![]() Rivalry aside, the TRX is an impressive and intimidating machine, and one that we named to our 2021 10Best list and gave it an Editors' Choice award. The Hellcat-powered half-ton has the Ford F-150 Raptor squarely in its sights, but until its Blue Oval rival adds more power and steps up its interior game, the Ram rules. I think the truck makes the most sense if you live out west, somewhere with sand dunes or big fields to romp around.The battle for the best high-performance pickup truck just got interesting now that the 702-horsepower Ram 1500 TRX has entered the arena. Ram introduced the TRX to the media out in Nevada, where sandy, soft deserts abound. Fuel economy is predictably awful (I think I averaged nine) but… what do you want from a studio apartment on wheels that can jump things? I do wish the brake pedal instilled more confidence, and while the TRX’s interior is class-leading, it could use seats like the Recaros available in Ford’s Raptor to really round out the “performance truck” vibes. It’s all tremendously silly-yet-functional and while it’s the wrong truck for most truck buyers, it’ll be perfect for some. The big V8 and its supercharger pulley whine bring out the kid in all of us, doubly so with the too-wide fenders and spare tire in the bed. The 20 TRX is a showcase in “what if” engineering. The TRX encourages hoonery and is entirely composed as you mash the skinny pedal, flail at the steering wheel, and stand on the brakes. ![]() It handled as well off-road as it did on the pavement – if not better. I did as many “passes” of the field as I could before Anne’s students arrived, and each time, I gained more confidence in the TRX. Ram trx hellcat full#Getting the suspension anywhere near its full extension feels like you’re taking flight, even with all four tires still on the ground. It was the perfect scenario to get the fancy Bilsteins, set to Baja mode, unloaded as much as possible. We got some photos and I carefully eased the truck rearward.įinally, we took advantage of the horse training fields and their long, straight, groomed surface. “If you go any further, the hitch is gonna dig into the ground,” Jeff said. I eased the truck up the hill more and more, until the nose was pointed skyward. Jeff spotted me and confirmed the approach angle of the TRX would work. The front-facing camera was useless here, showing me a screen full of dirt and grass. I drove over to a dirt pile that was as high as the TRX’s hood. The locking rear diff and all-terrains put in some work and I backed out with minimal hassle. I attempted a water crossing, but stopped when I felt the truck sliding toward the center of the unknown-depth pond. I felt confident doing silly things with the 6,400 pound T-Rex – we were a team and both on the same page about having some fun. Judicious throttle would allow for some tail-out fun through a turn, yet the truck remained relatively flat, composed, and easy to control. The Bilstein shocks provided a comfortable ride across rutted terrain, and speed was just not an issue. In the back field, the TRX’s capabilities were impressive. So, farm fields were my next best choice. Our trails truly aren’t wide enough for the TRX, unless I wanted to return it covered in surprise pinstripes. The TRX is eight inches wider than a “normal” Ram 1500 thanks to its fender flares that accommodate the 35″ tires. ![]() I would have taken the TRX down a true ORV trail, but it’s wide. The “back field” was more rutted, with a few hills to climb and water to ford. The groomed horse fields, used for training, were long and smooth, with rolling hills. Jeff and Anne’s farm offered two types of fields for my hooning pleasure. “And Now, it’s Time to Hoon” – Off-Roading the 20 TRX So, I called up a friend and his wife, who own a horse farm a few hours outside Washington, D.C., and spent a day towing with the TRX – and probing its off-road capabilities as best as we could given we don’t live near any sand dunes. ![]() How well does the Ram TRX tow a trailer? Of course, when you’re lent an adult-sized Tonka truck, it’d be ridiculous to conduct the entire review within the paved confines of a city environment. ![]() My intent with this review was similar to every other thing-with-hitch test we conduct. Given the Hellcat-all-the-things mantra that’s propagated nearly everything at this point (I’m still waiting on a Pacifica Hellcat, y’all), it should come as no surprise that the 20 TRX comes standard with a 702 horsepower, supercharged V8 as its mode of propulsion. It’s now 2021, and the men and women of Stellantis (formerly FCA) have put up one hell of a competitor in the form of the 20 TRX. Launched eleven years ago, the Raptor took a regular F-150 pickup and transformed it to an off-road “race truck” of sorts, able to be off-roaded at high speed while remaining (mostly) street friendly. I’m surprised it’s taken this long to get a formidable competitor to Ford’s F-150 Raptor. ![]()
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