2025 Ram Heavy Duty First Drive: Domesticated Freight Train
New looks, more Cummins power, and better standard features help Ram HDs do work on and off the road
Whether you need the grunt of Ram’s stout towing numbers or you just want the gooey torque of the 6.7-liter Cummins, heavy-duty truck buyers should have a serious look at the 2025 Ram Heavy Duty lineup. We squared up to the Davis Dam, North America’s landmark towing gantlet,to get a feel for how the increased power, new standard features, and even the updated looks help the Ram 2500 and the Ram 3500 get the job done. After towing, we shifted into four-wheel drive and put a fleet of Ram 2500 Power Wagons and Rebel HDs to work on the off-road trails of the Mojave Desert. Then we picked up and drove one across the country hauling another truck and a heavy load of horse mats to our Detroit offices.
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What’s New?
Every truck in the Ram Heavy Duty lineup can now be optioned with the Cummins 6.7-liter inline-six High-Output Turbo Diesel engine. This excludes, frustratingly, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon, which is still available exclusively with the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8. Before sliding inside the new HD, we noticed the updated grille and newly standard LED headlights. Projection-style lights are optional, and incandescent bulbs still glow in the taillights. We’ll let you decide if the new facial options exude bold confidence or check the “requisite face-lift” box.
Inside the cab, the electronically shifted TorqueFlite HD eight-speed automatic transmission is now controlled with a column shifter instead of the twist dial, returning a sense of familiarity to the gear selection process for anyone whose day-to-day involves hundreds of cycles between reverse and drive. Although the massive Uconnect 5 screen is a centralized, glowing fountain of navigation guidance, multiple media types, towing information, and more, the new side-by-side wireless charging pads steal the show. Each dock is molded to accept the tallest and widest smartphones and their respective protective cases. Hard plastic “goalposts” help guide the phone into its holster, and each device is clasped securely in its place through all changes in speed and direction—no sliding or toppling off the charging pad. Ventilated charging docks are also said to put overheating mobile devices in the rearview mirror.
Plays Well Unloaded...
We started the day piloting an unladen Ram 2500 HD up the Davis Dam grade to get a feel for how the new hauler behaves outside working hours. Considering that the truck is built to be saddled with heavy loads, its around-town manners are commendable. You won’t even need the sound system to drown out road noise and the grumble from the Cummins—Ram has noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) management dialed inside the cabin.
...And Even Better When It’s Towing
The redesigned Cummins is good for 430 horsepower and 1,075 lb-ft of torque. These aren’t class-leading figures, but Ram says they’ll get the truck up to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds. Without official test gear, we’re more focused on how smooth the feeling of the throttle is coming off the traffic light and the effortless shifts from the TorqueFlite HD transmission.
The Davis Dam Grade is a section of road used in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2807 Tow Test. Hit this link for a detailed rundown of the test, but for now, just know that this procedure levels the field of trailer tow ratings in the heavy-duty space. The test encompasses muscling a heavy load up an unrelenting grade at a minimum speed. To pass the test, trucks must suffer zero mechanical failures, throw no warning lights, and run the air conditioning on full tilt. And the outside air temperature must exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. We drove the grade in a wintry mix with air temps about one-third of the SAE standards, but we still had plenty of opportunity to push the 2025 Ram HD fleet to the limit.
Starting with acceleration. With 19,000 pounds attached at the gooseneck, we perched the truck at the bottom of a hill that already registered a 6 percent grade. “Betcha we make 60 mph before that speed limit sign,” chuckled the Ram representative from the passenger seat, gesturing at a post in the distance. The throttle thumped to the floor. While some gearboxes can shift hard under load or hesitate between cogs, the TorqueFlite slushbox squeezed off the shifts with ease. And we did hit 60 mph just as the hitch passed the speed limit sign, which we were later told sat a quarter mile from our impromptu starting line. Cycling through the truck’s vitals on the digital dash reinforced how unfazed the truck was by the uphill grind.
This Freight Train Almost Drives Itself
Standard features on the 2025 Ram Heavy Duty lineup include adaptive cruise control and active lane management. Once you're on the go, all it takes is a few simple inputs on the steering wheel to set and adjust the speed, even under a load. Paired with Tow/Haul mode and the automatic setting on the exhaust brake, the truck will effortlessly accelerate, maintain its speed, and slow down on a grade and on the open road, such that you can almost forget there’s a 30-foot flatbed behind you.
Choose Your Heavy-Duty Fighter Off-Road
This isn’t where we unveil the Cummins-fueled Ram Power Wagon whispered about in Ram fan-fiction circles. For now, heavy-duty Ram fans who need to get further down the trails can choose between the 2025 Ram Rebel HD and the 2025 Power Wagon, each benefiting from the updated standard features of the Ram HD lineup, but the Power Wagon stubbornly remains gas-only.
Driving both dirt-ready HDs on the rugged desert trails affirmed a few key points. First, the Ram 2500 Power Wagon remains the king of full-size off-road performance, despite lacking a diesel option. Power Wagon–specific features like its disconnecting front anti-sway bar, electronic front (and rear) locking differentials, 2-inch lifted suspension, and 17-inch wheels make it untouchable when the road disappears.
However, if you prioritize towing and payload over flexing on the trails, the Ram Rebel HD is your truck—and you can have it with the Cummins. We’ll even argue that with the diesel under the hood and the optional Warn winch mounted behind the bumper, the Rebel HD’s broader spectrum of use cases might make more sense for more truck buyers.
From the soggy backwoods of Ohio to the barren New Mexico desert, Jered has continued his quest to test the limits of the unmodified Jeep Wrangler, and make it back to work on Monday.
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