If you’re into trucks, the 2024 Ram 1500 needs no introduction. This full-size light-duty pickup is one of the best-selling vehicles in America and regularly spars with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 for the honor of a silver sales medal after the Ford F-150’s annual gold-winning performance.
The last time we reviewed the Ram 1500 was in 2022. The test truck had luxurious Limited trim and an optional turbodiesel V6 engine that’s no longer available. This time around, we evaluated the off-road-ready Ram 1500 Rebel, which slots into the middle of the Ram 1500 lineup. Below it, you’ll find the Tradesman, Big Horn (Lone Star in Texas), and Laramie. Above it live the Limited Longhorn, Limited, and performance-tuned TRX.
In 2023, the Ram 1500 received the following updates:
For the 2024 model year, the Ram 1500 sees these changes:
This review focuses on the Rebel model and other updates since our 2022 Ram 1500 review, and how they potentially impact the truck’s overall consumer appeal.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
The Ram 1500 competes in the Large Light Duty Pickup market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2023 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, Ram 1500 owners rated their trucks in 10 primary categories.
Listed below in descending order, you’ll find their preferences, from their most favorite thing about the Ram 1500 to their least favorite:
In the 2023 APEAL Study, the Ram 1500 ranks 2nd out of six Large Light Duty Pickup models.
In the following sections, our independent expert analyzes a 2024 Ram 1500 Rebel equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle’s sticker price was $80,800, including the $1,995 destination charge.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Unless you’re buying the supercharged, 702-horsepower Ram TRX, the most capable version of the truck for off-roading is the Rebel. You can immediately identify the Ram Rebel by its exclusive grille design, unique wheels wrapped in white-letter all-terrain tires, sport-design hood, and blacked-out trim. But what’s underneath the sheet metal is what makes the Rebel a raucous good time.
In addition to standard four-wheel drive (4WD) and those 33-inch Wrangler Duratrac tires, the Rebel boasts a 1-inch suspension lift for 9.7 inches of ground clearance. It also has skid plates, an electronic locking rear axle, a hill descent control system, and a Selec-Speed off-road cruise control system. Get the optional four-corner air suspension, and you can raise the suspension two inches for 10.7 inches of ground clearance.
The test truck had the V8 engine upgrade, costing over $3,000. The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 features eTorque, Ram’s 48-volt mild-hybrid technology that is supposed to improve fuel economy. According to the EPA, this engine should get 19 mpg in combined driving in trucks equipped with 4WD.
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Not even close. I averaged 14.4 mpg on my testing loop. Compare that result to the 2022 Ram 1500 Limited with the now-defunct EcoDiesel engine I reviewed a few years ago. That truck averaged 24.8 mpg on the same evaluation route.
If not efficient, the eTorque V8 sure is loud. The test truck bellowed with each push of the engine start button and each press of the accelerator pedal. The V8 makes 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque, and the mild-hybrid system supplies 130 lb-ft of added torque when launching from a stop. Needless to say, a Ram Rebel with a Hemi V8 has no trouble accelerating out of its own way.
The test truck’s optional G/T Package added a Mopar cold-air intake kit and a passive cold-end exhaust system. Mopar says the modifications add power and torque but doesn’t define how much. I can confirm the truck’s exhaust system is loud, though. Too loud. While the note is music to any automotive enthusiast's ears, I don’t think my neighbors appreciated the 7 a.m. wake-up call each morning.
In addition, the Rebel has a stiff ride. Too stiff. The payoff is impressive handling on pavement despite the all-terrain tires, which sing at freeway speeds. On city streets, the Rebel communicates every bump, crack, and hole in the road. On rocky trails, the Rebel is downright bone-jarring, so activate the standard Selec-Speed system and take it slow and steady.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
My Ram Rebel test truck had a 12-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Neither is ideal. The digital gauges suffer reflections from glare, and the portrait-mounted infotainment screen is sometimes distracting to use. Plus, the gloss black trim surrounding it is a magnet for dust.
Ram wisely equips the infotainment system with stereo volume and tuning knobs large enough to use while wearing gloves, and the dual-zone automatic climate control buttons on either side of the screen are easily accessible. However, sometimes, they are hard to read due to glare on the dusty and glossy black plastic.
With the Technology Group, the Ram Rebel has a helpful head-up display and a not-as-helpful camera-based digital rearview mirror. The test truck also had the Rebel Level 2 Equipment Group, which adds a navigation system and an excellent 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.
Ram did not equip the test truck with the Advanced Safety Group. That upgrade includes a pedestrian emergency braking system, automatic high-beam headlights, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and a surround-view camera system. It also did not have a blind-spot warning or rear cross-traffic warning system. That’s hard to believe, given the more than 80 grand sticker price.
However, as part of the Rebel Level 2 package, my test vehicle did have front and rear parking sensors with automatic reverse braking. The first time I backed the Ram out of my angled driveway onto our suburban street, the truck slammed hard on the brakes, thinking I would collide with the pavement. That frequently happens with vehicles that are lower to the ground. I did not expect it from a lifted Ram Rebel.
Among the best-selling Large Light Duty Pickups, the Ram leads the pack in overall appeal according to the 2023 JD Power APEAL Study (Chevy, Ford, and Toyota rank below the median average in the segment).
It’s easy to understand why. From its exterior styling to its quality interior materials, the Ram 1500 makes a good impression. Seat comfort is excellent, and the test truck had heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel.
There’s plenty of in-cab storage space too. From the dual glove compartment design and roomy center console trays and bins to the hidden underfloor storage wells in the cab’s rear floor, it’s easy to find places to stash stuff.
The Ram’s penchant for making life easier extends to the cargo bed. Though my test truck didn’t have them, you can opt for RamBox locking storage compartments built into the sides of the bed and a dual-action tailgate that drops or swings open to the sides in a 60/40 split design.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
A refreshed 2025 Ram 1500 is coming soon and should be on sale by spring. Highlights include a new Tungsten luxury version and what I think is the brilliant Ramcharger, an electric version with a gasoline V6 aboard that serves as a generator. You can learn all about the new 2025 Ramcharger in our detailed preview. And don’t forget about the new Ram REV, a fully electric version of the Ram 1500.
It's tempting to wait, isn’t it? But consider the following:
Ready to shop? Check out Ram inventory on JDPower.com.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran digital automotive journalist with over 25 years of experience in test-driving vehicles. In addition to JDPower.com, his work has appeared in numerous new- and used-car buying guides, newspapers, and automotive industry trade journals.
The Ford Transit is the automaker’s full-size cargo and passenger van offering, designed to serve a wide range of commercial and lifestyle applications. With 37 available configurations, the platform ...See More
Read the Full Article
The Chevrolet Tahoe is a full-size, three-row SUV with a standard V8 engine and available diesel power. Built on the same platform as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup, the Tahoe benefits from its ...See More
Read the Full Article
It is the end of the line for the Ford Escape. After 25 years as a fixture of Ford’s lineup, 2026 will be the compact SUV’s last model year.
Read the Full Article
The Colorado is Chevrolet’s midsize pickup. It ranks among the segment’s most capable trucks for payload and towing, and can be configured for both work and off-road adventures. For 2026, the ...See More
Read the Full Article