First Drive: 2025 Ram 1500 RHO

With the Ram TRX put out to pasture, Stellantis is bringing in the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO to fill the void and expand its appeal. Despite becoming the brand’s flagship model, the RHO represents a sizable price reduction against the TRX without sacrificing off-road capability. Considering the current state of the pickup market, the timing seems ideal.

(Full Disclosure: Ram invited us to the Holly Oaks ORV Park in Holly, Michigan, to test the new 2025 Ram 1500 HRO. While the manufacturer provided meals, I declined due to having made prior arrangements.)

Ultimately the Ram 1500 RHO exists because the Ram 1500 TRX no longer does. That’s due to Stellantis moving away from V8 powertrains like most other automakers. The RHO utilizes an inline six exclusively. While snubbing the V8 sounds like blasphemy, the F-150 Raptor has similarly pivoted to offering six cylinders on its base motor.

But Ford customers who don’t want the turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 have the option of a supercharged 5.2-liter V8. The only problem is that doing so makes the truck so ludicrously expensive that it doesn’t really feel like it’s even competing with the Ram anymore. The RHO seems to have been intentionally priced more competitively, as it undercuts even the base Ford Raptor.

The RHO is likewise more practical than its predecessor. Ram’s newest pickup can carry up to 1,520 pounds in its cargo bed and is capable of towing 8,380 pounds. While that’s not a dramatic improvement over the TRX, it is indeed an upgrade.

It’s lighter too, with Ram saying it weighs about 100 pounds less than the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 that was installed in the defunct TRX. At 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft, this does make the 3.0-liter Hurricane I6 (mated to an automatic eight-speed transmission) less powerful. But the final package doesn’t seem like much of a performance downgrade vs the TRX, especially considering the RHO starts at nearly $25,000 less.

The RHO likewise weighs less than the TRX in general, resulting in being slightly more frugal 1500 in terms of fuel consumption when combined with the smaller engine. It’s certainly not a Toyota Prius, averaging 15 mpg combined, and your consumption will vary heavily on your driving style. But it’s quite a bit less thirsty than the older TRX and any V8-equipped Ford Raptors.

Dumping the V8 does come with a few drawbacks, however. I’ve never personally enjoyed the sound of inline-six motors more than anything else you’re likely to find wedged beneath the hood. I’ve always felt the more balanced engines lacked character and continued to feel this way as I drove the Ram 1500 RHO. That said, having a truck that’s not aggressively loud at all times has its advantages and the pickup does produce some very satisfying noises once you’re approaching the red line.

Fortunately for Ram, it’s a similar experience with Ford’s V6-powered trucks. Both off-road pickups sound fairly reserved until you’re aggressively forcing them to snort their way through the gears. I’m sure there are loads of people that will bemoan the loss of an eight-cylinder orchestra and I’m right there with them. But there will be plenty of aftermarket exhaust systems to help you chase down whatever sound you’re looking for.

It also needs to be said that some of the soft sound can be attributed to Ram avoiding piping in faux engine sounds into the very quiet cabin. Kudos to the company here. Fake engine noises haven’t gone over well with enthusiasts and a tranquil cabin can be appreciated by all. Frankly, the inside of the RHO is a good place to be stuck in traffic for a while. The high ride height does impede some forward visibility directly ahead of the vehicle. But you’re got an otherwise excellent view and a comfortable/quiet space to enjoy it.

It is perhaps not as easy to drive on the road as some of its smaller siblings. At the event, Ram had the Rebel and Power Wagon on hand for comparisons. The Power Wagon is the one to get if your only concern is owning a big pickup with a 6.4-liter V8, whereas the Rebel feels like a less hardcore RHO and is priced to reflect this.

I’d undoubtedly park the 1500 Rebel in my driveway and save myself some cash. But I’m likewise not skilled enough to squeeze the maximum amount from the RHO. When it became my turn to pilot the pickup around the off-road course, I took it at a casual pace. But it never once stumbled and cruised through bad terrain and muck that would have certainly stranded some other trucks.

Ram was keen to show off the new Baja Mode, which is designed to tackle an off-road environment at speed, and had us line up for a series of jumps near the end of the course. The RHO seems to be quite happy in the air, with the upgraded suspension ensuring soft and controllable landings. However, I couldn’t tell you how it handles a technical course at exceptionally low speeds since the drive mode sends 75 percent of the torque to the rear axle, drastically reduces interventions from stability control, and won’t upshift the truck before 5,000 rpm unless you force it using the paddle shifters.

We likewise didn’t have any opportunities for rock crawling, although it was pretty good at managing steep inclines and declines — even in the Baja setting. But the RHO has plenty of other drive modes to handle varied terrain and camera systems designed to help you see what’s immediately beneath you, limiting the need for a spotter. Considering its suspension and tire options, RHO drivers would obviously be better positioned than most factory trucks on any slow, gnarly routes mandating 4×4 vehicles. It does come with a BorgWarner 48-13 full-time transfer case.

On the road, the Ram 1500 RHO feels quite a bit larger than its half-ton siblings. That’s down to boasting fender flares that make it 8.0 inches wider than other 1500 models, with an 6.0-inch broader track width. Combine that with a higher ride height (2.0 inches higher than any other Ram) and you’d be forgiven for thinking you just climbed into an HD truck before you set out and realize it’s not.

It’s decidedly fast, with the manufacturing claiming 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and 100 mph in 11.7 seconds. That’s ever-so-slightly slower than the TRX. However, Ram believes that offering a lighter more nimble pickup with better weight distribution was a fair trade. That’s probably true, especially considering how pickups never really feel as quick as something closer to the ground. Sport mode is still extremely fun on pavement. But my testing took place on a relatively wet day, encouraging traction control to intervene quite aggressively when the throttle was mashed.

As good as the engine was in terms of power delivery, I was most impressed with the suspension — which is another upgrade from the TRX.

Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive performance dampers made for a soft landing during a series of relatively big jumps. They’re constantly working with the car, which is constantly computing how to best move gasses around to ensure comfort for the driver and good contact with the tires. They’re also extremely beefy and made from aluminum, the latter of which keeps them lighter and helps dissipate heat when you’re flying through extreme terrain.

This is high end gear for a factory vehicle and I made sure to take a peek at the Ram 1500 Rebel suspension (which is also off-road focused) just to see how much more hardware there is hiding beneath the RHO’s wheel arches. The difference is massive, with the Rebel's totally acceptable gear seeming rudimentary in comparison. But we cannot forget to accredit the 35-inch Wrangler Territory AT off-road tires for doing their part. Despite being optimized for off-pavement adventures, they worked well on the blacktop and weren’t particularly noisy.

Wheel travel is said to be 13 inches up front and 14 in the rear, with 11.8 inches of ground clearance. This is obviously nice when you’re sending the truck flying off a jump. But it also absorbs even the most massive potholes to ensure a placid ride.

Everything else good on the truck is either designed to play up its uniqueness (e.g. plaques and badging) or is something that you can option on the other 1500 trucks. There’s a cold-air intake, which looks nice and keeps the airbox mounted fairly high. But you don’t hear a lot of intake noises from inside the cabin so I’m left just trusting the manufacturer that it’s pulling in enough dense air to matter.

The truck also gets some MOLLE webbing on the seat backs, in case you want to affix a medical kit or something back there, and a math conversion table hidden on the center console. Both will probably see limited use from the average driver. However, neither are bad inclusions and help play up the rugged/serious angle of what is effectively an off-road toy that can double as daily workhorse. As luxurious as the cabin can get, especially if optioned correctly, Ram doesn't want you to confuse the RHO with a 1500 Tungsten.

Despite Stellantis taking heat for some electrical issues of late, as every manufacturer seems to be experiencing lapsing quality control, Uconnect remains my favorite vehicle interface and the HUD is likewise appealing. Performance Pages is also here, should you be interested in keeping tabs on your own performance metrics while driving.

The bead-locked wheels look great and are ideal for anyone who is serious about taking their truck off road, as are Ram's other ORV options — which seem endless. But I’d probably spend my money on the utility group with a spray-in bedliner or tow package. Maybe the side steps, too.

One could likewise deck out the interior, since pickups have become the de facto American luxury vehicle in recent years. For an extra $10,000, the RHO can be given a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio, up-sized infotainment screen, a second screen for the passenger, dual wireless chargers, leather seats, soft dash materials, and heated front seats with a massage function. The package likewise comes with a limited (Level 2) hands-free driving feature that I didn’t mess with. But the rest of the inclusions are extremely nice and absolutely elevate the interior to premium status.

Still, I would argue that the RHO is already pretty complete without the above, insofar as an off-road pickup is concerned. Ram is also trying to focus on how affordable this vehicle is, stating that it’s the best value among trucks if you’re calculating horsepower per dollar. You could option the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO into the stratosphere or try to keep it as close to the base $71,990 MSRP as possible.

[Images: Ram; Matt Posky 2024/TTAC]

Source: The Truth About Cars