2025 Ram 2500 Review and Test Drive

With a fresh look, new features, and increased performance, the 2025 Ram 2500 accomplishes truck tasks with style.

Perry Stern | 

Apr 9, 2025 | 7 min read

Perry Stern

The 2025 Ram 2500 is available in Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, Rebel, Power Wagon, Limited Longhorn, and Limited trim levels. Prices range from the high $40,000s for a regular cab Tradesman with rear-wheel drive to the mid-$90,000s for a Mega Cab Limited with four-wheel drive (4WD). Those estimates include the destination charge to ship the truck from the Saltillo, Mexico, factory to your local dealership.

For this 2025 Ram 2500 review, I test-drove several versions of the truck in Laughlin, Nevada. I spent most of my time in a Laramie Crew Cab 4WD equipped with the optional Cummins High Output (HO) turbo-diesel engine, Laramie Level 1 Plus Equipment Group, clearance lamps, side steps, and Granite Crystal Metallic paint. The manufacturer's suggested retail price was $82,150, including the $2,095 destination charge. Ram provided the vehicles for this review and paid for airfare, lodging, and meals.

Perry Stern

Is the 2025 Ram 2500 a Good Truck?

If you need to haul heavy loads or tow a large boat or trailer, the updated 2025 Ram 2500 can confidently accomplish those tasks. Ram offers it in numerous configurations, allowing you to choose the level of equipment and technology that best meets your needs.

Alternatives include the impressively capable Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, Ford F-250 Super Duty, and GMC Sierra 2500 HD. Ultimately, picking one of these heavy haulers comes down to personal preference, but the Ram 2500's style and features make it a compelling option.

Perry Stern

What's New for the 2025 Ram 2500?

The 2025 Ram 2500 gets a fresh look with slim LED headlights flanking a bold new grille with a slightly different appearance at each trim level. The taillights also get a fresh look, with LED units available on higher trim levels. "RAM" appears in large letters across the tailgate on all models, and new wheel designs are also available.

Inside the roomy cabin, the Ram 2500's 12.0-inch Uconnect 5 center display screen offers higher resolution for improved clarity, and a new 14.5-inch touchscreen is available. Customers can also opt for a 10.3-inch passenger screen, allowing the front passenger to access the navigation, entertainment, and external camera systems. In the center console, there's a wireless charger with room for two phones.

While the updated design and display screens are appealing upgrades, one of the most significant improvements is under the hood. The high-output version of the Cummins 6.7-liter turbo-diesel inline six-cylinder engine is new to the 2500, replacing the previous standard-output Cummins turbo-diesel, and Ram has refined it for smoother, more efficient operation. The Cummins HO teams with a new eight-speed automatic transmission and is available on all trim levels except the Power Wagon.

Other new features include an available power inverter that delivers up to 2.4 kilowatts through two outlets in the truck bed, new trailer-towing aids, and power telescoping trailer-tow mirrors.

Perry Stern

Technology Updates Make Towing Easy

Towing capacity is one of the best reasons to get a heavy-duty pickup truck, and the Ram 2500 offers a range of new technology and features to make this task easier. For example, a Trailer Tow Pages section within the infotainment system allows the driver to monitor the trailer tire pressure, trailer-brake status, and whether the lights are functioning.

In addition to having this information at your fingertips, the Ram 2500 has an innovative trailer reverse steering-control system. When the truck is in reverse, you can steer using a dial below the center display screen. If you want the trailer to go to the left, you turn the knob left, and the system turns the steering wheel automatically to properly guide the trailer, eliminating the anxiety sometimes associated with this task.

Multiple camera views also help reduce the stress of operating this large vehicle. In addition to the expected rearview and surround-view cameras, the Ram 2500 uses rear-facing cameras on the outside mirrors to project a view down each side of the truck. That is helpful when towing, allowing a driver to effectively "see" past the trailer. In addition, the digital rearview mirror can pull feeds from these cameras and combine them with a trailer-mounted camera for a clear view to the rear while towing.

New advanced driver-assistance systems add to the Ram 2500 driver's peace of mind. Adaptive cruise control is now standard on all versions of the truck, and drowsy-driver detection, traffic-sign recognition, and lane-keeping assist are newly available.

Perry Stern

The 2025 Ram 2500 Excels at Truck Stuff

Ram offers two engines in the 2500. The standard engine is a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 supplying 405 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. The updated Cummins HO turbo-diesel engine is optional and generates 430 horsepower and a whopping 1,075 lb-ft. With a 20,000-pound towing capacity, the Cummins is the champ in this area. Buyers looking for the most payload capacity, however, will want to opt for the Hemi, which — when properly configured — can haul almost 4,000 pounds in the bed.

During a 100-mile drive from Las Vegas to Laughlin with just over 1,000 pounds of payload in the cargo bed, the Cummins HO turbo-diesel returned 18.3 mpg. On the return route with an empty bed and Hemi V8 power, the Ram managed just 13.9 mpg. Notably, manufacturers of heavy-duty pickups do not have to publish EPA fuel-economy ratings.

Cruising at 70 mph through the desert with a bed full of payload, I found the Ram 2500 as smooth and comfortable as a passenger car. Acceleration to highway speed felt quick, with steady power delivery, and Ram says the Cummins will propel the 2500 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, a believable number. In addition, the big bucket seats offered good support and the adaptive cruise control worked well.

The small town of Laughlin, Nevada, may seem like an unusual place to test heavy-duty trucks. But the Davis Dam Grade, a section of Arizona SR68 that climbs about 3,000 feet over 11 miles, is nearby, and this route is integral to how the Society of Automotive Engineers determines the maximum tow rating for vehicles.

Perry Stern

I headed for the Davis Dam with my diesel-powered Ram 2500 while towing 13,000 pounds of trailer and backhoe. Driving through Laughlin with that load felt effortless, and acceleration remained strong enough to keep up with traffic. The large rearview mirrors and added cameras made maneuvering the big rig through the city streets stress free.

The Ram maintained 65 mph while climbing the steep grade, and power remained available to accelerate around slower vehicles. With a stable ride and easily managed throttle and braking response, the Ram 2500 proved ideal for towing such a heavy load. On the way back down into Laughlin, I engaged the automatic exhaust-braking system, which uses the engine to slow the drive wheels for a more manageable descent speed.

The Ram 2500 lineup also offers two models specced for off-road duty: the Rebel and Power Wagon. To experience the Ram 2500 off-road portion of the event, I drove the Rebel. With more than 13 inches of ground clearance, standard 4WD, a locking rear differential, and all-terrain tires, the rugged rig had no problem climbing rocks and navigating steep climbs on loose dirt. Thanks to the smooth power delivery of the torquey turbo-diesel engine, I found the truck easy to manage in the tricky conditions.

Perry Stern

Overall, I feel the Ram 2500 is a well-rounded entry in the heavy-duty pickup truck segment. With the updates for the 2025 model year, not only does it tow and haul massive loads, but it also has the technology and power to make these tasks easier. While it may not boast towing numbers as quite as high as the Ford F-250, the 2025 Ram 2500 — with its stylish new looks and comfortable, spacious cabin — remains a competitive choice.

Perry Stern

As a small child, Perry was constantly playing with toy cars and trucks, and that enthusiasm for anything motorized with wheels never faded. After college, he moved to Seattle and began his long automotive career working in an automotive consulting firm, helping customers choose the right vehicle for their needs. In the late 1990s, Perry joined Microsoft to work on CarPoint, part of the new Microsoft Network (MSN). He went on to become editor of the site, remaining on staff for 20 years before venturing out on his own. Today, in addition to his work on Capital One Auto Navigator, he still contributes to MSN, as well as J.D. Power, TrueCar.com, and U.S. News & World Report. Perry lives in the small town of Dexter, Michigan, with his wife and dog, and he still smiles when he sees his 2006 Mazda Miata in the garage.