2025 Ram 1500 First Drive: No More Hemi

[HSKR R/T]

Well, I may catch heat for this but...the most underwhelming and quite frankly, disappointing "refreshes" I could have expected.

Exterior: At least they didn't completely destroy the looks. The Rebel now is just mild, at best. It used to be that when you saw a Rebel it screamed "wow, that's bold." Now? It looks like a half-Tundra, half-5th gen Ram. I'm sure it will look a little better with running boards and some of the other additional trim they put on. It will never be a true 5th gen Rebel though. The 4th gen to 5th gen Rebel was a homerun, if not a grand slam. The 4th gen Rebel's were aggressive as is. The 5th gens just made you go "woah." 6th gen is basically "Oh it's a standard limited/big horn/laramie with a black grill and sport hood."

Interior: Maybe the only bright spot? Passenger side dash looks cool with the screen but its me, only, in my truck 95% of the time. Big screen looks slightly reconfigured in terms of layout/display. Other than that? Meh.

Drivetrain: Mega, mega facepalm. The lack of a V8, even a mild/more-efficient one, is a huge blow. Turbo'd V6...good luck to anyone hoping to get 100k or more out of that motor without dropping some serious repair costs. Anyone getting one of these trucks: Get a 36k 3 year lease and give it the hell back if it doesn't start giving you problems. Even with the 5th gens, the 5.7 was still the 5.7. Yeah they have the longstanding lifter issues, the etorque caused some issues, but I'd rather take my chances with that than start scorching pistons, breaking internals, or having turbo's cook themselves.

I will probably keep my 2019 till it dies and pray they either a) Start putting V8's back in the 1500's, if not then b) go to another brand that still puts V8's in 1500 or c) move up to a 2500 which you have to imagine will still have a V8.

I for one, hate the grill on the 5th gen Rebels. Looks like some cheap aftermarket grill off eBay a young kid threw on

 

[SD Rebel]

Well, I may catch heat for this but...the most underwhelming and quite frankly, disappointing "refreshes" I could have expected.

Exterior: At least they didn't completely destroy the looks. The Rebel now is just mild, at best. It used to be that when you saw a Rebel it screamed "wow, that's bold." Now? It looks like a half-Tundra, half-5th gen Ram. I'm sure it will look a little better with running boards and some of the other additional trim they put on. It will never be a true 5th gen Rebel though. The 4th gen to 5th gen Rebel was a homerun, if not a grand slam. The 4th gen Rebel's were aggressive as is. The 5th gens just made you go "woah." 6th gen is basically "Oh it's a standard limited/big horn/laramie with a black grill and sport hood."

Interior: Maybe the only bright spot? Passenger side dash looks cool with the screen but its me, only, in my truck 95% of the time. Big screen looks slightly reconfigured in terms of layout/display. Other than that? Meh.

Drivetrain: Mega, mega facepalm. The lack of a V8, even a mild/more-efficient one, is a huge blow. Turbo'd V6...good luck to anyone hoping to get 100k or more out of that motor without dropping some serious repair costs. Anyone getting one of these trucks: Get a 36k 3 year lease and give it the hell back if it doesn't start giving you problems. Even with the 5th gens, the 5.7 was still the 5.7. Yeah they have the longstanding lifter issues, the etorque caused some issues, but I'd rather take my chances with that than start scorching pistons, breaking internals, or having turbo's cook themselves.

I will probably keep my 2019 till it dies and pray they either a) Start putting V8's back in the 1500's, if not then b) go to another brand that still puts V8's in 1500 or c) move up to a 2500 which you have to imagine will still have a V8.

Pretty much agree all the way. Though the exterior is even less than that. It's simply head & tail lights, the lower plastic trim (under the headlights) grill and bumpers. No additional trim or body work changes were actually done.

Which to be fair, this is the official mid-cycle 5th gen, which was supposed to come out 2 years ago, but extended due to Covid. The only real disappointment for me is no more V8s. We'll see how that goes in terms of sales for Stellantis.

If they don't sell, I suspect an emergency revised V8 for the 6th gens when they come out in 3-5 years from now. Both GM & Ford have will have V8s in their trucks for the foreseeable future, both have invested in keeping them compliant which Stellantis has not.

 

[SD Rebel]

I for one, hate the grill on the 5th gen Rebels. Looks like some cheap aftermarket grill off eBay a young kid threw on

Everyone has different taste, I have a contrasting view, I think the Rebel is the most attractive of all the RAM trims. I personally never would have bought a RAM until I saw a Rebel sitting on the lot, the rest of the trims looked like GTA5 versions of what a RAM should be, I almost left until I saw this Rebel and bought one on the spot.

I travel to several countries where the RAM is sold in small numbers, but the Rebel seems to be the favorite in those countries. I know that in Australia it's their most sold version and the Philippines only imports the Rebel (and TRX), primarily due to it's looks.

But again, It's a matter of personal taste, no one is wrong here.

 

[dajogejr]

You're right. I misspoke. I do like the I-6 configuration better. Still loathe anything not normally-aspirated for longevity.

Thousands upon thousands of Semi/Tractor/Diesel rigs would tell you otherwise.

Yes, joking… diesel, turbo, etc., apples and watermelons for comparison. Joking.

I didn’t trust turbo cars of the 80s, 90s, etc.
They’re coming around to me… and tech has changed.
I’m closer to acceptance now than I was, say…5 years ago.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Thousands upon thousands of Semi/Tractor/Diesel rigs would tell you otherwise.

Yes, joking… diesel, turbo, etc., apples and watermelons for comparison. Joking.

I didn’t trust turbo cars of the 80s, 90s, etc.
They’re coming around to me… and tech has changed.
I’m closer to acceptance now than I was, say…5 years ago.

There are still thousands of 80-90s turbo Dodge cars still in the roads with factory turbos.

 

[dajogejr]

There are still thousands of 80-90s turbo Dodge cars still in the roads with factory turbos.

2.2L Turbos…. Yep. Love ’em. Omni GLH, Daytonas, Lebarons…. Those were fun days…
We don’t tend to see many around here…but back in the day…they were plentiful

 

[TheWaterman83]

Pretty much agree all the way. Though the exterior is even less than that. It's simply head & tail lights, the lower plastic trim (under the headlights) grill and bumpers. No additional trim or body work changes were actually done.

Which to be fair, this is the official mid-cycle 5th gen, which was supposed to come out 2 years ago, but extended due to Covid. The only real disappointment for me is no more V8s. We'll see how that goes in terms of sales for Stellantis.

If they don't sell, I suspect an emergency revised V8 for the 6th gens when they come out in 3-5 years from now. Both GM & Ford have will have V8s in their trucks for the foreseeable future, both have invested in keeping them compliant which Stellantis has not.

I don't think we have a prayer of the V8. But maybe you're right? You never know. It was surprising to see Mopar do a complete 180 from their prior stance. Even Ford, the company that broke the ice with turbo gas motors in the F-150 is still showing the V8 as an option for 2025. To see a company that blew peoples minds with a 700hp modern day muscle car, muscle truck, and so on flip to only offering an inline 6 turbo in their 1500 class? It's just crazy to see.

 

[HSKR R/T]

2.2L Turbos…. Yep. Love ’em. Omni GLH, Daytonas, Lebarons…. Those were fun days…
We don’t tend to see many around here…but back in the day…they were plentiful

Had a 92 Daytona 2.5l T1 and a 91 Spirit R/T. Miss the Daytona.

 

[dajogejr]

Had a 92 Daytona 2.5l T1 and a 91 Spirit R/T. Miss the Daytona.

Buddy had 87 Shelby Z Daytona 5 speed. It was then, I found out what torque steer was all about..

 

[cpetku]

You're right. I misspoke. I do like the I-6 configuration better. Still loathe anything not normally-aspirated for longevity.

My 2007 Grand Cherokee CRD has about 170K on it with turbo still going strong. Only had two turbo issues so far and both of which I wrenched myself. Turbo Actuator (replaced due to interal wire broke) and Muffler (idler pully bearing failure caused serpentne belt to wear a hole in the turbo muffler. My Turbo-Charged Jeep has the most miles I've ever put on a vehicle so I'm not against turbo's...

I assume you're more concerned about wear and tear on the engine than the turbo's. Since I've never had a Turbo Gasser, I really can't comment there.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Buddy had 87 Shelby Z Daytona 5 speed. It was then, I found out what torque steer was all about..

My Daytona, was upgraded to the T2 garret turbo and intercooler set up, and I had a manual boost controller on it. Was making 12lbs of boost. Any more than that and you need a custom tune. tree limb fell and totaled it. made $2000 off insurance.

Spirit R/T was bought with a built motor, but the guy didn't set up the timing belt tension properly and took out the oil pump. Had nothing but troubles with that car, so sold it, with a scored cylinder wall, for what I paid for it.

 

[Rebond]

Buddy had 87 Shelby Z Daytona 5 speed. It was then, I found out what torque steer was all about..

Had a 91 Eagle Talon Tsi AWD for this exact reason. My Ford Probe GT had gobs of it though. Even had a Subaru XT Turbo 4wd that looked like a slice of cheese going down the road. That car was great in the snow though.

That was back when I thought a 15 second quarter mile time was fast and didn't mind waiting 2-3 seconds for the turbo to spool.

I still much prefer superchargers over turbos after having many vehicles with both.

 

[dajogejr]

Had a 91 Eagle Talon Tsi AWD for this exact reason. My Ford Probe GT had gobs of it though. Even had a Subaru XT Turbo 4wd that looked like a slice of cheese going down the road. That car was great in the snow though.

That was back when I thought a 15 second quarter mile time was fast and didn't mind waiting 2-3 seconds for the turbo to spool.

I still much prefer superchargers over turbos after having many vehicles with both.

LOL.. I remember driving a Probe GT or two… agreed!
Yeah, I remember as high school kids in the 90s… those mid 80s cars (all we could barely, barely afford) we thought were the quickest things in the world hovering around that 15 second qtr mile time.

 

[TheWaterman83]

Thousands upon thousands of Semi/Tractor/Diesel rigs would tell you otherwise.

Yes, joking… diesel, turbo, etc., apples and watermelons for comparison. Joking.

I didn’t trust turbo cars of the 80s, 90s, etc.
They’re coming around to me… and tech has changed.
I’m closer to acceptance now than I was, say…5 years ago.

Tech has changed...but not. The problem, and it's not just the vehicle manufacturers fault, it's the EPA. Look at our NA trucks. 203 degree thermostat, active grill shutters, and guys are seeing temps near 230 in the summer. It's emissions + forced induction=big problems. The majority of mechanical issues with the 5.7 and even the ZF trans is because of the EPA. We should have 5w-30 in our trucks. Miraculously it disappears from the manuals because the EPA got on them because "heavier oil decreases mileage." So we are left with "manufacturer recommended 0w-20 or 5w-20." The rumor of why the ZF trans are "fill for life" is because the EPA doesn't want to deal with 7 qts of ATF having to be recycled. Meanwhile, BMW specs a 60k pan/filter/fluid change for the same exact trans.

So what do we think is really going to happen with these new I-6 turbo motors? We all know what happens to turbos and top-ends when oil gets really thin and things get toasty.

Comparing the old 80's turbo cars to these new motors is basically like you joked about comparing a turbo diesels to diesel gas. Those 80's-90's T-cars would not even get passed phase 1 of EPA approval. That's why they lasted so long. Look at the old Supras. They got put into the pasture due to emissions.

I have 3 turbo diesel motors in my family's household, btw. A 2006 pre-emissions 2500 with a Cummins that's an absolute clock with 275k on the odo. Then 2 marine diesels which are the biggest pieces of $55,000 garbage a human could ever imagine. Why? Because they just missed the emissions cutoff and went to the newer CAT ACERT design. Oh and what does ACERT stand for? Advanced Combustion Emissions Reduction Technology.

The EPA does not care that we are getting less than 100k out of drivetrains anymore. It's tough to put the blame solely on all these manufacturers. We can go down the rabbit hole into things like tax-credits, subsidies, and things like that for EPA compliance but that's above my pay grade.

Bottom line is if anyone believes an I-6 turbo in a 5000 lb truck in a day where the EPA is designing the motors will have any sort of real longevity (or even be problem free)....I have a bridge I'd be willing to let go cheap. It's in Brooklyn.

 

[TheWaterman83]

I for one, hate the grill on the 5th gen Rebels. Looks like some cheap aftermarket grill off eBay a young kid threw on

I can respect individualized opinions. You're entitled to it.

I get as about excited for the 2025 Rebel as I do thinking about doing my taxes.

 

[dajogejr]

Bottom line is if anyone believes an I-6 turbo in a 5000 lb truck in a day where the EPA is designing the motors will have any sort of real longevity (or even be problem free)....I have a bridge I'd be willing to let go cheap. It's in Brooklyn.

Well, Ford is all in with their EcoBoost in the number one selling half ton truck for nearly 50 years.
Problem free? That exists if you don’t ever drive. Otherwise, there will be eventual problems…maintenance, etc.

You may want to see if Ford would be buyers of that Bridge…

 

[TheWaterman83]

Well, Ford is all in with their EcoBoost in the number one selling half ton truck for nearly 50 years.
Problem free? That exists if you don’t ever drive. Otherwise, there will be eventual problems…maintenance, etc.

You may want to see if Ford would be buyers of that Bridge…

Timely video LOL

This is another good one:

"You would think the sheer amount of blown Ecoboost engines I've teared down on this channel that I've seen it all..." LOL

 

[SD Rebel]

Timely video LOL

This is another good one:

"You would think the sheer amount of blown Ecoboost engines I've teared down on this channel that I've seen it all..." LOL

First video isn't the Ecoboost in the F150, the 2nd video isn't that much different than the guys that cover Hemi engine issues.

I work for a company that runs a lot of trucks of various makes, including almost 30 Ecoboost F150s of 2.7L and 3.5L, most with over 100K and they haven't had any major issues, no more than the GM or Hemi powered trucks.

Not that Ford hasn't had their recent bouts with recalls and what not, but I haven't seen a widespread mechanical issues with their Ecoboost that was significant enough in the population to be considered widespread. GM and Hemi engine issues are likely similar in scope, likely small misc. failures due to bad batches of certain components, etc.

 

[dajogejr]

Timely video LOL
This is another good one:

"You would think the sheer amount of blown Ecoboost engines I've teared down on this channel that I've seen it all..." LOL

I could do a google search for “Failure rate of cinder blocks” and find something.
What is the failure rate? 1 per 1K, 1 per 10K, per 100K.

If you take time to read these forums…it would scare you to death to buy anything.
From lifters, to trans, to leaking rear window, to eTorque, batteries, and on and on, I’m sure I’ve missed several more.

But..at what sample size.

Here’s my point. You don’t have to like something. You can downright loathe and hate it.
But the reality is…the failure rate is very, very low in comparison to total volume out there.

 

[silver billet]

Well, Ford is all in with their EcoBoost in the number one selling half ton truck for nearly 50 years.

Two things wrong with your argument.

First, Ford isn't the number one selling half ton, GM has sold more half tons than Ford since 2019 and has done so many times before in the past. What does GM put in their trucks? V8's, not including the fleet sales.

Second, if you add Ram into the equation, as well as the many hundreds of 5.0 coyote engines in Ford as well, you'll find that the vast, vast majority of home owners (not fleets/businesses) that buy half tons have until 2024 been v8's.