The 2013 Ram 1500 has been refreshed and will come with many modifications but with a starting price of $23,585, it’s just less than $500 more expensive than the 2012 Ram 1500. The 2013 Ram 1500 won’t be offered with thousands of dollars in incentives such as the outgoing truck but it will be available with the 3.6-liter V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission as an option on base Tradesman models worth $1000. The 2013 Ram 1500 Tradesman trim is positioned at the bottom of the truck’s lineup. It won’t anymore have a version powered by the old 3.7-liter V-6. Instead, the Tradesman will get the 310-hp 4.7-liter V-8. A 3.6-liter V-6/eight-speed automatic combo, which could tow as heavy as 6500 pounds, is offered as an option with a $1000 price. The Tradesman is available with the following as standard equipment: cruise control, intermittent wipers, A/C, automatic headlights, mobile device aux jack, power windows with driver’s one-touch up and down, a USB port, a locking tailgate, hill-start assist, and a full-size spare tire.
Many are familiar with the 2013 Ram 1500 trims but there may be renewed interest this time with the very fuel-efficient Ram 1500 HFE. What Ram considers as its most fuel-efficient full-size truck is the 2013 Ram 1500 HFE with estimated ratings of 18/25 mpg city/highway. The 2013 Ram 1500 HFE, which is priced at $29,195 MSRP, is a rear-drive regular cab model that has a 6-foot, 4-inch bed. In addition, its eight-speed automatic makes use of a tall 3.21:1 final drive. Stop-start technology is included in this trim but then, even the non-HFE V-6 models are believed to have EPA ratings of 17/25 mpg. The EPA has given a rating of 17/23 mpg to a rear-drive 2012 Ford F-150 with the 3.7-liter V-6 and a six-speed automatic transmission.
The 5.7-liter V-8 continues to be positioned at the top of the lineup but it is currently partnered with the eight-speed automatic. A movable air shutter system is used in the Ram 1500s with the new transmission, obstructing as much as 80% of the airflow through the grille, which is an inch taller than before. The big V-8 is available as standard equipment on the Express, Big Horn/Lone Star, Outdoorsman, Sport, R/T, Laramie, and Laramie Longhorn. It also includes cylinder deactivation but so far, there has not been an official confirmation yet on the six-cylinder diesel engine. There had previously been many reports citing the likelihood of a non-heavy-duty diesel-powered truck. It seems probable that the Ram will be the first to come out one such model.
