Three Reasons Drivers Love the Fifth-Generation Ram 1500

Buyers have more choices than ever when it comes to selecting a full-size pickup, but there’s something to be said for sticking with an established name. While the Ram 1500 has developed a loyal following for over 40 years, the truck has come far from its working-class roots. The full-size pickup has steadily evolved into one of the most well-rounded choices on the modern market, seamlessly combining power, luxury, and everyday usability in a way that most models just can’t match.

This holds especially true for the current fifth-generation Ram 1500, which, since its introduction in 2019, has been consistently holding down one of the top spots on the sales charts. It’s easy to see why so many drivers are drawn to the Ram 1500, but what are some of the lesser-known features and accolades that make the fifth-generation Ram 1500 a great buy? From its impressive towing and payload capacity to the truck’s reputation for reliability and a unique coil-spring rear suspension that dramatically improves both on-road comfort and off-road performance, you’ll enjoy a more premium experience when you seek a used Ram 1500 for sale. Let’s explore each point and learn how the fifth-generation Ram 1500 can set you on the road to years of driving enjoyment.

Comfort Courtesy of a Coil Spring Rear Suspension

Ram took the pickup world by storm with the release of the fourth-generation Ram 1500 back in 2009. The fourth-generation Ram 1500 included several novel upgrades designed to raise the bar in the full-size segment, from a new four-door cab and HEMI engine to a clever Rambox storage system that turned the truck’s bed walls into a secure place to store your cargo. All of these advancements are worth a closer look at, but few features had as much of an impact on the Ram’s reputation as the new coil spring rear suspension. While some thought that Ram had lost its marbles by swapping out the traditional leaf spring design for the coil spring approach, it proved to be a prescient move that immediately made the Ram 1500 a standout in terms of comfort.

Full-size pickups haven’t historically prioritized the driving experience as much as utility, towing ability, and off-road acumen, but that all began to change as the segment continued to grow in popularity throughout the last few decades. While full-size trucks like the Ram 1500 once represented 12 percent of the pickup market in 2000, the number has since grown to nearly 80 percent, bringing a whole new cadre of customers into the mix. Many of these drivers made the jump from cars and SUVs. While they clearly appreciate the utility that a truck can provide, their experience with smaller, more agile vehicles meant they tended to be a little more demanding when it came to comfort. Ram made a concerted play for this new customer base by adopting a rear coil spring suspension, which, in addition to its low maintenance and repair cost and high customization potential, also provides one of the smoothest rides on the road.

A coil spring rear suspension uses a metal coil that’s designed to compress when encountering uneven terrain. This marks an improvement over the leaf spring setup found in many trucks, which uses an arched metal spring that flexes to spread the force of the impact. A coil spring rear suspension offers improved range of motion and less interference than its leaf-spring competitor, and is better able to soak up the bumps, dips, and vibrations that come with everyday driving. A coil spring suspension is also useful when venturing into off-road environments due to its improved articulation. Traction is the keyword in any off-road journey, but even the knobbiest tires won’t do you much good if they’re not making contact with the road.

Off-road vehicles with coil springs are better at keeping all four wheels on the ground, which can make a big difference when navigating boulders, rocks, and deep ruts. By offering a wider range of movement than leaf springs, a coil spring suspension can flex rather than lift the tires off the ground when dealing with rocks, ruts, and other obstacles. The benefits of a coil-spring suspension are rather obvious, and while Ram was the first to take the plunge, the approach has now been emulated by at least one competitor.

A Team of Torque-Rich Engines

Industry-leading reliability and comfort-enhancing suspension aside, every full-size truck is ultimately going to be measured by what’s going on under the hood. The Ram 1500 offers some of the best towing capacity in the segment, and that’s largely thanks to the truck’s wide range of engine options. Ram gave a jolt to its full-size pickup with the release of the fifth-generation model in 2019, pairing both the Pentastar V6 and HEMI V8 engines with a 48-volt eTorque hybrid system. As the name implies, eTorque leverages a little electrification to improve the Ram 1500’s torque output by as much as 130 lb-ft on the 5.7L HEMI, bringing some obvious benefits in terms of efficiency and towing prowess.

Despite the moniker, the eTorque-equipped engines weren’t actually the most torque-rich option in the lineup. The 2019 Ram 1500 also offered a 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 that topped the charts in terms of torque with 480 lb-ft available. The EcoDiesel was also the thriftiest engine on offer from an efficiency perspective, with up to 33 MPG on the highway with the RWD model.

Sadly, the diesel departed the lineup halfway through the 2023 model year and has yet to be revived by Ram. However, its departure is a little easier to handle thanks to the legendary HEMI V8. The HEMI name has become synonymous with pickup performance over the years, and allowed the fifth-generation Ram 1500 to churn out all the power it needed to handle the toughest towing and hauling tasks with a max capacity of 12,750 lbs and a 1,940-lb maximum payload when opting for the hybrid version. The off-road supertruck, the Ram 1500 TRX, was even treated to a 6.2L Hellcat HEMI V8, good for 702 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque thanks to an integrated supercharger, allowing drivers to conquer some of the toughest off-road conditions imaginable at speeds that few trucks could fathom.

The most recent change to Ram’s flagship truck came in 2025 when the company dropped the HEMI V8 in favor of a new 3.0L Hurricane turbocharged I-6 engine. While the Hurricane might have offered fewer cylinders and almost half as much displacement as the HEMI V8, the turbocharger allowed it to make up the difference with 420 hp, 469 lb-ft of torque, and a lineup-leading towing capacity of 11,550 lbs. A high-output version of the Hurricane delivers even more brawn with 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque, though it does trail the traditional version by around 1,500 lbs in the towing department. The Hurricane’s potential contributed to Ram’s decision to discontinue the HEMI for the 2025 model year, but the brawny V8 wasn’t gone for long. Many pickup drivers believe every full-size model deserves true V8 power. Ram relented, bringing the HEMI back into the fold for 2026. The hybrid HEMI offers the same 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque as always, but now plays second fiddle to the Hurricane in terms of towing, with a maximum capacity of 11,330 lbs.

A Clear Leader In Reliability

The Ram brand has earned more than enough trophies to test its considerable towing capacity, but few carry quite as much weight as one particular award from J.D. Power. Ram has consistently ranked towards the top of J.D. Power’s U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), and has earned the top spot twice during the Ram 1500’s fifth-generation run. The automaker took first place in 2021 and 2024, and placed in the top three for four out of the five past years. That’s a strong showing for any company, and it will instill in drivers a little extra confidence every time they get behind the wheel.

Ram is the only truck-exclusive brand to top J.D. Power’s IQS list, illustrating the care and craftsmanship that goes into every Ram 1500. In 2024, Ram’s 148 PP100 rating easily topped the silver medal winner in Chevy by some 11 points. Other automakers known for their full-size pickups fared even worse, with Ford (178 PP100), Toyota (192), and GMC (201) trailing Ram by a wide margin. J.D. Power also named the Ram 1500 the best full-size light-duty pickup truck for 2024.

J.D. Power is not alone in doling out the praise. The fifth-generation Ram 1500 has racked up plenty of hardware over the years, including logging an unprecedented four wins as MotorTrend’s Truck of the Year in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025. Ram was also honored as U.S. News & World Report’s Best Truck Brand in 2020, 2021, and 2022. The 1500 even made history by being the first pickup to walk away with Cars.com’s Luxury Car of the Year award for its range-topping Laramie Longhorn and Limited trims.

Find More Truck for Less at the Rusty Wallace Family of Dealerships

Ram has raised the bar in the pickup market with the Ram 1500, and the fifth-generation model encompasses everything there is to love about the full-size truck. From a coil spring rear suspension that makes the Ram 1500 one of the most comfortable rides on the road to a full arsenal of potent powertrains that dole out power and efficiency in equal measure, the Ram 1500 checks all the boxes when it comes to those attributes that today’s drivers value most. Ram’s record of J.D. Power IQS wins speaks for itself and should be factored into your decision-making process if you put a premium on reliability.

It doesn’t matter how much a pickup can pull or how well-appointed its cabin might be if it can’t stay on the road, but buyers are a lot less likely to encounter expensive problems and ill-timed repairs when they go with the Ram brand. The Rusty Wallace Family of Dealerships knows the Ram 1500 inside and out, and is excited to share our enthusiasm for one of the industry’s leading pickup models. Stop by today and learn how towing performance, comfort-enhancing tech, and award-winning reliability have made the Ram 1500 the gold standard in the full-size segment.