2026 Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 Hemi

The Good, the Bad, and the Unforgivable

I currently own a 2025 Ram 1500 Limited with the Hurricane inline-6 engine, so I naturally jumped at the chance to drive a Ram with the new-for-2026 5.7L V8 eTorque Hemi (with dual exhaust, of course). This test-vehicle was not a Limited, however, but Ram’s volume trim level, the Big Horn.

This Big Horn’s base price starts at $52,380, which places it squarely in the middle of the Ram 1500’s lineup of trims, which ranges from the bare-bones Tradesman at the bottom (starting at $42,025) and ending with the top-line Tungsten trim at $89,095. Prices over the comparable 2025 models seem to have edged up about $1,500, and the destination charge crept up $200 to an eye-watering $2,195. This Canyon Lake (I would have called it Army Green) colored edition featured about $10,000 in options including a bed utility group at $945, the Night Edition at $1,495, Off-Road Group at $1,345, a Level 2 equipment group at $2,875, a Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover at $550, a Trailer Brake Controller for $295, and the all-important 5.7L Hemi V-8 with eTorque. With the aforementioned destination charge, the total sticker comes to $64,975. As you’ll see below, however, that large price tag is missing some very important features, and one that I would consider an unforgivable omission.

The Good:

First the good: the Hemi is back and, with the G/T Exhaust, it sounds as good as ever. You’ll never have to wonder if the remote start worked if you’re within 500 feet of this thing on a cold day. It also sounds appropriately growly under way, and put the windows down on a nice day for an auditory treat. Also, the fuel economy somehow brings in a combined rating of 18 (16 city/20 hwy), beating my Hurricane’s rating of 17, and I can confirm it did indeed return about 1mpg better in city driving than my Limited. Also, the ride in this Big Horn was pleasantly comfortable despite the Off-Road Group’s “Extra-Heavy-Duty” shocks, the raised ride height, and lack of air suspension is found in the Limited and Tungsten trims. The rest of the “good” here applies likewise to all the other trims in the Ram lineup, and so won’t be repeated here, but rest assured, there is plenty to love in a Ram from the interior design and quality to the performance and capability. As I’m comparing this Big Horn to my 2025 Limited, though, let’s move on to the bad (relative to missing features at this trim level).

The Bad:

The Big Horn, even with its higher “Level 2” equipment group, is missing a lot of what I would consider vital equipment. As we go through this list, keep in mind this truck stickers for $65,000, and all these features are available on higher trim levels, so shop wisely.

The Ram 1500 is not a small vehicle, coming in at 19.36 feet long and 6.76 feet wide. This large frame is made more manageable in my Limited with the help of a surround view camera system that is conspicuously absent from this Big Horn (but is a $495 option – well worth it). All you get standard is a rear-view camera, as required by law, which makes centering this beast a much more difficult task as you no longer have the bids-eye view that the  surround camera system provides. And while it does still include front proximity sensors, you’ll never really know how close you are to an object in front of you, or how close you are to curbing your wheels at your favorite drive-thru.

The next curious omission is that this truck has no memory seats. Have a second driver or need to valet it or bring it in for service? Have fun trying to get the controls back where you left them. This truck also did not have the optional Ram Boxes ($1,095), which are storage boxes you can access from each side of the bed and use the space above the wheel wells to provide lockable storage (and one you can fill with ice), along with power outlets. While this is a purely personal choice, I have found the boxes invaluable and could not imagine owing a truck without them to store things like a tire inflator, bungee cords, tarps, a bed-buddy (extension tool to reach items in the back of the bed), tie down straps, the tow hitch ball, etc. It’s one of those things in life you didn’t know you needed until you used it for a week.

The next missing item is also one of personal preference:  the panoramic sunroof ($1,595). This large, glass roof improves the interior experience dramatically, especially for rear-seat passengers. Were I buying this truck, I would gladly exchange the roof for the Night Edition, which seems overpriced at $1,495, even though the latter option is selected by about 1/3 of all Ram buyers.

Also missing are any side-steps to assist entry. While this wasn’t a problem for me, personally, every passenger who rode in the truck, including my 83-year-old father in law, struggled to get up into the passenger seats. Black tubular side steps are available for $695, but those fixed steps are a trade-off for ride height, which is why – I presume – they were not included with this off-road package equipped Big Horn. The Limited comes with automatically deploying side steps, which offer the best of both worlds, but those don’t appear to be available on a Big Horn. Other differences that I didn’t find problematic at all are the smaller (12” v. 14.4”) U-Connect screen (as the smaller screen also includes some hard buttons v. the larger one’s virtual), the leather interior, and the adjustable ride-height (though that has helped me fit into some tight parking garages that this Big Horn might have scraped). While all these extra features, and more, are nice to have, they also commanded a $24,000 premium (window sticker to window sticker) over the as-tested price of this Big Horn. If you’re shopping for a Ram, however, make sure to compare the out-the-door prices of different trims, as often the higher trims have bigger discounts, making the extra equipment offered there a better deal.

The Unforgivable:

Finally, we come to the one missing feature that is unforgivable in any vehicle, much less one costing $65,000: a complete lack of keyless/keyfobless “passive” entry. While the Big Horn has a push-button keyless start and remote keyless start, you still have to take the key out to unlock the door. And while you can lock the truck using the door switch, you better be sure not to leave the key inside before doing so. Worse, you can’t add this feature as an option to any Big Horn as it is only available in Laramie trims and above. Not that higher models are without their own unforgivable sin either, though, as the rear doors have no passive lock/unlock feature which has proven frustrating on many occasions.

So why is this unforgivable in any vehicle in 2026? Because I bought a new 2018 Volkswagen Jetta for my daughter for $18,000 that includes this feature. Yes, a cheap, German “People’s Car” sedan that cost less than $20,000 eight years ago included passive locking and unlocking of the car, and this $65,000 truck does not. What is the point of having keyless start if you need to fish the key out to open and lock the truck? How much more could that feature possibly cost Stellantis given that Volkswagen can put it into a sub-$20k car and still make money? It should have, at the very least, been included in the highest-available Level 2 equipment group package. For this reason alone I would not buy a Big Horn.

The other still unforgivable – but only slightly less so – nit I have to pick is that the auto-up/down power windows are only available on the front windows. Again, my Jetta has this feature on all windows, so I know it’s not expensive, but not even my Ram Limited has these. The almost mindless obsession with pulling up just short of perfection by Ram on this truck is one of the most frustrating things to behold. Let’s hope the powers that be read this and take action. As long as they’re raising prices $1500 year over year, the least they could do is fix these two problems. Oh, and the three loud horn beeps when you leave the car with the keys. /Rant