KEY FEATURES
PERFORMANCE
5.7L HEMI® V8 ENGINE WITH FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY
The 5.7L HEMI® V8 engine pumps out 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. And for maximum efficiency, Fuel Saver Technology deactivates half of the engine's cylinders when less power is needed.
ELECTRIC-SHIFT PART-TIME TRANSFER CASE
When additional traction is required on slippery or loose surfaces, this system offers the convenience and peace of mind of shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive capability.
REAR AXLE RATIOS
3.21:1 and available 3.92:1 rear axle ratios offer a range of performance capabilities for off-road crawling, towing at highway speeds and more typical day-to-day driving requirements. For maximum capability and versatility, an available antispin rear differential is designed to lock the rear wheels together to help improve traction.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
ALL-SPEED TRACTION CONTROL
All-Speed Traction Control determines when to apply the brakes to one or more of the driven wheels and when to reduce engine torque in the event one or more wheels lose traction.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL
This powerful system helps the driver stay in control under rough conditions. It includes Hill Start Assist, Trailer Sway Control, Rain Brake Support, Brake Assist and Ready Alert Braking.
PARKVIEW® REAR BACK UP CAMERA
The ParkView® Rear Back Up Camera helps drivers park and back out with confidence. It displays a video image on the Uconnect® touchscreen of the area behind the vehicle when the vehicle is shifted into reverse.
AVAILABLE FULL-SPEED FORWARD COLLISION WARNING
Full-Speed Forward Collision Warning uses radar sensors to detect if the driver is approaching another vehicle too rapidly and alerts you with an audible chime and visual warning. It can even bring the vehicle to a complete stop if needed.
INTERIOR
UCONNECT® 3
The Uconnect® 3 features a high-resolution
5-inch touchscreen with AM/FM radio and available
SiriusXM®. The driver can also stay connected with an
auxiliary input and USB port.
SEATING
The Ram 1500 Classic Special Service features cloth front bucket seats with a
10-way power driver seat and a folding vinyl rear bench seat.
REAR IN-FLOOR STORAGE BINS
The Ram 1500 Classic Special Service includes two in-floor storage bins in the rear. The hinged, latching lids fit flush with the floor to cover and secure the storage space beneath.
EXTERIOR
INTEGRATED TRAILER HITCH
This workhorse offers an integrated Class IV receiver hitch that seamlessly connects the truck frame to a trailer, helping to provide a secure connection.
TOWING AND PAYLOAD
Whether the driver carries cargo in a trailer or in the truck bed, the Ram 1500 Classic Special Service can handle it with a maximum payload of 1,530 pounds and a maximum towing capacity of 10,220 pounds.
STANDARD FEATURES
The Ram 1500 Classic Special Service includes the 5.7L HEMI® V8 engine with eight-speed automatic transmission, a 220-amp alternator, cloth front bucket seats with a vinyl rear bench seat, an engine oil cooler, two additional key fobs and more.
GALLERY
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The 2023 Ram 1500 Classic full-size pickup truck does the job and meets a need. That’s why it’s still sold alongside the newer model. Prices start at $30,110.
If it absolutely has to be a new Ram half-ton pickup truck, but the $38K starting price of a fifth-generation version is too steep, here’s the answer. What makes this a classic is that it belongs to the fourth generation. Generation five has been around for five years now.
Ram is still building the 1500 Classic because people are still buying it. Even though some people are always going to want the latest in tech and capability, others just need to put their trucks to work. Minimum fuss, minimum worry, minimum expense.
Trim levels this year are reduced from three to two, but the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic still offers choices in engines, cabs, and bed lengths.
2023 Ram 1500 Classic Regular Cab Pricing
The 2023 Ram 1500 Classic pickup starts at $30,110, plus a destination charge for a rear-drive Tradesman model with the Regular Cab, long bed, and V6 engine. The same basic configuration with 4-wheel drive starts at virtually $37K. Expect to pay another $3K for the V8 engine and the accompanying transmission.
Quad Cab versions start at $36,470, and Crew Cab models begin at $39,170. Trim levels are now Tradesman and SLT. An SLT Crew Cab with 4-wheel drive and a 6-foot-4-inch bed is $47.7K before other options.
Although the idea of a no-frills, affordable new truck is valid, it isn’t much of a financial leap to acquire a more modern contender — a monetary difference that might easily be offset against tax. For example, the Ford F-150 starts at just under $34K.
The Chevy Silverado 1500 begins at $35.6K. The contemporary Ram 1500 is more like $38K, and the Toyota Tundra is priced from about $37K.
Before buying a new Ram 1500 Classic truck, check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area paid for theirs. Sure, rival trucks are more expensive, but they’ll retain their value better. The Toyota Tundra actually has the strongest resale values of any new vehicle sold in the United States.
Driving the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic Regular Cab
Finding the ideal driving position might take a little more tweaking than usual because the steering wheel adjusts only for height, not reach. Once mobile, though, the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic has a surprise up its wheel wells. The ride is more refined than a typical full-size truck with roots in the first decade of the 21st century.
It’s because of the coil springs at the rear instead of antiquated leaf springs. That’s long made the Ram 1500 different from the rest. So it doesn’t matter if there’s a load in the bed or not; the Ram 1500 Classic remains comfortable for a truck.
The base 3.6-liter V6 engine is strong enough for most duties and is part of the configuration that enables the maximum payload figure of 1,930 pounds. For towing, however, the truck requires the wonderfully strong 5.7-liter V8 alternative to pull a maximum of 10,610 pounds.
Basic Interior
There’s seating for three in the Regular Cab. The Quad Cab adds a second row to bring the occupant count up to six. The Crew Cab takes six as well, but with rear legroom more like a spacious midsize sedan than a typical compact car.
Considering the Tradesman version of the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic is the cheapest new full-size pickup on sale in the United States, it’s no surprise that its cabin is sparse and functional, with vinyl seating and flooring, plus hand-cranked windows. Cloth upholstery, carpeting, and power windows come in the SLT.
Despite such an austere approach, the cabin is relatively quiet. Controls for things like the air conditioning are big enough to be adjusted while wearing gloves, and there are three large cup holders set into the center console.
Familiar Look
If the looks of the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic bring to mind the glory days of 2009, when the Space Shuttle was still in service, while Robert Downey Jr. was playing Sherlock Holmes and not Tony Stark, it’s because the truck was released for that model year.
It marked the fourth generation’s debut. And even though the fifth generation launched 10 years later, it turns out there’s something about the Ram 1500 Classic that time cannot wither.
Cab styles are Regular (with two doors), Quad (two proper doors and a couple of smaller rear doors that open the other way), and Crew (four regular doors).
The Regular Cab is paired solely with the 8-foot cargo bed this year. The Quad Cab comes with the 6-foot-4-inch bed exclusively. And the Crew Cab offers a choice of a 6-foot-4-inch bed or a 5-foot-7-inch bed.
As the humblest trim level, the Tradesman rolls on 17-inch steel wheels and sports a black grille. The SLT has 17-inch alloy wheels and a chromed grille as standard. Red, white, or an orange-y Harvest Sunrise are all no-cost paint choices. Others vary in price from $100 to $450. Most of them are $450.
Our Favorite Features and Tech
Electronics Group
Because the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic is so basic, many desirable features are available only as options. This bundle includes Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Wi-Fi, satellite radio, and an 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen (replacing a standard
5-inch display). A self-dimming rearview is also thrown in.
Interior Cold Weather Group
This collection adds heated front seats and a heated/leather-wrapped steering wheel. Just the thing for turning up to a job in the middle of winter. The driver’s seat becomes 10-way power-adjustable as well.
Trailer-Tow Group
If there’s towing to be done, this options bundle is a no-brainer. It includes extendable/heated side mirrors and trailer brake
control.
ParkSense Rear Park Assist
Otherwise known as rear parking sensors. These are optional across the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic lineup.
Warlock All-Terrain package
Although there’s no specialized suspension, this package does come with 17-inch alloy wheels finished in matte black and all-terrain tires, plus rubber mats front and rear. Available with Quad and Crew cabs in SLT trim.
32-gallon fuel tank
Another
feature on the options list, this one replaces the standard 26-gallon tank. Good to have with the V8 and/or when gas stations are scarce.
Engine & Transmission
A 3.6-liter V6 making 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque is the standard engine in the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic lineup. It’s a great unit, deployed in several Jeep, Ram, and Dodge vehicles.
The more muscular option is an equally well-regarded 5.7-liter V8 developing 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. This is the engine of choice if there’s a heavy trailer to pull. Maximum towing capacity is 10,610 pounds.
Both the V6 and the V8 link to a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard; 4-wheel drive featuring high/low gearing and a shift-on-the-fly transfer case is optional with either engine.
Running the V6 on regular 87-octane gasoline is fine. But 89-octane gas is recommended with the V8.
3.6-liter V6
305
horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
269 lb-ft of torque @ 6,175 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/25 mpg (RWD), 16/23 mpg (4WD)
5.7-liter V8
395 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
410 lb-ft of torque @ 3,950 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/21 mpg (RWD & 4WD)
More Ram 1500 Classic fuel economy information is available at the EPA’s website.
3-year/36,000-mile Warranty
A basic warranty of three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first, is applied to the 2023 Ram 1500 Classic truck. The powertrain is covered for five years or 60,000 miles.
KBB Vehicle Review and Rating Methodology
Our Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings.
We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology.
Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing.
Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.)
We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.
More About How We Rate Vehicles