2023 Ram 1500: Winner of Car and Driver’s 10Best Award
Photo Source: Ram
Over the course of the last decade, Ram Truck has managed to become a standout elite. It has been slightly more than ten years since the company parted ways with Dodge, and buyers had a new pickup truck automaker to look forward to. The last redesign of the Ram 1500 took place in 2019, and ever since then, the full-size pickup truck has earned a spot on Car and Driver’s 10Best Vehicles list. For five consecutive years, including the 2023 model year, the Ram 1500 has proven itself worthy of such a prestigious award – and with good reason.
The Ins and Outs of Car and Driver’s 10Best Vehicles List
To better understand why this accolade is so highly coveted, it is necessary to break down how Car and Driver judges trucks. First, Car and Driver takes stock of each competitor versus its rivals by relying on a 100-point scale, evaluating each score based on value, intended purpose, and automotive function. In other words, to even make a list, every vehicle must be financially accessible to the everyday driver, fulfill its designated purpose better than its contenders, and be an overall delightful ride.
Automobiles that are brand new or substantially altered were chosen to compete. Prior winners were also invited to fight to retain their honor. That meant that both the 2023 Ram 1500 Limited and Ram 1500 TRX were put forward for general assessment. The prize applies to the entire Ram 1500 lineup. Quite reasonably, when preparing for the competition, Car and Driver does not consider any SUV, van, or truck with a base price that goes above $110,000 MSRP (Plus destination fee). According to editors, the decision was made because any vehicle with that high a price tag should be superb, regardless of competitive evaluation.
Joey Capparella, senior editor of Car and Driver, solidifies the 2023 Ram 1500 as a truck to be reckoned with: “What the Ram does do, it does better than any other full-size model. Its coil-spring rear suspension provides luxury SUV-like ride quality, making the bouncy competition feel like rudimentary farm trucks in comparison.”
For the fifth time in a row, Car and Driver made the call to merge 10Best Cars and 10Best Trucks and SUVs into one comprehensive list. With that being said, for the 2023 model year, Car and Driver editors delved into the intricacies of more than fifty-five vans, trucks, cars, and SUVs.
Redesigned in 2019
While it is true that the Ram 1500 encountered its most recent changes years ago, that shows how much staying power the pickup truck truly has. As of 2019, Ram entirely refurbished its Ram 1500 lineup, making the interior a more sophisticated space to drive in. The transformative redesign of the automobile, which incorporated wood trim and better quality leather, compelled other brands to do the same and increase the refinement with which they approached their vehicles’ styles. The 2023 Ram 1500 also upped the ante in user-friendly infotainment units with a large 12-inch infotainment touchscreen.
The renovation of the Ram not only lent itself to more lavish extravagance but also established more interior room. That means more legroom for back seat occupants, more headroom for passengers, and more cargo space. The pickup truck also has in-floor storage bins for cargo, and the designers have continued their inventiveness with the RamBox storage in the truck bed. That is not to say that other automakers have not updated over the years, but the cost has frequently been much higher. Recently, Ram has become the most highly-lauded pickup truck, and all that extra storage space can be used by housing a 10Best Award again.
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