The all-new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the best pickup truck that I have ever driven. Hands down. No contest. No other truck comes close.
What does it take to earn such an impressive accolade — a claim that I have waited 35-plus years to bestow? Start with a solid chassis and improve it with upgrades. Enhance it with a superb powertrain, ensure the package is overbuilt, and then polish it with innovative technology. Lastly, hand the project to an engineering team with an unwavering desire to be the best in the segment. The result is the Ram 1500 TRX.
While the formula sounds relatively simple and effortless to execute — countless automakers modify their existing vehicles with high-performance equipment and bestow them with new names (and decals) to match — Ram has taken a different path. The company chose to put the effort, resources, and money into building the world's first “super truck” using its excellent half-ton 1500 pickup as the foundation.
The company made comprehensive changes — far too many to list in this review — so allow me to focus on the significant ones.
Let’s start with the engine. The TRX is a big truck — significantly wider and heavier than its standard 1500-series siblings — with a curb weight of about 7,000 pounds. No worries, as Ram counters it with a formidable supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine. With a exhaust soundtrack that will frighten passers-by, the engine develops 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. A robust 8-speed automatic transmission, which is mated to permanent four-wheel drive, is the only powertrain that can tame it. Utilizing launch control — a driving aid usually only offered on high-performance sports cars — the TRX will blast to 60 mph in about 3.7 seconds (earning the TRX the title as the world’s quickest pickup truck).
The underpinnings been upgraded. There’s an all-new front and rear suspension that boasts active damping and multi-terrain and mode programming. The independent front suspension features forged control arms, while the five-link coil rear suspension delivers up to 13 inches of travel (that’s 40 percent more than the standard Ram 1500). Bilstein Black Hawk e2 performance shocks are fitted to all four corners — everything is tuned to delver the perfect balance of ride and comfort both on- and off-road.
The brakes are increased to 15-inch rotors and Ram fits the TRX with a large 35-inch wheel and tire package (Goodyear Wrangler Territory 325/65-18 tires) that has been engineered to optimize traction, wear resistance, and tire noise. Let’s not forget the Dana 60 solid rear axle with full-floating hubs and axle-hop damper to help keep the treaded rubber on the earth’s surface.
Ram complements the mechanical hardware with a full suite of electronically-controlled drive modes (including Baja Mode that calibrates the four-wheel drive, steering, stability control, and suspension for ultimate desert performance). The drive modes, and off-road pages, are all accessible through the TRX’s standard 12-inch Uconnect 4C infotainment touchscreen.
And don’t forget creature comforts. Ram pairs the hardcore off-road equipment with a premium five-passenger cabin with available leather and suede upholstery. An all-new head-up display (HUD) keeps the driver informed while everyone gets to enjoy the standard 900-watt audio system from Harmon Kardon.
On-road, the TRX is a beast. Mash the throttle and the unmistakable (and intoxicating) whine of a supercharger permeates the cabin. Simultaneously, occupants are forced into their seatbacks as the pickup launches forward. Throttle response is near-immediate (superchargers are far more responsive than turbochargers) and passing slower moving traffic is effortless.
On the highway the TRX is surprisingly comfortable. The long-travel suspension absorbs bumps, potholes, and freeway expansion joints with more skill than most self-touted luxury vehicles (the Ram’s mass helps smooth out the ride on the highway) and wind, tire, and road noise is nearly absent — kudos to the engineers for perfectly balancing capability and comfort.
Off-road, the TRX is spectacular. The optimized long-travel suspension absorbs bumps, holes, and washboard surfaces to deliver a ride that is unexpectedly smooth. The oversized tires bound over rocks and imperfections, and the long wheelbase enhances high-speed stability. Drop the transfer case into low range and the Ram climbs like a goat. There are boundless reserves of power for even the most challenging ascents and and robust brakes for crawling back down.
I spent a full day off-roading in California’s high desert (after driving 200 miles of highway to get to the location) and there wasn't a single obstacle that threatened to slow the TRX’s progress. I flew across the washboard dirt roads at 80+ mph, drove through the deepest soft sand without concern, and climbed rocks (in 4WD Low) for a photoshoot without breaking a sweat. Yes, the Ram 1500 TRX is the ideal vehicle to survive an apocalypse.
While countless other automakers tout horsepower and off-road capability in their modified high-performance pickups, Ram focused its efforts on delivering the world’s first comprehensive, completely mission-focused, “supertruck.” They have succeeded. And, best of all, they are offering the TRX with a bargain base price of just over $70,000.
I opened my review with a statement claiming that, “The all-new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the best pickup truck that I have ever driven.” I’m not just standing firmly behind that proclamation — I’m doubling down.
