The modern Ram truck is a great truck, even if it can’t be had with a Hemi V8 and even if it doesn’t have a dipstick. The not-quite-as-modern Ram 1500 Classic is also a great truck and, miraculously, there are still hundreds of them for sale. Do you want a full-sized truck with a warranty, but you don’t feel like spending $60,000 on one designed in the last decade? The Ram Classic is a good deal while they’re still out there.
Why does the Ram Classic even exist? No other truckmaker in the United States sells a new truck alongside the old truck, but Ram didn’t have much of a choice back when it decided to rebrand the aging Ram 1500 as the Ram 1500 Classic. Both GM and Ford have a large presence in Asia and South America, which means that both companies had a midsize truck platform to turn to a few years ago when it became obvious that allowing Toyota to dominate the market with the Tacoma was a bad idea.
The closest that then-Fiat Chrysler had was a small Fiat-based Brazilian trucklette. Do I think Ram should have tried to make a US version of a tiny truck to steal the Ford Mavericks’ thunder? Yes. That didn’t happen. Instead, Ram rightly assumed that it could continue to sell both a newer and older truck.
Because of various regulations and probably manufacturing complexity, the Ram 1500 Classic is no longer being produced. Thankfully, Ram dramatically overproduced them and there are more than a few of these trucks still for sale.
What Is A Ram 1500 Classic?
A new truck is a big deal, and Ram made a huge splash at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, which was my first Detroit Auto Show now that I think about it. I’ll never forget the sight of 120 frigid Longhorn Cattle being driven down Detroit’s West Congress Street on that cold January morning.
It was probably the highlight of Chrysler in its pre-FCA state. Bankruptcy would soon follow and the company’s post-DaimlerChrysler owners would be out of there, cleverly keeping the valuable finance arm and dumping the automaker on the US Government which, in turn, dumped it on Fiat.
It’s not the truck’s fault that the company building it was so troubled and what consumers got was a handsome, Big Rig-styled half-tonner with a slightly more luxurious bent than some of the competition. It could also be had with either a V6 or a Hemi V8 from the beginning.
In a Car And Driver comparison between the 2009 Ram 1500 and a similarly spec’d Chevy Silverado and F-150, it was the Ram that came out on top:
Though the Dodge was only 40 pounds lighter than the F-150, it was quicker than either of its rivals, as you’d expect with a 390-hp Hemi under the hood and a 3.55:1 rear end. The downside of this, of course, was the worst fuel economy, 14 mpg. Even so, the thrust of that engine and the sounds that go with it are hard to resist. Add that to a solid platform and innovative design, and you have a winner. Our Pat Bedard went so far as to call it a “breakthrough truck.” He didn’t get much argument.
Autojournalism before blogs was a truly choice gig for some folks. You could make a great career turning in, maybe, 600 words of content in a month and some of those words could be “this is a breakthrough truck” and that would be it. People would cheer. You’d celebrate with sixteen or seventeen lunch scotches. The ad sales team would take a break from the booger sugar to shake down an automaker for the use of that accolade and you’d hop on a plane to Florance for 10 days, all expenses paid, to drive the new Ford Probe.
A lot has changed since then when it comes to journalism, but not so much when it comes to the DS Ram 1500. Various trim levels would be added, the Ram would get a VM Motori-sourced turbodiesel V6. One of the features I liked best was the optional air suspension, which made the Ram one of the most comfortable big trucks on the road.
After a decade of service, the replacement DT-series Ram 1500 came into being, and the old DS-series was kept alive as the Ram 1500 Classic. These were available either with the Pentastar V6 or 5.7-liter Hemi V8 paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. While the lower-spec Classics didn’t have all the oversized big screens you’d get on a newer 1500, the familiar and button-heavy older model still retains an appeal.
There were even sub-trims, including the Tradesman and more off-road-oriented Warlock. Here’s how the company described the Warlock at the time:
“The Ram 1500 Classic Warlock is proof positive that value never goes out of style,” said Reid Bigland, Head of Ram Brand, FCA. “With its sinister monochromatic exterior, award-winning interior and great price, this mean machine is certain to resonate positively with consumers.”
The 2019 Ram 1500 Classic Warlock features a black grille with bold R-A-M lettering, 20-inch semi-gloss black aluminum wheels, front and rear powder coated bumpers, 1-in. factory lift, black wheel flares, LED fog lamps, projector headlamps with dark bezels, LED rear tail lamps, black badging, tow hooks, unique hood decals, heavy duty rear shocks and an optional Sport hood. Warlock decals on the bedsides round out the package.
Ram finally canceled the 1500 Classic after keeping the trucks on the market for 15 years, but there are still ones to be had.
These Trucks Are Going For As Much As $14,000 Off
Ram has a new CEO in Christine Feuell, and one of the jobs of the new CEO is to help get numbers up at the brand. Sales have been so bad this year that they don’t even fit on the chart that shows the number of vehicles in inventory for various brands.
Part of this was planned. Ram expected to have a new truck this year and overproduced existing models in 2023 so it wouldn’t run out of new vehicles to sell. Instead, Ram ended up with too many trucks. Most of the Ram Classics have been sold off in the last few months, but not all of them.
Cars.com currently shows about 900 of these trucks for sale new and there’s quite the range in what you can get.
The cheapest one is this single-cab from 2022 pictured above for under $30k from a dealer in Georgia. For some reason, it doesn’t show up until November 2023 when it’s listed at $38,275. It’s come down about $8,325 since then and appears to still be for sale.
If that seems strange, then this 2023 Ram 1500 Classic Tradesman in Houston is more demonstrative of the total market and is available with four doors. It was originally listed at the $45,365 MSRP price, which means its current price is a full $14,375 off. Not bad for an 11-mile truck.
If you’re more interested in a V8 and, sure, why not? The slightly newer 2024 Ram 1500 Classic Tradesman in a base-model black with plastic bumpers is just $34,052 as listed or more than $10,000 off its original price. As with all Cars.com prices there’s some “military bonus cash” or other programs listed here, though it does give you a general sense of how cheaply you can get one of these trucks. You’ll want to check with the local dealer to see what your actual best deal is.
If you want a Warlock there’s one for sale in Oklahoma that’s been for sale since March and has dropped $8,000.
That’s a new-looking truck with 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque with all the options you’ll ever really need. By comparison, a new 2025 Ram 1500 Warlock cannot be had with a V8 and, in its cheapest iteration, costs $50,755 before destination. Is it $13k more of truck? Maybe. David likes the new Hurricane inline-six, and the new truck has wireless CarPlay/Android Auto. It’s also a vehicle with a design that’s 10 years newer. The absolute cheapest F-150 you can build starts at $37,065 for a short-bed, short-cab truck. A four-door F-150, like the one pictured, is probably closer to the $46,435 F-150 STX SuperCrew.
And what if you wanted a mid-sizer? A Ranger, in XLT trim, starts at $36,010 and a TRD Sport Tacoma is up over $40,000 if you add any options, assuming you can get one for close to MSRP.
People on the internet love to talk about how much better cars used to be and, in a way, this is one of your last chances to get a new truck built the way they used to build them and still score a great deal.
14 mpg and Stellantis reliability going to eat into the initial price savings pretty quick
The fact that dealers can afford to take 14k+ off the pricing just shows how inflated the pricing is today
The HEMI turned out to be a solid engine, 400 hp/tq is a sweet spot that the GM 5.3 lacked without having to spend 6.2l money, and the 8speed is sturdy and a reliable solid unit. Not a bad deal for the $. Change your oil and don’t idle all day and enjoy the last of the HEMIS.
As an owner of a 2015 model, these are a great deal…as long as you get rid of it after about 5 years. That’s when major failures started happening on mine and it has only escalated from there. It’s not even 10 years old now, but I’m tempted to sell it for scrap because I can’t keep it running properly long enough to sell it as a functional vehicle.
Okay, full disclosure, I own one (although a previous gen), but if you also want a banging deal on a new but dated truck, take a look at the deals on Nissan Titans. Most of the remaining stock is around 10K off. And while it’s a tad dated (and second gen Titans look like an NPC version of an F-150 from a video game), it’s not as dated as the Ram.
Unless I need a work truck for my business – Which I don’t – I’d rather spend $30K on something smaller, more reliable and with better fuel economy.
Just because something is cheap doesn’t make it a good deal.
I’ve been tempted by these, but my 1998 Ram 1500 Quad Cab (2nd gen) is so reliable that I can’t justify replacing it. The dinosaur 5.9/ 360 isn’t as powerful as the Hemi but it’s stupidity easy to work on. I recently rented a 2023 1500 with the Hemi, and while the newer truck was definitely faster and more refined, I found myself missing the low end torque of the 5.9. The 2nd gen’s steering isn’t as precise with the solid front axle, but it still rides like a Cadillac on the highway. Now if only I could afford a clean 2500 12 valve…
One fun fact, is that the DS RAM was the first half ton truck to get electric power steering. GM was developing it with Nexteer for a couple years before putting it into the K2 silverado before Chrysler showed up and said oh that looks cool. Ford didn’t get them until the all aluminum F150.
Ford had EPAS on the 2011 F-150 before the 2015 swap to aluminum body.
It looks like you can even score a V8 4×4 for right at $40k. Which is a pretty great deal these days.
Great value for money.
I’d rather no car than mopar.
The biggest concern that no one ever seems to talk about is the crash safety ratings of the classic.
It’s a chassis designed close to 20 years ago, and last time I checked, the small overlap test puts the front tire where your legs are (or were) during an accident.
Just make sure your run over small vehicles.
Before buying one of these, it’s a good idea to check how it would impact your insurance. The Ram brand seems to attract more hooligans compared to other brands. You may get a nasty insurance rate surprise if you buy one.
I’ve been thinking about one of these to replace my 2015 1500 Laramie – with 160k miles (including lots of Utah winters), it’s hit the point where the cost of maintenance (that lovely air suspension starts to fail, and just keeps failing) is exceeding the value of owning a paid off vehicle.
I’m still concerned that the Hemi exhaust studs were never addressed, so they and the manifold will likely need to be addressed a few times.
Otherwise, it would mostly be a case of re-purchasing the best vehicle I’ve ever owned.
That is an issue, but not a major one unlike let us say, the cam phasers in an ecoboost. If you can avoid idling, these are great trucks. The MDS fails with excessive idling.
What is the issue with the studs? Is it something you could address on day one with grade 8 or better? Is the manifold issue linked to the stud issue?
I am not trying to sell you on a new one, but, rather, learn a little bit myself on what happens to the studs and manifold without wading through facebook comments in a group I shouldn’t belong to.
I misspoke; bolts, not studs. Evidently it’s thermal expansion/contraction. The bolts tend to snap, causing a manifold leak. Installing proper studs would probably fix it, but because of the positioning of the engine in the bay, it’s a difficult ($$) job.
I’ve also heard of the manifolds cracking (same cause) but haven’t experienced it myself. Best fix there is apparently headers.
“ Ram would go from a Cummins turbodiesel I6 to a Fiat-sourced turbodiesel V6”
No Cummins in the 1500, and regardless, the VM Motori V6 offered didn’t replace the Cummins – it served in a different segment at half the displacement while the Cummins continues on 2500s. Also, VM Motori isn’t Fiat by any stretch. It’s been with Fiat for a decade and has an independent history
The 1500 never had the 6.4 to my knowledge, just the 2500/3500.
It is funny to me that the Classic is so old that it was actually sold as a Dodge Ram.
Yeah, I was sure I had one but it turns out it was a 2500 Rebel, not a 1500, you’re right.
Make Ram Dodge Again!
I’m glad they brightened up and stopping selling it as a Dodge.
The only real regret I have with these is the transmission dial and cylinder deactivation.
I have heard RAMS over 300k+ w/MDS…so it is possible to achieve this by limiting idling time.
In Qatar however, they have a bad reputation for breaking down….one case at 17k kms for a TRX was alarming…I have no idea, but I suspect maybe they do not withstand abuse locals give them here compared to Ford and Chevrolet/GMC (yes, those also exist).
I’m glad to hear that some Rams last that long with MDS. It’s just another risk when buying used that I’d rather not have to take.
I think a good rule of thumb would be to check the idle hours it has, and whether there is a loud tick at idle. There are two ticks that affect these trucks- exhaust manifolds (more common, but these also affect GMC/Chevrolet as well) and lifter tick. Lifter tick will be loud at idle and will be within the engine bay.
Avoid fleet used trucks–since they will need a new engine due to being idled badly. From what I believe , idling is also not good for GMC/Chevrolet AFM/DFM engines (although those also fail from the system collapsing in operation, either as lemons or due to abuse/neglect which also applies to the MDS), but generally idling does not seem to entirely affect AFM/DFM engines badly as compared to MDS (even if it may cause some failures).
Thanks for the tips! 🙂
Most welcome. Enjoy.