Compared: 2022 Ram 1500 vs. 2022 Toyota Tundra

Toyota/Ram

Article QuickTakes

• Features
• Towing and payload
• Pricing

There are so many full-size pickup truck options that it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the trim levels, specialty models, and engine choices waiting for you at the dealership. The Ram 1500 and the redesigned Toyota Tundra present an appealing mix of practicality, comfort, and off-road readiness, each with its strengths and weaknesses.

Here's how these two light-duty trucks compare in terms of features, capability, and pricing.

Ram

Ram 1500 vs. Toyota Tundra: Features

It's hard to discuss the 2022 Ram 1500 without mentioning its off-road-ready TRX edition, which features a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 good for 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. The Ram TRX also includes a desert-taming suspension, ultra-rugged tires, and stands tall as the most over-the-top, full-size pickup on the market. If hardcore off-roading isn't your thing, consider the Ram 1500's interior, which is a step above the competition in terms of quality and design, especially for models like the Limited at the top-end of the trim range.

Toyota

On the other hand, the 2022 Toyota Tundra makes a compelling case for treading lightly—at least at the gas pumps, where it excels thanks to its available i-Force Max hybrid drivetrain. On top of the Tundra's base, twin-turbo, V6 gas engine, the Max adds a single electric motor to produce 437 horsepower, but manages an EPA-estimated 20 mpg in city driving and 24 on the highway (in rear-wheel-drive form). That’s better than both of Ram’s Hemi V8 options. The hybrid Tundra is eclipsed only by its rival's pricey EcoDiesel and eTorque V6 mild-hybrid variants; neither approach the Toyota's engine output.

Ram

Ram 1500 vs. Toyota Tundra: Towing and Payload

The Ram 1500's base towing capacity starts at 7,690 pounds and stretches all the way up to 12,750 pounds, with the latter made possible when ordering a rear-wheel-drive Ram equipped with its 5.7-liter, V8 engine. The payload for the 1500 tops out at 2,300 pounds.

Toyota

The Toyota Tundra is almost a perfect match for the Ram 1500 at the top end with 12,000 pounds of maximum trailer capacity. The Toyota truck’s entry-level i-Force V6 also pushes past the lowliest Ram 1500 spec with a tow rating starting at 8,300 pounds. The Tundra can't quite keep up with the Ram in the cargo bed, however, as its maximum 1,940 pounds of payload falls 360 pounds short of its competitor.

Ram

Ram 1500 vs. Toyota Tundra: Price

The Ram 1500 starts around $38,000 for the rear-wheel-drive Tradesman trim, but you can spend more than twice that amount on the Ram 1500 TRX, which retails for about $80,000. There's also the Ram 1500 Classic, a version of the previous-generation Ram pickup that is still being sold alongside the redesigned model. Its most affordable version is a stripped-down, single-cab bargain that sells for just above $31,000.

Toyota

The base Toyota Tundra is only marginally more expensive than the Ram, and for $38,000, its base, twin-turbo V6 outshines the more modest naturally-aspirated V6 found in the 1500. The luxury-oriented Tundra Capstone trim level pushes the window sticker all the way past $75,000.