From the January/February 2026 issue of Car and Driver.
Ram didn’t need to resurrect its V-8. It could have trolled Chevy, Ford, and others with something like: “Six in a row, ready to tow.” Instead, a different sentiment resonated through the corporate corridors: “We went to six, and customers threw bricks.” The point is, the Ram faithful loved the Hemi V-8, and now it’s back.
The 395-hp 5.7-liter V-8 isn’t quicker, more fuel efficient, or quieter than the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six (which continues in either 420- or 540-hp tune), and its return is not what kept this pickup in a 10Best parking spot for 2026.
With the 1500, Ram sticks with the winning formula it’s had for the better part of 15 years: building half-ton trucks that are plenty capable for weekend warriors—max towing of 11,610 pounds with the turbo inline-six and a max payload of 2360 pounds with the base 305-hp V-6—but downright excellent to drive for everyone, even owners who are just in it for the look. We’ve said it before: The pickup truck has become the de facto American luxury car, and the Ram 1500 is the pinnacle of its class.
You can still get a basic work truck with cloth seats and vinyl floor, though the two-door, three-seat regular-cab pickup has been off the order menu for some time. Ram offers two cabs—smaller Quad and roomier Crew—and bed lengths of 5.6 feet and 6.3 feet. All Rams get the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission Stellantis builds and markets under the TorqueFlite banner. Optional four-wheel drive is of course available across the board.
The Ram 1500 rides better, steers smoother, and corners flatter than many SUVs, thanks in part to the coil-spring rear suspension it pioneered for the half-ton trucks—air springs are optional. You can get a bench seat in the front, making it a throwback six-seat alternative to the popular three-row ute. Ram fits upper trim levels with premium materials, and lower trims feature durable finishes that clean up nicely when you wipe off accumulated work dust.
Then, of course, there’s the RHO. It picked up where the Hellcat-powered 702-hp TRX left off. Basically, if Bo and Luke Duke were still running ‘shine, it would be in a long-travel, 540-hp, hot-rod RHO—until Ram brings the TRX back from the dead, that is. Life will find a way.
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Specifications
Specifications
Ram 1500
Base: $43,620–$75,385
Power: 305–540 hp
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.2–7.8 sec (C/D est)
1/4-Mile: 12.8–16.0 sec (C/D est)
Top Speed: 105–119 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined: 15–22 mpg
K.C. Colwell, the executive editor at Car and Driver, is a seasoned professional with a deep-rooted passion for new cars and technology. His journey into the world of automotive journalism began at an early age when his grandmother gifted him a subscription to Car and Driver for his 10th birthday. This gift sparked a lifelong love for the industry, and he read every issue between then and his first day of employment. He started his Car and Driver career as a technical assistant in the fall of 2004. In 2007, he was promoted to assistant technical editor. In addition to testing, evaluating, and writing about cars, technology, and tires, K.C. also set the production-car lap record at Virginia International Raceway for C/D‘s annual Lightning Lap track test and was just the sixth person to drive the Hendrick Motorsport Garage 56 Camaro. In 2017, he took over as testing director until 2022, when was promoted to executive editor and has led the brand to be one of the top automotive magazines in the country. When he’s not thinking about cars, he likes playing hockey in the winter and golf in the summer and doing his best to pass his good car sense and love of ’90s German sedans to his daughter. He might be the only Car and Driver editor to own a Bobcat: the skidsteer, not the feline. Though, if you have a bobcat guy, reach out. K.C. resides in Chelsea, Michigan, with his family.