2023 Ram 1500 Limited Elite 4x4 Review

This week I have for you the top-of-the-line 2023 Ram 1500 Limited Elite Crew cab 4x4.   

Exterior

 Outwardly, the Ram Limited Crew Cab 4x4 is a great-looking truck. The front grill and fascia gives it a sleek and modern appearance. The raised hood with emblems verifying that YEP, it’s an eTorque Hemi, the wheels looks great, and I love the dual exhaust.

 

Powertrain

The powertrain of my tester is the eTorque, a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 aided by a 48-volt mild hybrid system.  It puts out 395-horses, 410 lb-ft of torque and this package will tow 12,750 pounds.  The 8-speed shifts crisply and with determination.

Interior

For me, there are two standout things about this truck; The first is the ride.  It is one of the smoothest pickup rides I’ve experienced, thanks to the all-steel frame, a rear coil suspension system, and new damping shocks.  It’s hard to believe you are riding in a pickup, it truly feels like a car.

The second thing that simply stuns you is the interior.  When I got behind the wheel and just went WOW, wouldya look at this!  The leather and stitched seats are very comfortable and you get a sense that everything was extremely well thought out by Ram engineers and designers.

The gauges are easy to read, and you can scroll through the 7” driver info center from the steering wheel controls to get an amazing amount of information, including a terrific trailer-towing page and you can easily read the large digital speedometer.

I must remark on the huge, ultra-deep center console.  It has sliding cup holders and a dual opening top.  At the front of the console are three handy cell phone holders that allow you to actually see your screen when you glance down at it.

Center dash, up high, is a 12” display that is bright and vivid and it houses the exceptional Uconnect 5 system. It looks much like a laptop turned on its side and it is super easy to operate.

I often say Uconnect is the easiest to use system I’ve seen to operate your sound system, climate control, a host of apps, navigation, and Bluetooth for your phone.  There is also a terrific backup camera that you can zoom to be able to hook up a trailer without leaving the cab.  The blind spot system will also include the length of your trailer.

 

 

Below the pushbutton start you’ll find a rotary dial gear-shifter, and the controls for the 4-wheel drive system.  There is also a button right there to disable the start/stop system.  There are USB ports everywhere in the front and back seats, one in the center console, and there is a 110-volt power outlet.

Moving to the massive back seat, it folds up to give you a huge amount of cargo area. The legroom is amazing and the rear seats even recline for your comfort, and the back seat is cooled.  Built into the floor are bins that are hidden to hide valuables. There are also A/C vents for back passengers, USB and USB-C ports, and a power outlet.

Safety

For safety, you get forward collision alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, front pedestrian warning, and teen driver system.

Standard Equipment and Options

The Ram Limited Elite comes fully loaded with remote start, keyless entry, power gas and brake pedals, emergency brake assist, heated and cooled power front seats, heated steering wheel, a cell phone charger, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.  You also get a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, and parking assist.

My review truck has an 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a digital rearview camera mirror,  spray-in bedliner, trailer towing, deployable running boards, and a multi-function tailgate.

This tailgate is pretty amazing in that you can lower it like every other pickup, even with the key fob, and the tailgate is split, so you can open it out to get closer to the pickup bed.

Much like the Ford system for backing a trailer, my tester has the available Trailer Reverse Steering Control system that simplifies the trailer reversing process by allowing you to steer with the Trailer Steering Knob as the system controls the truck’s steering wheel.

It also has the four-corner air suspension system that helps with the ride, and lets you lower and raise the truck at will.  Lowering the truck when you get where you are going is a nice feature.

Fuel Economy

Fuel economy is rated at 17 in town, 22 on the highway, but it is actually doing better with normal driving.

Verdict 

MSRP as equipped is $79,165, which is in line with its upper line competitors.  Truck buyers, take a test drive in this truck, it will amaze you.