A Rebel Among Heavy Duty Pickup Trucks

How do you measure a good off-road ready pickup truck? 

Is it about size? Performance? The drive system itself? Or something else more technical and esoteric?

These questions have been in the back of my mind when I received this 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel. Not because I question the need for a heavy duty pickup truck to go off-road. Rather, Stellantis6need to offer two of them in the same lineup.

Let me back up here. Ram offers two off-road pickup trucks in the three-quarter ton class. There’s the Power Wagon – which was the brand’s first offering. The Power Wagon has everything you need for some serious off-roading, yet you can only get it with the 6.4-liter Heavy Duty HEMI gasoline V8. 

Now comes the new-for-2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel – a familiar trim to those of us who love the half-ton 1500. In the three-quarter ton version, you can choose between the HEMI gasser or the Cummins Turbo Diesel engine. 

Offering the Cummins diesel makes a huge difference when it comes to the numbers. For one, the Cummins puts down 850 pound-feet of torque compared to the gasser’s 429 pound-feet rating. 

Towing and payload are much better with the diesel, although exact figures for this configuration in the Rebel trim were not available that would prove this. Stellantis advertises that a non-Rebel truck of this configuration would tow above 14,000 pounds maximum with payloads in the 3,100-pound range. Yet, a gas-fueled Power Wagon with the dame and bed configuration shows payload ratings of 1,630 pounds and a maximum towing rating of 10,590 pounds. 

Confused? So was I. These numbers are important to determine whether you should do more with the Ram 2500 Rebel than its originally intended purpose.

Which leads me to another set of numbers. The wheelbase is 149.5 inches, and the entire truck is 238.8 inches long. The ground clearance is 13.1 inches. It is an understatement to call this a big truck. 

The latter number is the most concerning. Considering what I have gone through, getting in and out of this truck was quite the challenge without a set of steps or a running board. This tester did not come with either one. All it took was arm strength and gravity to get in and out of this truck. If you are more able than I, you should manage just fine.

Once you’re in, it’s simply a wonderful pickup truck to drive. Granted, you do have a large footprint, along with a tall profile. The ride quality is soft and smooth, thanks to its off-road suspension set-up. I was concerned about the on-center feeling of the steering wheel, as it was quite soft with a bit of control. It takes arm strength to keep the Ram 2500 within the lanes. Then again, the customers who buy this kind of truck have more than enough strength to manage this vehicle. 

As for braking power, a simple touch of the pedal will get this big truck to stop. With that said, plan your stops ahead of time. Panic stops require some skill to keep the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty “within the line.” Pedal feel and response from the master cylinder to the calipers and rotors exhibit a solid overall.

One thing that can be said about a Ram pickup truck is its interior quality. Simply, the best in the business. The seats are large, but a tad firm. Yet, they do relax the more time behind the wheel. Rear seat room is expansive, which is what you expect from a Ram crew cab. 

There had been changes since the last time I drove a Ram Heavy Duty pickup truck. The instrumentation is now fully digital – at least on the Rebel. The new cluster took on a similar format that I found in the Grand Cherokee L and the Grand Wagoneer. It is clean, but sparse on some screens. The rest of the instrument panel remains the same, with its tactile switches all around and the welcomed column shifter for the transmission. 

The Rebel ups the luxury with an interior that you would think came from the Longhorn or Limited. The gray piping on the seats is a dead giveaway as to its upmarket feel. It also exhibits a sporty, off-road ready feel amid the luxury touches. The faux carbon fiber trim found on some pieces of the interior is a dead giveaway of this intention by Stellantis.

The main attraction is the Cummins diesel. Because, you buy a heavy-duty pickup truck for the massive torque alone. It is not one of those 1,000-plus pound-feet of torque motors, but you do feel the 850 pound-feet from this version of the Cummins wherever you take it. 

To my surprise, the Cummins turned out to be quite a sipper of diesel. I actually averaged 17.4 MPG. That’s pretty darn good for an off-road ready, three-quarter ton heavy -pickup truck!

That main attraction comes with a blacked-out grille for the Rebel – which is the same one found on the Power Wagon. The hood has more cooling grilles which denotes the Rebel with the diesel. The 20-inch alloy wheels are also distinct to the Rebel. 

Add the blacked-out badging, 33-inch Goodyear all-terrain rubber, and a menacing Granite Crystal primary paint job, and you got something that will scare mere novices off the tarmac…and away from it. This truck is intimidating for those who want to be badass. 

Now, it’s time to check your bank accounts, credit scores, heart rate and blood pressure. This Rebel tester came with a sticker price of $91,730. That, from a base price of $68,840. For context, the Power Wagon starts at about $1,300 more. If you don’t want any of these fancy off-road ready rigs, the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty lineup starts at $44,675. 

Already, three-quarter ton truck consumers have some choices to make. Yet, it is not my intention to stir the pot right off the bat. My job was to revisit the Ram Heavy Duty lineup and see how things have progressed after years of a combined healthcare and manufacturing crisis. 

As far as it being an off-road ready heavy-duty pickup truck, it is as good as it gets. Leave it to Ram to give you a choice of two off-road ready trim levels. If it were my choice? The Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel with the Cummins diesel. 

In my summation, things have progressed. So have their competitors. That is why I do not envy a heavy-duty truck customer these days. Especially, when you’re looking for something that will tackle anything off the highway. 

DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by Stellantis North America

All photos by Randy Stern