2023 Ram 2500 Rebel TOTY Review: A Fun Rebellion

Not everybody needs a range-topping Ram 2500 Power Wagon. In fact, not everybody needs a 2500, let alone a 1500. But there are still plenty of use cases for a big, capable truck, and the 2023 Ram 2500 Rebel doesn't disappoint, despite being engineered intentionally a notch down in capability from the almighty Power Wagon.

The Ram Rebel loses the locking front differential and the beadlock-capable wheels, but it keeps the Power Wagon's 2.0-inch lift, shocks, and springs, and the Warn winch—standard on the Power Wagon—becomes an option on gas models. To improve off-road capability, the Ram 2500 Rebel also forgoes running boards, which makes for a bit of a climb into the cabin to get yourself started, but it's well worth the fun. You can distinguish a Rebel from a Power Wagon thanks to the former's unique bulging Mopar hood.

Unlike the Power Wagon, the Ram 2500 Rebel is also available with a 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine, good for 370 hp and a whopping 850 lb-ft of torque. The diesel's towing capacity is rated for 14,920 pounds, and payload is rated for 1,970 pounds. Interestingly, the standard gas 6.4-liter V-8-equipped Rebel is rated at 410 hp and a far lesser 429 lb-ft of torque, yet it can tow up to 16,870 pounds with the 4.10:1 axle (our truck's 3.73 ratio limits it to 14,670). Our loaded test truck's payload capacity is 2,501 pounds. So why offer the diesel? Apparently there's enough demand for the Power Wagon model for Ram to offer it here as a compromise, and on paper, it is a compromise. It also gets better fuel economy.

Ram positions the 2500 Rebel as an extremely capable, well-optioned off-road crew-cab three-quarter-ton pickup, and its 6-foot-4-inch bed is longer than the Ram 1500 Rebel's. It also sports an available rear air suspension, which wasn't on our Truck of the Year test model, but hopefully it helps smooth out the bouncy ride of the standard setup when unladen on uneven roads. Loaded up to tow, the Rebel gets things moving with no issue, but the gas unit struggles to accelerate under heavy loads on even a slight incline.

If you're not towing, the new Rebel is also equipped to get you pretty far off-road, though its overall large size might make some trails a little difficult to navigate without damage. Technical director Frank Markus highlighted the Ram's excellent performance on our off-road circuit, tackling the "stair" feature with zero sign of wheel slip, adding that it "felt as rigid as a unibody crossover" on our frame-twister of a course. The plethora of off-road-specific screens with multiple camera angles is helpful and reassuring when tackling obstacles, though the tow cameras are noticeably low resolution.

We would have loved a diesel test truck, especially for our towing test, and it'd be interesting to try out the available air suspension we also didn't get. As deputy editor Alex Stoklosa pointed out, "That's the key differentiator between this and the Power Wagon, which is only available with the 6.4-liter V-8 gas engine Ram equipped this truck with."

As the truck we tested stands, we wonder why someone wouldn't just upgrade to the Power Wagon if they don't want the diesel. Otherwise, the interior lacks some expected accessories, such as a wireless phone charger or telescoping steering wheel, and as Markus said, "The Ram Boxes steal a lot of space, but I do love the load divider/tailgate extender that comes with the package." Features editor Scott Evans also noted how loud this truck is: "There's wind noise from the massive mirrors, road noise from the massive tires, and a growl from the massive engine, but it's not hard to hear over."

The adaptive cruise control is smooth, with head of editorial Ed Loh saying, "Smooth engagement, smooth on and off the brakes, and good lane centering, especially for such a large truck." The ride isn't so bad, thanks to such a comfortable interior, the top two trims of which come with nice leather-appointed seats and a well-conceived 12.0-inch console display, but the infotainment system has begun to show its age compared to newer, more responsive systems on the market.

Still, the Ram 2500 Rebel is a comfortably familiar truck in a new, extremely capable package that offers more of the good off-road bits to more people at a slightly lower price point, starting at $68,940. Bully for that.