I have to say I have always liked the RAM pickup, particularly since its major overhaul in 2019 and I’ve driven a couple since then but the 2022 RAM Rebel G/T Crew Cab might just be my favorite one so far.  You might consider it a baby TRX because you get some of that truck’s style and unique performance features without the gas-guzzling 702 hp supercharged V8. 

Pricing and Options 

RAM bases its 1500 G/T models on the Laramie and Rebel trims and they get some TRX features like performance pages, and paddle shifters, as well as a sports performance hood, a new cold-air intake and a cat-back performance exhaust.   

The Rebel G/T starts at $54,885 for an AWD model plus $3,000 for the G/T package. There is a caveat, you can go nuts on the options, this one has $20K of them!! 

The G/T package includes the cold air intake I mentioned, vented seats, power pedals, leather bucket seats, lumbar support, and 8- way adjustable driver and passenger seats.  On top of that, this one has the Rebel 2 package for $3,200 which includes Apply Car Play, Android Auto, Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, power-folding mirrors, a WIFI hotspot, and much more.  

But wait there’s more: 

A trifold tonneau cover to hide your stuff from prying eyes, a spray-on bed liner, a 33-gallon fuel tank, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, a 9 speakers sound system with subwoofer, and Uconnect 5 with a 12-inch display taking the total price to $76,675.  It can also tow over 11,000 pounds.  

For offroad duty, you get 18-inch aluminum wheels on 33-inch Wrangler Duratec all-terrains, stronger Bilstein monotube dampers with rear external reservoirs, a one-inch lift, skid plates, and a locking rear diff. 

Pillowy Comfort

My tester came with Active Level Four Corner Air Suspension which has five heights, allowing you to set it depending on your comfort or off-roading needs.

  • Normal Ride Height: 8.7 inches of clearance. This is the regular height position and is measured from the base of the door sill.
  • Aero Mode: Lowers the truck by half an inch to 8.2 inches. This position is activated when you reach a certain speed and helps to improve fuel efficiency.
  • Off-Road 1: Lifts the truck by 1 inch to 9.7 inches
  • Off-Road 2: Lifts the truck by 2 inches to a max of 10.7 inches
  • Entry/Exit Mode: Lowers the truck by 2 inches for easy entry/exit for passengers.

Under The Hood 

The 5.7-liter HEMI provides 395 hp and 410 ft-lbs through an excellent 8-speed transmission. The eTorque system, which is a 48-volt mild hybrid system that switches out the alternator for an electric motor on the crank and a small lithium-ion battery adds  16 hp and 130 lb-ft of torque. Bear in mind this does add $2,795 to your bill. 

Expect 22 mpg highway or better, although for the week I only averaged 14.6 mpg. However, that did include all testing and an off-road section, which proved to be more exciting than anticipated. 

The RAM Rebel is decently quick to sixty taking only 6.1 seconds, however, the additional torque doesn’t make it any quicker than the standard V8 HEMI. 

Driving

On road the RAM is by far the most comfortable of the full-size pickups even without the air suspension, it’s the most car-like to drive and feels smaller than it actually is. The 5.7 liter V8 provides plenty of forward thrust and in 4 -wheel auto mode darts off the line even in the wet. The 8 -speed is smooth and for the most part, the shifts are unnoticeable something you can’t say for the stop-start system.

The stop-start system can be slightly obstinate in its operation and will often activate when you don’t want it to especially when you get back on the gas after almost coming to a stop. This creates some jerkiness as the drivetrain figures out what you want it to do. When I remembered I just turned it off.

Press on and the body composure is superb, the air suspension allows the truck to float over bumps and it mitigates any harshness or jiggle. In the turns, it stays fairly flat, and aside from ultimately understeering it really is the most carlike of the trucks in all types of driving.

The steering is SUV-like providing fairly low effort and it’s easy to place the big truck into a turn especially given the lofty seating position. The brakes provide good stopping power at all times with minimal squat in harder stops.

Off-road

My Rebel 4X4 had all the off-road equipment you would expect, including 4WD high, 4WD Low, 2WD, and 4WD Auto, where the system decides what you need based on traction and road conditions.  It also has Hill Descent Control and an electronic rear locker.

Thankfully four skid plates help protect you from rocks and other hard obstacles you may encounter, including front suspension, fuel tank, transfer case, and steering. Our first test was a moderate incline over some large rocks, so putting the air suspension into the highest setting meant this was a no-brainer.

On steeper slopes, we tested 4 LO and the axle lock and got to the top with no problem. On the way down we tested hill descent control and it performed as expected and controlled the descent perfectly over the steep rutted terrain.

Since it had rained a lot here there was an opportunity to get the truck wet and many large puddles to drive through. One such obstacle was quite large and about 18 inches deep so erring on the cautious side we drove through it faster than normal. This created a large bow wave and let some water in through the large ram intake on the hood.

A matter of minutes later the engine stopped and we had to wait 10 minutes for all the water to drain out. The good news was no harm was done, the engine started and we continued on. As expected the RAM didn’t put another foot wrong and while it’s no jeep can certainly tackle some fairly tricky terrain.

Interior

The interior of the Ram pretty much blows away the competition, the luxury is apparent, and it’s all done to a pretty high standard.  The front seats are very comfortable with 8-way power for both driver and passenger. My tester had the leather option giving it a much more luxurious feel despite it being off-road oriented.

The 12-inch portrait-oriented screen is very impressive and can display multiple pages onscreen simultaneously and offers quick shortcuts between menus.  You can even drag and drop stuff onto the dock at the bottom of the screen, so you can get one-touch access to various options. The downside is a few bugs with UConnect 5 and we suffered on a couple of occasions when it shut down for no reason and had to reboot.

There’s a ton of storage space in the center console and a sliding pair of cupholders with USB ports and three-pin power outlets at hand. It also had a wireless charger for 2 phones which even charged through my case.

Pull up the split rear bench and there is a huge amount of space including a substantial cubby on both sides and storage space under the seat with a divider to stop things rolling around. As I’ve said before it’s all been very well thought out.

VIDEO REVIEW

Verdict

The Ram Rebel is a straightforward, honest off-roader with a reliable V8, cool looks, and the best interior of any full-size truck. It is also my favorite full-size truck, and the G/T package just makes it even better. I can’t think of a reason not to buy it just be careful not to check too many of the options boxes. 

2022 RAM 1500 REBEL G/T 4X4 Numbers

BASE PRICE: $54,885
PRICE AS TESTED: $74,675
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front-engine, 4WD, 5-passenger, 4-door truck
ENGINE: 5.7L OHV 16-valve V-8
ELECTRIC: eTorque electric motor (16 hp and 130 ft-lbs)
POWER: 395 hp
TORQUE: 410 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
0-60 MPH: 6.1 sec
CURB WEIGHT: 5,545 lbs
MAX TOWING CAPACITY: 11,000 + lbs
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 18/22/19 mpg
OUR OBSERVED: 14.6 mpg
PROS: Fantastic ride quality, best-in-class interior, great on and off-road
CONS: Can get pricey with options