So good you don’t need a Hellcat V8

High at the top of the hill I watched the three successive jumps I was preparing to fly over. I was given explicit instructions to complete the jumps at a speed of 60 km/h, 90 km/h and then 70 km/h. I had jumped into trucks before – both accidentally and in controlled situations – but never three in a row in the space of about a half mile. But they wouldn’t let us do this if the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO couldn’t handle it, right?

So I took a deep breath, stepped on the accelerator and went for it. The next 60 seconds felt like they were in slow motion as the instructor in the right seat yelled at me to go faster, so I did and then slower, which I couldn’t quite do. I made the final jump at about 50 miles per hour and was amazed at how easily the RHO fled and how casually it landed.

Again. I had to do that again. The second instructor also encouraged me to go faster, and when I didn’t slow down enough for the final jump, he smiled and said, “See, you just pushed this truck to its limits.” Isn’t that wonderful?”

Yes. It is.

(Editor’s Note: We asked Jill to review the new RHO for a few reasons: 1.) Because she knows about trucks and 2.) Because she has more seat time in it than anyone else. She and her Rebel rally partner Kristin V. Shaw It took me more than a week to drag one across the damn desert before the official media launch, so if anyone can say for certain how the TRX replacement will perform in the toughest of conditions, it’s her. And Kristin of course. Enjoy! –CJ)

The entire off-road course that the Ram team created for us at Holly Oaks ORV Park is designed to push the truck with high-speed turns and higher-speed straights filled with rocks, rubble strips and sand. I had just spent 10 days in the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO competing off-road in the Rebelle Rally, so I knew roughly what to expect in terms of rocks, sand and mud. We even managed to catch air a few times, but we were going about 35 miles per hour, not 55. I walked away from Rebelle impressed with the overall comfort and capabilities of the RHO. But after completing the course at Holly Oaks, I immediately texted my rally co-driver and said, “We could have pushed this truck much, much harder than we did.”

The basics

The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO is ostensibly the TRX replacement, as it becomes the brand’s new top performance truck. While some may grumble about missing the supercharged Hellcat V8 and all its power, the RHO holds its own with a high-output 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six. Its 540 horsepower and 521 pound-feet of torque are enough to do all the sport truck things with ease and trust me, we did them all at the Rebelle Rally. Never once did we think, “Damn, I wish this had more power.”

The exterior of the RHO is sturdy at 88 inches wide, but isn’t designed to look like a monster. If it weren’t for the three orange lights on the hood, you might not realize it’s as wide as it is. The RHO badging on the rear quarter panels and hood scoop are optional and nicely done, and the hood lines aren’t as prominent or raised as on the Rebel. The knobby 35-inch Goodyear Wranglers are the one thing that might give you pause, marking this truck as something special.

The interior is well appointed at base level with leather seats and a 12-inch infotainment screen. The stitching on the seats and steering wheel is well done, and all the touch points in the cabin feel solid and high-quality. Even the armrest and glove box lids closed with an authoritative snap. There are plenty of cubbies and storage areas throughout the cabin for phones and miscellaneous papers, and the overall effect is a sense of order.

Then there are the things you don’t see. Ram paid special attention to features and components that would make the RHO a great off-road truck. Things like long-travel suspension with Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive performance shocks, a new exhaust system unique to the RHO that includes a low-restriction “Sport Tune” system with true dual pipes, a full-time BorgWarner 43-13 active transfer case and a Dana 60 rear axle. The end result is a smoother ride over rough surfaces and the ability to clear obstacles at higher speeds.

Driving the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO

Although I wasn’t the lead driver on the Rebelle Rally, I got to spend about six hours behind the wheel, and I certainly felt the effects of driving my partner in the navigator’s seat over a series of eight, 10-hour days through Death Valley. , the Mojave Desert, Glamis Sand Dunes and Johnson Valley. After more than 3,000 kilometers and 100 hours in both the driver and passenger seats, I am impressed with the comfort of the seats in particular and the ride in general. There were several times when we were off the sidewalk, especially in Johnson Valley, when my partner was driving quickly over rocky terrain, and she kept apologizing for the bumps as I hunched over my map board trying to find paths with a magnifying glass. Then she quickly said, Well, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

From the suspension to the shocks, it’s the things you don’t see that matter most. On the road, the RHO felt stable and smooth, and oddly enough, it drives like a much smaller truck. I had a chance to drive the 2025 Toyota Tacoma right before attending the RHO media drive, and the midsize truck felt much larger and bulkier than the RHO. Additionally, as a small driver, I can say that the sight lines from all windows of the RHO are excellent, and I especially like the adjustable pedals that helped me fine-tune my driving position.

When I got the chance to ride the RHO off-road at the media program, I was equally impressed. My partner kept telling me how smooth and easy to maneuver the RHO was, but given its size I was a little skeptical – until I got to Holly Oaks. From the jumps to the maneuverability in sand and over rocks, “smooth” is the recurring word I find to describe the RHO.

The loop at Holly Oaks was short, but filled with slaloms, switchbacks, sharp turns and steep descents. We switched to Baja mode for the course, and throughout the entire loop my instructor in the right seat kept saying, you can go faster than that. So I mashed the gas into a sandy corner and drifted out the back. Then when I reached a rocky pass, I would slow down, and the instructor would again tell me to go faster. I’m not a slow driver, but I kept feeling like I had to protect the truck. Obviously I didn’t have to protect anything. I should have known that after all the penalties we threw at the RHO during Rebelle. Other than some desert rash and an occasional flat tire, our RHO walked away relatively unscathed.

So on my second pass I was happily hitting the rocks at 40 to 45 mph, and the combination of suspension and shocks softened the worst of the bumps. When I’m in the driver’s seat, it’s easy to ignore the jostling, and when I worried about my passenger, he smiled even as he held the handle and braced himself against the passenger door. This truck is designed to take a ton of punishment while going fast.

In my long time on RHO, I kept trying to figure out what I didn’t like about it. I can usually find something, whether it has to do with the power or the seating comfort or even the wireless chargers. But I walked away from RHO without finding that thing.

Ram 1500 RHO features, options and competition

The base price of the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO is $71,990, including destination. That’s definitely pricey enough to give truck buyers pause. However, when you consider that the base price of the outgoing TRX was $98,580, the RHO price seems like a bargain. It’s also about $10,000 less than its main competitor, the Ford F-150 Raptor, which has a base price of $81,595.

Additionally, the base truck is well equipped with leather seats, a 12-inch infotainment screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, launch control, nine driving modes, a special RHO badge on the armrest, under-seat storage in the rear and a lever-style shifter on the center console.

Our Rebelle truck added the RHO Level 1 Equipment Group for $9,995, and it was worth the money. It added the 14.4-inch infotainment screen, dual wireless phone chargers, Harman Kardon premium sound system with 19 speakers, adjustable pedals, driver’s seat with memory, hands-free highway driving, head-up display, surround view camera, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and massaging front seats. There was more than one day during the Rebelle when we arrived back at base camp with our massage chairs activated, sipping chilled sparkling water thanks to the cooler we plugged in behind the driver’s seat. That just shows the RHO’s dual personality: it can easily handle the toughest off-road terrain you can imagine, but is still bougie enough for a massage and a chilled drink at the end of a long, hot day.

The Ford F-150 Raptor seems somehow modest compared to the RHO. Yes, the Raptor comes standard with 35-inch all-terrain tires, single-pedal trail driving capabilities and Ford’s trail control. It also has dual Fox Live Valve shocks if you spec it with 37-inch tires. But even with all these things, I don’t feel like it matches the finesse of the RHO. It is also 90 hp short of the RHO and costs more. Plus, as far as I know, massaging chairs isn’t an option. You may think you don’t care, but once you experience them, you’ll want them in everything, including a sport truck that costs more than $80,000.

The Early Judgment

I don’t want to get too excited about the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO, but it really is that good. Sure, the Hemi is dead, but the RHO is only 0.1 second slower in a 0-60 mph run than the 2024 TRX. And with the Level 1 Equipment Group, you add just about anything you can imagine wishes in a luxury truck, except maybe the kitchen sink.

So in case you missed it, the initial verdict is incredibly favorable. In fact, I walked away from the RHO after Rebelle and the media drove thinking this was probably the best truck I’ve ever driven.