The word “affordable” is doing a lot of heavy lifting these days — especially in the truck world. Case in point: the 2026 Dodge Ram 1500 Express, which debuts as the new entry point for the Ram lineup with a starting price of $44,495 including destination fees. That’s Ram’s idea of budget-friendly in 2025.
To be fair, the new 1500 Express is packed with value. It offers the updated body style (no more hand-me-down Classic looks), modern safety features, and a handsome design with body-colored bumpers, LED headlights, and 20-inch wheels. It even comes standard with adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. You also get two solid engine choices: a 305-hp V6 or, for $1,695 more, a potent 420-hp Hurricane inline-six with 469 lb-ft of torque—nearly double the output of the base engine. So yes, it’s a lot of truck.
But here’s the problem: $44,495 is still out of reach for a huge portion of Americans—especially those who rely on a pickup not for flexing at a tailgate party, but for putting in real work.
The Vanishing Work Truck
In past decades, every truck brand had a stripped-down base model — a true work truck. It wasn’t pretty, but it was functional and attainable. Today, Ford and Chevy still offer their own budget-friendly base trims with manual seats and vinyl floors, but they’re increasingly rare on dealer lots.
Ram, meanwhile, has abandoned the bare-bones approach altogether. Even the “entry-level” 1500 Express is loaded with features and cosmetic upgrades. Great if you’re looking for luxury on a budget, but not great if you’re a small business owner or contractor trying to replace a truck without taking out a second mortgage.
Enter: The Slate Truck
That’s why vehicles like the upcoming Slate Truck are worth paying attention to. Unlike the Ram, the Slate is unapologetically basic. It features a plastic interior, cloth seats, a small screen, and an overall no-frills design. The idea is to strip trucks back to what they used to be—affordable tools, not status symbols.
While pricing hasn’t been finalized, Slate aims to come in around the $20K mark. In a landscape where the word “affordable” has been redefined to mean “just under luxury,” that’s a radical move.
The Truck Gap Is Growing
The Ram 1500 Express makes sense for buyers who want a modern full-size truck with good value and decent power without crossing into the $60K+ territory of most higher trims. But we shouldn’t confuse “cheaper than the luxury model” with actually affordable.
As pickups continue their march toward tech-heavy, lifestyle-oriented luxury, there’s a growing gap in the market—and the average truck buyer is being left behind. Until more automakers get serious about producing practical, affordable work trucks again, vehicles like the Ram 1500 Express will keep highlighting the issue: great value doesn’t always mean accessible value.
