2019 Ram HD Pricing: Value and Opulence Collide

When it comes to vastly profitable full-size and heavy duty pickups, there’s few options one can’t tick a box for. The next-generation Ram 2500 and 3500 are no different. Load one up, and you’ll never want for creature comforts.

Others prefer getting more for less, and on that score the 2019 Ram HD still holds up its end, though Fiat Chrysler will gladly accept an extra two grand from buyers looking to secure torque bragging rights.

For 2019, Ram’s largest trucks ditch the SLT trim level, moving the popular Big Horn trim lower on the price scale (check out the earlier link for content details on each of these new trucks). But let’s start lower than that — at the entry-level Tradesman.

An honest-to-goodness work truck, the 2500 Tradesman asks an extra $350 for the base regular cab/long-wheelbase model, putting its after-destination price at $35,090. This represents a mild bargain, as all 2019 Ram HDs gain a standard 6.4-liter V8 to replace last year’s base 5.7-liter, mated to an eight-speed automatic. Upgrading the gas powerplant used to cost $500.

With SLT out of the way, 2500 Big Horn models come in at $39,430 after destination — a significant climbdown from last year’s pricing. Tradesman and Big Horn are the only trim levels with regular cab availability. Things start to head uphill with the more well-appointed Laramie; a 2019 three-quarter ton Laramie tacks on an extra $555 to its entry price, or $50,795 after destination. The even more plush Laramie Longhorn climbs $1,155 to start, with a pricing floor of $57,995.

Buyers looking for added brawn will be pleased to learn the testosterone-dripping 2019 Power Wagon starts at $545 less than last year’s model, but the same realization does not await those seeking a top-flight Limited. For 2019, the decked-out luxo truck starts at $62,995 after destination — some $2,655 more than last year’s gilded bruiser.

As the 2019 Ram HD line has more configurations than a Rubik’s Cube, we can only give you the basics, lest this piece begin resembling the Old Testament. None of the prices quoted include four-wheel drive or even a whisper of optional equipment. And certainly not a diesel powerplant.

The pricing strategy of the 2500 models carries over to the one-ton 3500 models, with the base Tradesman model rising $400 to $36,540 after destination. FCA’s decision to cull the SLT means the 3500 Big Horn sinks to fill the gap. That trim line starts at $40,790. From there, it’s off to the sky, with the Laramie’s $52,145 entry price coming in $705 dearer than before. Laramie Longhorn grows $1,405 at the bottom end, stickering for $59,345, while a rear-drive Limited starts $3,105 higher than last year’s model ($64,345).

Opulence and space aplenty can be found in the range-topping 3500 4×4 Mega Cab Limited, which requires the outlay of 68,745 American dollars. Big price for a big truck? You bet, but don’t think for a second you’ll find a better deal at Ford.

If the standard 6.4-liter V8’s 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque sounds paltry, Ram has additional towing power available for a fee. Two options, actually, if you go the 3500 route. The reworked 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six diesel now comes in two flavors, with the lesser (but still upgraded) of the two being the only version available on 2500 models.

Lighter by 60 pounds, the entry-level Cummins makes 370 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque, blowing its oil-burning Detroit rivals out of the water, at least for the time being. For 2019, opting for the lesser diesel will set you back 200 fewer dollars than before ($9,100). Gaining the 400 hp, 1,000 lb-ft version won’t be such a value-packed proposition, however, as Ram demands $11,795 for the privilege.

Adjust your pricing math accordingly.

[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]