2021 RAM 1500 TRX

The battle for the best high-performance pickup truck just got interesting now that the 702-horsepower Ram 1500 TRX has entered the arena. The Hellcat-powered half-ton has the Ford F-150 Raptor squarely in its sights, but until its Blue Oval rival adds more power and steps up its interior game, the Ram rules. Rivalry aside, the TRX is an impressive and intimidating machine and one that we named to our 2021 10Best list and gave it an Editors’ Choice award. Its body is 8 inches wider than the regular Ram 1500, and its off-road capabilities have been transformed. This is thanks to a stronger frame, and even more sophisticated suspension, and myriad other enhanced characteristics. The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is also loaded with a seriously luxurious interior and packed with all the latest technology. The only question left is whether the TRX can fly higher over the jumps than the now seemingly obsolete Raptor.

Ram has been teasing a high-powered rival to the F-150 Raptor since it debuted a badass concept truck back in 2016, but now the wait is over and the teasing has turned to reality. What’s especially neat—besides the fact it packs a 700-plus-horsepower Hellcat motor—is that the production TRX looks pretty close to what was promised. With intimidating inflated bodywork, a bed-mounted spare-tire carrier, body-colored beadlock-capable wheels, and an abundance of other off-road goodies, the most radical Ram is, thankfully, fully realized.

Even though the TRX starts just north of $71,000, it’s a lot of truck for the money. No other stock pickup truck makes 700-plus horsepower and looks as aggressive as Mike Tyson in his prime. While the base version is certainly well-equipped, it lacks some features that we’d expect to be standard. For example, a heated steering wheel and heated front seats cost extra, and they’re otherwise only available with the Level 1 package. That pushes its price past $75k but brings a smorgasbord of upgrades. Highlights include leather-trimmed seats, cargo-box lighting, a flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped in leather and microsuede, a storage compartment under the rear seat, and more. We’d select that option as well as the Trailer-Tow package to maximize the pickup’s pulling abilities. Those who want adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, a head-up display, or the digital rearview mirror are handcuffed to the loaded Level 2 package that puts the TRX close to the $80,000 mark.

Hiding between the TRX’s bulging fenders and below its scooped hood is a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V-8. More popularly known as the Hellcat engine, this specific version produces 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. During our testing, the TRX shot to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in 12.3 seconds at 110 mph. That makes it the quickest pickup we’ve ever tested. Despite its hefty curb weight and huge footprint, the Hellcat-powered Ram is surprisingly refined and easy to handle on paved roads. Still, its supercharged V-8 is ready to emit exciting sounds from its exhaust pipes. Of course, the TRX is meant to play in the mud, rocks, and sand, too. Along with a reinforced steel frame, it boasts a beefed-up suspension that’s built to bend and bound with more than 13 inches of travel. It rolls on a set of massive 35-inch all-terrain tires mounted on 18-inch wheels that contribute to the truck’s 11.8 inches of ground clearance. Ram says the half-ton Hellcat can also ford up to 32 inches of water. Every TRX comes with enough underbody plating to protect a Brink’s truck, Bilstein remote-reservoir dampers, an electronic-locking rear differential, and gigantic 15.0-inch front brakes. What’s more? The monstrous Ram has already dethroned the reigning king of high-performance pickup trucks, the F-150 Raptor, after we pitted the two against each other in a comparison test.

Although the TRX can’t tow as much as some Ram models, which are currently rated at up to 12,750 pounds, it can still pull a substantial amount. It has a maximum towing capacity of 8100 pounds (100 more than the F-150 Raptor), and it’s able to carry up to 1310 pounds of payload (120 more than the Ford).

The EPA estimates the TRX will earn a lowly 10 mpg in the city and a not-much-better 14 mpg on the highway. Those figures are significantly lower than the 2020 Raptor, which has ratings of 14 mpg city and 18 highway. Once we have the chance to run the Ram on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, we can evaluate its real-world mpg.

Ram has redefined expectations for truck interiors with its latest half-ton pickups, which deliver rich-looking materials and impeccable insulation from outside noise. That level of luxury and refinement looks to continue on the TRX, which is offered solely as a crew cab with the short cargo bed. Inside, the base model’s cloth upholstery and standard equipment is based on the Ram 1500 Rebel. However, the optional TR1 and TR2 packages make the cabin look and feel significantly snazzier thanks to leather-covered surfaces and a mix of microsuede and carbon-fiber accents. The TRX’s flat-bottom steering wheel features a pair of prominent paddle shifters, but there’s also a floor shifter located on the center console. The TRX’s top options include a digital rearview mirror, a head-up display, and heated and ventilated front seats.