I expect to see lots of these in advertisements and almost none of them on dealer lots. Full sized pickup, V-8, under $30K! And when you get there they show you something for another $15,000.

Sacrifice? These can be optioned up quite nicely still. I also think the fact that these are offered in virtually all cab/bed and drive configurations indicates that most of what might be "given up" by the average consumer isn't what cars.com staff think is important.
Sure, there's no V6 or diesel option, but there is one heck of a nice V8 Hemi there to power this thing.... what's not to love!

This truck has more options then a loading truck from ten years ago. That said you can get a loaded sport for under 30K with rebates in a regular cab 4x2. I only paid 35K for a loaded quad cab sport 4x4.

Complaining about power locks in a regular cab non console truck? Yeesh! I have a 83 W-150 with manual windows as a toy, and an 87 D-250 that has the power windows/locks, that is a parts donor, I believe I will skip that!

@Montesa_VR: these have been around dealerships equipped like this for awhile, you just can't see out of your Toyota windows, what is your mode of transportation? Probably your mom and dad's FJ Cruiser, and you sit in the back? That's understandable, as a person has to lean forward to see out.

I bet you won't see too many Tundras that can come close to this price.

And yet the Crewmaxs, Toyota has highly discounted.

~$30k for a base, regular cab?
And it still only gets 13/16mpg?

What is this world coming to?

Considering that the review tester that Aaron was driving has probably been thrashed hard by every reviewer from EVERY magazine out there, I'm not surprised that the trans might be on the clunky side. Most of the recent RAM trucks have great automatics.

@MaXx

This is clearly not your bag. I hear there are free charging stations in many towns across the country. Now you just need to find an all electric pickup, or maybe a geo thermal powerplant upgrade.

Wow I do not see the value proposition in a new truck these days!

16 MPG mixed in a stripped truck (other than the 20's) doens't seem that special to me near 29K. If the price point were the low 20's I'd be all over it.

Stripped trucks for the homowner starting at 30k going up to a loaded luxery towing rigt at 75k. I am not sure form where customers are comming to buy ~200k units per month(across the industry).

What's to like? Crappy fuel economy with too much pickup missing. Little no one buys regular cab short box pickups. Probably only good for housewives who complain about parking normal sized pickups.

TRX-Tom, my parents were dead ten years before the FJ Cruiser was sold here, so I never had a chance to ride in the back of theirs. Hate much?

Mark, no one pays sticker for these things. You could buy this truck in the low 20's. That said trucks are way over priced. Ford and GM are making 25K in profit on loaded trucks.

I have a 2014 Ram 1500 Regular Cab Big Horn with the Pentastar V-6 and it is optioned out very nicely. It is a very comfortable truck with pretty much power everything, widows, drivers seat, locks. It also has the bucket seats with the full center console.

It gets very good fuel mileage and pulls my 22 foot center console hard t-top deep-V hull boat with no problem at all.

The truck MSRP was $31,650, I got it out the door after discounts and trade for $11,997. My trade was a 2008 Ram 1500 4x4 quad cab.

This truck is incredible and per the SAE J2807 standard it is rated to tow 7,600 pounds with that Pentastar V-6 and 8 speed transmission and has a cargo capacity of 1,590 pounds.

I think this is a nice gem, reminds me of the Lil Red Expresses of 78' & 79'

~$30k for a base, regular cab?
And it still only gets 13/16mpg?

What is this world coming to?
Posted by MaXx

"My week with the truck averaged a spot-on 16 mpg in an even mix of city and highway driving."

What part of that makes you say 13/16? There isn't even a 13 in any part of the mileage rating, 14/20 combined 16, lol, he actually got the advertised combined mileage, in combined driving!

Not good enough? The optional 8 speed is 15/22 combined 17, but if you were SOOOOO concerned, you would buy a 6 cylinder and get more mileage then about any Toyota.

@Montesa_VR: it's not about hate, it's about stupidity, or the type comment we get from you, which shows you have no clue what is on the lots. Apparently you didn't get where I was coming from.

On another note, sorry about your parents, I lost my mom before I was 29, and my dad before I was 38.

^Toyota gas burning truck, that is.

This is a good value considering engine power output. You can't even get a stripped down muscle car for that price. I wish they made a non Tremor F150 RCSB with an Ecoboost to compete with this price wise like maybe in an STX trim. The Tremor is just too damn expensive for what it is. This at the right starting price point if I were looking for a regular cab "sports" truck.

Looks like a good value truck.

I still find them ugly like those Korean Ssyangyong pickups.

30K seems a bit much even by Canadian standards but this truck does come with the 5.7 Hemi. I doubt that you could get a Camaro, Mustang or Challenger with a powerful V8 for that price.

A 4x2 reg cab short box with a V6 would be an ideal starter vehicle for my boys. They can haul their toys, the cab configuration limits passenger distractions, and will get decent mpg.

The V8 is great for a base hot-rod project.

Sharp looking truck.

"but in the case of the 2014 Ram 1500 Express, the content you'll have to sacrifice to get there may be too much"

Totally agree. Add about $10k onto that to get it where its half way decent.

What are they talking about???!!! LOL In Apirl I got a 2014 Express Black Edition Quad Cab for $27,500

I just built a basic Tradesman CrewCab 4x4 with power windows and 5.7 for 39,900. So yeah about $11,260 more.

I agree with Joe above, the 3rd comment.

Sports can be had for 36K after the destination fee (which is on par with other trucks, and they are mostly trucked, not railhead)

That's 36K before you take off any incentives, who pays damn near MSRP? Oh, Honda people...

If it was a SLT, you could get it for less then 27K out the door.

Lol, the folks constantly thinking trucks should cost what their 2005 model did....

Research and Development costs, if you think it should all be free, maybe your 2004 (insert favorite brand name) truck that gets crappy mileage like new ones, can't haul as well as new ones, poor crash protection, lots of wind noise, poor stopping, and not so many options, is for you!^Toyota gas burning truck, that is.

@Big Al: I don't see the Korean whatever, but these look loads better then a Maz-da truck.

^crappy mileage COMPARED TO new ones.

@ Jason: maybe with every possible option a crew Tradesman 5.7 can have, and that's also going to 4x4, where this is a 4x2.

At that point, why wouldn't a person just get an SLT package? Or Big Horn?

Tom, You lie!

I only added to the Trademan: power windows, 5.7 crewcab and 4x4.

My point is to get one half way decent is $11k more to START.

That's a stripped own Tradesman with power windows, crewcab, 4x4, 5.7, 8 speed. $38,685.
- $28,380 (as tested here) = $10,300 more.

"But, Jason, What does this have to do with anything?" It has everything to do with everything.

Lou ran into something similar at the Ram dealership. He wasn't asking about the Tradesman, but the 28 mpg EcoDiesel.

The dealer blew him off and said they were all sold. When Lou asked about it again they said they wanted a $1000 deposit before he could look at them. He left.

Then the next day the salesman called Lou back and said he could test drive any of them without a deposit. Did they all become automatically unsold? We never did get a full explanation.

" I'm not surprised that the trans might be on the clunky side. "

@papa jim,

I'm not either. Ram/Chrysler trannys are having the same tranny problems in both 6 speed and 8 speed. It's not due to being a test truck.

http://www.ramforum.com/f38/transmission_problems_breaking-42153/

@Greg,

I call total BS on Lou BC not being allowed to look at an ecodiesel unless he put down a $1,000 dollars.

Now I could understand if Lou BC is always going to the Ram dealer and bugging them to test drive their new trucks and they have come to know he will never buy one that they would tell Lou BC to piss off.

In other news about Ford they feel they can bend their customers over a barrel and charge them $4,000 dollars more per truck over Ram and Chevy/GMC.

Brian Johnson, automotive analyst for Barclays, said that Ford’s price increase is a signal that it intends to open its pricing lead over GM and Fiat Chrysler to $3,000 to $4,000 per unit. Recently, that gap has fallen to $1,000 as Ford raised financial incentives on its outgoing model.

Mike Levine, a Ford spokesman, said the price increase on the new pickups reflects additional features, such as telescoping steering wheels, screens for digital information and additional speakers for the sound system. “This is not a gamble, it’s an investment,” Levine said.

http://fortune.com/autos/ford-aluminum-pickup-price/?xid=ob_rss

Well if Ford can pull that off then I will have to say they have the dumbest customers in the world. What Ford is listing as additional features is pretty skimpy if you ask me.

Who the heck buys a 2x4 pickup? I guess folks in places where it never snows or never leave paved roads.

Still too expensive for what it is.

Muscle cars have gotten too expensive also and these "hot rod" pickups don't even come close in performance. I bought a 2001 1SC (zero option) Z28 for around $19K OTD brand new. It would have destroyed a pickup like this. Then again (except for the out going Mustang) they now have IRS and are moving upscale somewhat.

Also, I tend to agree that many dealerships do NOT carry many pickups with few options. I bought my 2008 4x4, double-cab, 5.7L Tundra for $25.4 OTD--and it had the only options I wanted the tow and cold weather package. Most of the other dealerships I shopped had much more loaded rigs.

https://www.staceydavid.com/episodes/ram-1500-express-2664

This Hemi express is a good start to a hot rod. Supercharger etc.. You can get one for 20,000.

Base model and lower priced pickups certainly have their advantages. I still remember back in the 80's when those type of trucks were much more common.

I would have no problem driving such a truck, base model regular cab with an 8' bed. It's a very practical truck.

The problem is that nowadays, those trucks are looked down as being "cheap" and it's assumed a base model truck will be used solely as a work truck. The have close to nothing resale value.

I feel like no one really puts any thought into making base model trucks look nice. They really do have a "cheap" look to them. In some respects it might be on purpose to insure that most buyers move up to the higher trim levels.

For under $30k? HELL, go build one on the Ram website with just short bed regular cab 5.7L and 2wd for only $22,615. Who the hell cares if you have crank windows?

For those of you who condescendingly ask who drives regular cab trucks, go drive to any construction jobsite and take a good look around.

@Greg, Ram Big Horn 1500 - Greg is correct. Our town has a "super sale" every year where all of the dealerships set up shop on our fair grounds. It is a perfect venue to check every kind of vehicle you want at the same time. I was looking at Rams and a salesman approached me. I told him I was looking for an Ecodiesel. They had one there that was sold. He told me they could set me up for a test drive with a 500 dollar deposit because they sell out fast.
They proceeded to spend all of their time trying to sell me a Pentastar 1500. Even the owner put in his 2 bits worth. I test drove the V6 but it had a rough downshift into 1st (happened twice) and the tailgate rattled like it was full of nails.
I told him I wasn't interested in the V6 and didn't really want a 5.7.
Three days later they phoned me and said they had a few on the lot that I could test drive.

Good color for a Ram pickup because it will bleed you to death with repairs. Just ask my son!

Wow- aaron should probably refrain from calling this one an "expert review".
The 8speed trans would not have been any quicker than a Hemi/6spd/3.92 gear truck. More fuel efficient, but not faster. And more expensive.
Not flashy? You can get all the chrome you can stand for very little money.
Cross-breeze on a hot day? Pretty sure it has AC.
Not much for safety? Has front and side bags, stability control and performs really well in crash tests... What's the problem?????
Piss about the middle seat (the lady seat) without trying it....
the writer sounds like he needed a 4-door tester for the week(end) and got this instead- so he was forced to hate it.

If you're looking for value in a P/U right now, Ram isn't the place- keep your eyes on your local Ford dealer- with completely new trucks on the way, DEEEEEEP incentives will start to roll by Labor Day.

Mr Knowitall, the local Ram dealer here in central Florida is pushing a deal on 2014 Ram Express Hemi double cab trucks.

139 per month. 3k down. 2 year lease.

There is no cheaper way to buy/lease a half ton V8 without going to the junkyard.

I was able to pickup a 2012 Express Reg Cab for 19,990 brand new off the lot a few years ago. @ cars.com: I don't need features, I need a 390 hp V8. You can keep the bluetooth and power windows.

Jason, spin it how you want, you add 4x4, and crew,two of the most expensive options.

The Tradesman has a few other things on it like sprayed in bedliner, that somebody would likely do.

If you give that much for one, you are foolish.

@Dav: Nah, there are never any of the lower cost trucks at the dealers, well, maybe the one dealer near you, or maybe you are like Montesa_VR, and you have no idea, and are just talking out your ass? Way to compare an OUT THE DOOR price of a stripped 2001 CAR vs MSRP of a 2014 truck. True the car can outperform it in corners, acceleration, and mileage, duh, it's a much lighter car with less wind resistance. How did that Camaro tow 7-8 thousand pounds, or hold 1400 pounds?

http://www.corwindodgeramofspringfield.com/all-inventory/index.htm?start=0&sortBy=internetPrice+asc&compositeType=new&make=Ram&year=2014&model=1500&

This place has a good balance of lower cost and high end trucks. In a good sized town, but not some big huge city. Maybe you live in Podunk? BFE? The Boondocks?

Go back to your one bar town and hang with Montesa.

The eight speed transmission is a learning transmission, you have to put some miles on it for the shifting to become smooth.

I do not believe you about the tailgate, I have a 2014 Ram with the Pentastar and the eight speed transmission and the tailgate does not rattle at all. In fact nothing in this truck rattles.

Just because you are not educated on the Ram product Lou BC, that is not any ones fault but yours.

Funny how old Greg said Lou would have to pay $1,000, and Lou himself tells a different story, $500. Nothing like exaggeration.

Sounds like a Canadian thing. I jumped in a 50 something K Laramie Eco-Diesel 4x4, no deposit, no pressure. Maybe you should have worn deodorant?

I had no rattles with my 2010 tailgate, but trolls like Lou will make up anything.

@Papa Jim: See, only two trucks are over 8K off, those are about 8300 off of loaded SLT 4x4 CREWcabs, (Big Horn, with Katzkin leather, about all you can get on an SLT based truck except air suspension) in August. Shootfire, GM had 8K off double cabs 3-4 months ago, and 10K off crew cabs.

LOL, I can see the water cooler talk at the GM dealership: "well, we tried to sell these new ****box trucks for profit, had to go back to high discounts" "yeah....maybe they will think of something else, or throw more in to make it an easier sell" "yeah, I just let a 5.3 go for 10,000 under MSRP,"

Ram trucks fully complying with J2807 standards in 2015 with the added bonus of knowing that those who purchased 2013 and 2014 model year Rams that they as well meet the J2807 standard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpKZ29jrHro#t=12

@TRX-4 Tom - and you have never accidentally misquoted someone else?

The Chrysler/Dodge/Ram dealer in my town is notorious for pulling sh!t on customers.
I had a friend go their with his pregnant wife and 2 year old in tow to look at minivans. The one advertised for "the low price of" was the one he wanted to see. They brought him to a windowless cargo van. It looked nothing like the one in the flyer of which he had one in hand.
The BS they pulled on me is just another sales tactic.

That same dealer was fined for false advertising.

@Clueless BC

Then don't go to that dealer but for you to try and make it sound like all Ram dealers make you pay a $1000 dollar deposit to test drive an ecodiesel is completely dishonest on your part and nothing more than you trying to discredit the Ram brand that you hate so much.

Instead of spending all your time hating on Ram whey don't you enjoy your Ford's instead, now I know that your Ford's are not J2807 certified and in any test that uses the J2807 standard your Ford's are going to get their asses handed to them when they fail the testing due to over heating and such but hey look at the bright side, as long as the press brought along hot dogs and marsh mellows everything will be fine as the Fords are sitting on the side of the road burning to the ground.

@Lou in BC: well, it sure funny how Greg had a MOTIVE to misquote.

I bet I can find GM and Ford places doing the same, just because you or I haven't been to one of them doing that, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

As for the the Ford/Ram place near me, I just went and asked about an Ecodiesel, they were like, yeah, it's right there, you wanna drive it? No pressure at all. I will say they said "no incentives" on it, meanwhile another dealer near me had 6k off a high 40k SLT well loaded, and it was gone fairly fast.

It's also funny Lou said the Ram had a rough downshift, I never noticed that in driving 1. An 8 speed Hemi crew 4x4, 2. An 8 speed 3.6 4x2 crew, 3. a Charger 3.6 8 speed, 4. An Eco-diesel 4x4.

But yet Fords are WELL KNOWN for a rough downshift, as well as GM 6 speeds (I never drove one, no desire, but my 4 speed 2006 Chevy was clunky)

I never heard any tailgate noise, not new, not with 42k, and not even after I dented mine....

Is it possible Lou only says negative about Ram? Hmmmmm

I will agree the Ram 8 speed has a rough 2 to 1 downshift but like I said it is a learning transmission. Once it reaches a certain point it calms down.

But Clueless BC knows that, he just like to use anything to bash Ram trucks.

Ram Trucks, the first to fully certify 1500, 2500 and 3500 series trucks under the SAE J2807 standard.

Better yet Ram trucks from 2013 and 2014 model years also will meet the SAE J2807 standard.

I would like to see the 6.4 HEMI dropped into this Express Package! They would sell a boat load!