The 2020 Ram 1500 Rebel Ecodiesel
When truck people get together, great things happen. When they're engineers at Ram? It's even better. The all-new Ram 1500 has proven itself to be a worthy rig in nearly every form, with the Rebel Ecodiesel showing the world that "exceptionally rugged" and "brilliantly refined" can exist in nearly perfect harmony. It's a truck lover's dream come true.
Wearing aggressive 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracs with blackened plastic trim around the fenders, a bulging vented hood, and Ram's "mustache" grill, the Rebel distinguishes itself from other, tamer Ram 1500 trims. It's clear that the Rebel was built to wander sasquatch country—a task it undoubtedly handles quite well. However, don't let its rough and tumble exterior fool you—this Ram 1500 is every bit as luxurious as it is tough.
Our test model came equipped with Ram's four-corner air suspension, which provided a firm but comfortable ride, great body control, and adjustable ride height. Inside, acres upon acres of leather-wrapped surfaces, an IMAX-sized 12-inch touch screen, and heated front seats and steering wheel set the mood. It's a nice place to be, and rightfully so—I drove the Ecodiesel Rebel from South Denver's Dry Creek Light Rail station to Empower Field at Mile High and back (34.8 miles) to the tune of 30.1 MPG. With the optional 33-gallon fuel tank, that's over 900 miles of beef-jerky-chewing, coffee-drinking, road-trip-going range.
Behind the wheel, the Ram Rebel steering is heavy, and like most trucks, not necessarily communicative. Yet the air suspension keeps all 5,300-plus lbs. of truck well-mannered and responsive. Under the hood, the 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine sounds like a much bigger diesel rig, and with 480 lb ft, pulls like one. Once you reach cruising speed, however, the Ram is as quiet as a library on Friday night.
In my week with the Rebel, it was hard to find any major fault with the truck. It even got me through 4-6 inches of snow without having to use 4-wheel-drive, most of which is due to ground clearance + weight + excellent tires. Sure, the window switch panel could be elevated a touch, manually selecting the gears takes a stretch of the thumb, and perhaps the steering felt a bit too heavy for non-truck aficionados ... But for me? I wouldn't hesitate to recommend parting with the $70,880 green pieces of paper it takes to get one.
