Don't Bother With The Hemi V8 In The 2026 Ram 1500

"What's Ram up to?" It's a question that has plagued automotive philosophers for several millennia (or at least the past few years). Since the truck brand announced that the Hemi V8 was no longer in the mix, the future looked promising with the Hurricane inline-6. Indeed, I reviewed a Ram 1500 Warlock with a Hurricane under the hood and was impressed with the power that two less cylinders can provide. 

Now, though, Ram has changed course and the Hemi is back. It's available in select trims, such as this newly V8-blessed 2026 Ram 1500 Laramie. Within the lineup, the Laramie sits right in the middle of the pack: well above the worktruck-spec Tradesman, yet under the off-road ready Rebel and more luxury-focused Longhorn and Tungsten Rams. For all intents and purposes, it's a commuter truck for everyday use. 

I do an at least vaguely convincing impression of an everyday Ram truck owner, so it's a good middle ground for a suburban setting. Functionally speaking, the Laramie is neither too barebones to the point where you don't want to spend any time in it, nor too fancy where it would be better off to just get a Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

This particular Hemi V8 carries a displacement of 5.7 liters and generates 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. It comes equipped with Ram's eTorque system, which consists of a little bit of help from a 48-volt starter generator: that's right, it's a mild hybrid with a fancy name. A nearly 400-horsepower V8 in a truck is all well and good, except that in this case it's a $1,200 option over the Hurricane inline-6, and it makes less horsepower and torque. The 3.0-liter Hurricane makes 420 horsepower and 469 pound-feet of torque. The V8, as cool as a Hemi sounds, is objectively a worse choice when it comes to power.

25 horsepower isn't a cosmic difference, especially if the Laramie still drives and performs well. So how does it drive? Honestly, not all that well. You get a lot of sound and fury when you stomp the accelerator of a Hemi-equipped Ram, but it doesn't seem to signify anything other than a fleeting sense of fake machismo. In other words, it's not all that fast. 

The mild hybrid system helps it lurch forward off the line, but it doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry after that. In comparison to the Warlock's punchy engine, the Hemi Laramie is a little dull (and also really loud thanks to this truck's optional sporty exhaust package). As much as it pains me to say of a Hemi car, it's pretty boring to drive and really not very fun.

On a Friday evening, I drove with my dad to Philadelphia to see former Talking Heads frontman and current weirdo genius David Byrne in concert. The show was great, but the truck was just lackluster. It's huge, and hard to park and drive in a city setting, and once you hit the highway it's only marginally quicker than other cars. I managed to get 17 miles a gallon, as opposed to EPA's estimate of 18 combined miles per gallon. The mild hybrid system isn't doing a lot towards fuel efficiency, that's for sure (and the EPA says the inline-six should get 20 mpg).

Inside, we were still firmly in the "fine" category. Heated and ventilated power front seats, combined with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, are all well and good; it even has air suspension that makes the truck at least a comfortable ride in addition to a boring one. A black leather interior with a giant touchscreen in place of most physical buttons and switches doesn't exactly lend itself to a memorable interior. It's not bad, it just doesn't stick out.

One quirk presented itself in the form of the passenger's optional screen above the glovebox. It had an HDMI input and could be set up to stream content. It was also polarized in a way where the driver couldn't see the screen, good from a safety perspective. I'd have gladly sacrificed it for a set of exterior running boards: the Ram sits high and occasionally requires a little bit of gymnastics and hoisting oneself to get into the cabin.

As for truck duties, the Hemi Ram has a maximum payload of 1,630 pounds and maximum towing capacity of 9,590 pounds. That's notably less than the maximum of 11,420 pounds you can tow with a Hurricane Ram. In every conceivable metric, the Hemi V8 is worse than the Hurricane. The V8 gets worse gas mileage, has less horsepower, and can tow/haul less. Are all those downsides worth it for the sake of saying you have a Hemi? 

As with any truck from the past several years, the Ram is not inexpensive, and this particular truck has a long list of optional extras. At time of testing, the 2026 Ram 1500 Laramie starts at $64,130. This one was painted in "Forged Blue Metallic" paint for $295, and the spray-in bedliner is $595. The towing technology group will set you back $595 and it will detect your trailer and help you line up to connect; the $1,695 trailer tow group gives you wider telescoping mirrors, utility lights, and the trailer steering control knob. Next, the $3,445 "Night" package gives you 22-inch wheels, an anti-spin rear differential, a sportier hood, and body color bumpers.

Alex Hevesy

There's still more in the form of the Laramie Level 2 group. It gives you a 14.4-inch display and the aforementioned Harman Kardon speakers for a healthy 2,745 extra dollars. The 3.92 rear axle ratio that provides a slight boost in towing capacity is $195. The Hemi V8 is $1,200, but at least you get a loud "G/T" exhaust and a fender badge that Ram calls the "Symbol of Protest." The $1,595 dual-pane sunroof, $1,995 air suspension package, and $995 Rambox storage compartments in the bed round things out. Throw in the destination charge of $2,195, and $81,675 is the total bill.

There are better trucks on the market for less money. That's an objective fact. And there are even better trucks within Ram's own lineup and those trucks have the distinction of not having a Hemi. There are even a number of electric trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning or GMC Sierra EV that can haul and tow more than the Ram when you spec it out with the right options. Ram for sure isn't making an EV anytime soon, having pulled the plug on its version, though eventually it'll have a range-extended plug-in hybrid. 

I am not anti-V8. V8s are inherently cool and I will always laugh with glee whenever an old muscle car drives by. I grew up thinking that the 426 cubic inch Hemi V8 that sat in Mopars of the 1960s and 1970s was the greatest American engine ever made. I can still make that argument today, but the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 that comes in new Ram trucks today is firmly not in the running. If I had to buy a Ram truck today, the Hurricane isn't just an easy choice to make. It's the only choice as far as I'm concerned.