2017 Ram 1500

5.7L HEMI V8 is the volume powertrain for 2017 — standard on Sport/Limited/Laramie/Laramie Longhorn and the most commonly optioned engine fleet-wide.

Peak torque for the volume 5.7L HEMI V8.

Multiple period instrumented tests of HEMI-equipped 2017 Ram 1500s cluster in the 6.6–7.0s range depending on cab/drivetrain weight; 6.6s reflects a mainstream 4x4 configuration.

The 5.7L HEMI V8 with cylinder deactivation (MDS) delivers strong, smooth power with seamless V8/V4 transitions; period reviews praised its refinement relative to segment rivals, with only minor pushrod-V8 coarseness under hard throttle.

The ZF-sourced TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic, standard across the 2017 lineup, was widely praised for crisp, well-timed shifts with no perceptible hunting — a standout versus rivals still on 6-speed transmissions.

Maximum conventional towing across the 2017 Ram 1500 lineup, achieved with the HEMI V8 and Max Tow package.

Maximum payload rating across the 2017 Ram 1500 lineup, best achieved on a lighter Regular Cab 4x2 configuration.

Trailer sway control is standard and an integrated trailer brake controller plus rearview/trailer camera are available on higher trims, but the 2017 model lacks trailer backup assist or steering aids, which arrived on the next generation.

4x4 is available (not standard) across most trims via an electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case with a true low range; the Rebel/Off-Road Group add more sophisticated off-road hardware but there is no multi-mode terrain selector across the line.

The Rebel trim (carried into 2017) adds Bilstein monotube shocks, a 1-inch suspension lift, 33-inch off-road tires, skid plates and a unique front bumper for improved approach angle, giving the lineup genuine dedicated off-road credibility.

Three distinct engines — 3.6L V6, 5.7L HEMI V8, and 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 — cover mainstream gas and efficiency-minded diesel buyers, but there is no hybrid, PHEV or EV option in 2017.

EPA combined rating for the volume 5.7L HEMI V8 4WD 8-speed configuration.

EPA city rating for the volume configuration.

EPA highway rating for the volume configuration.

Range computed from EPA combined MPG and the standard fuel tank capacity; a larger optional tank was available on some configurations.

EPA's annual fuel cost model for this configuration, at the lower end of the gasoline Ram 1500 range since the 8-speed 5.7L is the most efficient gas powertrain offered.

The 5.7L HEMI is EPA-rated on midgrade (89 octane) gasoline — recommended for rated output but not a hard premium requirement — putting it in the middle tier rather than running on cheap regular unleaded.

NHTSA's overall 4-star rating for the 2017 Ram 1500 (Quad Cab/Crew Cab 4x2 and 4x4) reflects strong side-impact protection offset by a weaker 3-star rollover score typical of a tall body-on-frame full-size truck.

IIHS rated the 2017 Ram 1500 Crew Cab Good on moderate overlap front, side, and head restraints, but Marginal on the small-overlap front (driver side) and Marginal on roof strength, with no Top Safety Pick award and no front crash prevention system tested (not offered). Headlights were Marginal-to-Poor across the trim range. The mix of Good and Marginal key-test results without an award places it in the lower-middle band.

The 2017 Ram 1500 (pre-redesign DS generation) offers no automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, or lane-keeping system at any trim level; blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert exist only as an optional package on Laramie and above. The volume trim (Tradesman/Big Horn/SLT) ships with none of the five core ADAS features.

No AEB system of any kind was offered on the 2017 Ram 1500; IIHS did not test front crash prevention because the truck has no forward-collision hardware.

Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection was available as an option, but only bundled into upper trims (Laramie and above) rather than offered broadly, and it is alert-only with no active intervention or trailer-aware coverage this generation.

No lane departure warning or lane keep assist system was offered on the 2017 Ram 1500 at any trim; Ram did not add lane-sense features until the 2019 fifth-generation redesign.

Adaptive cruise control was not offered on the 2017 Ram 1500; the truck has conventional cruise control only. ACC arrived with the redesigned 2019 Ram 1500.

No hands-free highway driving system existed in the 2017 Ram 1500 lineup or the broader truck segment at this time.

IIHS rated every 2017 Ram 1500 headlight configuration Marginal or Poor — no trim, including top-spec Limited, achieved a Good rating, and none offered a high-beam assist combination that scored above Poor.

The high seating position and tall greenhouse typical of a full-size crew/quad-cab truck give a commanding view forward and to the sides, though thick rear pillars and the cargo bed limit rear visibility; a standard backup camera partially compensates but there is no 360-degree camera system on the volume trim.

Quad Cab and Crew Cab configurations seat 5-6 and provide a usable rear bench with wide rear door openings for installing car seats, though LATCH lower anchors are set somewhat deep in the seat bight, a common full-size-truck compromise that makes installation workable but not effortless.

Crew Cab Big Horn seats six with the standard 40/20/40 front bench and 60/40 rear bench; bucket seats drop it to five.

Manufacturer-published front headroom for the Crew Cab, consistent across Big Horn trim.

Manufacturer-published front legroom for the volume Crew Cab configuration.

Second-row headroom for the Crew Cab, which is the configuration families/buyers choose for rear-seat room.

Crew Cab second-row legroom, among the segment's best thanks to the long wheelbase Crew Cab option.

Crew Cab pairs most commonly with the 5'7" box; the longer 6'4" box is available as an order option.

Published bed volume for the shorter box that comes standard on the volume Crew Cab configuration.

Crew Cab underfloor watertight bins and flip-up rear seat storage are useful, and the optional RamBox lockable bedside bins with a 115V outlet were a genuine segment differentiator in this generation.

Big Horn cloth/leather-available front seats were well regarded for daily and highway comfort, among the more praised front chairs in the segment for the era.

The coil-spring rear suspension, unique in the full-size segment at the time, gave the 1500 best-in-class unladen ride quality — smooth and controlled over broken pavement.

Reviewers consistently called the cabin smooth and quiet at highway speed for the class, aided by the coil-spring rear and a relatively refined HEMI V8.

Heated seats and a heated steering wheel were available but gated to Laramie and above, not standard or widely available on the Big Horn volume trim; no rear climate controls.

Entry-trim MSRP for the 2017 Ram 1500 Tradesman regular cab, the cheapest configuration in the lineup.

Big Horn/Lone Star was the volume trim for 2017, most commonly ordered as a Crew or Quad Cab 4x4 with the 5.7L Hemi V8; owner-reported window stickers cluster in the low-to-mid $40Ks before discount.

Mid-pack for a full-size truck — simple pushrod V8 and body-on-frame mechanicals keep repair costs from running high, though full-size truck maintenance (brakes, tires, fluids on a heavy vehicle) is still costlier than a sedan.

Full-size trucks hold value well versus the broader market; estimates for the Ram brand specifically vary by source but sit around the middle of the truck segment — stronger than most cars, a step behind the class-leading Tacoma/Tundra/F-150 residuals.

Standard FCA/Ram basic warranty for the 2017 model year — bottom of the segment band, matching Ford/GM/Toyota's typical 3yr/36k coverage.

2017 Ram's powertrain coverage was 5yr/60k — the bottom of the segment band; Ram's longer 5yr/100k figure applies to the diesel-only HD trucks and to later model years, not the 2017 gas 1500.

FCA did not offer a nationwide complimentary scheduled-maintenance program on the 2017 Ram 1500 (unlike Toyota's ToyotaCare or GM's contemporaneous programs); owners got standard roadside assistance tied to the warranty period but no included oil changes or service visits. The later "Ram Care" no-cost maintenance membership did not exist in 2017.

$42,000 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (55% retained, or about $23,100) leaves about $18,900 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,975 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $24,875 in total.

Sources disagree sharply: Consumer Reports' predicted-reliability rating for the 2017 Ram 1500 was 1 of 5 overall (brakes and in-car electronics flagged as particular weak spots) while JD Power's consumer-satisfaction-based 'Quality & Reliability' score of 81/100 ranked it #2 in the large light-duty pickup class — a satisfaction metric, not a dependability study, so it doesn't contradict CR's trouble-spot data as much as it first appears. Weighting the dedicated predicted-reliability source more heavily puts this below average.

Ram's multi-year dependability standing through the mid-2010s was mid-pack at best across CR brand rankings and JD Power VDS, consistent with FCA's broader reliability reputation in this era.

NHTSA shows 13+ recalls touching the 2017 Ram 1500, including safety-critical campaigns (Takata-related side curtain airbag inflators, engine stall risk, automatic transmission issues, and tailgate latches that could release in transit) — a high count with several systemic, safety-relevant issues rather than minor administrative fixes.

The 5.7L HEMI V8 is a proven, long-running family, but 2016-2018 is specifically flagged by owner/forum sources as a peak window for MDS-related lifter failures on this engine; the ZF-derived 8-speed automatic is a reliable unit used across multiple brands but 2017-model owners report shudder/hesitation tied to fluid service intervals. Net: a proven family with a known, non-trivial issue window for this exact model year range.

Period reviews consistently praised the 4th-generation Ram cabin for class-leading material richness even on lower trims, with soft-touch surfaces, available wood trim and leather on upper trims — a genuine strength versus segment rivals at the time.

JD Power's Initial Quality Study ranked Ram 3rd overall for 2017 with 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a solid result, and reviews describe generally consistent assembly without widespread panel-gap or rattle complaints.

FCA operated roughly 2,600 US dealerships in this period with a dedicated Ram/BusinessLink commercial network (~950 outlets) giving broad geographic coverage, but FCA brands have historically trailed Toyota/Honda-class competitors in dealer service-satisfaction surveys.

The Ram 1500's huge sales volume and truck-aftermarket ecosystem keep parts broadly available, but RepairPal pegs 10-year ownership repair/maintenance cost at roughly $19,200 — above average for the class — with a 56.6% probability of a major repair over that span.

The Big Horn volume trim carries the same standard 5-inch Uconnect 3 radio as Tradesman, with the 8.4-inch RA3/RA4 Uconnect screen as a popular but optional upgrade.

Uconnect 3/4 was consistently among the better-reviewed truck infotainment systems of its era — logical menus, physical climate knobs, and responsive touch input — though the base 5-inch unit on volume trims is far less capable than the optional 8.4-inch screen.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration did not arrive on the Ram 1500 until the 2018 model year; the 2017 model offers neither, wired or wireless, from the factory.

Uconnect's voice command system and optional embedded HERE navigation were functional and above-average for a 2017 truck, but most owners without the nav package relied on a phone for maps.

Base audio was adequate; an optional Alpine premium system was a meaningful step up and well-regarded, keeping the Ram competitive on audio for the segment.

A 7-inch configurable display within the gauge cluster was available, but it was gated to Laramie and above — the Big Horn volume trim used a simpler analog cluster with a small trip-computer screen.

2017-generation Uconnect had no meaningful over-the-air update capability — software and map updates, where offered, required a USB download and manual install.

Uconnect Access offered a subscription-based app with remote start, lock/unlock and vehicle locate on equipped trucks, but it required an active data plan and was not as polished as later digital-key systems.

Standard USB and 12V outlets were present, and the optional RamBox added a 115V household outlet in the bed, but there was no wireless phone charging pad available in 2017.

Proximity keyless entry with push-button start and optional remote start were available on Big Horn and above, solid for the era though not standard on base trims.

A rearview ParkView camera and rear park-assist sensors were available, but there was no surround/360-degree camera option on the Ram 1500 until later generations.

No head-up display was offered on any 2017 Ram 1500 trim; HUD didn't appear on this truck until a later generation.

Crew Cab's wide-opening rear doors and flat rear floor make car-seat installation and loading straightforward, but the high step-in height and truck-bed-only cargo (no enclosed trunk) are compromises versus an SUV.

Stability control, traction control, and side curtain airbags are standard, but forward collision warning, blind-spot monitor and adaptive cruise control were bundled into an optional Safety Group package not standard on family-budget trims like Big Horn.

The coil-spring ride and roomy Crew Cab back seat suit multi-hour trips well, but rear-seat amenities (vents, USB, entertainment) are thin on the Big Horn volume trim and gear has to ride in the open bed.

The HEMI/8-speed combination is smooth and low-effort, and the ride is composed, but the Crew Cab's large footprint and high beltline add fatigue in tight daily traffic compared with smaller vehicles.

EPA-rated 15 city/22 highway with the volume HEMI V8 is well below average running cost for a daily commuter; the diesel is markedly cheaper to run but is not the scored powertrain class here.

A roughly 45-foot curb-to-curb turning circle and full-size Crew Cab dimensions make tight urban parking and maneuvering noticeably harder than in smaller vehicles, partly offset by the available rear camera and sensors.

Up to 10,640 lbs max towing and roughly 1,800 lbs payload with the 5.7L HEMI give the 1500 serious, segment-competitive work capacity, with configuration-dependent headroom via axle ratio and tow packages.

The proven 5.7L HEMI and by-2017-mature ZF 8-speed automatic have a solid duty-cycle reputation, though Ram's historical reliability standing trailed Toyota/Ford in owner surveys of the era.

Optional RamBox lockable bedside bins with a 115V outlet, cargo rails, and sliding tie-down cleats give genuine jobsite utility, though these are options rather than standard on the Big Horn volume trim.

Quiet, composed highway manners and a roughly 26-gallon tank give reasonable touring range on the HEMI, but 2017-era driver assistance was limited to optional adaptive cruise, leaving long stints more driver-intensive than later trucks.

4x4 is available on the volume trim with solid ground clearance and tow capacity for hauling toys, though the dedicated off-road Rebel trim (with its upgraded suspension) sits above the scored Big Horn volume configuration.

A sizable open bed plus optional RamBox storage handles bulky gear well, though there is no enclosed cargo area and roof rails are not a factory option on this truck.

The coil-spring rear axle gives the 1500 more composed body control and grip than leaf-spring rivals of the era, but it remains a full-size truck — secure rather than agile or engaging in corners.

Electric power steering is accurate enough for truck duties but light and largely numb, typical of the segment and generation rather than a standout.

Brakes are adequate for a half-ton pickup with no reported fade issues, but no standout instrumented stopping-distance results were found for this specific model year to justify a higher score.

The 5.7L HEMI paired with the ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic (standard by 2017 on most 1500 configurations) shifts smoothly, and the Multi-Displacement System cylinder deactivation is largely seamless in daily driving.

The HEMI V8 has a pleasant, muscular exhaust note under load rather than a droning or coarse character, and vibration isolation is good for the segment.

Large footprint and long wheelbase on the Crew Cab give a wide turning circle versus smaller trucks, though shorter-wheelbase configurations do better.

High, commanding seating position with good forward visibility and well-placed controls; running boards/side steps were optional to ease ingress/egress given the ride height.

The HEMI's torque and sound give the 1500 some character and a satisfying power delivery, but as a full-size work truck it is not engineered as an enthusiast's vehicle.

Base Tradesman trim is work-truck spartan (vinyl seats, steel wheels, AM/FM only) — on par with rival base trims rather than ahead of them; equipment generosity improves quickly once stepping up to Big Horn/Lone Star (8.4-inch touchscreen, rearview camera, Bluetooth standard).

The 5.7L Hemi V8, coil-spring rear suspension (ride comfort advantage over leaf-spring rivals), and class-competitive towing/payload across the lineup deliver solid capability per dollar, though not a standout bargain versus F-150/Silverado at comparable trims.

Ten distinct trims for 2017 (Tradesman, Express, HFE, SLT, Big Horn/Lone Star, Sport, Rebel, Laramie, Laramie Longhorn, Limited) spanning work-truck to luxury, plus Regular/Quad/Crew cab, multiple bed lengths, 4x2/4x4, and V6/V8 engine choices — one of the widest spreads in the segment.

Ram pickups sold over 500,000 units in 2017 (up ~2.7% year-over-year), making the Ram 1500/2500/3500 family the third best-selling vehicle line in the US and a steady, growing #2 behind the F-150 in full-size trucks.

Ram carried a solidly positive but not aspirational brand image in 2017 — strong reputation for ride comfort, styling and interior quality, offset by middling dependability perception relative to Toyota/Ford in truck-buyer surveys of the era.

FCA/Ram was known for aggressive truck incentives through 2017, commonly $2,500–$3,000+ in rebates plus dealer discounts, giving buyers real negotiating room versus rivals that held MSRP more firmly.

The 2017 1500 is a carry-over year within the DS/D2 generation that launched for 2009 and was last substantially freshened for 2013 — eight model years into its cycle, with the all-new fifth-generation (DT) already in development and unveiled just months later (January 2018, as a 2019 model). Buyers in 2017 were purchasing the oldest-platform truck in the class.

Well-regarded for ride quality, interior and the Hemi V8, but not the comparison-test winner in 2017 — MotorTrend's Truck of the Year that cycle went to the Honda Ridgeline, and Ram's own Truck of the Year wins (2013, 2014) predate this generation's later years; by 2017 it was consistently reviewed as a strong but no-longer-class-leading choice.