2021 Ram 1500

Engine Types

Going into the 2021 model year, the 2021 Ram 1500 has eight trims – Tradesman, Tradesman HFE, Big Horn, Laramie, Rebel, Limited Longhorn, Limited, and the legendary TRX. The Ram 1500 is known for its many configurations, not only offering different engines but also cab sizes and truck beds. Many of the trims can come with a Crew or Quad Cab, with a 5’7” or 6’4” truck bed. The standard engine on most of the trims (up to the Limited Longhorn) is the 3.6-liter V6 optimized with variable valve timing (VVT) for performance and fuel efficiency, and eTorque for hybrid functionality and a torque boost. Able to deliver 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque, it’s a nice start.

As noted, there are many options. All of the trims up to the Limited Longhorn can also opt-in for the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine with or without eTorque. If without eTorque, the engine can generate up to 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. With eTorque, the engine gets a boost of 130 lb-ft of torque added onto the engine. The 2021 Ram 1500 Limited comes standard with the 5.7-liter HEMI V8. All trims are also capable of opting in for the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine for a best-in-class rating for 480 lb-ft of torque and 260 horsepower. Only the Ram 1500 TRX comes equipped with the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 SRT engine.

Engineering

Regardless of the engine, every truck comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Although many of the trims are capable of being powered by the same engine, each trim has a different towing capacity. In order, the towing capacity is 7,730 pounds for the Tradesman, 6,730 pounds for the Tradesman HFE, 6,640 pounds for the Big Horn and Laramie, 7,520 pounds for the Rebel, 6,550 pounds for the Limited Longhorn, 8,420 pounds for the Limited, and 8,100 pounds for the TRX.

Exterior Features

Because the Ram 1500 pickup truck is all about configuration, many features are available add -ons rather than a standard. Aside from the base Tradesman and the Big Horn trims that come standard with heated exterior mirrors, these features and more are available options for many trims in the lineup, including exterior mirrors with supplemental turn signals, trailer-tow mirrors, exterior mirrors with memory, an auto-dimming driver mirror, and running lights. Also standard on the base Tradesman and the Big Horn are automatic headlamps, illuminated entry, and a rear dome lamp. Available on various trims are these same features, along with an LED dome reading lamp, fog lamps, LED footwell lighting, automatic high beam headlamp control, and more.

Interior Features

The cabin follows the same pattern, with some features standard on the base Tradesman and Big Horn, left as available add-ons for the rest of the lineup. These two trims come with a 4-way adjustable front passenger seat and driver seat, and a 40/20/40 split bench. Many features are available for the Big Horn and following trims, including a 60/40 split-fold bench seat, an 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, ventilated front seats, driver seat memory, cloth or leather upholstery, air conditions with dual-zone temperature control, a heated steering wheel, and much more.

Entertainment

The standard tech on the Tradesman trims, the Big Horn, and the Rebel are the Uconnect 3 system on a 5-inch display. However, available on the base Tradesman, Big Horn, Rebel, and Limited Longhorn is the Uconnect 4 system on an 8.4-inch touchscreen. Select trims can also get Uconnect 4C with navigation and Uconnect on the legendary 12-inch touchscreen. Integrated voice command with Bluetooth is available on most trims, along with a starting subscription to SiriusXM radio, a telematics system, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, Google Android Audio, Apple CarPlay, HD Radio, and more. The standard sound system comes with six speakers, but a nine amplified speaker with a subwoofer is available on the Big Horn and Rebel, whereas a 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with a subwoofer is available on the Rebel, Limited Longhorn, Limited, and TRX.

Safety Features and Warranty

Like any good truck, Ram keeps consumers safe with an assortment of basic standard safety features, such as advanced multistage front airbags, supplemental front-mounted and side-curtain airbags, traction and stability control systems, and trailer safety. For more advanced safety features, available on many trims is a ParkView backup camera, full speed forward-collision warning plus, lane keep assist, blind spot and cross path detection, a remote start system, ParkSense front and rear park assist with stop, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, parallel and perpendicular park-assist with stop, and a surround view camera.

All Ram trucks are covered by a basic 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, a 5-year/100,000-mile diesel powertrain warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile gas powertrain warranty, roadside assistance for 5 years or 100,000 miles, and rust-through warranty for 5 years and unlimited miles. Coverage also includes free towing to the nearest Ram Truck dealer, if necessary, and coverage is transferable.