2021 Ram 1500 TRX Review and Test Drive

This week I am privileged to be in the driver’s seat of the fastest, most powerful truck in the world, the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. The truck is nicknamed the T-REX, which is an obvious swipe at the Ford Raptor, its closest competitor.

This truck commands a lot of attention with 18 by 9-inch beadlock wheels, 325/65T Goodyear Wrangler tires, a massive hood scoop with marker lights inside, special TRX badging, front and rear tow hooks, and LED lights all around.

Powertrain

However, the main course sits under that big, raised hood where you find a 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 Hemi that is supercharged. It puts out-GET THIS-702 horses and 650-pound feet of torque. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic with aluminum shift paddles on the steering wheel.

It takes a lot of air to feed that big supercharger, so half the air flow comes from the big hood scoop, the other half comes in through the large grill.

Interior

As you climb into the cab, you see a fantastic interior with bolstered seats, stitching, and silver accent panels. Carbon fiber runs throughout the dash and door panels. Fire up the big V8 from the red start button and a 7-inch color gauge display comes to life that is configurable from the flat-bottomed steering wheel with controls. It also shows you a photo of the drive mode you are in.

The big surprise is the 12” U-Connect screen that sits center dash and it operates everything in the truck from the audio, to the navigation system, to climate, page after page of apps, and an incredible surround camera system. This is also where you find the incredible Performance Pages that give you all sorts of useful off-roading information.

The center console is massive and features a commemorative plaque with the VIN on it, a gear shifter that fits nicely in your hands, a cell phone holder and charger, and two large cup holders. There are upfitter switches if you want to add any accessories like a light bar or wench.

Low to right of the steering wheel you’ll find buttons for the 4-wheel drive system, the way to change the different drive modes, and my favorite button, Launch Mode. Yes, a pickup with Launch Mode that applies maximum power for really fast takeoffs.

The back seat is massive and has storage underneath. Rear seat passengers can enjoy heated AND cooled seats, two USB ports, and electrical power. The bottom of the rear seats fold up to make a massive storage area on the floor.

Options

My review truck has $18,000 in options including the wheels, a terrific head-up display, trailer towing, heated and cooled front power seats, blind spot monitoring, keyless entry, remote start, power tailgate, a 19-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, forward collision warning, a digital rearview mirror, and a bed-mounted spare tire that matches the tires & wheels on the ground. There is also another spare tire mounted underneath in case the 4-wheeling gets rough.

Towing

This truck is actually hard to put into words. It’s a full 8” wider than the regular Ram, it weighs almost 6400 pounds, and will tow 8100 pounds. Do your measurements, this one will likely not fit in your garage.

Ride and Drive

The pure raw power is indescribable, the sound of the supercharger winding up and the dual exhaust are intoxicating, and even as big as the TRX is, the ride and handling is much better than I expected, likely due to the performance shocks and adaptive damping system. It has almost a foot of ground clearance. All-in-all, this truck is an engineering marvel.

Fuel Economy

Fuel economy - well it sucks. It’s rated at 10 in town, and 14 on the highway, but I’m not getting there, and frankly Scarlet, well you know the rest.

What You’ll Pay

MSRP on this one, as you see it, is $89,860 and for what you get, that seems very reasonable. The Texas Auto Writer’s Association named the TRX the Truck of Texas, their highest award, and it’s easy to see why.

Getting a TRX, should you want one, will be difficult (the Launch Edition sold out in under 3 hours). If you are lucky enough to get one, just know it will put a smile on your face every single time you hit that start button.