I was shocked by how family-friendly the 2026 Ram 1500 wasToday's pickup trucks have come a long way from their utility-only roots. In many ways, they're excellent family cars. A 2026 Ram 1500 showed me that. Here's how.I grew up in a family that always had a pickup truck on standby. My mom drove an SUV, like a Ford Explorer, or a large sedan, like her Buick Century. But my dad always had a truck. My sister and I loved riding in the Buick or the Explorer, but when it came time to ride in the truck with Dad, we abhorred it. It meant someone was stuck in the middle seat. It meant a bouncy, uncomfortable, spine-rattling ride. It meant nowhere to place anything, no cargo space except for the bed, and, my dad's least favorite, frequent stops at the gas station. My dad's "newest" truck was from 2003, and that wasn't much better than the ones I'd grown up with. It had back seats, but they were obviously designed without children or car seats in mind. There were modern amenities like A/C, but no cruise control, and still no comfort considerations like multiple cup holders or more comfortable suspension.AdvertisementAdvertisementSo, when I heard I'd be reviewing a 2026 Ram 1500, my expectations as a family-friendly, daily-drivable truck were very, very low. Almost subterranean. It was the first modern full-sized, gas-only truck I've reviewed, and let me tell you: I was shocked by how accommodating, comfortable, and easy it was to live with. For a little more than $50,000, it felt like a steal. My husband and I joked we could buy one and make it the family car—but we were only halfway joking. Here's how new trucks can make great family cars.This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.First Thing I Noticed: All That Space, Space, SpaceCar seats aren't installed yet, but look at all that legroom! – Credit: Kristen BrownBecause today's trucks are so much larger than the ones I remember in terms of width, height and length, I was surprised when the 2026 Ram 1500 even fit in my driveway. Seriously. Pictures don't truly illustrate how large new trucks are. Anyway—my tester had the crew cab, and I was stunned by how much floor space there was for the rear passengers. To date, it was the first car I tested where I truly felt like three adults could comfortably (key word) fit into, without impeding on too much of someone else's personal space.There was more space back there than in the Toyota Sienna I tested at 45.2 inches. That's more than any EV SUV on the current market, and more than any minivan—I did a lot of research to confirm this. With all that legroom, it meant more storage in the footwell for a purse or large bag, or even groceries if you can't store them in the bed. If there aren't any car seats in it, then you can fold the seats up and get more space than you'd know what to do with. My husband and I said it'd be perfect for a dog, too, so they're comfy in the air conditioning instead of bouncing around in the back.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut both my girls loved being in the back of the Ram 1500. No one was ever car sick, and no one felt like they were missing out because they couldn't see out of the windows. It was amazing for them. My oldest, at least 400 times per drive, would say, "I just really love twucks, mommy."Everyone Gets Amenities, Not Just The DriverI'm 5'8″ and I fit between both car seats, with plenty of wiggle room – Credit: Kristen BrownSpace aside, the interior didn't leave me wanting, as it had everything it needed to make it a family-friendly car. There were USB-C charging ports everywhere, more than two cupholders, vast storage in the door panels, center console, and glovebox, an armrest up front that can be folded back to accommodate another passenger (so, six passengers total—my dad's old 1967 Chevy could never), wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an excellent factory sound system, and heated cloth seats up front. But the rear-facing A/C vents came in especially handy during my loan, as it was in the 90s that week. So, even though it felt like my kids were miles away from me, I knew they were being cooled. Ram definitely gets an A+ there. Because It's a 2026 Model, It Means the Ram 1500 is Safe and ComfortableIt's modern, so it's packed with a full safety suite and creature comforts – Credit: Kristen BrownYou probably didn't need a reminder, but the trucks of yesterday that I grew up with were a lot less safe than the trucks of today. The Ram 1500 I reviewed had everything you'd expect from a 2026 model that cost $50,000: adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking in the front and rear, parking proximity sensors for the front, rear, and sides, blind spot detection, a gear limit option for trailers, stop-and-go traffic assistance, trailer sway detection and intervention and more. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf you're into the truck stuff, my dad was absolutely flabbergasted that it came from the factory with digital gauge readings, providing real-time temperatures for the coolant, engine oil, transmission fluid, brakes, and differential fluid. The same screen would display the tire pressure on all four tires, too. It's something that most truck owners would have to pay a pretty penny for, either as an add-on from the dealership or to install aftermarket, but on the 2026 Ram 1500, it was all included. It also had a bed camera to monitor cargo, and plenty of sensors for a trailer, too. All of that means you can keep your kids in a truck with a trailer and feel confident about it, because the truck has your back, unlike the trucks of the past. So, if you're a family that frequents the outdoors and you need something to tow a camping trailer or even a fifth-wheeler, the Ram 1500 is an excellent choice.This Pickup Truck Interior Doesn't Feel Basic At AllIt was basic, but not in a bad way – Credit: Kristen BrownThe trim level I was given the keys to was a Blackout Express, so it was the second from the base trim. And while I certainly noticed the black cloth seats (which can be a pain to clean with kids, so keep a steamer or shampooer in the garage), the black plastic throughout, and the analog gauges behind the wheel surrounding a very small, low-resolution driver information display, it didn't feel "cheap." It felt like a truck in a very good way. Like it was made to work, get dirty and handle abuse without giving up the features that would make it comfortable for longer drives. It wasn't as loud as I anticipated, either. The Ram 1500 doesn't boast a lot of sound-dampening material behind the firewall or under the floor, but the noise from the awful roads of the San Francisco Bay Area didn't translate too much into the cabin, which was very shocking. It drove incredibly nicely, too. I'm used to getting out of trucks feeling like my brain was slapping around in my skull, and the Ram 1500 didn't make me feel that way at all. In fact, it was so smooth that my dad was looking into the pricing of models close to him.There Are 3 Engine Options, All Of Which Are Powerful—But I Liked the Hurricane BestThis Ram 1500 is powered by the HEMI V8. My tester had the Hurricane I6. – Credit: Cameron AubernonThe 2026 Ram 1500 I reviewed had the optional 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane six-cylinder engine. The other options are the trusty, 'ol reliable 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and the "Symbol of Protest" 5.7-liter HEMI V8. The V8 is more powerful, but it's pricey—and the Hurricane motor offers an excellent balance of power, respectable towing rating (over 11,000 lbs), and better acceleration. My favorite aspect, though, was the mileage. Because it's a heavy truck, mileage wasn't stellar, but it was for a pickup truck. Around town, I saw an average of 19 mpg, while on the highway, I averaged just over 21 mpg.AdvertisementAdvertisementMy truck-loving dad was amazed that something making over 400 horsepower equipped with not one, but two turbochargers would get an average above 15 miles per gallon. My mechanic husband was amazed, too. Obviously, this economy and average prices in the San Francisco Bay Area make that mileage look like chump change—but for what it is, it's more than reasonable.Car Seats Are Accommodated, But There's a Strategy to Installing ThemMy daughters are enjoying the rear seats of the Ram 1500 – Credit: Kristen BrownThe 2026 Ram 1500 is the first gas-only full-sized pickup truck I've tested, but it's not my first truck. Every truck before that—the Ford Maverick and Ranger, for instance—gave me a run for my money when it came to installing the car seats. The Honda Ridgeline was the most frustrating, but the Ram 1500 puts up a good fight for first place. Unlike other trucks that required the seat rests to be folded down so the top tether can be secured on the truck's frame, the Ram didn't have that. Instead, it followed the Hummer EV pickup's philosophy, and requires parents to "secure" the top tether point to a fabric (yes, fabric) loop that's attached to the middle seat. You access it by looping the line under the headrest. There's only one loop for all three seats, so if you had car seats in all three seats, all three would have to share the same loop. The Hummer EV at least felt a bit more secure because it was a metal bracket, and I did feel very iffy about having my daughters' seats secured by a fabric loop. I was, however, comforted by the lower anchor attachment points, which were prominent and easy to access. Once installed, though, my kids enjoyed climbing in and out of the truck (and therefore I'd recommend side steps), and I liked that I didn't have to bend over or contort myself to get them in and out, and that their dropped toys were now at stomach level instead of foot level. Trucks Aren't Perfect, But They're Damn CloseMy kids and husband loved, loved, loved the Ram 1500—even with its few faults – Credit: Kristen BrownLook, like any new car, nothing gets an A+ across the board. Not even Honda, Toyota, or Subaru hit all nails right on the head, so the Ram 1500 didn't, either. But it scored a lot more bullseyes than I ever thought it would. With the incredible amount of space for rear passengers, the long list of utilitarian features, its insane capabilities, comfortable ride, respectable mileage and pricing made it so attractive to my husband and me that we were seriously trying to crunch numbers to see if we could make it work. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe bed is nice for hauling and helping your friends move, but it can make grocery runs more difficult, especially with car seats installed, and if you don't have a bed cover. The Ram's flat floor and massive amount of legroom bridged that gap, but it can be a bit more difficult once the kids are bigger and actually need the legroom. If you have a family with needs with a lifestyle that demands a vessel that can truly handle everything life throws at you, including toddlers, kids, or teens, the Ram 1500 feels like it was designed for it.