You Can Forget About Cheap Full Size Trucks

Ram’s CEO has suggested the days of full-size trucks costing less than $40,000 are over.
The brand will return to sub-$40,000 pricing when it launches its Dakota successor.
Ram has more than 25 product announcements planned through the end of 2026.

Between tariffs and inflation, vehicle prices have skyrocketed in recent years. The average transaction price of a new vehicle was $48,699 in April, and that’s up from $36,843 in April 2019. We’ll save you the math: that’s an $11,856 increase in six years.

More: Hemi V8 Finally Returns To The 2026 Ram 1500

While there are still a handful of affordable new vehicles, including the Chevrolet Trax and Nissan Kicks, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis recently revealed that the days of affordable full-size trucks are over. Speaking at a media event in Michigan, the executive said don’t expect prices to drop below $40,000.

Sticker Shock in the Truck Lane

The 2025 Ram 1500 starts at $40,275, and even that sounds like a relative bargain. However, the truck began at $31,695 in 2019 and had a lower destination fee to boot. That’s a sizable increase over six years, but Kuniskis is technically wrong, as you can score a 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman for as little as $38,340 thanks to a $1,000 incentive as well as employee pricing for all.

Even with that caveat, Kuniskis made it clear: affordable full-size trucks aren’t coming back. However, it isn’t all bad news as Ram’s boss said their upcoming mid-size pickup will enable them to return to sub-$40,000 pricing. The executive wouldn’t say when the model will arrive, but effectively stated, ‘We have to have a mid-size truck, we’re a truck brand.’

You Can Forget About Cheap Full Size Trucks

Michael Gauthier

The lack of a mid-size model makes Ram the odd man out as Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, Nissan, and Toyota all offer one. Even their colleagues at Jeep have the Gladiator, which starts at $38,100. Of course, that’s higher than rivals as it comes with a removable roof as well as standard four-wheel drive.

Mid-Size Truck Incoming?

When exactly we’ll see this new Ram mid-sizer is still a mystery. But the company has more than 25 product announcements lined up between now and the end of 2026. That makes it entirely plausible we’ll catch a glimpse of the truck late next year.

Whenever it does arrive, it’ll be entering a field stacked with competition. We’re looking forward to seeing how it stacks up against rivals like the $31,900 Chevrolet Colorado and the $33,330 Ford Ranger. If Ram can hit the right price with the right specs, it could finally give the brand the contender it’s been missing in this space.