Anyone buy a '25 tradesman and regret not going to higher end trim?

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

note that the reflector headlights

They are Projector headlamps.

 

[lighthawk]

2022 Tradesman 3500 hemi here. I added the 8" screen when I ordered mine but can't get a front camera kit for the lower end U-Connect radio. The radio also requires a cable to your phone for Android Auto, when other radios are bluetooth now.

I did add LED headlamps when I saw how poor the OEM headlights were.

Otherwise, the black carpet sucks for showing dog hair. My wife misses heated seats.
Manual seats aren't a big deal. Just adjust them once right, unless you are switching drivers?
Pricing was right for me instead of a fancier rig.

My main problem with RAM HD truckwas the front axle CV joint which promptly ruptured with a minor 2" lift, which sent grease flying everywhere. I eventually had a new driveshaft built. If you're not doing a lift, YMMV.

 

[rvance]

I like power windows and steering, air conditioning and a radio. Most everything else is nonsense.

 

[kurek]

When I bought a Tradesman RCSB 10 years ago it seems like everyone wanted to tell me I'd regret the basic truck (which still has heat, air, cruise, tunes..) .. look if you need to be pampered I'm not gonna tell you how to make yourself happy but I'm happy in a folding chair in the woods sipping coffee you gotta chew so the base model truck hasn't made me cry once.

 

[Ramtastico]

I bought a 2024 Tradesman Classic crew cab and was shocked at all the missing features that were stock on my four earlier Tradesmen trucks. I had a cow at the dealer. Mine came without Sirius radio, remote entry / tailgate, receiver hitch, carpet, and other stuff that was included on all of my earlier base model trucks. I was told on the phone it had leather seats. Lying ********! It may have been a contractor model, but was not indicated or marketed as such and was not contractor white. I bought it sight unseen because I wanted a hemi before they were all gone. They already had my cash and were not about to give it back. I will never do that again, nor will I ever see that dealer again. The dealer didn't even tell me it had a dent in the bumper which I couldn't see doing walkaround in the darkness.

Grrr! Worst truck transaction ever!

Sorry for that... but bet you have some cool guitars!

Used to buy about 10 guitars a year just to check them out and resell at a break even (free rent lol). Kept the ones I loved and stopped buying/selling when MN started charging tax on the sell side... took all the fun out of the hobby.

 

[Redfour5]

Some decent pricing on the 5th gen tradesman if you dig around so thinking about upgrading my '21 warlock quad 4x4 to a '25 crew 4x4 with the pentastar.

Started looking a Laramie however prefer the grill and the bench seat on the tradesman and it's about the same price as i paid in '21 for my warlock lol. Seems like a no brainer, but also feels like it can't be that simple lol. PS- I love the big screen and frills of higher trim lines... but won't miss not having them.

Hopefully not a stupid thread. Obviously going to look in person, but wanted to ping the forum for thoughts. Edit- potentially ONLY thing I think I could regret is the manual vs power seat adjustments.

I'm good my my HD 6.4 Hemi, but I still keep track of what is going on. My local dealer who with a management change has become quite competitive, has a basic 25 1500 for 38,900 and an MSRP of 48200. This is a V6 Quad Cab, 4WD in billet silver (two other colors also black and white). https://www.ramtrucks.com/hostd/win...5275914&tcdcmpid=592163&vin=1C6RRFCG6SN650148

As of 3/31/25 the deal https://www.lithiachryslerhelena.co...elena-mt-4c8af84fac185445934ef4a0dc099f98.htm

This is NOT a bad price. NOW MSRP is a a turn off but you never pay MSRP anyway anymore. Living in MT, this is a very good vehicle for our circumstances. My first 2013 essentially the same with the 5.7 was 25K. But now you get all the safety stuff, passive keyless entry, remote start, AND FINALLY LED headlamps with auto high beams. I have hated RAM/Jeep halogens since I first got one particularly in Deer country which is ALL of Montana. A big deal.

AND, these are not killer incentives like January. but it does appear that Stellantis financing has some lower rates without the disclaimer of not stackable with other incentives... And this will change April 1. And I don't know how tariffs are going to change pricing...

But then I have to face reality but at this price even with a 72 month 3.9% interest rate, you are still in the 600 bucks a month range. That can kill a budget fast. And this is a relatively stripped down truck...

Glad I'm not young again facing these kinds of numbers. I am used to payments of half to 2/3rds of that. I am paying 500 for a Gladiator (2023) now a month but had trade equity and a down payment and 30% off. I also have a Ram 2500 Laramie pretty loaded at 755 a month AND that was a deal with a 3.25% loan rate for 84 months (2022). That one isn't going anywhere. But, I'm old with a good retirement or at present a good one. Who knows about the uncertain future...

 

[Redfour5]

Sorry for that... but bet you have some cool guitars!

Used to buy about 10 guitars a year just to check them out and resell at a break even (free rent lol). Kept the ones I loved and stopped buying/selling when MN started charging tax on the sell side... took all the fun out of the hobby.

I bought a 2024 Tradesman Classic crew cab and was shocked at all the missing features that were stock on my four earlier Tradesmen trucks. I had a cow at the dealer. Mine came without Sirius radio, remote entry / tailgate, receiver hitch, carpet, and other stuff that was included on all of my earlier base model trucks. I was told on the phone it had leather seats. Lying ********! It may have been a contractor model, but was not indicated or marketed as such and was not contractor white. I bought it sight unseen because I wanted a hemi before they were all gone. They already had my cash and were not about to give it back. I will never do that again, nor will I ever see that dealer again. The dealer didn't even tell me it had a dent in the bumper which I couldn't see doing walkaround in the darkness.

Grrr! Worst truck transaction ever!

I noticed they are putting things back in the low end ones in 25. LED headlights, 8.4 screen UConnect with Android auto, all the safety stuff, 3 month Sirius.

 

[Redfour5]

When I bought a Tradesman RCSB 10 years ago it seems like everyone wanted to tell me I'd regret the basic truck (which still has heat, air, cruise, tunes..) .. look if you need to be pampered I'm not gonna tell you how to make yourself happy but I'm happy in a folding chair in the woods sipping coffee you gotta chew so the base model truck hasn't made me cry once.

I remember fondly my 2013 pretty basic 5.7 Hemi 3.55 rear end old six speed tranny quad cab. I got a killer deal with 3K miles on it and a wife that did NOT like climbing up into it and so they traded it and I got it cheap.

That set up was actually better imho than my later 2016 Outdoorsman with the 5.7 Hemi with a 3.92 and the new 8 speed tranny. They were about the same on the 0 to 60 and quarter mile, but the the 2013 was a bit more visceral about doing it. More fun. My fav was passing on two lane MT roads. Stomp on it and it flew. The 8 speed was much more civilized and if they were people it would have looked down upon the 2013 with a sniff. I had to get the new one because I bought a travel trailer and for towing with dogs in back etc. ad nauseum. But something to be said for fun...

 

[Slick61]

I have struggled with this for SOOOOO long. I have a 2016 2500 Tradesman that I've wanted to upgrade for years. My Tradesman is relatively well-equipped... chrome & interior packages... park sense, LED bed lights, 4.10s, etc. The Uconnect 5 system sounds amazingly good for a base system. At present, it has 57k miles on it. I've always used Pennzoil ultra-platinum at 6k intervals. Other than a rash of recalls shortly after purchase, it's been trouble-free. I'd like to have the 8 speed transmission. Beyond that, if I upgraded, I'd want the bucket seats & console... which rules out the tradesman. Realistically, I'm looking at Laramie or Rebel. 4.10s would be an absolute. My driving habits rule out the Cummins. Now, the problem is the minefield of 2025 ordering combinations. The color selection is significantly reduced, and the packaging of options make is nearly impossible to get what I want... so I may end up keeping what I got. All of the new electronics give me cause for concern. Sure, they're nice, but they're also a potential problem.