The large American pickup truck is a polarizing machine. These burly beasts are often the butt of jokes and the recipients of unfortunate modifications, but there’s a reason America still has a truck fever of 2500 and up. New diesel pickup trucks are so good they can be your work vehicle, your luxury car, and your family car. I just drove the 2025 Ram 2500 and I’m in love. The truck and its incredible 6.7-liter 1,075 lb-ft torque Cummins straight-six diesel is so comfortable and so powerful that you won’t care how big it is. Lash up that trailer, it’s time for a road trip!
America’s Big Three have been locked into an arms race for what feels like an eternity. Ford, General Motors, and Ram each want to claim the crown of America’s best pickup truck, and the competition has been sizzling hot across the different truck classes. Ford will happily sell you a single cab long bed Ford Super Duty F-450 that’s capable of towing a 40,000-pound gooseneck trailer. General Motors currently offers the only diesel half-ton on the market. Ram? It’s coming swinging for the fences with what it feels is the perfect combination of a mountain of power, fine transmission tuning, and a kind of comfort you’d expect from a luxury marque, not a truck brand.
I think Ram hit this one out of the park.
(Full Disclosure: Ram invited me out to Las Vegas, Nevada, to take its new Heavy Duty lineup on what was more or less an intense 24-hour gauntlet of testing. Ram paid for my travel, lodging (at a weird casino), good food, and fuel.)
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter which brand you pick nowadays. Today’s heavy-duty pickup trucks are so mind-blowing in their capabilities that loyalists of blue ovals, bowties, and rams are all winners, and the sales of these brands show it. Last year I got to test a 2024 Ford Super Duty F-250 Power Stroke by hauling my family’s camper out to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Then I raced down to Wilmington, North Carolina to pick up a project car and drive back home. The Ford was so powerful and so comfortable I wouldn’t have had nearly as good of a time in something else. Yet, as you’re about to read, Ram’s new glorious trucks beat last year’s big red truck from Dearborn.
A Lump Of Cummins Power
Back in early January Stellantis announced its new lineup of Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 trucks. In its release, the automaker boasted the truck’s enhanced towing features and new benchmarks in comfort, technology, and luxury.
The headlining feature was what you’ll find under the hood. Ram’s internal data reveals that 70 percent of Ram 2500 customers opt for the diesel while nearly all customers get the diesel in the Ram 3500. That’s a lot of diesel diehards.
So the company worked to make sure everyone’s favorite Cummins diesel was even better. The first major change was that Ram completely eliminated the standard Cummins B6.7 straight-six. In the past, buyers were able to opt for a standard B6.7 or pay more for the High Output version. Ram realized that the vast majority of buyers got the High Output version, so the standard model was discontinued. So now, all HDs get the same chunky 6.7-liter Cummins High Output turbodiesel making 430 horsepower and a whopping 1,075 lb-ft no matter if you buy the 2500 or higher.
The diesel under the hood of these trucks is the latest version of the Cummins B6.7. Cummins outright calls the B6.7 a “million-mile workhorse” and claims that “no other diesel has more miles on the road or more worldwide experience than the legendary 6.7L.” Indeed, the iconic Cummins 5.9-liter gets all of the love and attention from diesel truck nuts, but the B6.7 has become a legend of its own. A while back Cummins described why the 6.7 is so great:
To deliver more power and meet stricter emissions requirements, we knew the 5.9L would need to evolve in order to continue exceeding RAM owners’ expectations. In January 2007, we introduced 6.7L Turbo Diesel for pickups, bringing a 13% increase in displacement and some exciting new technologies. Out of the gate, it bested 5.9L power output and met stricter emissions regulations.
The model-year 2013.5 engine introduced a number of performance and environmental enhancements. The addition of SCR (Selective Catalyst Reduction) technology delivered a 10% boost to fuel efficiency and another increase in peak torque, while doubling the 6.7L’s oil change intervals.
The new 6.7L Turbo Diesel retains the familiar cast iron block and cylinder heads of the 5.9L, but advances in fuel and air delivery change nearly everything else, especially power ratings and maintenance intervals – now at 15,000 miles. The 6.7L produces up to 900 lb-ft torque and 385 HP. Plus, full torque is reached at a low 1,700 RPM. This makes the ride in today’s Cummins-powered RAM 2500 and 3500 models quieter, smoother and more powerful than ever before. Beyond the benefits of increased displacement, advances in Cummins technology continue to set the bar for power, fuel economy, durability and clean emissions.
Today, Cummins says that the B6.7, which is now up to 1,025 lb-ft of torque, is the largest straight-six diesel you can buy in the light truck and medium-duty market. Cummins and Ram discuss the improvements for the 2025 engine, writing:
Working closely with Cummins, the 6.7-liter High-Output inline-6-cylinder Turbo Diesel engine boasts several improvements in drivability, fuel economy, durability, startability, serviceability, and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
A redesigned block and head, robust heavy-duty pistons, new performance intake manifold, a new turbo, larger intake/exhaust valves for improved port flow and a higher-pressure fuel system enhance the diesel’s hallmark durability and efficiency. To make service easier, and improve air flow and performance, the new Cummins engine uses improved intake port geometry for top feed injectors, top load lubrication and integrated fuel filters. Helping customers in extremely cold environments, Ram Heavy Duty trucks equipped with the Cummins High-Output Turbo Diesel use glow plugs. Noise, vibration and harshness were reduced using helical transmission gears.
The new 2025 Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty integrates the TorqueFlite HD eight-speed automatic transmission that features a lower cruise engine rpm and improved performance on graded roads.
That new fuel system includes a fuel pump that helps diesel fire into the cylinders at 30,000 PSI. That new TorqueFlight also replaces the previous AISIN AS69RC six-speed and the Chrysler 68 RFE. The HD 8 transmission has a relatively tall 3.42 rear axle ratio for better fuel economy and a relatively short 4.89 ratio first gear which helps with starts while loaded. When the truck is unloaded, it starts in second gear.Â
We’ll get back to this in a moment because the marketing speak wasn’t lying here. The cool thing is that Ram also isn’t doing any funny business on price. Spending an additional $12,595 over an equivalent gas truck gets you the diesel with all of the improvements. Ram says this is about what the High Output diesel cost before, so you’re basically getting the upgrades for a similar price.
Ram claims that the Cummins gives you a “best-in-class standard 1,075 lb.-ft. of torque.” The word “standard” is important there. Ford’s 6.7-liter High Output Power Stroke V8 offers 500 HP and 1,200 lb-ft of torque, but it’s not the standard diesel option for those trucks.
Ram says these upgrades, as well as some transmission tweaking, are part of why these trucks have some seriously impressive ratings:
The all-new 6.7-liter Cummins High-Output Turbo Diesel is rated at 430 horsepower and 1,075 lb.-ft. of torque, while the 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 is rated at 405 horsepower and 429 lb.-ft. of torque. Capability includes a maximum towing capacity of 36,610 pounds (diesel) and a maximum payload of 7,590 pounds (gas). Ram 3500 Heavy Duty maximum gooseneck and conventional hitch maximum trailer weight ratings for 2025 are 36,610 pounds and 23,000 pounds, respectively.
Now, I will note that these ratings are somewhat behind Ford. A Ford F-350 DRW can tow up to 28,000 pounds from its conventional hitch receiver. Likewise, a Ford F-350 DRW can haul up to a 40,000-pound gooseneck trailer depending on configuration. Ram acknowledges this and counters with the fact that its trucks are more comfortable.
The Comfy Truck
That might sound odd to hear in a product that you might think would be geared towards blue-collar work.
While it’s true that many heavy-duty pickup trucks spend their lives as so-called “pavement princesses,” a serious number of heavy-duty pickup buyers use their trucks just like I did. Ram says that 90 percent of its HD truck buyers are using their trucks for towing trailers and hauling loads in the bed. This is compared to just 10 percent of light-duty buyers, or at least that’s what Ram says. Thus, the new Ram HD trucks are optimized to make towing as easy as possible. However, comfort is a huge deal, too.
The buyers of today want to be able to pull massive trailers and do so with as little fatigue as possible. Today’s truck buyers don’t see their trucks as just mobile offices but also places to unwind after a hard day of work. So, as trucks have been getting more capable, they’re also getting more comfortable.
The engineers at Ram spend a lot of time working on noise, vibration, and harshness. Back in 2009, the Ram 1500 (née Dodge Ram) was the first full-size pickup truck to deploy a rear coil spring suspension since GM’s C-trucks of the early 1970s. The closest anyone else came was the Chevrolet Avalanche, which I guess counts, but does have that funky integrated bed thing. Back in ’09, Ram pitched the coil spring suspension as offering better articulation off-road than leaf springs, but the company also noted better road manners and ride comfort. Since then, Ram has been known for building trucks that are more comfortable than the competition. (Our in-house dynamics engineer Huibert Mees breaks down coils vs leaf springs here).
Thankfully, the story isn’t any different today. When I spoke with Ram engineers in Nevada, they told me that yes, while Ram is just as obsessed with cranking up capability, the company is also deeply concerned with comfort. Ram HD trucks aren’t just sold to people who want to tow giant campers, but also t fleets. The way Ram sees it, a smart fleet operator will be okay trading some capacity to have a more comfortable ride because drivers that have less fatigue will be more efficient and happy.
Ram mentioned comfort quite a lot in its press releases, so let’s just jump into it.
Hitting The Road
The organizers for Ram’s press event were clever. Normally, the press would arrive at the nearest major airport to a press event and then either Uber or take a shuttle to the event location. Ram arranged a super cool setup where journalists got off of their planes and right into a waiting truck. We got to drive the trucks to the press event where we would drive more trucks. Honestly, it was brilliant and I hope other automakers take note. Forget the Sprinter vans, just put us behind the wheel right away!
Anyway, Ram had chosen for me to ride out to Laughlin, Nevada in a 2025 Ram 2500 Rebel. The whole deal about the Rebel lineup is that you get a rugged truck that’s outfitted for off-roading from the factory (but not quite as hard-core as the Power Wagon, which I’ll talk about more later). So you get 33-inch off-road tires, a 19,890-pound towing capacity, Bilstein shocks, and skid plates.
This truck presented me with what I find to be the new Ram HD’s biggest problem. The looks can get really challenging, to put it nicely. I’m not sure there is a such thing as a beautiful HD pickup truck today. They all have sky-high hoods and beltlines that resemble your dad after he put on his pants to go drive his Chevy Corvette. Ram has had better-looking trucks for years now, but these new HDs challenge your senses.
The Ram HD now has a few basic grille designs, and I’d say the Power Wagon and the Rebel get the worst ones. The lines in the grille are going all over the place with seemingly little rhyme or reason. That’s weird enough, but what’s worse is that everything looks and feels cheap thanks to huge swaths of flat black finish. It’s all crazy busy and almost looks like a caricature of a pickup truck. These grilles are supposed to make these trucks look burly and powerful (and also provide lots of cooling), but it’s almost as if Ram is trying to copy aftermarket angry Jeep grilles but straight from the factory.
That being said, I like the chrome grilles a whole lot more. At some angles, the trucks with chrome grilles look properly handsome. I also dig the chrome-style grille design when its border is body color — then the RAM HD has a bit of a sinister look that I can get behind.
Anyway, let’s get back to my Rebel. This is a truck that starts at $68,940 before you toss on any option like the $12,595 Cummins. My tester had a nice sunroof, ventilated seats, and a 900-watt Harman Kardon surround sound system with 17 speakers. It’s a 4×4 rig with a 6’4″ box, the Stellantis Uconnect 5 Tesla-style 14.4-inch display, and leather bucket seats.
Getting into the Rebel was an adventure. A running board electrically folded out to ease my entry, then I plopped down on my leather throne. When I hit the start button, I was greeted by a Cummins waking up from its deep slumber with a rumble and a shake that rocked the whole truck. Oh yeah, it was signaling that I was in for a ride.
Once the Cummins was running and my windows were closed, the idle was so quiet you could only hear a distant smooth clack of a common rail diesel. Really, if you didn’t know any better, you might forget this was even a diesel. Granted, the moment you looked down at the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster you would forget know the red line in the rev counter begins not long after 3,000 RPM.
It’s in this cab that I noticed another new feature. For years, Ram has had a confusing switchgear setup due to the separate AISIN and Chrysler 68 RFE configurations. Some trucks had digital rotary dials for shifting while some products had mechanical column shifters. Ram says that its customers hated this. Fleet owners would buy a bunch of trucks and their drivers didn’t like having two different ways to shift in what were otherwise similar trucks. Ram also figured out that a lot of Ram fleet owners have plow trucks, and the rotary dials forced their drivers to look down and fiddle with the rotary dial while wearing thick gloves.
Basically, everyone said they wanted to have just one way to shift and it better be the familiar column. This is when Ram realized that hold on, the rotary dial is all digital, right? So why not just make a digital column shifter? It’s not like a digital shifter has to be any specific shape. So, that’s what Ram did. Trucks across the range have a digital column shifter for that old-school feel with new-school tech. I love it.
A Ride That Seemingly Flattened The Road Ahead
Leaving the airport, I quickly realized that the TorqueFlite HD and the Cummins are paired so well together that in normal driving, the performance is quite unlike a diesel. The truck gets up to speed shockingly quickly (Ram says the 2500s can hit 60 mph in 6.9 seconds) and the shifts are so buttery smooth you can barely tell they’re happening. Yet, even when you’re hard on the throttle, the engine note of that Cummins is more or less reduced to background noise. It’s so quiet that if you turned the radio on low volume you’d drown the engine out.
That was my first taste of the comfort Ram had been bragging about. But I’d then spend an hour and a half and 100 miles cruising through the desert.
This road-driving part of the test was really important. While lots of people use their Ram HD trucks for hauling and towing, they do spend a considerable amount of time just driving around empty. So, Ram spent a lot of time trying to make this part as comfortable as it could be.
As I drove down Nevada’s sunny highways, I was consumed by a thought. This Ram 2500 almost had the kind of comfort you would expect in a half-ton truck. Back when I drove the Ford Super Duty F-250, it never really let me forget that it was a work truck with a luxurious interior. As I recall, if I hit a pothole in the Ford, the steering wheel jiggled and I saw the bed jiggle in the mirror. It wasn’t quite “wobble,” but wobble’s distant cousin. The F-250 was comfortable, so much so that I decided to sleep in it one night as opposed to getting a hotel. But I always knew I was driving an HD truck.
The Ram 2500 was different. On similar sort of potholes that unsettled the Ford’s suspension, the Ram mostly took it with ease. In fact, the Ram never really seemed truly unsettled by anything America’s poor infrastructure had to throw at it. The truck just plowed forward, almost as if it pounded the road as I drove forward . Sure, it was bouncy, yes. You’ll get that on these big jobs when they’re unloaded, but it was better than the last Ford Super Duty I drove. And like all trucks it got better when you actually made it do truck stuff.
I believe a lot of this goes back to NVH and chassis tuning. The quietness of the cab, the suspension, and the supple seats added up together to a truck that was as easy to drive across the desert as any of my favorite German wagons. Yes, the Ram loses out on some capability to be so soft, but I think the trade is worth it if you like putting in tons of miles in one shot.
Of course, I think it goes without saying that the Ram isn’t a truck you’re going to want to take to the Tail Of The Dragon anytime soon. The steering has less feel than my hands do after wrenching in a Midwestern winter. If you try to take a corner too fast, the truck will quickly scrub speed and roll like a ship on high seas. If the 2500 HD could talk, I’m sure it would say “Do I look like a Porsche to you?” At the very least, the truck’s handling is very predictable and geared towards safe understeer.
So Quiet You Can’t Enjoy The Soundtrack
Amusingly, the truck was so quiet that I was disappointed just a little. The sound of a good diesel engine — and the Cummins 6.7 is a banger — is basically a symphony to my ears. I ended up having to crack open my window just so I could hear the beautiful sounds of a big diesel bulging out of the hood in front of me. Sorry Ford, Cummins has the better soundtrack here.
Once I got bored with hearing diesel clatter and wind, I cranked up the Harmon Kardon surround sound, where I found myself pleasantly surprised. Stellantis products have injected Harmon Kardon-branded products in its vehicles for years and in recent times, the sound has been a disappointment.
Tunes You Feel In Your Heart
It seems like Ram and Harmon Kardon took the criticism to heart because oh my gosh, the system in the Ram 2500 is a beast of a unit. The Harmon Kardon system in the Ram 2500 is not the clearest system I’ve used to date, but if you like bass like I do then you’re in for a fun ride. It delivers bass in explosive blows that you feel deep within your body. The system can then deliver your music at insanely loud volumes without much, if any, distortion depending on the track.
Ram is also selling these trucks with a 10-speaker Alpine sound system. It’s pretty decent, but if you really like to crank things up to 11 and jam out until you lose all hearing, get the Harmon Kardon. At least the system in my test truck was intensely awesome. It was as good, if not better than the Bang & Olufsen Unleashed 14-speaker surround sound that was in the F-250 I tested last year. Either way, the Ram 2500 is “Mercedes Jam Session” Approved.
Eventually, I stopped playing with the music and I stopped punching the throttle for fun and I settled into a cruise. I set the truck’s radar cruise control, cranked up my seat ventilation, and put down the miles. The Ram 2500 Rebel ate them up with ease, and I began to feel like the queen of the blacktop. I towered over Tesla Cybertrucks and Mazda Miatas looked like Hot Wheels cars. If I needed to pass someone, I just lit the fuse on that Cummins and roared past whatever slow car was in my way. The Cummins built speed so easily that I had to triple-check my speedometer to ensure I wasn’t trying to hit the truck’s electronically limited top speed of 103 mph.
That alone was so great. If you tried to go 100 mph in a second-generation Dodge Ram the truck made sure you felt it. Here? The 2500 Rebel cruised like it was a luxury car. I even got 16 mpg at 80 mph, which isn’t bad for such a behemoth. (Keep in mind, this was unscientific and just on that short drive I took).
I also adored the interior, mostly. Most surfaces felt great to the touch and the backseat room was great for someone of my size, but weirdly tighter than a Ram 1500. That’s not just by feel, either.
The 1500 has around 45 inches of rear legroom while the HDs have a smaller 40 inches to play with. In a way, it is a little funny that a heavier truck has a smaller cab.
Ram also filled this ride with features. The passenger gets an entire 10.25-inch infotainment display all to themselves, and the suite of available features includes multiple cameras, a digital rearview mirror, an easy trailer reversing mode, active lane management, blind spot monitoring, adaptive steering, and even motorized blind spot mirrors. That last one is crazy to note, but Ram says it now has the only electric blind spot mirror in its class. It’s wild to think that we’ve had electric mirrors for so long, but it took until now to put a motor in HD truck blind spot mirrors.
I also loved the interior of the Longhorn model.
To put it simply, this was basically a luxury car capable of towing multiple luxury cars. Sit in a Longhorn and you’ll understand why many people would rather buy a lux truck than a German car. But I will cover that phenomenon more fully in a separate piece.
Hauling Up Davis Dam
Eventually, I arrived at the site of Ram’s event, and it was best described as a gauntlet. At the event, there were various trucks towing various trailers from an empty dump trailer all the way up to a 13,500-pound camper and a 19,500-pound tractor and trailer. There was also a Dodge Ram SRT-10 sitting on a trailer behind a 2500.
None of these trailers maxed out their respective trucks’ capacities. Instead, Ram told us they selected the loads based on the most common configurations reported by owners. Ram found out that tons of people use their Ram HDs for towing cars, towing campers, and hauling farm equipment. So Ram set out to replicate those setups for the media to play with.
Ram took us out to Laughlin so we could test these towing and hauling setups on the infamous Davis Dam grade. Just outside of the weird casino we’d stayed in sits the long grade engineers use to make sure their trucks meet or exceed SAE J2807 trailer tow standards.
The Davis Dam test requires a truck to climb the grade on Route 68 between Bullhead City and Golden Valley. It’s an 11-mile grade at around 6 percent that sees the driver climbing their rig 3,500 ft. Proper test conditions call for 100-degree Fahrenheit outside temperatures with the truck’s air-conditioning on full blast. This isn’t the steepest grade in America, but the long, steep-ish grade and high temperatures make for a great torture test. Single rear wheel trucks have to go faster or equal to 40 mph while dual rear wheel trucks have go to faster or equal to 35 mph. If your truck cannot safely clear the pass under those conditions you need to go back to the drawing board.
Ram felt like it was a great idea to put journalists on the same grades the engineers got to play on. I will have a towing test report in a separate piece, so for now, I’ll keep it short. I took the trailered Ram SRT-10, the chunky 13,500-pound camper, and the 19,500-pound tractor up the grade.
The test was a perfect demonstration of what Ram’s engineers meant when they said they tuned the transmission to match the power of the Cummins. When I was climbing the Davis Dam grade, the truck put itself into whatever gear was necessary to maintain roughly 2,500 RPM — a great place for the engine to be, Ram engineers told me.
Sure, it was only 80 degrees outside when I tested the Ram trucks, but each time I tried the truck climbed the grade with an almost scary amount of confidence. Transmission temps got no hotter than 160 degrees and there wasn’t a single part that felt strained, even when hauling the tractor up. Perhaps most surprising to me was how little throttle pedal actuation was needed to climb the grade. In most instances, I barely needed much throttle pedal engagement to climb the grade. Only the tractor tow required putting the pedal down further and even then the Cummins still had a ton of power to give.
Speaking of power to give, I should note that even with the tractor on the back, the Cummins had no problem hauling at or above the speed limit. One journalist at the event was rumored to have driven above 80 mph while towing the camper up the grade and the vitals still showed green across the board, which is insane.
There were two towing tests I was very interested in. I was really interested in seeing how the 2500 handled hauling the Ram SRT-10. The crew estimated that between truck and trailer there were nearly 8,000 pounds behind the Ram 2500. That’s not much weight for an HD truck, but apparently a common use for the 2500s. When I hauled my ’48 Plymouth Special Deluxe home from North Carolina, I was hauling about 5,200 pounds. Neither of these loads break a sweat whatsoever, but what I wanted to see was how the Ram 2500 performed on imperfect pavement compared to the Ford F-250.
In some areas, the difference felt significant. Whereas the F-250 liked to jiggle its steering wheel on bigger bumps, the Ram 2500 continued its path completely unbothered. Otherwise, the feel was similar. The Ram 2500 drove almost as if it was empty. I will never say the tired cliche “didn’t feel it back there” because no matter what, that’s wrong. You do feel the change in weight, you do feel the change in acceleration, and you do feel the longer braking. But the Ram 2500 felt the closest to that claim of the trucks I’ve driven, and that’s despite towing more weight than I did with the F-250. I would be delighted to bring a Ram 2500 for the ride when I pick up my Honda Life from Baltimore this summer.
Towing the camper with the Ram 3500 DRW was surprisingly fun as well. This truck has the same High Output Cummins and the same high-class interior, but has those wider hips and dually wheels for better hauling capability. This felt even better than towing the Ram SRT-10. It was impossible to ignore the near 14,000-pound brick of a fifth wheel camper behind me, but the truck felt so planted and so unbothered by the giant RV that I could have driven the Ram 3500 like that all day and I’d still be happy. It took barely any pedal travel to maintain speed and the Cummins had a groundswell of power in store for passing even on a mountain grade.
Things were just as awesome on the downhill side. The Ram HD comes with an exhaust brake. This device closes off the exhaust path from the engine and instead, the exhaust pressure is used to slow the engine (and thus truck) down. The exhaust brake is so strong that there were multiple instances when I descended Davis Dam pass without needing to touch the brake pedal at all.
Ram’s engineers said that the Ram HD is designed to make towing as easy as possible, and I agree. Towing stupidly heavy trailers with the Ram HD is so easy that anyone can feel like a towing pro. I bet some people might get too confident driving one of these trucks, though that’s not Ram’s fault. Towing 20,000 pounds is not something just anyone should do, but a Ram HD makes it so easy that your grandma can do it.
Wheeling Heavy Duty
Later, I took control of a Power Wagon. As of right now, the Power Wagon comes with only the 6.4-liter Hemi V8. The general explanation I’ve been given is that off-road packages already reduce capacities. The Power Wagon sacrifices some capability to have softer springs and better articulation. Adding a diesel engine on top of that off-road package won’t do the truck any favors, per Ram. Also, consider that an HD truck already isn’t an ideal off-road vehicle. These things are freaking huge and heavy.
Weirdly, I can see why the overwhelming majority Ram HD buyers get the diesel. The Power Wagon’s Hemi is fine, great even, but it just doesn’t have the charm or the ridiculous low-end pull of the Cummins. Dare I say? The Cummins even sounds better. Still, the Hemi gets galloping quickly and you won’t be disappointed if you enjoy a V8 soundtrack.
I didn’t get to tow anything with this truck, but I did get to take it off-road. Let’s take a look at the specs here. If you buy a regular crew cab Ram 2500 4×4, you’re looking at these specs:
Approach Angle (Degrees) 23.2
Ramp Breakover Angle (Degrees) 22.7
Departure Angle (Degrees) 24.7
Ground Clearance 13.1
Now, here’s how those numbers improve by getting a Power Wagon. I’ll also include the slight differences for opting for a Rebel:
Approach Angle (Degrees) 29.4 (26.6 — Rebel)
Ramp Breakover Angle (Degrees) 22 (21.8 — Rebel)
Departure Angle (Degrees) 26
Ground Clearance 14.2 (13.3 – Rebel)
A regular Ram HD 4×4 gets an American Axle 9.25-inch beam front axle with a center disconnect while the Power Wagon has this axle with a locking differential. If your truck has a diesel (not the Power Wagon, since, again, it’s gas-only) you have a Borg Warner 44-48 transfer case whereas a gasser will have a BW 44-46 or a BW 44-47 transfer case.
Look in the rear of the Power Wagon and you’ll find an American Axle 11.5-inch beam rear axle. Standard 2500 and 3500s get this axle with a limited slip while you get a rear locker in the Power Wagon. Finally, there’s also an American Axle 12.0-inch beam rear axle for the 3500. Here are your 4×4 suspension specs:
Front
Three-link with track bar, coil
springs, stabilizer bar, solid
axle, disconnecting sway bar
(Power Wagon only)Rear
Five-link with track bar, coil
springs, stabilizer bar, solid axle
(optional air bags)
Rear-wheel-drive trucks get the same rear suspension but without the option for bags (only 3500 DRWs can option bags right now) and, of course, you cannot get the disconnecting sway bar with a 4×2 truck. Like the Rebel, you get the 33-inch off-road tires, a 19,890-pound towing capacity, Bilstein shocks, and skid plates. But, as noted above, the Power Wagon gets all of the lockers and the disconnecting sway bar that the Rebel doesn’t.
Off-road, at least out in the Arizona desert, you can get through some seriously rough terrain with nothing more than leaving these trucks in rear-wheel-drive mode. Locking the rear differential then gets you farther.
Our tour guide did get us into some rough situations. On one pass, the terrain was loose enough that simply having the rear axle locked wasn’t good enough. For that, I flipped the truck into 4×4 Low and climbed over anything in my way without much of an issue. The truck’s gearing is low enough that you can just crawl your way through obstacles without even really touching the pedal.
I even intentionally pointed my truck at a tall rock. With the truck locked in first gear in low, I crawled right over it without any real drama. Something I was happy about was the fact that off-roading the Ram 2500 Power Wagon didn’t throw me around. It was bouncy, yes, but I didn’t feel like the truck wanted to slam my head into the B-pillar.
The real performance in the Ram 2500 Power Wagon came when the terrain got deep and rough. The journalist ahead of me was in a Rebel while I followed in a Power Wagon. In one instance, he drove into a rut deep enough to lift a tire.
I then hit the same rut with the sway bar disconnected and behold, all four of my tires sat on the ground. The rears were obviously just barely touching, but the Rebel couldn’t say the same:
We then hit another one of these fun articulation sections later on. Once again, here’s the Rebel.
Now, here’s the Power Wagon.
The best reason to get the Power Wagon would be to get the Ram 2500 that’s the absolute most capable off-road HD truck. However, you can’t get the popular Cummins with this truck. I should also note that while Ram does not list any curb weights, these are trucks that are said to weigh over 7,000 pounds and span 7 feet in width. It doesn’t really matter how well this bad boy wheels when it can’t fit on a trail.
Remember how I tested the Mammoth Overland Extinction Level Event trailer last year? Yeah, the Ford Ranger I had barely fit on medium-rated fire roads in Washington. I wouldn’t have fit on the same trails in a Ram 2500. So, if you’re thinking about buying an HD truck for off-roading, consider the wheeling you do before you make this purchase.
HD Trucks Are Ridiculously Tall
I do have a few complaints about these trucks. The first is that they’re so comically tall. I mean pretty much every metric of every HD truck is jacked up high. The bedsides of a 2500 reach over my shoulders (I’m 5’6″) and the load height is most of the way up my stomach. If I open the hood, I have to step to the side of the truck and push down to get it to close. You can forget about doing any maintenance without a step stool.
I asked Ram’s engineers about this, noting that the trucks of a couple of decades ago were shorter. They told me that today’s trucks offer a sort of trade-off.
They had to figure out how to give trucks great ground clearance and ample articulation [Ed Note: And big cooling openings! -DT] and neither can be achieved if you have a low load height like the trucks of the past. So, how do short people get into the bed? Ram’s people say you should option your truck with one of those nifty split tailgates or bedside steps. That’s not a real solution, but it’s something.
The same sort of goes for how high the hood opens. However, this latter problem is something Toyota has solved with hoods that have variable opening heights.
I also have a problem squaring up some of the material choices in the truck. Some of the plastics, namely around the infotainment screen bezel and in various other common touchpoints on the dash as well as the A-pillars, feel way too cheap and “scratchy” for the $90,000 you’re going to spend on these trucks. The Ford F-250 also had this problem and in my eye, most trim levels of these trucks never let you forget that you’re driving a work vehicle with a luxury interior.
I asked Ram about that and a designer told me that, unfortunately, the cheaper materials are done that way for cost and prestige. It helps Ram hit these price points and they admit, it also gives you a reason to buy a super nice trim level like a Longhorn. I’m not sure what the right path here is. I think maybe cheaper plastics, sure, but give them a surface that at least doesn’t feel as cheap? I’m also not really sure about the passenger screen, but I have news about that for a separate article.
I would also say that rear room should be expanded. However, I get why the HD cabs have the size constraint. These trucks already don’t fit in standard parking spaces. I’m not sure where you would it more room without making the truck even bigger.
Comfort And Power Worth Respecting
But I wouldn’t let these downsides sway you. I left my Ram HD gauntlet with one conclusion that surprised me: These are better than the Ford competition.
Yes, the Fords tow more weight, haul greater payloads, and have a diesel with more torque. Ford’s current Super Duty lineup is full of trucks that check “best-in-class” boxes. But I think this is one of those situations where “best-in-class” is really just bragging rights. The 2025 Ram 2500 HD feels more comfortable doing the same work as a Ford Super Duty F-250. The Ram also has a better interior, a more laid-back drive, and at least from my butt dyno, the transmission and engine tuning are perfect. It’s as if the engine and transmission were meant for each other, like one of those perfect marriages from a childhood fairy tale.
Of course, diesel trucks are no joke when it comes to pricing. The 2025 Ram HD lineup starts with the basic Ram 2500 Tradesman 4×2 with a 6.4-liter Hemi for $45,565. The absolute cheapest way into a diesel would be to spec a 2025 Tradesman with Crew Cab and a 6’4″ box. That has a starting price of $49,185. Toss on that $12,595 Cummins and you’re looking at a floor of $62,775 for the cheapest 2025 Ram 2500 Cummins. If you’re scratching your head there, it’s because Ram found out that basically nobody buys a single-cab 4×2 diesel truck, so that’s why you have to get the Crew Cab to get a diesel.
The 2500 Laramie Cummins, the most popular Ram HD by a wide margin, starts at $75,385. The cheapest Rebel with a Cummins is $82,530 and the Power Wagon, which does not have the diesel, runs $73,135 to start. Don’t worry, you’ll get to hear more about the Laramie soon!
Yes, all of these prices are solidly luxury car territory. However, I think these trucks are luxury vehicles. They have luxury car features, luxury car quietness, and some luxury car comfort. A big pickup truck is just a luxury car that waves a huge American flag and shoots off fireworks in a backyard on July 4th. They’re a bit brash and vulgar, but a ton of fun. The new 2025 Ram HDs are such great trucks that you, like me, will start singing “I like big trucks and I cannot lie.”
(Images: Author, unless otherwise noted.)
“The New Ram 2500 And Its Incredible 1,075 Lb-Ft Cummins Diesel Engine Will Make You Love Big Trucks”
Counterpoint: No it won’t.
I see that truck and I still see a vehicle that is way taller than it needs to be with high mounted headlights that will cause needless amounts of glare for other drivers.
And the higher levels of power? That actually makes me like it less since the truck was already overpowered to begin with… making it easy for bro-truck drivers to drive like assholes.
And as these trucks age, you just know that some of the owners will remove/disable the emissions equipment, turning them into massive polluters.
No… I do not love this big truck. It has not been improved in the ways it needs to be improved. It’s just more of the same.
“They’re a bit brash and vulgar,”
A bit?
We getting blinded, ran over, and flipped off with this one!
That ain’t a truck, this is a truck! (Pulls out a long nose Pete)
This is the way.
This is the way.
Unless you genuinely have the need for lots of heavy towing, the negatives on these far outweigh the positives.
The emissions systems and expense of diesel, a height that makes the bed useless most of the time, and a size that means it won’t fit in most garages or in environments where the vast majority of people live make this a tool that should have a very niche audience. The degree to which it expands beyond that niche is based solely on its function as a fashion accessory.
Not if you get the Power Wagon. That thing just laughs at northern potholed roads.
And I never garage my trucks.
Not what?
Negatives outweighing the positives. The Power Wagon is as much a halo car as a Ferrari, Bugatti, or Morgan.
If fashion is your primary concern, I agree. But you didn’t give any reason to counter the realities I mentioned.
Ok.
It’s an easy win.
So you responded to my comment about how HD diesel trucks are niche vehicles because of the difficulty their size adds for most people and their extra expense with a comment on a non-diesel truck, saying the size is worth it because it is beneficial for a very niche need.
So the diesel expensive is true, and despite you not caring the size does in fact make them less usable for most people. The higher the bed, the worse it is for loading, and the size makes it far less capable of navigating urban areas where most people live or able to park in standard garages.
If you want to buy something because you have a niche need or want to spend time cosplaying as an 80s TV detective, that’s fine. You do you. But that has nothing to do with my original valid comment.
I keep forgetting that I’m niche. (Even other pickup owners say this.)
Oh well. To each their own. At least you know I would WORK mine if I bought one.
I did say at the beginning that I was talking about the Power Wagon.
I don’t have much experience with diesels but from what I’ve read about the construction of this one, I like it!
I gotta say though, this reminds me of when I went to the Auto show last fall. I found the most awesome daily that I would take over a Silverado 3500 High Country or F-350 King Ranch.
Check this baby out!
New 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 5500 Dump Truck for sale in Tampa, FL | #11012
I’d want a single rear wheel version, but hell yeah!
I am by no means a truck expert and not a fan of these either. That said, isn’t there a grey market (or developing grey market) for diesel trucks like these in order to skirt around 18-wheelers and their tight regulations? I have to assume 35 to 40,000 lbs has to be similar to some of the loads handled by those trucks; and if you can get around the daily hour limits, weigh-ins, etc., I could see these trucks being worth it from a work perspective.
I’d be curious to hear from someone more in the know though.
No talk of the sweet tribal tatttttz on the seats? I’d keep shopping just because of those.
Those aren’t tribal tatts. Those are versions of the stitching found on Cowboy boots.
GY1117.73-2510_Pair_2000x.jpg (1700×2000)
Oh well now I like them even less.
LOL! You’re welcome.
The truck here I love isn’t the new diesel one though.
Inevitably these will be abundant in municipal/fleet white, and I can respect any tool (except the one behind the wheel), but love is strong.
I appreciate that this article speaks kindly about these trucks. 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks definitely have a place in the US. I also appreciate that you mentioned the elephant in the room…that grille.
The comments are mostly predictable as always, but for those of us who enjoy driving and learning about these bad boys, this was a fantastic and informative review.
They are completely needlessly large and therefore horribly inefficient as well as nightmares for pedestrian/cyclist/motorcyclist/small car driver/medium sized elephant safety. Glad you enjoy driving then but they’re awful for absolutely everyone else and the climate. 90% of the rest of the world gets by fine without such monstrosities maybe north America should follow suit.
Sounds like a raw deal for the rest of the world to me.
Not really… There’s far less morons who think they need such monsters so it’s nicer for everyone else.
I don’t think inefficient is correct. Something that is producing over a THOUSAND lb/ft of torque while getting 16 mpg is a marvel in efficiency. People often opine for the ol’ days where trucks were reasonably sized (as do I), but if were talking efficiency, then the new ones beat them hands down. My reasonably sized 1995 K2500 gets 10 MPG while pooting out “just” 380 lb/ft of torque. And that’s on a good day.
I have averaged 20.5 MPG with my 2021 F250 powerstroke (1,050 lb/ft torque). A lot of that is highway driving without a trailer (obviously, MPG is quite a bit lower when towing), but it is still incredible an 8,000 lb truck with 4 digits worth of torque can average over 20 mpg. Modern trucks are probably too big, but they are genuinely impressive machines.
Pretty amazing. My 2900 lb mini-4×4 only gets 22 mpg on average (used to get about 27, but still) with a 2.0 4 banger and a 5 speed manual.
Exactly. ::Clapping::
I had two 2500 Rams as work trucks with my last job. I thought they were great, they ate up miles like nobodies business and most trailer loads I pulled you’d barely feel. I LOVED that motor but at 250k on mine I was told by the dealer it needed a cam, other techs had fuel pump issues, lifter ticks and other small quibbles. Now I’m in a different field but if I needed another truck I’d be headed for another Ram (My ’73 doesn’t count, it’s a Dodge).
I had no idea the HD crew cab was smaller than the 1500 crew cab. Do they still offer the mega cab on the HD trucks?
Yes, but it doesn’t offer any more leg room, just space behind the seats to recline.
The issue is the HDs still use the 2009 cab, which was class leading at the time but now has been surpassed by other HDs and all the half tons.
That’s one thing I’ve been surprised by these past few years. I thought they’d change that for sure with this new refresh but nope.
I have owned both – the mega cab seats are different and mounted further back – you get just under 4 inches more legroom than an “hd” crew cab.
About 1.5 inches more than my dads DT ram 1500 too
Crikey have prices shot up on these! In 2013 I bought a 2500 Ram Laramie with the 6.7 Cummins, Mega Cab, 6 MT, 4X4, with just about all of the options ticked. Power heated and ventilated seats, leather everything, heated steering wheel, the bigger Uconnect (8.something” back then), tow package, and paid in the mid $50s for it.
That would be 75k today, adjusted for inflation
Many assumptions, including the “need” to tow massive trailers. While construction and agriculture continue to move in that direction, I question the move to ever-larger fifth-wheel RVs, 98% of which are pure crap. Bigger picture, from a societal perspective, the consumption of materials and fuel needed to create and operate these things is also highly suspect. “Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should.”
My industry (Nuclear Power) has a LOT of RVers. Nuclear power plants shut down every 18-24 months. They shutdown a plant in the Spring or Fall. During an outage, a plant will bring in about 1000 extra workers to do all the required testing, repairs and maintenance to go another 1.5 to 2 years of operation. Most of these workers use an RV.
I got a tornado shelter from a guy that was a welder at nuclear plants in the Spring and Fall and built tornado shelters in the summer and winter. In a case like this, the truck was used to tow an RV in the Spring and Fall and to run his business in the summer and winter.
I agree that I don’t understand the use case for most RVs. I see a lot of people that get an expensive RV and then park it at their house until the HOA complains and then park them at a storage facility, where the RV falls apart over time. My dad’s boss had an RV that never worked right and always stank inside because it leaked. But there are people out there that actually have a life that fits RVing well and having a vehicle like this to support it is a good thing.
Most of the recreational buyers worked their live to buy this. They earned that right.
I’m not questioning anyone’s individual right to make questionable financial choices, but I do question the larger society’s seeming acceptance of ever-increasing personal vehicle sizes.
When that’s all that’s offered in full sized trucks what choice do they really have?
With how crap the emissions systems are in modern diesels I wouldn’t buy one. Sure having cleaner exhaust is nice, but your emissions system craps out every 80K-100K miles and on some vehicles (like the Sprinter Vans) requires you to pull the engine to repair/replace it.
I’d rather have the B6.7 Octane Gas version if I had to buy an ICE powered new Heavy Duty Truck.
That being said I’m a BEV convert now.
I think it’s often less that that many miles. My in-laws had a 2021 3500 Ram Dually and the particulate filter completely clogged up before 40,000 miles. The bulk of the use being pulling their huge 5th wheel trailer probably didn’t get the revs up enough to clear it, since it was just cruising on the highway at constant speeds. They still bought another when their lease was up last year because they love the truck.
Cruising on the highway is supposed to be good for DPFs though. It allows the truck to regen when it needs to. The thing that typically kills DPFs is a lot of short trips where the engine is cold, spewing emissions, and doesn’t have time to regen the DPF to burn off the remnants.
This is the important point that a lot of people are missing.
People that actually use something near the full capabilities of these trucks most of the time they’re being driven have way fewer issues with the emissions system. Think of those “hotshot” drivers using a dually to tow gooseneck trailers full of other cars long distance.
A friend of mine has a 2015 F250 6.7. His main use is commuting 8 miles to work in Michigan. His emissions system failed in short order.
Yeah, diesel has its place on medium/heavy trucks and equipment, but I’m hoping light trucks like these are moving toward BEV + gasoline range extender. We have an older F250 with the 460 and if things go right it’ll be our last straight ICE vehicle.
Buddy drives a 3500 dually for work at a luxury brand dealer. Pick up/drop off service for Richie Rich cars. It is towing a car hauler 99% of the time, and he drives about 150k miles a year. His 2024 Ram 3500 just cracked 150k and it’s in the shop for effectively replacing the entire emissions system- to the tune of $13,000. The truck was not modified whatsoever and maintained by the book.
He mentioned around 100k it started showing symptoms. Filter regen cycles started taking longer and occurring more frequently. Then they eventually started “failing” and the truck would then get stuck in limp mode throwing all sorts of errors, so it went to the dealer.
So the company paid for the repairs. Nice!
Nothing can make me love these overcompensating brodozers. I understand that there is a limited number of people that need them for the capability that they provide, but that’s not the bulk of the user base who use them as daily drivers.
Most people who have 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks tow with them several times a year. Tons of fleets use them also. There is a place for these trucks in society.
There isn’t. These trucks have gotten insanely large in a very short amount of time. You guys did fine for decades with normally sized trucks. And north America is the only place on earth that “needs” these behemoths.
That’s why they’re for sale in Africa, Australia, and parts of Europe.
Essentially everywhere else in the world, these serve that purpose:
https://img.autotrader.co.za/18397764
Where I live, I’ve never seen an F150+, RAM or Silverado used as a work truck. They are always rich assholes who are overcompensating.
How is that better? Way larger, way less efficient (it’s the same engines you get in the Silverado line), horrible to drive, I could go on. Sure, they are good for box trucks and other medium duty work, but I don’t understand why they are “better” for HD truck purposes that don’t require a medium duty.
They’re more durable.
What part is more durable? They have the same power trains as 3/4 and 1 ton pickups. Are you talking frames and brakes? Those aren’t exactly frequent failure items on pickups that are being used within their weight rating.
They’re more durable than a half ton pickup. Thicker frame, beefier axles, stronger suspension, bigger bearings, higher payload…
There’s a reason why GM gave Steinbeck a 3/4 ton pickup for his “Travels with Charlie” voyage.
Well I would hope they are more durable than a half ton, NPR’s (and other COE trucks like them) are an entirely different vehicle class than even 3/4 and 1 ton pickups. They also cost nearly twice as much.
Given enough times they might even out pricewise.
How?
Keep adding options and features and raising prices on them and maybe they will catch up to the COE trucks.
I mean we are at the over 100K prices on the 3/4 tons and 1 tons, so just upgrade the levels to the Sultan of Brunei mode and there ya go.
Sure, if you choose to spec them that way. But a HUGE portion of the pickup market is fleet buyers. We have a 2023 Chevrolet 3/4 ton in our fleet that, while having more stuff than I find strictly necessary, is pretty stripped out when compared to your average car. Vinyl seats and floors and the bare minimum screen (required by federal law). I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon, crank windows were still available as recently as 5 years ago.
That I agree with.
The commercial market will always be different.
Surprisingly not larger than a full size American truck (an crew cab 4 door Isuzu NPR is narrower than a RAM 2500 and within an inch in length – puts it in perspective when you see a “massive” Isuzu truck and then realize it’s the same size as a pick-up). Also cheaper to buy and maintain (you just flip the whole cab and there’s access to the full engine), more durable, simpler and more standardized parts, has a payload capacity over 2600 lbs higher… you know, everything a business values.
Why does a business need leather seats with tramp stamps?
Cheaper to buy? How? The base model Chevrolet LCF (an Izusu NPR wearing a gold bowtie) starts at 56k, and that includes….nothing. A base model 3500HD Silverado starts at 10 grand less. Simpler and more standardized parts? Maybe for the Isuzu dealer, but I can tell you after 5 years of selling parts to small business owners and farmers that pickup truck parts arent exactly tough to find. I’ll buy more durable (chassis only) and easier to maintain, but have you ever driven an NPR or similar forward control truck? They are fucking awful. As I said, great when you need to move a ton of cargo in an urban setting, but awful for the average user on anything longer than an urban trip. And if you don’t need the capacity, why would you sacrifice cost and comfort for a greater price? It’s a stupid argument.
Right. The mechanicals are great, but the head-high rugged truckface and the 4″ lift are there to sell these jobs to suburban Walter Mitty types.
Capability factor = 10/10
Utilization factor = 2/10, ‘cuz most of these will be tooling around at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.
Should we tell him?
No, it’s important that he not realize that BB&B is OOB.
OK, fine, Home Goods.
Why does everyone keeping referring to Ram/Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler as American?
They are a Netherlands’ company’s (Stellantis N.V.) truck brand (before that they were Italian, before that they were German, and before that American). A modern Ram is no more American than my Honda or Toyota – which were also both built domestically.
Technically they were American again between the Germans and Italians.
For God’s sake, be careful (Ram 1500 shown for comparison):
https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/lotus-elan-1964-coupe-26r-vs-ram-1500-2018-4-door-pickup-crew-cab-5/
Meh. Might as well used a Kei car instead of a 60’s Lotus.
Ram made a great truck even better.
I would have preferee if they kept the tuned down version that that had with stick shift. Sucks you cannot get a new diesel with a stick shift anymore. Wait can you even get any size new truck with a stick shift anymore in the US?
The Tacoma is the last truck standing with a manual gear jammer. Gladiator dropped theirs some time in the last few years.
Unless you leave North America, then there’s sticks a plenty, and lots of small diesel light duty trucks. I hate it here, from a truck perspective.
Even semi trucks are moving away from the stick. The fuel economy gains are just too much to ignore.
Yup I work in the semi truck industry and everything we test is auto’s so you have to rely all on software for engine breaking which is oh so much fun.
Yup. Annoying as all get out, cause the truck does things it’s way, not mine. And that is the drivers perspective. I’d hate to deal with it from the engineer’s or mechanic’s perspective
We had a truck testing in Denver and yeah the engine break wasn’t working on the software and I heard the driver near crapped himself going down hill. I have been avoiding getting my CDL like the plague as I do not want to be driving these trucks anywhere but an actual testing grounds.
My reaction too… Seems like a great engine, but a shame you can’t shift it yourself to make use of it the way you need/want to. But ultimately, it’s a concession to fuel economy and emissions regulations — so it will do what the computers tell it to do, and that’s that.
It’s good that the drivetrain is apparently doing so well at keeping it all in the most efficient RPM range and gear. The transmission not hunting around for gears constantly because it’s fighting with the engine controller for optimal output is a good thing, and the main reason automatics got so much dislike in heavy duty/trailering use.
I want something just as beastly, but smaller and much shorter. Something that runs much closer to the pavement. I don’t need to be jacked up on stilts to get where I”m going.
They’re deliberately holding back on small and medium truck capability to sell more of these. I don’t blame them, but it doesn’t make me happy.
You say that, but you’ve also got to recognize that small trucks are more capable than they’ve ever been.
That, and suspension is the big thing and it’s part of the reason why half-tons and down ride so much better unladen than their HD counterparts.
They could definitely be lower. But you don’t want them much smaller for the capacity they have. You need a certain amount of mass in a tow rig, lest the tail start wagging the dog.
Somehow you have to get the upcoming Ranger Super Duty.
NA in the US
The Ranger’s towing capacity is roughly equal to a ’90s F-150, and a modern F-150 tows better than a 90’s F-250 (and this is accounting for more stringent towing tests).
GMC Canyon/Chevy Colorado with the 2.8L diesel. Used of course since the new one dropped that engine.
All trucks are just hideous now, like it’s some secret competition to see just how ugly they can get while calling it “masculine looking”. No, it just looks more bizarre and awkward looking. Of course, it’s also absurdly expensive. 45k for the base model? Almost 100K for the one we’re looking at?
Outlandish power! It needs all that capability to tow all the other amazing life choices truck people make.
The grilles are all caricatures. And the chrome ones are so much worse.
HD pickup grills and lighting have officially jumped the shark into Wagon King Family Truckster territory.
I just don’t get the need to tow anything up a hill at 80mph. There is this magical thing called “gearing” that lets modest amounts of power move massive things.
The price of these trucks is insane, and WHEN they break, the price to fix them is just as insane. Modern emissions requirements have largely killed everything that used to make diesel appealing to me. I’d rather have a simple torque-tuned gas V8 and take my time if I need to tow something. Or that new Cummins gas engine sounds ideal – like a modern Ford 300 I6.
The last thing I want in a truck is a luxurious interior – if I can’t literally or figuratively hose it out, it’s not a truck, and not fit for doing truck things.
A few years ago, I found that I needed a big truck to haul some stuff that my old truck couldn’t anymore. I could not justify ticking the box on the diesel option. It added $10k to the price of the truck (Ford F250). Diesel repairs are 5-10x the price of gas repairs, and it wasn’t like my livelihood was dependent on my ability to drag a front end loader off of a logging trail, so I opted for the 7.3L gas. It was more than enough for my actual needs. Absolute gem of a motor. I’ve since downsized to a 6.2L Silverado because driving the F250 Tremor was a nightmare in most places and it rode terribly even with a load on it.
I’m not sure if any Regular Joes out there actually “need” any of these big diesels. How often are they towing 25,000lbs? It’s all a dick measuring contest where the only winners are the manufacturers.
As a diesel tech, I love a good diesel truck. But, my use case is that of a mid size truck, so I don’t own one. Hell, the only reason I shop half tons is for rear seat space cause my family is leggy and my 120lb Rottie enjoys room to stretch out as well.
What we actually need, to fill those diesel desires, is trucks like the Mazda BT-50. Small truck with a diesel engine and a manual trans available.
I priced one out on Mazda Australia’s website and it comes out to 52k AUD (33k USD). Hell, they’ll even let you spec it with a utility bed (tray) directly from Mazda!
It would be a good option, and I love options, but I bet it would steal maybe 5% of sales at best. If anything, it would take sales away from the half tons.
At the end of the day, for an awful lot of buyers, pickup trucks are a dick-measuring contest as much as a vehicle. The Maverick is all the truck that the vast majority of truck owners who live in suburbia and mostly haul air to and from an office every day need. And they sell a fraction of the numbers of F-One-Fiddies.
Again, all those women driving them to the Hot Yoga gym would like a word.
Life is about enjoyments as much as needs. Enjoy your opinion.
Opinions are like anuses. Everyone has one and the other guy’s always stinks. <shrug>
Ultimately drive whatever floats your boat. I reserve the right to think you are a moron due to your bad life choices.:-)
Given all the places I’ve been and things I have experienced, I think my life choices are fantastic!
I hope you find yours as fulfilling.
*Extremely*, thanks much.
Completely agreed. And reality is that your motor will do everything that the diesel will do anyway, just possibly more slowly while using more, but cheaper fuel. Like I said – gearing.
These things now have basically the same horsepower and torque as most fleet-spec semi-trucks that criss-cross the country every day at 80Klbs gross wieght. It’s it is indeed just a stupid dick-measuring contest, and IMHO, if you legit need to tow that much you should be buying a REAL medium-duty truck, not an HD pickup truck.
The beauty (and point) of a luxury truck is that it can be both the daily driver and the work truck at the same time. I didn’t understand it until I had an F150 King Ranch rental. It’s kind of a do-it-all vehicle (and honestly, the replacement for the personal luxury coupes of the 50-70’s). Also, many of the OEM’s will sell you luxury trims with the option for carpet removal, though, I wouldn’t hose it out.
The last thing I ever want to do is daily drive a pickup truck of any kind. The best driving modern HD truck is still horrible to drive compared to a proper car. And I have driven the top of the line loaded diesel RAM, a contractor buddy of mine buys a new one every other year or so. But even he only drives it when he needs to. It was a good tax writeoff until they changed the rules.
The point of having a bed separate from the cab is so dirty things can be hauled outside and hosing the interior out is not necessary.
If my boots are muddy, I can simply wash the floormats.
I don’t understand the idea that work isn’t being done unless something is dirty. Seems ridiculous to me.
We are in agreement on gas vs diesel though.
A trailer is far better than a pickup truck bed. Can carry more weight, is closer to the ground, and best of all you can leave the damned thing at home when you don’t need it. And you can rent them for next to nothing.
I can tell that you’ve never had a line of angry drivers blaring their collective horns at you as you struggled up the freeway in the Rockies.
All the people with $300,000 travel trailers or dressage trailers or full-on semi amateur racing teams disagree with you.
The handful of people who tow up the Rockies can just stay in the climbing lane with the semis – which manage to cross the Rockies weighing 3X what this truck and trailer can with similar amounts of power.
Yes, both dozen of those rich people can disagree with me. The majority of the idiots who overspend on these things like my dipshit brother would be better off spending a lot less and saving a lot more.
An interesting opinion.
You guys have hit Jalopnik levels of ad garbage and site instability. Thumbing through this long article felt like hunting around for a thin thread of text on top of one ad, interrupted by other ads, with a 3rd and 4th ad playing at the top and bottom of the screen. At some points, it was just all ads, no content. 3 crashes before I got to the comments. I mostly don’t even bother with the long articles anymore.
Does subscribing make this go away? I’ve tried 3x, no luck. I’m only willing to work so hard to give you my money.
There are ads here? I guess uBlock is doing it’s job.
Try duck duck go it blocks the ads also.
No it doesn’t. That’s what I’m using.
It works for me on my iPad ,did you try sending the DDG people a message that it’s not working?
I decided the subscribe because I like the site; made me feel less bad about using an adblocker too.
Until web sites manually verify the authenticity of each ad they allow, just protect yourself. They won’t do it for you. In fact, they care so little that they’ll allow any old malicious, manipulative, or fraudulent garbage ads without a care for how those ads reflect on their brand. Yes, that includes The Autopian.
Run uBlock Origin in Firefox and forget ads exist. Seriously, don’t feel bad about protecting yourself and your system, while also reducing distracting annoyances to near-zero.
Could always be BarnFinds… that site is basically unusable.
LOL! I understand that reference.
Because I live in Las Vegas and have spent time in Laughlin, I’m truly curious to know which casino is weird enough to qualify as “weird” in your mind.
While I do not live in Las Vegas, that was one of my take aways as well. Especially since she mentioned it two times.
It was a Harrah’s. I suppose I really meant the town itself seemed a bit weird to a lot of the folks who flew in from the Midwest. There was a closed casino that vaguely looked like a riverboat, a random in-n-out burger, and then basically nothingness once you leave. It’s charming!
I see nothing has changed in Laughlin since I was last there in 2016.
Laughlin has become a strange place, especially since the pandemic. Like a lot of towns along the borders of the state, Laughlin was created so that folks from Flagstaff, Phoenix, or Tuscon could get their casino fix without having to drive all the way to Vegas.
But now there are 25+ Native American casinos in the state of AZ, so Laughlin has mostly lost its raison d’être… and it absolutely shows.
That front end might not be as hideous as the current Silverado HD’s, but it’s a damned near thing. Especially the all-black version with slats in both vertical and horizontal orientations seemingly randomly mixed together.
They’re all hideous, catering to insecure men who need to feel like they’re driving a CAT dump truck.
Hey! Let us live out our Tonka Truck fantasies in peace.
The sad part is that the newest version of the Silverado HD’s front end is growing on me… which can’t be said for this RAM. I guess I prefer Ford’s styling the most at this point.
Same. The new F150 is not bad looking. The new RAM and Silverado…you have to be completely blind to be ok with your vehicle looking like that.
I’m wondering if the Silverado was one of those cases where it looked hideous in pictures but in person it’s less offensive? I recall hating it when they first published press photos, but I don’t notice the same when I see them in person.
That said, I can’t stand some of the new Ford grilles. The chrome Super Duty one looks like the coils on my refrigerator, and there’s a reason those are hidden. 😉
To be fair (or unfair) to the Chevy, they did update the front fascia to make it more attractive. The original iteration is still pretty heinous.