Used Ram Buyers Guide

Ram trucks have always been a bastion of tough, dependable, and reliable working machines. Capable of running and hauling for decades on end, a Ram pickup truck is a good choice for a new purchase but is an incredible value when bought used. Here at Zimmer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, your pre-owned Ram dealership, we carry a large number of various Ram models used, so you can find one with the style you want and the capability you need. Unlike the vast majority of cars, full-frame full-size trucks will almost always last the test of decades, and Ram trucks are among the very best and still trucking twenty years down the line.

Third Generation

While cars can often be written off as too expensive to maintain after a hundred thousand, one hundred fifty thousand, or two hundred thousand miles, Ram trucks just tend to keep going. That’s just one of the reasons why the 2002 to 2008 model year Ram trucks make so much sense if you’re looking for a dependable working machine at a low price. They are still true full-size trucks with solid full frames and have the horsepower and torque to make heavy jobs seem light. While not equipped with the latest in electronic gadgetry, these trucks are available at very low prices considering their capabilities and longevity.

Powertrains

Under the hood, the engines of the third-generation Ram trucks varied widely. This is in line with the highly customizable nature of the Ram line, with everything from basic work trucks to high-end cruisers to off-road machines to high-performance street rippers. The Ram 1500 itself came with a 3.7 liter V6 that generated 215 horsepower and three different Magnum V8s ranging from 4.7 to 5.9 liters and producing between 235 and 310 horsepower.

The largest engines in the standard Ram 1500 range were the 5.7 liter Hemi V8, which produced 345 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque, which are numbers still respectable to this day. Besides configuration and model, the price of a truck will depend most on what’s powering it. That 3.7 liter V6 might not win any drag races, but if you are looking for the best budget option, you probably can’t do any better.

The heavy-duty Ram pickups of this generation used a version of that 5.7 liter Hemi also generating 345 horsepower, though most used one of the Cummins turbo diesel inline-six variants. The heavy-duty Rams also had the option of the 8.0 liter Magnum V10 from 2002 to 2003, which generated 450 pound-feet of torque.

The highest end of the Ram’s engine options came solely in the SRT-10 street performance truck. At the time, the number at the end of SRT stood for the number of cylinders the vehicle included, and the Ram SRT-10 used the Viper’s enormous 8.3 liter V10 engine that produced 510 horsepower and 535 pound-feet of torque. As one might expect, the prices of SRT-10 Rams are multiple times higher than that of their more work-oriented counterparts.

Payload and Towing

When it comes to actual work, the third generation of Ram trucks is not state of the art but is more than capable. A 2005 Ram 1500 can haul around 1,900 pounds of payload in its bed when properly equipped, and the same vehicle can tow between 3,100 pounds and 3,950 pounds depending on what packages and options it has installed.

Practically speaking, while these numbers are not the insanely high semi-like figures of modern trucks, they provide more than enough capability to just about anyone, including those using the trucks for work. Heavy-duty Rams of this generation, such as the 2500 and 3500 series, are capable of even more, and all of these trucks cost a fraction of what a new one would. All while delivering the vast majority of what a new one could in terms of raw payload and towing ability.

Fourth Generation

The late-model Rams are fourth-generation models in the model years from 2009 to 2018. These trucks are much more modern than their third-generation counterparts, and the more recent trucks built in the twenty-teens are virtually new, both in their amount of wear and their features and capabilities. While not the latest generation, these trucks offer a huge discount while at the same time providing the vast majority of the newer tech-heavy features. That is true for the engines, frame and construction, interior amenities, and even things like GPS navigation on some models.

Powertrains

The engines powering the fourth-generation Ram are far more modern, more efficient, and more powerful in general than their third-generation predecessors. While legacy powerplants like the 3.7 liter V6 and 4.7 liter V8 stayed on in the first half of the four generation’s production run, modern engines like the Pentastar 3.6 liter V6 and the modernized 395 horsepower 5.7 liter Hemi V8 also made their debut this generation. If given a choice, make sure to select a Ram from 2014 and up, as this is when all the newer and more advanced engines had finally phased out their rather old-fashioned predecessors.

The SRT-10 does not make an appearance in the fourth generation, but the heavy-duty Rams did get the newer 6.4 liter Hemi V8 starting in 2014. Packing 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, this engine is quite good at matching the turbo diesels also offered for the Ram 2500 and Ram 3500, at least at the low end. The higher performance 6.7 liter Cummins diesel engines in the fourth generation Ram heavy duty trucks could produce up to 900 pound-feet of torque by the end of their run in 2018.

Payload and Towing

In terms of working ability, the fourth generation is a solid improvement over the cheaper and less advanced third-generation trucks. That said, the thousand to two thousand pound advantage in various areas of payload and towing ability might not be as useful as they seem. Buying with your exact loads or your likely payloads in mind will almost certainly save you some money in the long run.

Interior

One of the most improved areas of the late fourth-generation trucks compared to their early third-generation counterparts is the interior, both in look and feel. As the years went on, the Ram became a far warmer and more feature-rich place to be, with better materials, better seating, and more amenities like dual-zone climate control and high-end audio and infotainment systems becoming available.

Used Rams Are Always a Great Option

As with most things, which used Ram truck is best for you depends on your use case and your budget. A cheap working machine or daily driver is exemplified by the third generation trucks, and if you know what to look for, you could even get a good deal on a Hemi-powered machine. That said, the newer trucks do offer much more in terms of interior comforts and overall capability, so the extra cost they require will be worth it to many. In any case, as long as you know what you need out of a truck, you’ll be able to find the right used Ram to fit those needs for the right price.