The Ram 1500 is a tough truck by default, but there’s a lot to be said about the 2025 Ram 1500 Warlock. It’s big, it’s loud, and it’s proud, but a lot of fun, too.
Way back in the 1970s, when raw power and fury gave way to leisure suits, disco balls, and thoughts of fuel economy, the Chrysler Corporation (known today as Stellantis) took one look at its second generation of D/W-Series pickup trucks and decided some spice was in order. That spice manifested itself in a handful of ways, such as the 1978 – 1979 Lil’ Red Express, a D150 stepside with a cop motor pumping out some 230 horsepower (it was the late 1970s, after all; blackened death metal trucks like the Ram SRT-10 or the Hellcat-powered TRX wouldn’t arrive until the 2000s at the earliest).
Before that red wagon of awesome arrived, though, a truck blacker than the blackest black, times infinity, showed up in lots in time for America’s Bicentennial: the Warlock. That truck was more of a grab bag of options, just so Chrysler could show off (you could even get four-wheel drive), but the stepside pickup best stood out in black trimmed with gold pinstripes, real wood oak sideboards, and chrome wheels.
Fast-forward to 2025, where Ram (the torchbearer for Stellantis’ truck division) is caught up in a hurricane of changes, including walking itself back from electrification and turbocharged inline-six motors for the classic Hemi, plus a return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026. And there’s still the rest of the 2020s to go.
To get a taste for how much times have changed (and didn’t, in the best of ways), I got a chance to review a 2025 Ram 1500. This one, though, just happens to have a classic name attached: Warlock. Starting at $54,505 and powered by a twin-turbo V6, it’s no cheap pony, but if an off-road-focused workhorse is what you’re after, you’ll want to learn more.
This story is 100% human-researched and -written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
The Warlock Name Adds More Muscle to an Already-Buff Truck
If you’re looking for a stud muffin with rugged looks, the 2025 Ram 1500 in any trim is a solid choice. After all, the Ford F-Series trucks speak a more conservative design language, while Chevrolet, GMC, and Toyota all battle it out for who can have the most polarizing styling for their full-size rigs.
The Ram, on the other hand, has always had style on its mind; the 1994 – 2001 trucks pulled from the likes of Class 8 trucks and 1950s Studebaker pickups for its groundbreaking and iconic styling, for example. This truck is no exception; though it may not look like a big rig these days, it’ll still knock your socks off on the showroom floor and in your driveway.
What makes the Warlock more rugged than the base Tradesman is more off-road-focused features and aesthetics, like all-terrain tires from the factory, an all-black grill with blacked-out “Ram” badging, black powder-coated bumpers, and matte black wheels (you know, playing on the Dark Magic theme). It also comes with a factory lift to 10 inches of ground clearance, an off-road-ready suspension setup, and a simpler interior.
Compared to Other Trims, the Warlock is Priced Fairly
The lightest pickup in the 2025 Ram lineup, the 1500 comes in a wide variety of styles and configurations for your heart’s desires. Here’s what you should expect to pay for one before adding in the $1,995 destination charge:
Tradesman: $40,275 (4×2), $44,125 (4×4)
Tradesman HFE: $41,060 (available only in 4×2)
Big Horn: $45,230 (4×2), $49,080 (4×4)
Warlock: $54,505 ($58,240 as-tested with $1,995 destination charge; available only in 4×4)
Laramie: $60,030 (4×2), $63,880 (4×4)
Rebel: $64,440 (available only in 4×4)
RHO: $69,995 (available only in 4×4)
Limited: $75,450 (available only in 4×4)
Limited Longhorn: $76,445 (available only in 4×4)
Tungsten: $87,320 (available only in 4×4)
Trucks from Chevy, GMC, and Ford are around the same price, and Ram is the only truck not to offer an electric or hybrid version (until next year, anyway).
READ MORE: 2025 Ram 1500 First Drive: There’s a Hurricane Under the Hood!
A Word of Caution to Shorter Drivers: Entry Can Be Challenging
One of the biggest complaints I have with the 2025 Ram 1500 (or rather, this Ram 1500) is the amount of effort it takes to get in and out of the truck in the first place. Without the optional tubular side steps ($695) attached to the truck, well, let me recall the pain.
My mom, who’s in her mid-sixties, is 5’3″. Because this Warlock wasn’t equipped with those side steps, combined with the truck’s 10-inch ground clearance, my mom, who’s a tough bird thanks to her job, struggled to get in and out of the truck every morning I drove her to work. If the headliner handle was in another, more optimal position, perhaps my mom wouldn’t have had as much trouble… getting in, anyway.
Meanwhile, one of my legs happens to be an inch shorter than the other, the result of tangling myself up in my mom’s umbilical cord while I was cooking in the oven back in the late 1970s. Thus, stepping down from a high-riding vehicle can be annoying. Having the side steps would have solved that for both of us.
My mom and I are strong women, and I can’t imagine not having one or both of our legs. Those with accessibility needs would certainly struggle. Get the steps for your loved ones who have issues similar to Mom and me.
A Simpler Interior Means Less Tech, Though
While other 2025 Ram 1500 models have leather for days covering the seats, the Warlock keeps it simple with cloth seating for six. That’s right: six occupants–three up front, three out back. The 40/20/40 front seats include a center armrest that doubles as an extra seat when needed, simply by pulling up the entire armrest.
The driver and front passenger seats offer four ways of manual adjustment; you’ll have to move up to the Laramie trim to have the seats do the work for you. The seats themselves are comfortable (my mom definitely enjoyed her time in the passenger seat when she didn’t need to climb up or down into the truck), and there’s plenty of legroom, too; 40.9 inches up front, 45.2 inches out back.
And if you don’t need the rear 60/40-split bench to carry people on long road trips, you can flip it up to fit a couple of big flat-panel TVs behind the front seats. Oh, and some groceries, too.
The Warlock Can Haul the Family Just Fine
Trucks have shifted closer to being family cars over the past three decades, and priorities have shifted as far as utility goes. No Ram pickup in 2025 has a regular cab for the working lady, so they’ll need to choose from a Quad Cab or a Crew Cab, and work from there. The Warlock only comes as a Quad Cab, with plenty of room for both kids and adults.
The floor space was vast, and rear passengers are treated to their own A/C vents and cupholders if the section in the center seat is pulled down, and little ones can ride along thanks to easy-to-access lower anchor points. The top tether for front-facing seats is just behind the headrests. No need to remove them to secure a car seat, and rear-facing tots get to enjoy the view from the large back window. Unlike the days of old, any rear passenger in the Ram 1500 Warlock would be quite comfortable.
If you’re not hauling kids, you can fold the rear seats up to make extra space for items you don’t want in the bed, like tools or camping gear.
READ MORE: The Ultimate Car Seat Challenge: Which Mid-Size 3-Row SUVs Fit Child Car Seats the Best?
The Truck is Powerful, But Added Height Can Make Unloading Tough
The Ram 1500 Warlock has a 5-foot-7-inch bed to haul up to 1,910 pounds of bags of mulch and junk around, and the working lady will need to make use of the (optional) deployable bed step to get up into the bed to load and unload those bulky items. Gone are the days when they could simply reach down into the bed to do the same thing. Is this progress?
As for towing, the Warlock’s 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbocharged inline-six and an eight-speed automatic allow the big rig to pull up to 11,560 pounds of whatever fun toys you might have for the weekend getaway, or a dedicated trailer for your lawn care service.
You’ll have trouble pulling out onto the highway in the 2025 Ram 1500 Warlock, thanks to the aforementioned Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six. With 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft of torque at the ready, you’ll sweep over the highways as a Category 5, reaching 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
Of course, this being a big, full-size pickup truck, the Ram 1500 Warlock has a big thirst for fuel. At a combined EPA-estimated MPG of 19 (17 city, 24 highway), combined with either the standard 26-gallon or optional 33-gallon fuel tank, your wallet will take quite the hit at the pump. Good thing, then, that the lower-output version of the Hurricane can use regular; the higher-output version with 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft of torque prefers premium, but can use regular, too.
READ MORE: I Went to Ford’s Towing Bootcamp and Learned to Tow Like a Pro
Is This Truck All for Show, or Can It Go, Too?
I’m from the old school when it comes to pickups. I don’t mind if they’re comfortable on the inside, just as long as they’re useful and easy to work with/on, too. Thus, while it was neat to experience a 2025 Ram 1500 for a week, I was more than relieved to see it out of my driveway.
It’s just too big, too tall, and not useful enough for what I, personally, would need out of a truck. But I don’t represent Ram’s typical buyer, and that should be kept in mind. It is handsome, and the seating is comfortable, even if it’s only cloth, but the Warlock (and, really, nearly all trucks from all manufacturers these days) appear to be more about the appearance of a tough, hard-working truck than doing the actual work.
And yes, there are trim levels available where the focus is more on such things, but with bed and hood height issues still in the picture, I’d rather have a 1975 Dodge D100 – a truck that is more down to earth in so many, many ways, and easier to do work with – than a 2025 Ram 1500. That said, if you want a tough family cruiser for driving around town, and you don’t mind the shortcomings, this truck might be for you.
Just make sure you get the optional sidesteps to make life easier for everyone, please.
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