You can’t judge a brute by his muscles. The gentleman who bulks up at the gym and can pedal through mountains by his own legs may also be the quiet renaissance chap who enjoys the symphony, programs computers, listens to Dolly Parton on his custom audio system, and knows the difference between Eames and Saarinen. He probably drives the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO.
This truck has never skipped leg day, exhibited by its flared fenders, off-road tires, and 18” bead lock wheels. A snarling hood scoop, black grille, fender air extractors, and side rock rails convey capability – as does 11.8” of ground clearance, or twice that of a standard Ram. It’s a little hard to get inside, but this is about function. Around back, a power open/close tailgate allows access to a pre-lined bed covered by a foldable tonneau and sporting power plugs. It’s also pre-wired and -hitched for trailers.
This truck’s owner may play and work hard, but apparently likes luxury as seemingly every surface is leather, suede, carbon or French-stitched. All outboard seats are heated and ventilated. Drivers grip a heated steering wheel while finessing power-adjusted alloy pedals. The 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio sounds divine whether blasting Jones, Elvis, Sinatra or Streisand. No judgement here.
An array of screens rivals Mercedes with a crisp instrument display, tall tablet-style infotainment screen, and “co-pilot” screen for the front passenger so they can tune audio or navigation. I appreciate Ram including actual buttons for key climate functions and knurled aluminum-look knobs for volume and tuning. Beautifully simple. A head-up display projects key info over the hood while the digital rearview mirror allows drivers to see behind unimpeded. Dual wireless charging ports keep phones a-phoning.
The RHO is packing a completely different powertrain than the TRX it replaces. Where the previous truck bolted a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 dishing 702 horsepower, this one hugs Ram’s “Hurricane” 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six whipping 540 horsepower and 521 lb.-ft. of torque – all routed to the four-wheel-drive system through an eight-speed automatic transmission. It runs 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds – super quick – and achieves fuel economy of 15/21-MPG city/highway. That’s not frugal, but also not terrible given the RHO’s capabilities.
It’s big in the city, but that’s not really this truck’s milieu. I spent a lot of time on the Interstate between Indianapolis and Cincinnati this week and really appreciated the hands-off cruise system. On approved highways, I pressed the cruise button, waited for green lights in the gauge cluster, then sat back and relaxed. A sensor on the steering column watched me watching ahead, so no napping. Made for some good coffee time, though.
Beyond driver assist systems, it’s super capable. Adaptive shock damping allows for a comfortable ride, but also adjusts for any road condition. If serious off-roading is your thing, the fat tires, locking rear differential, and configurable drive modes tackle adventure. Want to tow a boat or camper? Click up to 8,380 lbs.
The Ram 1500 RHO is not cheap, so check out the rest of the Ram line-up if you like what you see, but don’t need so much. The Ram Rebel that starts at $64,440 is a good alternative – most of the looks and capability, but more civilized. All in, our truck came to $87,900 – a $25,000 discount compared to the old TRX. Competitors include the Ford F-150 Raptor, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2, and GMC Hummer EV Pickup.
Storm Forward!
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