2020 Ram 1500 Lone Star Edition Is A Fantastic Truck at a Great Value

You probably heard me extoll the virtues of the new Ram 1500 and its quietness and great ride when I reviewed the 2019. This week I am looking at the 2020 model and can tell you up front, this is a heckuva truck. You can see why so many people chose Ram in 2019 making it the #2 selling vehicle in America for the first time.

Exterior

Outwardly, the new Ram Lone Star Crew Cab 4x4 I am reviewing is a great looking truck. The new front grill and fascia from 2019 gives it a more sleek and modern appearance. The raised hood with emblems verifying that YEP, it’s a Hemi, looks great. The dual exhaust looks and sounds great, and 20” black wheels look outstanding against the Red Flame color.

Powertrain

Under the hood you’ll find the tried-and-true 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and 8-Speed automatic, a great combo. It puts out 395-horses, 410 lb-ft of torque and this package with a 3:92 rear axle ratio will tow 11,300 pounds. The 8-speed shifts crisply and with determination.

What I Like Most

For me, there are two standout things about this truck; The first is the ride. It is the smoothest pickup ride 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 and how much room all occupants have. For whatever reason, I opened the back door and looked in the back seat first, and thought it was a limo.

Interior

Being that this is the Lone Star model, although it is a very loaded truck, it has cloth seats. They are very comfortable and feel as though they would be extremely durable.

The gauges are easy to read and colorful, and the shocker for people climbing into a Ram for the first time is the 12” vertically mounted Uconnect screen. I often say Uconnect is the easiest to use system I’ve seen to operate your sound system, climate control, a host of apps, Apple and Android connectivity, 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. You can put your trailer hitch ball right under the tongue of your trailer easily.

Below the pushbutton start you’ll find a rotary dial gear-shifter, and the controls for the 4-wheel drive system, and this is where you turn off 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.

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, and it will charge two phones at one time.

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. Built into the floor are Ram Bins that are hidden and waterproof, so you could make coolers out of them, or if you are in Texas, it’s a great place to hide a pistol.

Options

The Ram Lone Star comes moderately equipped given the fact it is one of the lower trim levels, but you can option these trucks up quickly.

My review truck has over $20,000 in options and packages, way too many to list, but the major features include the trailer towing package with hitch, power heated front seats, remote start, power sliding rear window, a dual pane power sliding moon roof, running boards, blind spot monitoring, heated steering wheel, and built-in trailer brake controller.

Utility

It has two other exceptional options you won’t find on the competitors’ trucks. It has the multi-function tailgate which opens down like every other pickup, but it also is split and opens out. This is so you can walk right up to the bed to load your cargo. Check out this demo below:

Second is the RamBox Cargo management system. The boxes are integrated along the sides of the pickup bed, they are lockable and waterproof. You can even ice down drinks in there and then drain it. It’s a great place for storing shotguns, fishing gear, or tools. It does narrow the bed width so if you have specific needs for bed size, be careful.

Verdict

Again, the ride of this truck is silky smooth, and the interior quietness is second to none. Fuel economy is rated at 17 in town, 22 on the highway, and it’s actually doing a little better.

MSRP as equipped is $62,575, which is in line with its competitors. Truck buyers, take a test drive in this truck, it will amaze you.

Credit: Ram Trucks