RAM 1500 Laramie 5.7 V8 2018 review

It’s loud, it’s brash and it’s most definitely big. It also justifies its 'all-new' label and manages to be bigger and wider than the previous generation introduced in 2014. 

From the outside, the engine creates quite a racket but is muted on the inside by a massive increase in sound deadening. Rather than the engine, you’re much more likely to hear the two huge exhausts burble and roar as you bring in the power, which arrives rapidly but steadily though to its 5600rpm peak. Gear changes are slick – the TorqueFlight is a ZF gearbox after all – but not the quickest in this application. Hit the throttle hard for a kickdown and the response is painfully slow; instead it’s best to leave the transmission to its own devises.

Gaining speed isn’t a problem, though. The RAM is ferociously quick, hitting 60mph in just over 6 seconds. It’s remarkably smooth too. We tested the RAM 1500 Laramie with optional air suspension, which allows four different height settings. An entry-exit setting drops the ride height to just an inch above the tyres, while Normal raises the body to its lofty standard position. The lowest setting is Aero, which drops the RAM to mid-way between the exit position and standard ride height and goes a long way to improve stability while cornering, whereas Off-road takes it to the highest setting with a maximum 273mm ground clearance. 

Considering its size and weight, the RAM is admirably dynamic and more than comfortable being pushed hard into bends, where we found grip was limited by the tyres rather than the chassis. It’s comfortable and fun, two things American pick-up trucks rarely are. It’s also no slouch off-road where it is more than capable of transferring those excessive speeds to all manner of terrains.

The inside is a host of surprises, too. While everything is most definitely in American proportions, it’s done to a pretty high standard. The central storage compartment between the front seats, for example, is large enough to house a decent-sized bag and is made from substantial feeling plastics covered in a good grade of leather. The seats (again in leather) are nearly 50% larger than you’d find in anything in Europe with full electric adjustment, and there’s acres of space in both the front and the back. It’s hard not to be impressed.

Yet it’s not all good. At 5916mm in length it feels as though nearly two metres is found between you and the bumper. Factor in the high bonnet line to house the gigantic engine and it makes going forward harder than necessary. Navigating a British 'drive-thru' would be unquestionably challenging.