Yep. There's no disguising that this isn't a battle between two giants.
Fords' had its Raptor on the market for a few years now, and to the guys at RAM, well…that was just like three pounds of raw meat in front of a starving junkyard dog.
The battle will likely go on for years, but for now, let's just say that RAM rose to the challenge with a primal ground shaking "Oh Yeah?!...Watch this!"
Launch control in a pickup? Yep. And it'll help get you to 60 in just 4.5 seconds.
A "Valet Setting" in a truck? Correct. You saw that 4.5 seconds to 60, didn't you?
And while launch control helps, the real reason for that quick trip to 60 is RAM's Hellcat 702 HP supercharged 6.2 liter hemi under that functional air scoop on the hood. And the 650 ft. lbs. of torque helps, too.
Sport Mode on a truck? Yes again. On pavement, Sport Mode will deliver quicker shifts, a tightened suspension and a 30% front / 70 rear torque split.
But you're missing the whole point of RAM's TRX if you don't take it off road.
A "Baja" setting? Sure. Why not? "Baja" gives you exactly what you'd want for playin' in the sand and loose dirt: Full 13" – 14" suspension travel, quicker shifts an a little built-in oversteer, too.
And that's just for starters. There's also suspension settings for snow, mud and sand, and serious rock crawling. "Rock" will give you an extra "Low" plus a 50 / 50 torque split and speed control when you need to just inch along. And you'll have Bilstein Black Hawk shocks and 11.8" of ground clearance to help you with that rock work.
The window sticker on a TRX will start at roughly twice the base price of an entry-level RAM 1500…but that's only fair, as the TRX is roughly twice the truck.
And if you'd like, a few optional packages will put frosting on your cake…transforming your TRX from a hard-scrabble "Dirt Devil" into a ride that'll rival some luxury vehicles.
We're talking heated and ventilated leather, heated rears, heated steering, 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound, a heads-up display, power tailgate, remote start, power adjustable pedals with memory, rear 60 / 40 split folding and reclining seats with hidden storage underneath, carbon fiber trim, and just about every safety aid and alert available today. Heck…there's even a panoramic sunroof.
If you're planning on doing some real serious off-roading, you might want what we had…a $995 bed mounted tire carrier…giving us two spares…one under and one in the bed. Otherwise, save the grand and put that big bed to other use.
All in, our RAM 1500 TRX came in with a price tag of just over $91,000.
That's a healthy sum to be sure, but if I was tapped to be a first responder to Armageddon, this is definitely the kind of vehicle I'd want to take to the battle.
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
2021 RAM 1500 TRX CREW CAB 4X4
