Truck buyers are a particular bunch, having varied use cases like towing, working on job sites, and even looking (and sounding) good while cruising down the boulevard.
So in 2025, when Ram maker Stellantis (STLA) made the controversial decision to phase out its naturally aspirated Hemi V8s in favor of smaller turbocharged engines and an electrification push, many loyal Ram fans balked, defecting to brands like Ford and Chevrolet that still had V8 engines.
Ram discovered 60% of its customers would not buy a Ram pickup without the V8, and relatively newish Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa got the message.
The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is back in the 2026 Ram 1500 lineup, and Stellantis says sales are coming back too — including 10,000 preorders logged after the announcement.
Yahoo Finance spent time behind the wheel of the 2026 Ram 1500 Laramie with that Hemi V8 (and during an East Coast snowstorm, no less), and it is clear Ram made the right call — as long as you don’t look at the carbon emissions.
Ram’s interiors have long been the benchmark in this segment, and the 2026 Laramie keeps that tradition alive with perforated leather seating, French stitching throughout, and an Alcantara-like material on the door cards that gives the cabin an upscale feel.
The 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system sounds exceptional, and Ram’s large center touchscreen handles infotainment duties well — high-resolution and intuitive, though occasionally sluggish given its sheer size, a minor gripe about an otherwise very comfortable place to spend time.
The Laramie trim also includes the Uconnect 5 Nav system, a head-up display, and a digital auto-dimming mirror as part of the Technology Group, and my test truck’s window sticker came in at $81,000 all-in.
That’s not cheap, but the Hemi V8 is available across multiple trim levels, meaning you can get the engine without all the Laramie niceties for considerably less.
What gets you first about the Ram is its sound. Start the truck, and there’s a glorious rumble.
Our tester came equipped with the GT sport exhaust that comes paired with the Hemi, and you quickly understand what all the fuss is about when you hit the gas: a low, jackhammer-like growl that wouldn’t be out of place on a Dodge Challenger, channeled through twin exhaust tips that exit the rear bumper almost like straight pipes. For a full-size work truck, that’s remarkable and deeply satisfying.
I’ve driven several Ram 1500s before, and they’re excellent trucks with best-in-class interiors, a composed ride, and great tech. I figured this would be more of the same, but I was wrong. The Hemi paired with Ram’s live rear axle and an unloaded bed means you will light up the rear tires with enthusiastic ease, turning what is ostensibly a work truck into something that makes you grin with every mash of the throttle.