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Ram has a rightful reputation of consistently producing strong, reliable, and eye-catching trucks year after year. As a result, it’s no surprise that the 2020 Ram 1500 has received numerous accolades and awards. According to Ram’s website, Motor Trend, Consumer Guide, and IIHS all selected this truck to win their top awards, so let’s find out what makes the Ram 1500 so award-worthy. 

Is the 2020 Ram 1500 really such a good truck?

Ram has won Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year award three years in a row now, making it clear that Ram knows how to artfully craft and construct a truck that drivers will love.

The Ram 1500 also won the Motor Trend Truck of the Year in 2019, and the Ram Heavy Duty has also previously taken home the award. Motor Trend calls the 2020 Ram 1500 TRX a game-changer and claims that it sets a new precedent about what is possible on and off-road. 

The 2020 Ram 1500 has a great towing capacity, topping out at over 8,000 lbs. Many users purchase trucks for the raw power and towing capacity, and the Ram 1500 clearly delivers on these metrics.

However, this impressive machine can also drive and handle like a sports car, and the pros at Motor Trend gush about how fun it is to drive. 

Ram has won this award for 13 years in a row

The writers at Consumer Guide were undoubtedly impressed by the 2020 Ram 1500’s increased size, yet lighter weight than previous models.

The 2020 version is about 4 inches longer than past trucks, but the use of high-strength steel and aluminum make this truck lighter, yet even more powerful than its predecessor. 

One notable consideration for this award is that the 2020 Ram 1500 gets excellent gas mileage, especially considering how much power it actually produces.

Consumer Guide reports that the V6 engine gets 25 MPG in the city, and 20 MPG on the highway with two-wheel drive, and slightly less for four-wheel drive.

The V8 engine is a bit less fuel-efficient at an estimated 15 MP in the city, and 22 MP on the highway with two-wheel drive, and again, slightly less with four-wheel drive. For these reasons and more, the Ram 1500 also received the Green Truck of the Year from Green Car Journal. 

It’s also hard to ignore the luxurious feel of the interior, including a 12-inch touch screen display, heated front and rear seats, and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capabilities. 

How safe is the 2020 Ram 1500?

Consumers looking for the whole package when it comes to trucks must also consider the safety features that come standard with their prospective purchase.

Fortunately, the 2021 Ram 1500 features numerous safety innovations that can help prevent accidents and mitigate physical harm when they do occur. On IIHS’s report card, the 2021 Ram 1500 receives the highest marks possible for crashworthiness, or how well it can protect passengers in case of an accident. 

Some versions of the truck earned a few marks off for minor safety features, but this truck overall excels where it matters most: how well it can keep drivers, and their families, safe from harm. 

A is truly hard to beat full-size truck

A red 2020 Ram 1500 on display at an auto show
A Ram truck on display | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Ram is one of the key players on the truck scene, making it difficult for other truck manufacturers to keep up and even try to compete. Ram consistently manages to integrate incredible innovation, practicality, and fun into all of their trucks, but especially into the Ram 1500.

It will certainly be exciting to see what Ram does moving forward to try to compete with the Silverado and F-150.

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