Ram sells 10 different versions of the 1500, but the Big Horn trim outsells them all. So what makes this truck the go-to choice for so many buyers? Is it the everyday practicality, the clever tech, or the way it balances price with just enough ruggedness? We’re breaking down its features, performance, and real-world value to see if the Big Horn’s reputation holds up—or if it’s coasting on hype. I’m John The Car Explorer and This is the 2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn.
Let’s start up front with the engine options. Trucks are big, powerful machines. And you’d hope it would have the engine to back it up. I think it delivers here. You get 2 engine options. A 3.6 L v6 engine giving you 305hp and 271 lb ft of torque or you can take the 3L Inline 6 cylinder twin turbo engine which gives you 420 hp and 469 pound feet of torque. Gone is the flagship Hemi V-8 from the entire Ram lineup for now, although there are rumors of the Hemi V8 coming back into production… but for now we have these two engine options. This truck in front of me has the [insert truck engine option]. Gas mileage on these engines are a claimed 20mpg city and 25 highway but lets be honest, if you’re looking at a Ram you’re not worried about fuel economy.
There is a TON of customization available for this truck. If you go over to Ram’s build and price tool you can see for yourself. 8 different color options, which surprisingly only white and Red are “free”, 4 different wheel options, multi function tailgate, running boards, Deluxe cloth seats versus a bench seat, a large touch screen versus a small one, a night edition, bed upgrade, 2 different BIG HORN equipment groups, trailer options, oh my god the list goes on. Additionally this truck can also come in a crew cab 6 foot 4in bed, crew cab 5ft 7in bed, and a quad cab 6ft 4in bed version. Crew cabs have more space for passengers than the quad. Again, options. Only this trim and the tradesman (base) have all the bed and cab options.
What I can say is with so many upgrades, it starts to make sense to me why this might be a top selling trim, considering just how much you can customize this to your liking. Yes I know most of you will go buy this off a lot and not order one but the fact that SO many variations of this truck exist, you’re bound to find one with the features you want.
Let’s talk about looks. The Ram 1500 is the embodiment of what I consider an “american truck”. It’s big. It’s loud. It’s smooth but with angular curves. It is what I think of when I think “RAM!”. The bed in this particular truck leaves a lot to be desired, with only 4 lower hooks, you don’t have a lot going on. This particular ram truck didn’t have a bed liner but obviously you could get one added as an option. The lightweight, soft open tailgate is nice. It uses an electronic release like most trucks do nowadays. You can open it from the remote but it will not close from the remote.
The wheel options are nice. Aggressive, large, and looks very nice. There are a ton of wheel options for the big horn, the smallest being 18in cast aluminum painted, and going through 4 different 20 in aluminum painted wheels in various finishes. This one has the greyish black 20 in rims and I say it suits the truck very well.
The interior, again, feels very “traditional”. The seats in this truck are the deluxe cloth and feel amazing to sit in. The center console is massive and can fit everything from your phone to your pet hamster. It has a rugged leather trim top which is perfect for resting your forearms on when taking a long drive. Additionally, it’s customizable, with a sliding inner tray to make any cargo configuration work for you. Inside the console up front you have plenty of charging options. USB A, USB C, and wireless charging!
The wheel is confusing for me. Ram clearly has hearty leather to work with, yet the wheel feels thin and flimsy with its leather wrap. I worry about how it will stand up to years of abuse, skin oil, scuffs and scrapes. While the center console leather feels like it could stand being run over by a tank, I wouldn’t even want to accidentally brush this wheel with my fingernail! The ergonomics of the wheel are nice, with plenty of buttons for the important things. Of note however is that while this truck has a heated steering wheel- you have to activate it via the touch screen which is very annoying.
Let’s talk about that touch screen. It’s tall, very tall! While most auto makers are making their screens extend from left to right, it seems Ram is going vertical! This is one of two infotainment options available, the other being a smaller screen. This one is large enough for my liking. It’s somewhat laggy when switching between apps but it’s not terrible. What I like is the fact that plenty of controls for the truck are still available as buttons. While other vehicles hide temperature controls behind apps, this truck still have ac controls around the bezel of the touch screen. All your major controls are here. Volume, tuning, heat, cooling, trailer controls, etc. It’s all right there for easy access!
The passenger side is more of the same. You have a hidden compartment above the glove box which has a nice amount of space. The glove compartment is about average sized. The seat is as comfortable as the driver seat, although on this model that passenger seat is manual while the driver is electric. Something to note if you have a front passenger often.
The backseats are incredible. This truck I’m looking at is the crew cab variant. Ram claims this has increased space for the passengers. Let me tell you, they are not lying! This backseat feels massive! While it doesn’t have the same style of seat as the front seats they are comfy and I could easily see being happy taking a road trip in these seats. There is no middle “hump” so even sitting in the middle feels fine. The cup holders actually feel far away when you’re fully sitting back, although this can be relieved with the two cup holders that fold down from the middle. You have two usb type C ports, two USB A ports and a full size AC outlet with a 400w max. Perfect for charging that pesky nintendo ds that only has a wall plug.
Overall this truck is spacious, rugged, up to date for 2025. It feels like a solid truck. If you like Ram trucks I think this will feel familiar to you. If you’re new to Ram trucks, this should feel like a comfortable, well driving truck. When driving this around it felt solid. Very quiet ride, little to no felt bumps, and a great turning radius! With all the customizability options this truck offers, it makes sense that it’s one of the top selling trims. I truly believe you can find a configuration of this truck that you like, provided you enjoy the flavor of truck Ram has to offer. I give this truck a solid 7 out of 10 big horns.
