Despite what market factors, the economy, environmentalists, and even the automakers themselves want the public to believe, Americans love and crave trucks. We buy them like no other country on Earth. We have them in more trim levels with more power and engine options than anywhere on Earth. We see them as identity vehicles, we see them as aspirational vehicles, we see them in ways no other place does. So what does that mean? It means that if a major automaker wants to maximize profits these days they need to make trucks, good ones, and ones that have the options and stuff that a very diverse pool of buyers want to get their hooks in.

This includes potential luxury car buyers. No we’re not kidding. One of the most profitable sub-segments in the pickup truck realm is the luxury truck. These are rigs that may haul a suitcase or some groceries every now and again but more importantly they are hauling people with the money to spend for luxury options and an environment that feels upscale and rich. GM trucks have their Denali and High Country models, Ford has their Limited models, and Toyota has the 1794 Tundras, Ram (like Ford) has the Limited trim level for the buyer who literally wants it all. Recently we had our grubby little selves in a 2016 Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab Eco Diesel. This is basically the most loaded half ton pickup you can possibly order from Ram and it sure feels like it. With a sticker price of $61,480 did it live up to the hype?

Drivetrain –

We’re going to work our way toward the middle here and start with the guts of the truck. Powered by the venerable 3.0L diesel V6 that is used throughout the Jeep and Ram lineup and backed with an 8HP70 eight speed automatic, the truck had plenty of power to scoot down the road and pass on the highway. It is not a rocket with 240hp but it is a tugboat with 420 lb-ft of torque. While we did not put the truck to a towing test, this one was equipped to haul with the optional 3.92 rear axle ratio($75) , locker ($370) , and Class IV (standard equipment) receiver hitch installed from the factory.

Obviously raw acceleration is not what this truck makes its bones on, it is economy and we’re continually astonished by how good this engine is. We saw mixed mileage in a few hundred miles of driving of nearly 25mpg. That actually beats the factory rating and we were not trying to hyper-mile the truck. With gas prices being where they are (and diesel prices too) we are not sure how bad sales of the diesel are slumping but the reality is that we’d play the long game on this one and option a new Ram with this engine. The fuel won’t be depressed forever and when it does come back, you’ll be happy to be stretching the time between fill-ups.

The eight speed transmission is smooth, sure, and responsive. Again, we have logged literally thousands of miles with this drivetrain now between multiple Jeeps and this Ram. We have nothing bad to say about it and there are more and more performance options creeping into the aftermarket for this engine. More power is available if you want it.

New trucks all seem to play this game where it looks like there is a ton of room under the hood but most of the engine is under the cowl. The little V6 diesel is a more snug fit that you’d expect in the Ram.

While not the meanest sounding engine ever built, it does have some interesting growl with the factory dual outlet exhaust.

Exterior styling and ride quality  –

When this current “styling refresh” was announced and showed in renderings a year or so ago we were kind of aghast. The front end of the truck was such a drastic change that our first reaction was one of horror, we’ll admit. While we’re not 100% recovered from that initial shock, we have warmed to the looks of the new grill that is missing the traditional “crosshairs” design crossing it. We thought the truck looked too European at first and that the grill was just not the right “fit” for a traditional American pickup but when seen in person, it it struck us differently. We think the truck resembles a snorting bull from the front with the openings on either side being the nostrils. Bottom line, styling would not deter us from buying this truck and we thought it would when we first saw the renderings.

The Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl paint was perfect for this truck, especially with its upscale demeanor and in the sun you cold see the small metal flake in it pretty well. Proportionally the crew cab short bed looks of the Ram struck us as nice. For whatever reason, some pickups look gawky with this arrangement but the Ram looked good and part of that was the wheel/tire combo. As part of the limited package the 20×8 wheels were added and they fill up the openings well. The stance on this truck is interesting as well. This truck has four corner air suspension as part of the Limited package. You can “dump” the suspension to make easier ingress and egress. These photos were taken at normal ride height. The thing does look pretty cool when you air the bags down, we must say.

The truck drives amazingly well with the four corner air suspension. It is easily the best driving/riding half ton truck on the market. The comfort level over the rudded and chuck-hole filled roads of Massachusetts was top shelf and it drives great down the highway as well. If there is one place where this truck truly sets itself apart it is in the ride quality. The engineers at Ram should be proud of what they accomplished with this one.

The Ram Box and bed –

We’ve been really wanting to get our mitts on a truck equipped with the Ram Box storage bed and frankly we loved it. The side compartments which power lock and unlock with the doors have tons of room. We used to to stow some gear when headed to the park to play ball but you could fit luggage and other items in here that you wanted to protect from the elements or prying eyes.

Obviously he Ram Box changes the bed because the storage area actually becomes more narrow. While we did not try it sure looks like a sheet of plywood would slide in there. You lose a few inches on both sides because of the Ram Box width but in terms of usability of the truck we don’t see it diminished. If we were professional contractors that needed every inch of space we could get we’d skip the Ram Box option ($1,295) but for regular people doing regular stuff? This is a good one.

The bed was also equipped with a movable cargo gate to help keep stuff fro flopping and rolling around back there when the truck is being driven. It was functional and certainly did the job it was designed to do. There is ample in-bed lighting as well. If you are working at night you’ll be able to see your cargo.

The Interior –

We’ve had the good fortune to be in virtually every one of the top trim level trucks over the last couple of model years and we can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the 2016 Ram 1500 Limited Crew Cab Eco Diesel has an interior that blows them ALL out of the water. From the comfort and amenities department to the materials department this is the closest you are going to feel like you are in a luxury car while sitting in a pickup truck. The quality of leather used on the front seats is higher than any other truck we have ever been in. That as well as the bolstering are pretty amazing for truck seats. They reminded us of the Charger Scat Pack seats we experienced last summer. That good. There is accent stitching in various locations around the cab and that looks pretty great as well.

The center stack is familiar to anyone who has been in a Grand Cherokee as it follows the corporate FCA direction in that regard. The knob shifter that Chad hates is there. He may hate it but it is far less gawky than the column shifter in the GMs and takes up way less space than the console shifter in the Fords. Odd? Maybe but it works. Four wheel drive is controlled through a few modes via buttons. There is no lever to engage the transfer case which is a bummer even though it is normal these days. We’re old school, what can we say?

More touches that impressed us included the storage compartments on the rear of the driver and passenger seats. Talk about class! They are sewn of leather and have the belt like clasp on them. That was about as over the top an interior piece as we have ever seen in a truck and not in a bad way. It really classed the cab up. The center console is massive with multiple levels of storage and room. You could get lost inside that thing if you were not careful. That big.

While $61,480 is (to us anyway) an insane price tag for a new vehicle of any sort, Ram really went full bore to give the end user an experience that was worth paying top dollar for. You can get the mechanical functionality of this ram for less money, the amenities though? Those you have to pony up for . Our conclusions below.

The bottom line –

We may not be the direct market for a pickup truck of this trim and price level but there are lots of people out there in the market for a rig like this. Our final conclusion is that if a family member questioned us about buying a pickup of this nature we would direct them to GM and Ford first and to the Ram last. Why? It would paint the clearest picture for their buying decision. Unless you are a truly diehard brand loyalist we’re not sure how you could drive any of the others prior to this Ram and find them superior in the ways that a luxury truck buyer is concerned with.

This is one heck of a rig.