Zac Quinn 
Sixteen years ago, all the way back in 2008 (feel old yet?) soon-to-be-bankrupt parent company Chrysler Group and Dodge made its way to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where it prepared to unveil the fourth-generation of the Ram 1500 pickup for the 2009 model year. When it came to market in the fall of 2008, the DS Ram 1500 carried a starting price of $23,600 USD.
Fast forward to 2018, where Chrysler Group has since gone through two mergers, and Ram is now a separate brand from Dodge. This is when the fifth-generation DT Ram 1500 was introduced for the 2019 model year. Significantly, this new truck carried a much higher starting price, at $31,695 USD. Knowing that this would displace both fleet customers and frugal retail buyers, while also failing to answer to GM and Ford in the midsized truck market, Ram decided to keep the fourth-generation truck on sale as the Ram 1500 Classic for the more budget conscious among us. To this day, this truck that was first introduced in 2008 is still on sale. In fact, it was just confirmed for the 2024 model year.
Details regarding the 2024 Ram 1500 Classic remain slim for now, but the truck may receive small changes to its options. It is still only available in two trims: Tradesman and Warlock. Both trims will likely have a standard-issue 3.6-liter V6, with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 offered as an upgrade. An eight-speed automatic handles the power, and though the design dates back to a time when the only digital screen you could have in your car was a laggy (and very bulky) GPS suctioned to your windshield, there’s a 7-inch touchscreen in the center stack. Indeed, it looks and feels dated, but at this point Stellantis (née FCA) has had over a decade to iron out any remaining kinks of this truck, and therefore could be a good long-term ownership play.
As for pricing, it’s believed it won’t change much from the 2023 model year, which is part of why the Ram 1500 Classic is a thing: it’s relatively affordable. 2023 models started at $34,340 USD. While over $10,000 USD more expensive than originally (partly because it starts as a crew cab, and not a two door), it’s still around $6,000 less than the cheapest DT 2024 Ram 1500, and $4,000 below an entry-level F-150 and Silverado 1500 pickup truck. At the same time, a base 2024 Chevrolet Colorado, which is a midsized truck with less power and capability, stickers at $31,095 USD with the destination fee. In other words, for a few grand more, you could have a lot more truck. And what’s the American car market better at than a good deal? That’s right, nothing.
