trailer-sway control and braking
- On-board power (up to two kilowatts) with two covered outlets inside the bed to power tools, a TV, or lights and fans
- Up to 24-inches of water fording
The rear seat in the 2025 Ram 1500 is quite luxe. Photo: Erica Mueller
Pricing for the 2025 Ram 1500
- Tradesman $40,275
- Big Horn/Lone Start $44,195
- Rebel $64,194
- Laramie $60,030
- Limited Longhorn $75,650
- Limited $75,155
- Tungsten $87,155
On and Off-Road Driving in the 2025 Ram 1500
At the launch event for the Ram 1500 we had the opportunity to drive the trucks for several hours, on and off-road. I found the new Hurricane High Output and absolute thrill to drive both in the city and in the country. Between the efficiency of the engine and the smoothness of the transmission I couldn’t detect the gear changes as I drove up and down the mountainous roads and I never experienced a single second of lag or hesitation when starting from a stop.
Off-road, the Rebel version of the Ram 1500 with its extra ground clearance, trail control and off-road suspension dominated the mud, rocks and steep inclines like a mountain goat. We cheered and laughed the whole way as we bumped over rocks and holes, made it to the bottom of a mountain side and watched our trail mates sling mud all over our trucks. It’s just the best when the work of getting to the far side of the mountain to check on your fences or herd is fun, too.
Not one but two wireless phone chargers in the 2025 Ram 1500. Photo: Erica Mueller
Ram’s [Electric] Journey
As if all of this new technology and design wasn’t enough, we got to see the new all-electric 2025 Ram 1500 REV that arrives in dealerships toward the end of 2024: the all-new Ram 1500 Ramcharger featuring a gas-powered electric motor that acts as a generator to power the electric motor. With electric drive, the Ramcharger will have all the torque and power we love in EVs, but with a gas-powered generator, drivers won’t have to worry about “range anxiety;” with a full tank and a full battery it is expected to have nearly 700 miles of range.
We also got a peek at the Ram REV all electric pickup truck. This truck will have a range of 500 miles and a huge ‘frunk.’
What impressed me the most about these new electric trucks is they look and function like the Ram 1500’s we already know and love. They aren’t super futuristic or off-putting to the truck fan. The Ramcharger has me especially intrigued with its ability to drive all-electric without range anxiety.
But that’s why Ram fans love the brand: The always-evolving quest to get just a bit more – power, performance, tech, luxury – from the truck we have come to know and love.
Disclosure: I was a guest of Ram for this first drive; hotel and accommodations were provided but all opinions are my own.
