My 2020 Ram 1500 Review - after 1 year of driving it

[69L48Z27]

Nice truck!

How many miles are on it? Any trips to the dealer for anything other than routine maintenance?

I had a 2018 Tahoe RST with the 6.2. That was kickass SUV.

 

[HawkRod]

Nice truck!

How many miles are on it? Any trips to the dealer for anything other than routine maintenance?

I had a 2018 Tahoe RST with the 6.2. That was kickass SUV.

Thank you!

My truck now has just over 12,000 miles on it - I've driven a lot more this year than normal on some long trips. There has only been one recall item for it: The infotainment screen supposedly sometimes got stuck on the reverse camera screen too long, causing drivers to stare at it and crash horribly. I never saw this issue (and didn't crash horribly either!) and the fix was an automatic download so it didn't even need to go back to the dealer. So far everything else has been flawless - let's hope that continues!

Hawk

 

[69L48Z27]

A buddy of mine has the same truck and trim. He loves his truck too. He has about 20k on his and only weird thing that happened to his was some unexplained electrical issue. It lit the dash up and dealer said it threw a code for everything on the CANBUS. They reset everything and it’s been fine since.

 

[Don selleck]

my gps and a few other radio u connect items were a little wierd from the start then radio started to freeze up dealer said they could load another program and did but radio would not shut off until battery went dead. they replaced it, and so far so good.

 

[demonram]

I just got a call from my bud who I sold my 03 1500 8’ bed quad cab to before we moved here 4 years ago. I bought it new, it only had 127,000 on it when he bought it. I didn’t use it for work so it was like new, always in the garage. I knew we were downsizing garage wise so as much as I hated selling it I just couldn’t leave it sit outside. It wouldn’t have fit length wise in this garage. It was right at 21’ long. I told my little lady, we ain’t moving anymore. Two houses ago, I had an 8 car, the last was a 4 car and this one is a little 3 car. I rent a 10x20 storage place for extra material and tools, and the Promaster sits outside. The Jeep gets the single stall the car gets the double with tool boxes separating the two. I still miss that truck, this is the first time I haven’t had a pickup ever. I’ve had as many as 3 at one time.

 

[CoronetDarter]

Hey Hawk, based in a large part on your review and also other posts in this thread, I got the RAM 4x4 1500. Prior to reading your thread, I was sure I was going to get the Toyota Tacoma as I've had great experiences with 4runners and Tacos over the last 20 years. But after test driving both vehicles, the Taco seemed tinny, and Toyo's 8 spd auto seems like its always hunting for the right gear.
Had the RAM for two weeks now and love it. Pretty much all the pros you listed for your truck I second the motion. The interior is nicer than most cars, and there are more storage cubbys than I have stuff to put in. Plus the two hide-aways underneath the rear floor. I ordered the bed option with tonneau cover, bed liner, and extra tie downs. And the Night Edition. EPA says 17 mpg combined, and that's exactly the number after two tanks.
Gave the 4runner to one of the kids, now its a complete all-Dodge garage.

 

[HawkRod]

Hey Hawk, based in a large part on your review and also other posts in this thread, I got the RAM 4x4 1500. Prior to reading your thread, I was sure I was going to get the Toyota Tacoma as I've had great experiences with 4runners and Tacos over the last 20 years. But after test driving both vehicles, the Taco seemed tinny, and Toyo's 8 spd auto seems like its always hunting for the right gear.
Had the RAM for two weeks now and love it. Pretty much all the pros you listed for your truck I second the motion. The interior is nicer than most cars, and there are more storage cubbys than I have stuff to put in. Plus the two hide-aways underneath the rear floor. I ordered the bed option with tonneau cover, bed liner, and extra tie downs. And the Night Edition. EPA says 17 mpg combined, and that's exactly the number after two tanks.
Gave the 4runner to one of the kids, now its a complete all-Dodge garage.

View attachment 1137947 View attachment 1137948

Look great Rich! I certainly hope it is a great truck for you and that you are very happy with it.

I have been pounding the s**t out of mine. I already have 19K miles on it with all the driving up and back from my father-in-law's. But, it has been perfect so far with absolutely zero issues. I would still gladly buy another RAM again.

 

[747mopar]

We bought this 2019 Laramie last year, I love it! I remember driving it home in complete disbelief on how smooth it was, I was doing 90mph on accident!

 

[F4R/T]

As far as fuel economy goes there are variables, axle ratio could change a lot. Very Nice truck! I’m curious about the alternator combo. I’ve peeked at one and wasn’t convinced it wasn’t worth the extra coin imo. I’m a man of simplicity, less nonsense less to go wrong. The step didn’t impress me and my older ram has tie downs low as well and added my own too as I like tie downs. The only thing with the air suspension I’ve delt with was in the winter and the snow they can get finicky but that was on the previous generation truck and it was a new system. They are a sealed system but I like the load feature and off road feature.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Nice writeup. I've seen a lot of the current generation of trucks working in a Mopar service lane, and the interiors certainly are cushy! My '14 Grand Cherokee is nice...but the trucks I think take it up a notch even from that. For the stereos, we would have some that would fail; the factory would replace them; and the'd be good to go, no returns.

For tie-downs, I have a dozen of these that I installed in my '01 Ram:
https://www.uscargocontrol.com/products/2-track-anchor-point-tie-down-kit-black

I got the square ones. They come with the ring attachments (1,000 lbs rating) and with stainless hardware. I use them in my truck (all four corners, top and bottom; center of front wall, top and bottom; over each wheelwell) and I can tie anything, anywhere. The rings simply pop out and I keep them on a caribiner inside the cab for when I need them. I also have a few dozen of them in my enclosed car trailer, because I rarely use it for cars (it usually transports my concert sound rig). Highly recommend getting some of these tiedown points...they're SUPER cool, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. And without the rings installed, they're no taller than the high ribs on the bed floor. Mount them in the low rib, and they're "flush" for anything you're sliding into the bed. Mine are all on the walls, though.

I did look at new trucks a little bit ago, but...my truck is paid for (major factor!); it's a Cummins; and it's a stick shift (which you cannot get anymore). At 250k miles, I replaced the clutch. Now, at 269k...she'll still pull a house when I need to, she'll haul anything I need in the "real" 8 foot bed (motorcycles, plywood, lumber...), I don't have emissions to worry about, I have the control of the manual transmission, and I get 22-24 on the highway not towing (3.54 gears), and in December I got 18mpg towing my '70 Charger back from Florida on an open trailer. I do have a BHAF (big honkin' air filter) on it; a 4" turbo-back Banks exhaust (WITH muffler - I'm not that guy!); and an Edge Comp programmer with boost fooler and MAP fooler in addition to boost, EGT, and fuel pressure gauges. For nearly 300k, and 21 years old...she does a hell of a job!

It also has the "quad cab" setup - dutch doors in back, and a smaller back seat. Perfect for tools or electronics in bad weather, great for dogs and luggage that I don't want in the bed....and in a pinch, for full size humans. But, if I have passengers and need a back seat, that's what the Grand Cherokee is for. And, the big-bed-small-seat combo means it fits in the garage, no problem.

Unless they bring back the manual trans, I'll never go new on a truck. And, I'll never get a gasser - the diesel is just so easy to live with, so transparent as far as "overkill" goes when unloaded, awesome on fuel economy either loaded or empty, so super-durable, and so ready to haul whenever needed...yeah, I'm diesel all the way for a truck. As long as I can keep the truck from rusting away from the drivetrain, I'll be all set! My Grand Cherokee is also a diesel - the 3.0L Ecodiesel V6 turbo - and taking mom to the airport yesterday, cruise on 80mph...it returned 28mpg. 5,000 lb SUV with full time all wheel drive, with the a/c cranked.

 

[MarPar]

I bought a brand new 2020 Ram and took delivery almost exactly a year ago. I ordered the truck to my specifications and I figured I would do a quick review in case anyone is interested in some of my experiences with the truck.

The Truck: A 2020 Ram Laramie Longhorn 4x4 Off Road 1500.
Options: Long bed 4 door and damn near everything except a sunroof and the split tailgate (didn't want them). Another key option is I got the towing package which allows a 11,200 pound tow rating, but that also gave the truck a 3.92 rear.
Here is the truck:
View attachment 1068410

View attachment 1068412

Now I won't review all the options and how they work - that is all available on-line and/or through a dealer. What I will do is cover a few things I like vs. don't like.

Like (in no particular order):

• I call this truck my cowboy Cadillac; I love the interior comfort and design. This interior would give the nicest luxury car in the world a run for its money. Super comfortable for long hauls, the rear seats recline, have tons of room and there are lots of power ports, cupholders and comfort options. Even the rear seat passengers have heated and air conditioned seats. You don't travel much nicer than this.
• The ride. It rides great. Yes, it is a truck but it still is very comfortable.
• The ability to haul. Even though it rides nice, it was still able to handle over a yard of topsoil without any suspension issues or even squatting down. The air suspension just leveled it out with no issues or complaints.
• The air suspension. Honestly, at first, I thought this was a gimmick. Great, so you can set the suspension into loading (bottomed out), aero (for highway) normal and high (for off road). I find I use the loading mode all the time. The whole truck squats down and makes it much easier to load and unload it, as well as hook up trailers. It also is nice when I pick up my aging parents so they don't have to step up as much.
• Overall infotainment system. The huge screen is really nice for the integrated navigation and the way you can customize the screen. My only minor complaint is it can be hard to hit some of the controls when driving since bumps can make it hard to hit the right spot. I also have the top of the line stereo, and it is one of the best I have ever heard.
• Birds eye view cameras. They provide a live view all around the truck as if there was a camera above you. Works great for tight spaces as well as for hooking up trailers.
• Start stop feature. God, I never thought I would write that. I have absolutely HATED every start stop feature in any vehicle I have ever had; they are annoying. However, this Ram uses the modified alternator to start the truck as well as move it forward when you let off the brake. There is no lag and it actually works great. I don't turn it off, so that is an amazing compliment from me.
• Under seat and floor boxes storage. There are lots of places to store stuff neatly.
• The rear flat floor. With the rear seats up, there is tons of room to put stuff on the floor in the cab.
• Unlock feature. I have a proximity key. Throw it on your pocket and forget it. Lay your hand on either front door handle and it unlocks. Nice.
• Off road capability. I can't say I have compared it to other vehicles, but I have taken into muddy fields, down super steep and rutted trails, snow, etc. It has handled it all without complaint or issues. Being able to lock the rear (you get this feature with the 4x4 off road package) is nice and I believe helps its off road capability.

Don't Like (in no particular order):

• The fuel economy. My 2017 Yukon XL had the 6.2 liter engine with 420 HP and 460 lb ft of torque. No BS, it got between 20 and 21 MPG on the highway at 75 MPH. If driving on roads with 55 speed limits, it got 23-24MPG. I have to say I loved that engine. My Ram has the mild hybrid 5.7 liter engine with less horsepower and torque AND a mild hybrid system to aid with fuel economy. I'm lucky to get 18 MPG with my truck. The rear might have something to do with this.
• Rear bumper step. I ordered a rear step that folds out from the bumper. Yes, it works OK but it is only available on the drivers side and you need to remember to put it out and back in on your own. Without it, there is no step in the bumper (like GM has, and that works well), and there is essentially no room to put your foot on it with the tailgate down. Bottom line: You need to get the step, you'll regret it if you don't, but it is not great.
• Tie down points. The bed has four low tie down points and an optional (which I have) bar with moveable tie down points. I think the GM beds have better designed tie down points. This is a minor gripe - overall I have had no issues.

Overall, I am VERY happy with this truck. My main complaint is the lower fuel economy, but I guess I didn't buy a truck expecting an econobox MPG. But I have to say the GM 6.2 engine was a slightly better engine than the Hemi (gasp!).

I'd buy it again, and hope for many more years of service out of it.

Hope this was helpful to some.

Hawk

I will agree with everything you said in yer write up, Hawk (especially the gas mileage lol). Mine is a 2019 Laramie that is pretty much a Limited without the Limited's interior. I moved from a 3-series BMW (I know, I know ) to this and the Ram's interior is even more plush!!

LOVE this friggin truck. 25K on the clock and I havent had to do anything but oil changes so far.

 

[MarPar]

We bought this 2019 Laramie last year, I love it! I remember driving it home in complete disbelief on how smooth it was, I was doing 90mph on accident!View attachment 1138013

My that looks familiar Dev LOL

 

[747mopar]

I will agree with everything you said in yer write up, Hawk (especially the gas mileage lol). Mine is a 2019 Laramie that is pretty much a Limited without the Limited's interior. I moved from a 3-series BMW (I know, I know ) to this and the Ram's interior is even more plush!!

LOVE this friggin truck. 25K on the clock and I havent had to do anything but oil changes so far.

View attachment 1138121

Just had my first issue, noticed an oily look on the front rim so I pulled it off to find a blown shock. I've never seen a shock completely fail like that, usually they gradually leak the oil out.

Sure does look familiar.

 

[747mopar]

Nice writeup. I've seen a lot of the current generation of trucks working in a Mopar service lane, and the interiors certainly are cushy! My '14 Grand Cherokee is nice...but the trucks I think take it up a notch even from that. For the stereos, we would have some that would fail; the factory would replace them; and the'd be good to go, no returns.

For tie-downs, I have a dozen of these that I installed in my '01 Ram:
https://www.uscargocontrol.com/products/2-track-anchor-point-tie-down-kit-black

I got the square ones. They come with the ring attachments (1,000 lbs rating) and with stainless hardware. I use them in my truck (all four corners, top and bottom; center of front wall, top and bottom; over each wheelwell) and I can tie anything, anywhere. The rings simply pop out and I keep them on a caribiner inside the cab for when I need them. I also have a few dozen of them in my enclosed car trailer, because I rarely use it for cars (it usually transports my concert sound rig). Highly recommend getting some of these tiedown points...they're SUPER cool, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. And without the rings installed, they're no taller than the high ribs on the bed floor. Mount them in the low rib, and they're "flush" for anything you're sliding into the bed. Mine are all on the walls, though.

I did look at new trucks a little bit ago, but...my truck is paid for (major factor!); it's a Cummins; and it's a stick shift (which you cannot get anymore). At 250k miles, I replaced the clutch. Now, at 269k...she'll still pull a house when I need to, she'll haul anything I need in the "real" 8 foot bed (motorcycles, plywood, lumber...), I don't have emissions to worry about, I have the control of the manual transmission, and I get 22-24 on the highway not towing (3.54 gears), and in December I got 18mpg towing my '70 Charger back from Florida on an open trailer. I do have a BHAF (big honkin' air filter) on it; a 4" turbo-back Banks exhaust (WITH muffler - I'm not that guy!); and an Edge Comp programmer with boost fooler and MAP fooler in addition to boost, EGT, and fuel pressure gauges. For nearly 300k, and 21 years old...she does a hell of a job!

View attachment 1138110

It also has the "quad cab" setup - dutch doors in back, and a smaller back seat. Perfect for tools or electronics in bad weather, great for dogs and luggage that I don't want in the bed....and in a pinch, for full size humans. But, if I have passengers and need a back seat, that's what the Grand Cherokee is for. And, the big-bed-small-seat combo means it fits in the garage, no problem.

Unless they bring back the manual trans, I'll never go new on a truck. And, I'll never get a gasser - the diesel is just so easy to live with, so transparent as far as "overkill" goes when unloaded, awesome on fuel economy either loaded or empty, so super-durable, and so ready to haul whenever needed...yeah, I'm diesel all the way for a truck. As long as I can keep the truck from rusting away from the drivetrain, I'll be all set! My Grand Cherokee is also a diesel - the 3.0L Ecodiesel V6 turbo - and taking mom to the airport yesterday, cruise on 80mph...it returned 28mpg. 5,000 lb SUV with full time all wheel drive, with the a/c cranked.

Can't argue that. My brother has an 08 Cummins Mega Cab (6 speed manual), insane amount of pulling power and mileage that makes me sick! He gets 23 mpg with a trailer behind it, I get about 15 mpg. I wonder if they do anything extra to the bodies on Diesel's, I find it strange that they typically don't rust out no where near as quick as the gas trucks? Your truck has aged nicely.. sharp truck

 

[MarPar]

Just had my first issue, noticed an oily look on the front rim so I pulled it off to find a blown shock. I've never seen a shock completely fail like that, usually they gradually leak the oil out.

Sure does look familiar.

Is that factory suspension/tires?

 

[747mopar]

Is that factory suspension/tires?

I know, I know... that's the first thing I thought. I bought it this way, the previous owner dumped all of the money in it. The shocks look to be original but the rims and tires aren't. Looks like a very minor lift was installed as well. I was going back and forth between a 1500 and a 2500, really didn't need a 3/4 ton but didn't want a truck that sat real low either so when I saw this I thought.. perfect!

 

[Triplegreen500]

I wonder if they do anything extra to the bodies on Diesel's, I find it strange that they typically don't rust out no where near as quick as the gas trucks? Your truck has aged nicely.. sharp truck

Thank you!

I know personally, I'm....particular about my vehicles, so garage life and keeping them washed definitely helps. Tip for ANY truck owner? Take out the taillights a few times a year, and hose off the inside of the bed sides, over the rear wheels. That keeps dirt and gunk from accumulating on them and causing rust over the wheels.

My truck is starting to rust though - cab corners, passenger rocker, lower front fender corners, the usual spots. But...21 years and nearly 300k miles, I can't complain. And, they make all the parts to replace. Just time...and money.

 

[MarPar]

I know, I know... that's the first thing I thought. I bought it this way, the previous owner dumped all of the money in it. The shocks look to be original but the rims and tires aren't. Looks like a very minor lift was installed as well. I was going back and forth between a 1500 and a 2500, really didn't need a 3/4 ton but didn't want a truck that sat real low either so when I saw this I thought.. perfect!

Ah. I have seen Rocky Ridge Edition Rams around here and was wondering if yours is one of them.

 

[Ron H]

A mechanic bud who owns a shop bought a Laramie last year. He was never a mopar guy giving me chit about mine. He gets a new truck (leasing) about every 3 years...had GM and Fords. Well - on our last chat he says the Laramie is the best truck he's had and plans to keep it.

 

[CoronetDarter]

The other thing that sold me was the back seat room. A tall man can almost completely stretch out in the back seat. Lift the seats up and there's room for all my family's soft camping gear; only need the bed for the heavy stuff and firewood. Taking it on its first camping trip this weekend.