Ram’s Diesel 2500 Is Everything We Wanted But Nothing We Needed

The Ram 2500 plays in a big sandbox with heavy-duty trucks that all have the same mission: haul, tow, and conquer tasks that lesser ones can only dream of. After testing its smaller sibling, the Ram 1500, in nearly every spec and trim, from the luxurious Tungsten to the off-road-ready RHO, we’re finally getting a shot with the bigger 2500. 

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In fact, this marks our first dance with the heavy-duty Ram and that so happens to sport a diesel powertrain, specifically the 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six. It makes 430 horsepower (320 kW) and a whopping 1,075 lb-ft (1455 Nm) of torque and then sends it to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

All of that grunt makes this beast capable of towing up to 20,000 pounds (9,071 kg) or hauling 2,740 pounds (1,242 kg) in the bed. In other words, it could tow all but the absolute largest of African elephants without issue. Or, someone could strap an entire Mazda MX-5 onto the back of the bed itself and the Ram 2500 wouldn’t have any issue with it. 

QUICK FACTS

There’s no question that this big truck is capable when it comes to work. What’s up for debate, though, is what it’s like to live with. While it might be strong, is it actually easy to work with? Does it make hauling or towing easier than it could be with other trucks? And what happens when the work day ends? 

To find out, we tested it fully loaded and without any cargo at all. We took it deep into urban sprawls, to industrial shops, to home improvement stores, and out onto gravel roads. Considering its as-tested price of $100,595 is roughly double the average price of a new car today, it needs to be good enough to do double duty as a worker and a family hauler. That’s exactly what it is, but we still wouldn’t recommend it for most buyers. 

Styling

Photos Stephen Rivers for Carscoops

Off the top, it’s clear that this is a very large truck, and for the type of work it does, it has to be. Sure, someone could put this drivetrain in something smaller, but actually hauling what this truck can is only possible because of the specialized combination of brakes, chassis, axles, differentials, and more that make it so. Packaging that in anything smaller would be more challenging, both from a production standpoint and from a future maintenance one. 

To that end, this pickup is imposing everywhere it goes. Our test truck is of the Limited Longhorn variety, and it comes with the crew cab and a six-foot bed. In other words, this truck could be even longer if we had the eight-foot bed. That all said, it’s still 238.8 inches (6065 mm) long. Put another way, it’s longer than a conventional limousine sedan. 

It’s a chunky thing too, measuring 79.5 inches (2019 mm) or 6’6’’ from side to side. That means that this truck takes up just over 130 square feet wherever it goes, and that’s without anything hanging out of the bed or attached to the trailer hitch. That said, there are uglier ways to get around in something that takes up as much real estate as some New York City apartments. 

Sure, the piggish nose of the Ram 2500 isn’t for everybody, but it’s unapologetically bold and in your face. Perhaps a better way to describe it would be “loud and proud”. The tall fenders signal that the step-in height will be challenging for some. Thankfully, our test truck came with Ram’s automatic power steps that even a taller guy like me found helpful. 

Bed access is easy thanks to Ram’s sliding step under the driver’s side of the truck. It quickly slips out and then back in under moderate pressure from one’s foot. Once deployed, it provided stable support for entering and exiting the bed itself. In the bed, one will find tie downs, lights, and of course, lots of options for powering tools and tailgate gear. 

This truck boasts a 2.4kW on-board power system, 5th wheel towing preparation already done in the bed, and even a feature to control trailering backup via a small dial in the center console. It’s built for work both inside and out.  

Luxury Workspace

Photos Stephen Rivers for Carscoops

This truck might be capable of towing every land animal on earth, but what helps it stand out in a crowd of work trucks is its cabin. A few decades ago, the idea that this type of vehicle would have high-quality leather upholstery, a giant touchscreen infotainment system and this many creature comforts would’ve sounded absurd. 

In fact, one doesn’t even need to sit in the Ram 2500 Limited Longhorn to get the message. Take one peek inside the door opening, and it’s instantly obvious. This particular cowboy-themed trim has lots of western aesthetics. In fact, this truck taught me that the patterning you see here is called Filigree. It’s a part of the door cards, the leather upholstery on the seats, and even in the tiny gold plastic trim. 

That’s not the only thing that stands out. Ram’s gigantic 14.4-inch portrait-oriented  Uconnect infotainment system is here too, and it’s not alone, as on each side of the dash, you’ll find another screen. On the left is the driver information display. Measuring in at 12 inches, it’s as configurable as anyone could possibly want short of loading in their own graphics and fonts. On the right side is a smaller infotainment screen exclusively for the front passenger. Is that excessive? Not in a truck that costs anywhere near this much. 

It allows the user to do more than the driver can do on the main screen while the truck is in motion. The user can also feed navigation directions to the main screen, play games, or manage other media. Hooked up to all of these screens are 17 speakers from Harman Kardon. As a package, it’s hard to complain about anything infotainment-related in this truck. The menus are intuitive, the screens are responsive, and the speakers sound clear, full, and wide-ranging. 

From a seating and comfort perspective, the Ram hits most of the nails on the head. The center console is full of useful features like wireless device charging, configurable sliding sections, a workman’s arthritic in the console, and just about every power port one could ask for. 

On the other hand, there is still room for improvement. For example, while rear seat occupants have copious legroom, they don’t get their own climate control. They don’t even get some sort of rear-seat entertainment system, which seems comical in a truck that costs anywhere near this much. 

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In addition, a small annoyance is that Ram didn’t fully lean into the western theme but rather pretended to. The back of the front seats appears to have two pockets each, including one that looks like a real saddle bag of sorts. Sadly, it’s entirely fake.

The buckle is fake, the upper cover doesn’t open, and so each seat only has one conventional pocket. Still there is some clever storage under the seats, and Ram even offers a set of panels that fold out into a flat load floor in the second row. 

Drive Impressions

Given its size and considerable heft, driving the Ram 2500 is more of an exercise in sound decision-making than anything else. When I say this truck is powerful, I’m not talking about its capacity to haul things, which as mentioned above is definitely one of its assets, but rather its ability to merge into traffic at a pace that few other everyday cars can. 

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Of course, once it’s up to speed, it’s impossible to cheat physics, so no matter how robust its brakes might be, it needs a little extra time to slow down. The driver must also be aware that it demands deliberate and intentional input regarding lane changes and turns. One does not enter a hairpin in this truck without being thoughtful about speed and placement in one’s lane. 

Thankfully, the controls make domesticating this animal a breeze. The brakes are easy to moderate, the steering feels as sharp as possible for something this large, and the engine responds with consistent linearity. The ride quality is solid across different surfaces, too. That’s all true whether hauling, towing, or doing neither. 

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In fact, it’s almost more impressive to tow something or haul something with this truck than to drive it unladen. Effortless is a great word to describe how it feels. Sure, there might be literal tons of stuff behind it, but the Cummins engine makes it feel as though it’s no big deal. 

Across all of our testing, we achieved 15.4 mpg, which we can’t compare to EPA ratings since they don’t exist for trucks of this size. Even so, it’s a solid figure for something that big doing everything we asked it to do. 

Visibility is, unsurprisingly, limited in a vehicle of this size, but this is where tech helps out. Aside from the excellent side mirrors, this Ram has a bevy of onboard cameras. Each one adds another useful view for drivers to leverage, whether they’re parking, driving, or managing a tricky trail. 

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Of course, managing a parking lot is a different story. Sure, the cameras make it easier to see, but the size of this truck makes the actual logistics more challenging than in just about any other type of vehicle. 

Competition

The competition in this segment is relatively small. General Motors and Ford are the only other players, and each has something to offer. For the former, it’s a proven diesel drivetrain, off-roading capability, and lots of excellent trailering features. Typically, heavy-duty trucks from GM also cost less than an equivalent Ram product. 

Ford buyers probably get closest to truly matching what Ram has on offer. They, too, benefit from diesel and gas options under the hood. In recent years, Ford has worked hard to compete on interior luxury and comfort. It’s doing a good job, but the Ram still takes our top spot, at least for now. 

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When it comes to towing or hauling, the 3500 is far more capable than the 2500, and across all three brands, the dualie options are clearly the most potent when it comes to work. That said, Ram deserves credit for offering a truck that buyers can get in several different configurations. That includes choices of two or four-wheel drive, cab options, bed options, and a bevy of trims as well. 

Final Thoughts

After a week with the Ram 2500, I was perfectly content watching it rumble off into the sunset, but that’s purely a reflection of my lifestyle, not the truck’s capability. For someone like me, who doesn’t regularly tow massive trailers or haul heavy loads, its sheer size, large turning circle, and parking-lot wrestling matches make it a tough daily companion. 

But if I were a rancher wrangling livestock trailers, a hotshot hauler delivering heavy equipment cross-country, a landscaper towing mowers and mulch, a general contractor hauling tools and materials to job sites, or even an avid camper pulling a fifth-wheel RV, I’d likely have been downright heartbroken to see it go.

The Ram 2500 is a purpose-built machine that blends brute strength with a surprisingly plush interior that rivals some luxury SUVs. Features like the buttery leather seats, 12-inch Uconnect touchscreen, and active noise cancellation make long hauls feel less like work and more like a road-trip indulgence. Yet, for all its refinement, it’s still a beast that demands space and patience, especially in tight urban environments or rush-hour traffic.

Some vehicles are almost stealthy, revealing little about their owners beyond a vague sense of style or practicality. The Ram 2500, however, is a bold declaration of purpose. It tells the world its driver has serious work to do, or a serious lifestyle to support, and they’re not afraid to wield a truck that’s as commanding as it is capable, even if it means sacrificing agility for incredible might.

In the end, this truck is one that we’d only ever recommend to someone who needs the working capacity it provides. For the vast majority of people, it is overkill in some areas, like towing capacity and size, while giving up other things like driving dynamics and fuel economy. It could also benefit from even more luxury appointments, considering its price point. Thus, our conclusion is that, as in many other cases, it is more a matter of where each buyer’s priorities lie, and of course personal taste, than anything else.

Photos Stephen Rivers for Carscoops, RAM