Test Driving the 2023 Ram 1500 TRX

At Car Talk, we are the lucky few who get to test drive new vehicles every week or so. The manufacturers trust our expertise and our knowledge enough to let us drive around in their new cars, trucks and SUVs and then write about our experiences. Here is what we thought of test driving the 2023 Ram 1500 TRX.

What We Liked:

Styling: The Ram 1500 TRX is a big, aggressive, look-at-me truck. Not even Mr. Magoo could miss this thing.

Power and Off-Road Chops: The Ram 1500 TRX is Ram’s answer to the Ford Raptor, which means it’s a fast, capable truck off road. This is great news for off-road enthusiasts, or people who just want to look like off-road enthusiasts. The Ram TRX is astonishingly fast on-road as well, with an engine that can pump out 702 horsepower. Ram lists the 0 to 60 time at 4.5 seconds, and we believe them. Car and Driver tracked the Ram 1500 TRX at 3.7 0 to 60 time, and we believe them too. (If you couldn’t tell, we didn’t have the chance to measure the 0 to 60 time in our week with the TRX).

Interior Comfort: “Off-road” and “Truck” typically mean “uncomfortable interior” but that’s not the case with the Ram 1500 TRX. The backseat has enough legroom for a 6-foot passenger to sit behind a 6-foot driver, and the cabin is filled with handy cubbies for storing gear or stashing a container of extra-large fries. The interior is also a little refined, with high-end finishes and Ram’s signature huge infotainment screen.

Easter Eggs: The Ram TRX takes aim at the Ford Raptor not only off-road, but throughout the entire truck. First there’s the name (TRX = t-Rex), and there are fun easter eggs, like a picture of a T-Rex eating a Raptor, throughout the truck.

What We Didn't Like:

Styling: The Ram 1500 is a big, aggressive, look-at-me truck, as stated above. We get that a lot of people like that about it, but if your style is more understated and you don’t like people staring at you as you drive by, skip this one.

On-Road Driving: The flipside of off-road capability is often a bad on-road ride, and the Ram TRX 1500 is annoyingly bad on pavement. The ride is bouncy and rough, and forget about the idea of parking it easily. Or at all. We were so embarrassed by our parking attempts in this truck that we circled the block while passengers zipped into a grocery store. Yes, that reflects badly on us, but we’re in different cars every week and this is the first one we haven’t felt good about parking. How do you think you’re going to do when you’re behind the wheel?

Daily Practicality: The Ram 1500 TRX is over six feet tall, making it a no-go in a lot of parking garages in our area. The height also means that it’s really hard to get into. Side rails help, but if you’re someone who wears skirts, you’d better wear shorts underneath. And forget about putting a kid in a car seat in this thing. This is a great truck if you’re only going to take it off-road, but look elsewhere for a daily driver.