Class: Large Pickup
Miles driven: 190
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | A |
| Power and Performance | B |
| Fit and Finish | A |
| Fuel Economy | A- |
| Value | B- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 260-horsepower 3.0-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbodiesel V6 |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Real-world fuel economy: 21.8 mpg
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 21/29/24 (mpg city/highway/combined)
Fuel type: Diesel
Base price: $64,995 (not including $1795 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Special paint ($100), Trailer Tow Group ($1095), Limited 10th Anniversary Edition ($2145), Limited Level 1 Equipment Group ($3495), Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover ($550), EcoDiesel trubodiesel engine ($3200), chrome power-folding windows ($445)
Price as tested: $77,820
Quick Hits
The great: Ride quality and all-around refinement; excellent interior space; long list of available features
The good: Commendably quiet diesel engine delivers solid power
The not so good: Observed fuel economy fell somewhat short of EPA estimates
John Biel
How much should one spend on an anniversary present? Perhaps it depends on what the anniversary commemorates, but as far as the makers of Ram trucks are concerned, $2145 is about right.
That’s what it takes to gift a Limited pickup with a 10th Anniversary Edition package that marks a decade since this became the plushest trim level of the Ram 1500. This “generosity” provides said truck with quilted-leather front bucket seats (with a pattern repeated on the console lid and door inserts), open-pore-wood accents, a “jeweled” knob for the dash-mounted rotary shifter, suede headliner, 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, multifunction tailgate that opens two ways, and more.
The tested truck had one more present, one that had nothing to do with the Limited 10th Anniversary group—a 260-hp 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. This one verified impressions from the last time we had a Ram with this engine. It delivers good acceleration with power that builds quickly even if initial response is muted. It’s smooth and commendably quiet, with almost none of the clatter famously associated with diesels. Hooked to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the EPA projects this Ram to average 21 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway, and 24 combined. This reviewer chalked up 20.4 mpg from a 55.1-mile drive with a city-driving bias of 84 percent.
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Limited is one of the higher-end Ram models that gets the Uconnect5 infotainment system as standard equipment for 2022. Perhaps to no one’s surprise, the 12-inch vertical touchscreen is highly legible. It’s also fairly easy to use for when inputting audio-system presets. Note that the screen also houses climate controls that run along the bottom. Most of the connectivity features and conveniences—like power-retracting running boards that ease entries and exits—available to Rams are included in Limiteds.
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In many other respects, the ’22 Limited carries on in the ways established since the current generation of Ram pickups appeared in 2019. The Crew Cab body is cavernous inside. Up to three adult passengers can comfortably share the rear seat. When unoccupied, the rear cushion folds up to make way for ample load space on the flat floor. Ride with the all-coil-spring suspension—augmented here by 4-corner air suspension that’s an option in some lesser Ram models—is a paragon in the pickup-truck field, and one of the leading reasons behind the brand’s selection as a Consumer Guide “Best Buy.”
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A bit of bad news: During our time with the Ram, Stellantis announced its intention to end production of the EcoDiesel engine in January of 2023. Depending on who you ask, the take rate for the smooth and efficient V6 was running at only about five percent. Blame the high cost of the engine option and the rising price of diesel fuel for the lack of consumer interest. And, though it isn’t easy on the gas, the available 5.7-liter “Hemi” V8 is a smooth and refined engine option that has served literally millions of Ram drivers well over the years.
Diesel news aside, our test Limited impressed us as all higher-end Ram 1500s do, as legitimate luxury vehicles that also happen to operate well as pickup trucks. And, every time I drive a Ram, I sort of wish I needed a pickup truck.
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2022 Ram 1500 Limited EcoDiesel Gallery
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2022 Ram 1500 Limited EcoDiesel
