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The full-sized truck market is hot right now. There are full-sized trucks from Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, GMC, and Ram that are all competitive in terms of towing, capability, comfort and options.

But it looks like Ram is trying to compete on price right now with the 2022 Ram 1500. The company is offering the most cash back in the auto industry today with a $4,500 cash allowance, or cash back, on some Ram 1500 Big Horn AND Lone Star Quad Cab models. All cars and trucks are expensive right now, but these deals could help you save some cash.

The offer is on the 2022 Ram1500 Big Horn and Lone Star

Silver 2022 Ram 1500 Big Horn pickup truck with sunset, highlighting Consumer Reports best deals to save money
2022 Ram 1500 Big Horn | Ram

The offer applies to the 2022 Ram 1500 Big Horn Quad Cab 4×4 with a 6’4” bed, a 1500 Lone Star Quad Cab 4X2, a 1500 Lone Star Quad Cab 4X4, and the 1500 Big Horn Quad Cab 4X2.

The Big Horn package is an upgrade that brings larger wheels, fog lamps, more chrome and leather to the Tradesman package. The Lone Star is essentially a Big Horn, but it has the Texas-themed Lone Star badges. Either truck can be ordered in four-wheel-drive or two-wheel, with Ram Box in-bed storage, a sunroof, and a variety of infotainment screens.

Of course there are some restrictions. For example you need to finance the truck through Chrysler Capital, there are residency restrictions, and you need to take delivery by May 2, 2022.

What does cash back mean?

A silver 2021 Ram 1500 Big Horn four-door full-size pickup truck turning in a city intersection
2021 Ram 1500 Big Horn | Stellantis

Manufacturers and dealers all have their own ways of giving you cash back (or sometimes cashback). Some will give you a check from the manufacturer. Some allow you to apply it to your down payment. Some allow you to put the cash back into other accessories for your truck, your licensing and taxes. Sometimes, you can swap the cash back offer for a lower financing offer.

The old Cash for Clunkers program was a federal incentive program that was designed to take older, polluting, cars off the road. EVs have their own suite of federal incentives.

Why do manufacturers offer cash back?

a photo illustration showing what cash back is.
Cash back illustration | Rafael Henrique, Getty Images

Often a manufacturer offers cash back to incentivize you to buy a new car or truck. Sometimes, however, that’s because the model is slow selling and dealers need a boost, other times it’s because there’s a newer model on the way and manufacturers want to make room on the lot. Other times it’s to compete with another manufacturer’s incentive programs.  Sometimes a manufacturer will offer you special cash back for switching brands. Chevrolet famously offered significant amounts of cash back in the mid-2000s for those who bought a Chevrolet Camaro, but traded in a Ford Mustang.

Every company has some sort of incentive offer.

Ram isn’t the only company offering cash back

A red nissan titan pro-4x drives through mud as it splashes, it might be killed soon.
2022 Nissan Titan | Nissan USA

Ford is offering special financing and $500 bonus cash on trucks that are available on the lot. If you use the company’s online truck-ordering system to build your own, you can get an additional $1,000 cash back.  Chevrolet is offering a $1,000 cash allowance, too. GMC is offering up to $1,550 on some Sierra trucks.

Nissan dealers still have a few 2021 Titan trucks left, and they’re trying to move them. The company is offering $1,000 cash back on some 2021 Titans, as well as $500 cash back for some 2022 trucks.

Toyota redesigned the full-size Tundra for 2022. New models typically don’t need any incentives to help sell them, but Toyota does offer $500 cash for college graduates and $500 for those who served in the military.

Of course these are not the only incentives that dealers are offering. Ask your dealer about cash back offers if you’re a veteran, a first responder, a healthcare worker, and about special offers on vehicles for those that need accessibility options, or college graduate offers (but not both).

RELATED: 5 Important ‘Customer Incentives’ Every Buyer Should Know About

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.