The Ram 1500 Is MotorTrend’s 2025 Truck of the Year®

December 12th

Lugano, Switzerland, December 12^th, 2024

 

• “Outside, it looks like a minor refresh, but myriad refinements under that familiar skin significantly advance the half-ton pickup art” Frank Markus, MotorTrend
• 2025 Ram 1500 excels in all competition categories: Advancement in Design, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, Value, and Performance of Intended Function
• Blistering acceleration from the 3.0-liter Hurricane Straight-Six Turbo engine helps boost the 2025 Ram 1500 to the top of a field of 18 contenders
• A standalone brand for 15 years, Ram has earned MotorTrend Truck of the Year® seven times

 

December 12, 2024 | Auburn Hills, Mich. - MotorTrend has named the new Ram 1500 its 2025 Truck of the Year® after weeks of rigorous testing. The editors of the renowned automotive publication awarded high scores to the truck in every category of the competitive evaluation process.

 

MotorTrend is one of the world’s leading automotive media brands, known for its in-depth reviews, road tests, and industry news. Its Truck of the Year® award is a prestigious honor given annually after a comprehensive evaluation process involving performance testing, real-world driving, and expert analysis. “Of the Year” winners are not chosen from a direct comparison against other finalists, but instead a result of based on how each contender measures against the award’s six criteria: advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, safety, value and performance of intended function.

Winning this title signifies that the Ram 1500 has excelled across all critical automotive categories. MotorTrend editors also praised the truck’s wide variety of trim levels, offering everything from the luxury of Tungsten to the raw off-road capability of RHO.

 

“The Ram 1500 lineup is a truck enthusiast’s dream from top to bottom, providing power under the hood, efficiency on the road, as well as comfort and luxury inside the cabin,” said Ed Loh, MotorTrend Group’s Head of Editorial. “The competition was incredibly tough this year, with new challengers and storied nameplates, but Ram’s solid, undeniable improvements to the 1500 lineup checked all the boxes of Truck of the Year judging criteria, sealing its victory over other flashier entrants.”

“Full-size pickups play in the most brutally competitive segment in the auto industry, and the 2025 Ram 1500 has achieved a solid win with benchmark luxury, off-road capability, and a breadth of trim levels previously not available in pickup truck segments,” said Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Ram brand. “The entire Ram team - from design and engineering to our dealers - is proud that MotorTrend recognizes the Ram 1500 as the best truck on the market today.”

 

Engineering Excellence and Performance

The Ram 1500’s engineering advancements are headlined by the introduction of the Hurricane engine. The acceleration performance of the 3.0-liter Hurricane Straight-Six Turbo engine, delivering up to 540 horsepower, played a decisive role in the evaluation. MotorTrend’s analysis of the pickup segment highlighted that the new model accelerates to 100 km/h 1.6 seconds faster than the previous 5.7-liter V8, and an impressive 2.2 seconds quicker with the 540-hp version.

Available in both standard-output (420 hp) and high-output (540 hp) versions, this innovative engine surpasses its predecessor, the HEMI V-8, in both power and efficiency. Its remarkable acceleration, superior towing, hauling, and off-road capabilities were critical in securing its win.

 

Refinement in Design and Innovation

The most technologically advanced Ram 1500 ever offers a host of leading-edge features incorporated into the segment’s premier interior, including the advanced Uconnect 5 system with a new 14.5-inch touchscreen, a segment-first 10.25-inch passenger screen, head-up display and an ultra-premium 23-speaker Klipsch Reference audio system.

 

Comprehensive Safety and Technology

Active safety and security systems include ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines, electronic stability control (ESC) with electronic roll mitigation and six standard air bags, Blind-spot Monitoring, Adaptive Cruise Control, Ready Alert Braking and Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning-Plus.

 

Legacy of Excellence

With this win, the Ram brand secures its seventh MotorTrend Truck of the Year® award, cementing its status as a leader in the truck industry. The recognition underscores the brand’s commitment to innovation, performance, and customer satisfaction.

A full report on MotorTrend’s comprehensive testing is featured on MotorTrend.com and in the upcoming print issue of MotorTrend.

 

Ram Brand

In 2009, the Ram brand launched as a stand-alone division, focused on meeting the demands of truck buyers and delivering benchmark-quality vehicles.

Ram continues to outperform the competition, setting the benchmark in the most important areas for truck buyers:

• Most luxurious features: 14.4-inch display, 10.25-front passenger display, 24-way massage seats and 23-speakers Klipsch Premium
• Best ride and handling with a double wishbone front suspension and five-link solid rear axle with available, segment-exclusive, active-level air suspension
• Best-in-class available rear leg room
• Most awarded light-duty truck in America
• Highest owner loyalty of any half-ton pickup

The latest J.D. Power APEAL study, which rates the emotional bond between customers and their vehicles, named the 2023 Ram 1500 as the best full-size light-duty pickup.