2021 RAM 3500 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2021 Ram 3500 is part of Ram's Heavy Duty line of pickup trucks. Its five trim and three cab options make for a broad variety of trucks suiting a range of needs.

The 2021 Ram 3500 is part of Ram’s Heavy Duty line, along with the 2500 (covered in a separate review). Ram redesigned its pickup trucks for 2019, and the 2021 models retain that new look.

The five trim options mean buyers can opt for a fairly basic, functional Tradesman model, add in creature comforts by stepping up to Big Horn or Laramie, or go all in on a luxurious experience with Limited Longhorn or the top-of-the-line Limited. Regular cab, Crew cab, and Mega cab configurations create further customization opportunities, as do the two bed length options available with Crew cab.

The standard engine for the 2021 Ram Heavy Duty lineup is a 6.4-liter V8. It makes 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque and is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. There’s also an available 6.7-liter Cummins diesel inline-six, which is offered in two versions: the standard-output variant makes 370 horsepower and 850 lb-ft of torque, and the high-output version makes 400 horsepower and a whopping 1,075 lb-ft of torque. Either way, the 6.7-liter Cummins engine is coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is standard, and four-wheel drive (4WD) is available.

The Hotchkiss rear leaf-spring suspension is standard, and an optional supplemental air suspension system is available. Properly equipped, the 2021 Ram 3500 is capable of towing up to 35,100 pounds, and it has a 7,680-pound payload capacity.

The Ram 3500 Tradesman comes standard with heavy-duty vinyl seats, 18-inch painted steel wheels, black grille and bumpers, and black door handles. The Big Horn trim gets cloth seats, 18-inch chrome-clad steel wheels, chrome grille surround and bumpers, and body-color door handles. Laramie models get leather-trimmed power seats, heated front seats, and dual-zone temperature control. They come with 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, a full chrome grille, and body-color door handles with chrome inserts. Limited Longhorn 3500s get premium leather seats which are ventilated for the front row and heated for the back row, a wood and leather interior treatment, granite painted 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, chrome side steps and window moldings, and a Limited Longhorn badge. The range-topping Limited trim gets its own premium leather and wood interior treatment plus 20-inch cast aluminum wheels, power running boards, chrome bodyside molding and tow hooks, and Limited badging.

Among the available appearance packages is Night Edition, which blacks out grilles, badging, and wheels. A specific Limited Night Edition is new for 2021 and adds black 20-inch wheels, or a 17-inch setup that includes dual rear wheels.

Stellantis’s Uconnect 3 infotainment system is standard on Tradesman models, where it’s hosted on a 5-inch display. A 3.5-inch driver information display cluster is also standard. The Laramie trim upgrades to Uconnect 4 with an 8.4-inch infotainment display and a 7-inch driver information display cluster. Limited Longhorn further ups the ante with Uconnect 4C Nav, and Limited sizes the infotainment display up to 12 inches.

Standard safety tech is limited to electronic stability control and a rear back-up camera. Big Horn adds a trailer brake controller, Laramie adds front and rear park assist, Limited Longhorn adds directional headlamps with automatic high beams, and Limited adds blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection.

The 2021 Ram 3500 starts at $36,880 for a Tradesman model with RWD, and ranges up to $70,390 for a Limited model with 4WD and the Mega cab.