The 2026 Ram 1500 Express has debuted as a budget-friendly version of the brand’s full-size pickup. The spiritual successor to the Ram 1500 Classic starts at $44,495, including destination charges. In the Ram 1500 lineup, the Express will be slotted between the bare-bones Tradesman and mid-range Big Horn trims.
“The Express is the latest drop in Ram’s product offensive,” Ram brand CEO Tim Kuniskis said. “We started the 2025 model year with a new Ram 1500 and new Ram Heavy Duty lineup. With the platforms refreshed, we begin rolling out trim level enhancements.”
The Ram 1500 Express is available with a Quad Cab or Crew Cab body. The standard engine is a Pentastar 3.6L V6 making 305 horsepower, and a Hurricane 3.0L turbo I6 is optional. Standard features include 20-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and black-bezel LED headlights. An available Black package will add a sport hood, black badging, black wheels, side steps, and an upgraded interior with black cloth bucket seats, a 7-inch gauge cluster, and a floor console for an extra $995.
“The sunset of our Ram 1500 Classic makes the Express a natural front-runner. We have 25 more product announcements planned within the next 18 months, ranging from mild to wild with something for every truck buyer,” Kuniskis said.
This truck is likely intended to appeal to midsize truck shoppers as a full-size option that starts at under $45k. It’s the Ram brand’s budget pickup while we await the production of a midsize Ram truck to begin at the Stellantis Belvidere plant in Illinois, which could be an Americanized version of the unibody Ram Rampage that’s sold in Brazil.
The closest GM rivals to the Ram 1500 Express are the Chevy Silverado 1500 in the Work Truck and Custom trims and the Pro trim of the GMC Sierra 1500. These are also available with crew cab and extended cab bodies and are priced similarly. The 2026 Ram 1500 Express is available to order now, with deliveries beginning in the third quarter of 2025.
Comments
Still overpriced.
A vehicle starting at $45k is now somehow considered a deal or cheap. Its thats considered cheap auto industry thinks most Americans are wealthy and most are almost millionaires. Big 3 simply need to make small trucks that really are easy to afford. I think theres a huge market for small trucks in America, look how well the Toyota Tacoma has done and for so many years now.
Also I feel full size trucks are too big these days and probably one of the main reasons they all cost so much. Full size 1500 truck these days is the size of 2500 series trucks back in 90s and early 2000s. How many of us really need a truck that big???
@Dave
I agree with you 100%, because my son’s 98 c/k1500 is the size of a Colorado and Canyon now!! Trucks are way overpriced because of all the tech garbage they have in them. I truly love my 2018 Denali, but there is just some nostalgia, when I jump into that 98 truck and DRIVE IT!!! I love how it has NO fancy buttons, or vibrating seat warning me I’m to close to the center line, or dumb chime telling me to take hold of the steering wheel. I just get in, adjust the mirrors and drive. Love it!!
Trucks need to go back to that simplicity for a base model, yet keep the price down! $45K for a depreciating asset is ridiculous. Also, the truck has taken over as “family haulers” instead of trucks used for work.
The amount of features in a truck and those buying them are the reasons for the price hikes. Years ago I looked at the trend vs price of trucks when they started adding luxury features in the 90’s to cars in the same time frame. Prices for trucks trim for trim increased 50% more than similar cars (from base price as well as to added luxury trims). It goes hand in hand with those buying them that have no business buying them as a status symbol and demanding all those luxury features their previous luxury sedan had. As more sales goes to those guys, the costs gets passed down through the line driving up the base price. You think suburban bob buying the platinum with the massaging seats doesn’t drive up the cost of the WT version? Those testing and implementation costs get passed through the line.
It is sad as those that need and use a truck for their business or work can’t afford a 40K entry point because this guy needs an ego stroke (in reality people just laugh at them, especially when they are lifted or real car guys spot the lies like a hitch in the back that has never been used or off road parts with a clean undercarriage or rear axle/leafs; not hard to spot poseurs which more often than not are). It has just been getting worse with off road trims and their popularity and only coming in top of the line luxury trims. A ZR2 or AT4 shouldn’t be the top trim with leather seats and mood lighting luxuries, those aren’t the guys who are going to use it. It should be an option package starting at the bottom and going through mid level, it shouldn’t be an option to get the top off road package with massaging seats, seriously?
That is the reality in the costs, if these guys would stop buying them and buy what they actually use and need it would keep costs more reasonable and workers could actually afford to have a new reliable vehicle for their business to use rather than having to pick up a 5-10 year old truck with who knows the maintenance records or prior use. Shoot, a nice mid size luxury CUV is better in every way than a top trim truck, it even has more total interior room and rides better than any truck could dream of while being quieter, better on gas, faster and safer in most cases (avoiding an accident and not rolling over at the two best ways to not get killed in an accident and CUV’s and luxury cars do a much better job at that than any truck could dream of).
I’m afraid the #1 thing that will bring down the price of trucks is reducing buisness taxes. Right now, contractors, small business owners and farmers all use truck purchases as tax write offs. With lower taxes, trucks will return to the expense side of the equation and lower content and purchase price will be preferred.
The GOP needs to get off their @$$ and actually cut the budget and lower taxes to sub 15%
Agreed, but consumer spending is number one in my book. If people would just STOP buying. They would be forced to cut costs, offer lower interest rates. And have very high rebates!
But most people would rather not drop $500 to $100 on a repair. Or buy new tires for $1200. They don’t have that in their savings. So they impulsively go well “I can afford the same monthly payment I’ve always been paying, also roll that tax, title, and license into the payment for another $30/month. It’s shocking how many people out there don’t have a savings account and never ever account for “lifes unexpected things” that happen.
No,
A Tacoma costs more than this truck.
What needs to happen is stop using trucks to offset losses elsewhere. These trucks have over 10K profit per unit, accept 3-4K, for base models, 5-6 for premium. There, that drops this to now sub 40. Next, stop making everything so complicated. This truck has a car rear end with passive body dampers, proximity sensors, ETC. there’s no need for all that in a base model. Drop the Etorque as well. This could easily costs 20-25K if they actually tried to make a budget truck. Chevy sells the WT for sub 30 after incentives and still makes a decent profit. This is purely taking advantage of the market situation.