Review: 2020 Ram 1500 Limited

It ain\’t Shannon, but its flow is sharp

Though its main mission was to ferry me between the hotel and the Kentucky Exposition Center during the Nationals, there were side quests for the Ram 1500 Limited, including one for HOBA House, a DIY communal art space in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville.

There, the RamBox and bed came into play for all of the supplies I would donate to HOBA. Most of the supplies fit beautifully into the RamBox, while a small, non-smart flat-panel TV made a temporary home in the bed after moving it out of the rear cab during a trip to the car wash; the leather tonneau cover is watertight, by the way.

Speaking of the bed, the Ram\’s 60/40 split tailgate came in handy on a run to one of the recycling spots near my Old Dominion home days before the trip to Louisville. Being able to walk right up to the bed to remove items without bending over a tailgate is a godsend, and a feature all pickups should have.

There\’s also a cargo divider, which does what it says on the tin. All you have to do is place it where you want it, fold the sides into the bedsides, and lock it in with a twist of a dial. Just be sure to fold back or remove the leather tonneau cover, first, which one person can do easily enough.

Parking the Ram 1500 Limited proved easy, too, thanks to the 360° Surround View Camera. Whenever pulling in or backing out, you\’ll have not only a front or rear view of what\’s there, but also an overhead view. After all, if you\’re moving a 20-foot truck around tight spaces with a big hood ahead of you, you\’ll want every advantage you can get.

Climbing into the Ram\’s a cinch with its retractable running boards, which pop down as soon as you open any of the doors. The boards can be turned off or on via the Uconnect 12.0 in the settings menu.

Diesels are known for their good fuel economy, which is a relief when diesel remains above $2/gallon compared to regular unleaded. The Ram 1500 Limited is rated at 29 mpg highway and 21 mpg city for a combined 24 mpg. I managed around 28 mpg on the round trip to and from Louisville, while logging 20 mpg within the Dust City itself, netting an overall average of 24.5 mpg. I spent a total of $90 filling the optional 33-gallon diesel tank during my time with the Ram.

I also got a chance to refill the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) tank in an O\’Reily\’s Auto Parts parking lot at 8,000 miles, having not done so well filling it at a truck stop just south of Louisville the afternoon before (I couldn\’t hear the nozzle filling the tank, it didn\’t click into place like a diesel or gas nozzle would, just a bad scene overall).

Though it is cheaper to fill the DEF at a pump with it, it is easier to find it at your auto parts store or Walmart. DEF should be a must at any gas station with a diesel pump, not just the ones where the big rigs fill up.