2022 Ram 1500 Laramie review

Opting for the second-in-command Laramie from Ram’s 1500 line-up leaves you money to spend on accessories. And it’s not like you’re giving up much in terms of luxury either, making it a shrewd option.

When we have full-size pick-ups on test, people wonder how many of these they sell here, hinting there can’t be much of a demand. So far this year, Ram has delivered 167 of its 1500s, while over at GMSV, who do the Chevrolet 1500, 76 have found new homes. And there’s a six-month wait for some models, Ram with plenty of orders in the system. Delivery times aren’t helped by the fact they need to be shipped twice, once from Murica, and again from Australia where they go through the factory-approved conversion…sorry, re-manufacturing process…to move the steering wheel to the correct side. Ram will soon have its thunderous TRX version landing in September, with 30 confirmed orders ready to be filled. Pricing on that is still TBC but is likely to be in the 200s.

Buyers of Rams tend to have plenty of dosh behind them and so the Limited version has outsold the Laramie here but the latter might be the better buy, priced at $141,990 to the Limited’s $159,990 (both with the full $5175 CCD fee). There are differences, the Limited with more black detailing, the Laramie sporting more chrome. There’s less leather in the cabin of the latter and yet there’s still plenty of cowhides lining this truck; you just miss out on the fancier cowboy motifs of the Limited.

And there are still myriad conveniences; plenty of USB ports, powered and heated seats, a 19-speaker audio system, seven-inch instrument display and the large 12-inch touchscreen with all its connectivity. Moreover, there’s the same overly generous accommodations in the rear, with flip up seating giving you plenty of storage space in the cabin when needed.

Oddly this Laramie came with the active safety gear that the spec sheet said it misses out on compared with the Limited. That puts a 360-degree camera on board (higher res imaging would improve its operation, particularly at night) along with lane keeping and active cruise functions. Blind spot monitoring is a definite bonus as the mirrors on this rig are too small; cars literally disappear from view when they slide alongside.

The other big visual difference is the wheels, with 20-inch rims on the Laramie versus 22s on the Limited. That gets you more sidewall on the tyres, saving the alloys should you rub up against the curb when parking. And whereas the Limited has four-corner air springs and ride height levelling, this has conventional coils all around. With its mammoth wheelbase and wide tracks, the Laramie rides smoothly, both in and out of town, with little in the way of that body-on-frame shimmy. That big solid rear axle is nicely controlled too and this is remarkable given the Laramie has a better payload, able to haul 130kg more than the Limited at 833kg.

These DT series 1500s are large, measuring 5.9m in length, and with a 14m turning circle they aren’t much fun in tight spots. Hence, they appeal more to folk living beyond the city limits. They aren’t bad to drive however, not too monstrous in traffic, and you can park them at your local shopping plaza when you need to, but only just, and usually after three or four attempts to get it lined up.

All 1500 Rams come with the 5.7-litre V8 and, along with cylinder deactivation, the DT models get an integrated starter generator (hence the eTorque badging on the bulging bonnet) for an idle/stop function. This switches the engine back on in a flash, and helps move it off the mark smartly; you really only need a hint of gas. This good old pushrod Hemi makes plenty of torque from just above idle while a full 556Nm is manufactured at 3950rpm. But you rarely venture that high in general running, the eight-speed auto slurring through its ratios quickly, smoothly. And the Eco mode (aka cylinder deactivation) kicks in quite often. This helps alleviate the fuel use a little but expect to imbibe at least 16L/100km on average for general duties, and a lot more when towing.

The Hemi transitions from four- to eight-cylinder mode smoothly, and the exhaust note isn’t too badly affected either. This particular Laramie was fitted with the $4200 worth of Mopar piping, a cat-back system that liberates a few ponies (no exact figures given) and more of that deep burble from the Hemi. You sure hear it on start-up but it’s not overly loud, nor is there any unwanted droning at highway speeds. You’ve more than likely bought the Ram as you’re a V8 fan, so best spend the extra to really hear it.

It sure makes a good noise when you gas it to the redline, the auto changing up in a relaxed fashion as it nears 6000rpm. These aren’t sport trucks with no drive modes to poke the game along. But with 2600kg of Detroit iron in motion, you don’t want to get too wild anyway. It can move quite quickly though, the auto not shy of kicking down but then the brakes aren’t overly reassuring with a panic stop from 100km/h taking in excess of 43m. It has grip and stability in spades, and with an on-demand 4WD setting (along with 2WD and 4WD high and low) there’s bulk traction too. It could certainly do with a tad more steering feel, however. Then again, you buy these for the 4.5 tonne towing capacity, not driver appeal.

Trucks are made for accessories, Ram with a full catalogue of stuff you can add. We reckon the $5600 deployable side steps (these appear from under the truck when you open the door) are a must, as they make it easier for everyone to get on board given how high these ride. The Ram Bar on the rear adds to the ‘yee haw’ look, especially with the additional spotties on top. These are blindingly bright, literally turning night into day, and as such are designed for ‘off road use only’. Altogether it’s $5000 well spent. However, adding the bar means you can’t fit a tonneau cover. The utility rails ($1000) mounted on the sides of the tub allow you to affix other accessories like the roof rails fitted (which have a surfboard tie down contraption here), but you can also add a cargo bed divider to the rail system to better secure a smaller load.

Another solution for load securing is the Bed Extender, which comes as standard. When it’s sitting inside the tray it’s a handy load divider to keep stuff from flailing about. And when you flip it over, it can be used to hold a bike or quad in place when the tailgate is lowered.

And these accessories you can easily add to your Laramie purchase when doing the deal, using the money saved by not opting for the top spec Limited.