Test Drove a 2025 Ram 1500 - Impressions vs my '24 Tundra Platinum

Had time to kill yesterday and stopped by the local Ram dealer to check out the 2025 1500’s.

I’ve been curious about the new twin turbo inline six powertrains, in particular the High Output variant with a purported 540 hp and 521ft/lb of torque.

The dealer had a Limited Longhorn with the HO motor, but unfortunately could not find the keys LOL. So I was relegated to test driving a Laramie with the Standard Output motor, purportedly with 420 hp and 469 ft/lb of torque.

Impressions as follows:

Engine - smooth and quiet, almost to a fault. Somehow feels like the motor belongs in a luxury sedan versus a truck. Seat of the pants - my ’24 Platinum non hybrid has better initial pull, torque feel like it kicks in sooner. Some lag off the line in the RAM, less in the Tundra. Top end, the Ram might have a small edge. Overall, I prefer the motor in the Tundra. The HO motor is likely a different story.

Drivetrain - transmission seemed fine. Auto 4WD is nice.

Exterior Fit/Finish - paint very uneven, orange peel in places and not in others. Not to Tundra standards.

Ram Boxes - A real cool feature for some, drawback for others. I personally really like them, but they greatly reduce the width of usable space in the bed which would be a huge negative for some. They come standard on Limited trim and can't be deleted from what I understand.

Interior - I must admit Ram did a great job here, particularly in the Limited trim. High quality materials, nice quilted leather. Some of the switchgear felt cheap. Laminated glass all around means a very quiet interior with minimal road and wind noise. Fit and finish inside is very nice. Clearly plusher than the Platinum Tundra.

Tech - Passenger display between the glove boxes for watching video, etc.. Don’t care for the portrait oriented screen, but the image quality was great as was the display for the instrument cluster. Also, virtually all functions are controlled through the screen as opposed to functional buttons and switches. Lots of storage. Twin wireless phone chargers plus plenty of easily accessible USB’s. HDMI for passenger screen, 120V outlet. All very nice. Lariat I drive had no HUD, and I don’t believe the Limited did either which is strange.

Seats/Ergonomics - seats were OK, somewhat firm, and seat bottom somewhat shallow. I prefer the Tundra Platinum seats, which I find to be some of the most comfortable of any vehicle I’ve owned. Also - an under appreciated feature in the Tundra - the width of the ‘shelf’ at the top of the door insert to rest your forearm while driving. Visibility in the Ram is good.

Ride - the Ram rides very nicely. Nicely controlled body movements. Steering firm and fairly precise. Turning radius seems better than Tundra. The Lariat I drove did not have the air adjustable suspension in the Limited, which would likely be even nicer.

Pricing - Ram is strange, their MSRP’s are through the roof, Limited’s starting in the high $70’s and going to high $80’s, but they’ll knock $12-15k off without batting an eye. They are dealing now. Trim to trim versus Tundra is about a wash I believe.

Overall, still very happy with my Tundra, but there are some aspects of the Ram that are compelling. Having said all this, RAM reliability and the dealership experience would be a completely different thing.

 

I like it how there are no replies, so I will bite.
I had 3 Rams. 2012/2014/2019. Hemi with the 6 speed, Pentastar with the 8 and the Hemi with 8, all crew cabs.
Nice design in and out, no doubt about that.
But they dont last. Between failed shocks in less than 6 months, ECU replacements, windshield leaks, brake light cabin leaks, rear end noises brand new, steering wheel stitching coming out 3 months into the ownership, broken manifold bolts (excellent job when they break into the engine block), screen peeling off, mirrors stop moving, seat noises, Alpine speakers going garbled in less than 3 months, oil pump recalls (gotta take the Pentastar apart) and many many other issues (Hemi tick, cylinder 5 lifters gone at 80.000km).....you get the idea.
The 8 speed ZF8 is most likely the best transmission ever made.
The new Hurricane engine are a total disaster.

Without the V8, they will fail .

 

Well. For the VAST majority of the buyers of this truck IT IS their luxury sedan. So.......

 

6 months in and could not be more happier. Interior is way better, way more comfortable, the suspension is great front and rear. The rear is like a 4Link and the ride is far more smooth than the Tundra. The engine had a couple of false codes but two flashes of the computer all has been good plus the mileage is better than any Tundra I have owned since 2013. I have owned a number of Tundras but am totally happy I made the switch. No complaints after 6 months and a long road trip thrown in, nice comfortable quiet ride, with a nice stereo system that I have not had to do anything with (thank goodness) after all the stereo was the first thing replaced each time we traded for a newer Tundra. HA!

 

Ram sucks

 

Lol

 

why is the new hurricane “a disaster “?

 

I had 6 new Rams before switching to a Tundra 1794. They are similar in purpose but very different in design.
10 years and 6 rams, only one real issue which was a coolant smell issue they eventually resolved. Not a single mechanical issue in all those trucks and years. So reliability for the Ram was great in my experiences.
I had a loaner Ram 2 weeks ago, a 2025, so I also have a fresh comparison. The Ram is nicer on the interior in fit, finish, and materials. The tech is better, overall the entire package feels more upscale. The new motor was smooth and powerful. The exterior was a bit plain, but that is likely the appeal over the tundra for some.
Can’t speak to reliability of the hurricane motor compared to the known issues with the Tundra issues.
I would not hesitate to buy another Ram, but I am happy with my tundra as well.

 

Just curious what Tundra some of these guys came from? If not a higher trim 2023 and up not really a fair comparison to the competition. Yep some of the 2022 Tundras were not up to snuff. The new hurricane has the potential to be a great engine, we will see. I've had the opportunity to drive pretty much everything out there. I bought a few for a dealer when used trucks were scarce a year or 2 ago and every Tundra we looked at had zero issues...2018-21 and were on average cleaner overall. Most domestics had obvious wear and tear inside and out and often had issues like bad lifters on Hemi's and LS motors, bad turbos and cam phasers on Ford Ecoboost, noisy valve train on 5.0 Fords. Some of that may be from lack of proper servicing, but some is just poor design and quality control. The biggest thing is just fit, finish, and material quality. They all look great new but the materials in the domestics just don't age nearly as well unless really babied.

 

Fair point.

 

The only way to do RAM would be the HD route, landing on a 2500+ with the ZF8 transmission married to a DEP deleted Cummins. Get it as basic as you can get to try and mitigate all the smaller annoying issues they are notorious for. Less features = less things to break.

They are one of the preferred in the real work truck world.

 

Yeah! The one with the exploding fuel pump.

 

I'd be worried about Ram existing longterm.

 

So far it has lasted longer than some!!

The I6 is not a new engine this is the third or fourth year it has been out. It is just new in a Ram truck. The I6 is a lot more balanced that a v6. It has less moving parts and this design is great. They put it thru the wringer! Then they did it all over with some added tests before putting it into the new Ram 1500s. So basically everything about the New Ram is new but not. They just improved on it, the underneath of these things are built and the interior is sooo much nicer! Lots of added bonuses on these too. They come with alot that you do not have to worry about add ons. Like puddle lights, darkened lights, 4 link rear end, front tough suspension, retractable mirrors, and the list goes on and on. The ride is super quiet inside and out and with the new windows it is even more quiet inside.
Nothing but time will tell but all signs are pointing to a motor that will last, and these things do pull!!

 

I guess I was thinking Ram as a company as a whole. Like bankruptcy.

 

I’d be worried about carbon buildup in the long run on that engine since it’s direct injection only. Who knows how it’ll affect the engine as well as the turbos with buildup. Stellantis / Fiat is stupid for not making it port injection as well like Toyota did with the 3.4TT V6.

 

My GM 3.6GDI motor had the most horrendous looking intake valves at 100k when I did the spark plug change.

 

Well, they already have some issues: rod bearings, locked thermostats, direct injection only (our Tundras have DI and port injection as well, no carbon buildup), no mpg gains whatsoever, the SO are rated more for towing that HO.
The ram forums are full with frustrated owners with CEL on 1-2 weeks into the ownership. Also, given the reliability record for Stellatis, there is a reasons I ditched my Ram for a Toyota.
This is just my 2 cents on it, i am sure there are plenty of folks out there on the other side of the spectrum.

 

This was my similar ram experience . A candy coated turd

 

I have nothing against RAM, I typically stay out of “my truck is better than your truck” discussions(very JR High IMO, drive what you want and live your life), but for arguments sake I don’t think 6 trucks in 10 years really allows for long term reliability metrics to come into play. I have always heard mixed reviews on RAM, but my main experience is the 6.4 Hemi at work going through 2 transmissions and a lifter job in under 80k. Granted it was beat hard, pulling trailers and running a snow plow, but it's at the shop again and probably won’t be coming back………..

 

mine needed the lifter job at40 k miles. Thank god i had the warranty its was 5700 dollars my cost was 100. A pavement queen gently used. Also had 3 ! Ecu replacements under warranty. Sold it immediately after the lifter job. Never ever again

 

Until Ram trucks are known for going 200k without major surgery, I'm not interested. It has been a few years, but this was my thought process when buying a truck:

1. I need a truck.
2. My ONLY concern is finding the truck that will do these simple tasks the longest: go places that are hard to reach, carry gear, tow 7-8k lbs.
3. Non-factors: comfort, looks, interior, butt dyno feel, tech
4. Let's look at used truck prices, because I always like to let someone else take the depreciation hit. I'm pretty sure I'm a hard NO on Ram or Ford...

• Tundras seem to not depreciate much. Why is that? Let's do some research. Apparently they have very few issues and generally last forever
• Hmm, how much does everyone charge for an extended warranty? Looks like Toyota is the lowest (not that I'm going to buy one; it just says a lot about expected repairs)
• I can't find one with 40-60k miles that is even $5k less than a new one
• Dang, guess I'm buying a new one

5. Let's do some test drives. This Trail Boss rattles like my old Yukon XL. Ranchos and block lift is very lame. Next up, a green Tundra. It's dead silent inside. It feels extremely solid. It's like I can feel the reputation these trucks have. Let's do it.
6. No, I don't want the extended warranty. Or the ceramic. Or the tint. Or the "free" oil changes. I never want to return to this dealership ever again. Goodbye, and thanks for the truck.
7. And that's where I am today. Same truck. Still solid. Still silent inside. Expired warranty. Never been back to the dealer. Let's keep piling on the miles.

A couple of you 3rd gens have more miles than me. Love to see that

 

This used to be the case until 3rd gen. The engine recall has had a dramatic impact on depreciation. My '24 Platinum TRD OR had a $71k MSRP, I paid $66k, and is now worth no more than $52k according to KBB, Carvana and dealers I've spoken to. And I'm not in the recall group (yet). Most dealers are quoting $48-50k for trade value. 25-22% depreciation in one year. That has to be similar if not worse than other brands.

 

Not to mention, there’s no dipstick to check the oil!! They make you rely on a computer to see your oil level. Absolutely insane. More money for Stellantis / Fiat / whoever the hell they are!

 

Met a guy at the carwash who told me he got a bumper to bumper LIFETIME warranty on his Dodge pickup for $100. That tells you all you need to know. Then he proceeded to tell me the laundry list of shit that has broken on his truck. No thanks.

 

Just went from a CM Tundra to a 2020 Ram 2500. So far, I am very impressed. 6.4L 8spd Transmission. Wasn't sure how I would feel about the switch, but am very glad to have done it.

Just picked up an extended warranty as well for the just in case.

 

His lifetime or the lifetime of the truck?

 

This is how I try to get all my trucks. With as little in it as possible. When I see the manufacturers coming out with their new vehicles with all of the "Biggest information screen" and the "multi point radio transmitter, robotron Iron wall, transformer button with dual flamethrowers for headlights", I just think it is money, money, money.

Simple truck, to do one thing: carry my gear and tow my stuff. Basically, work hard and play hard.

I am really liking my Ram 2500 and yes, I am getting almost the same mileage as my Tundra.

 

For me, SR5 CM Tundra.

 

After decades of Toyotas and Hondas, I switched to Ram early last year. The RAM was a much higher trim line than the sr5 tundra that I traded in, and rode beautifully, extremely comfortable. That's where it stopped, lots of issues, biggest one being a leaky rear window, that apparently has been an issue for multiple ram generations. I'm back with Toyota again, and while every manufacturer has their issues, Toyota seem to stand by their product more so that
stellantis.