2019 Ram 1500 Rebel 12 Crew Cab

Final report: A year of many ups and few downs

- SEAN P. HOLMAN

If we had to sum up our year with the 2019 Pickup Truck of the Year-winning Ram 1500 Rebel 12 in one word, it would be “incredible.” We couldn’t have been more impressed with the truck. It is the perfect mix of luxury, tech, comfort, capability, and reliability. In fact, other than scheduled service, the Ram had no issues during its stay (although there were a few minor recalls that the dealer took care of during scheduled maintenance).

Overall, the Rebel proved itself an exceptional family hauler that was ready for a weekend of warrioring whenever the spirit moved us. It was impressively quiet around town, and one would never guess this truck came with aggressive tires and a commensurate amount of off-highway capability. The responsive 5.7L Hemi V-8 forever had gobs of torque on tap, and the eight-speed automatic was fantastic at selecting gears if a little too soft-shifting for our tastes. We loved the tremendous amount of interior space, interior storage cubbies, and overall amenities, plus the RamBoxes made the track just that much more flexible (ever go to the grocery store with the entire family and realize there was no room for the grocery bags inside the cab?).

The biggest compliment about the Rebel 12 may have come from our significant other, who stated this was her favorite test vehicle we’d ever brought home. We think it’s the incredible ride that won her over, or maybe the fact that a toddler in a front-facing seat in the back wasn’t close enough to kick the rear of the front seats.