2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel test drive review

You have to hand it to Ram. Its trucks put in the work. After years of leading the heavy-duty off-road pack, the Power Wagon finds good company with the 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel. It comes onto the scene with plenty of its own merits, including the option for the fan favorite 6.7-liter turbo diesel inline-6-cylinder engine. That engine, working in concert with the Rebel’s insane off-road and towing chops, makes for one seriously capable pickup truck.

It looks the business, too, with its 2-inch lift, knobby tires and Mopar-specific hood. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect blend of the 1500 Rebel and the 2500 Power Wagon, albeit with a diesel engine as an option, then you’re going to be thrilled with what the new 2023 Ram 2500 HD Rebel has to offer. Browse Ram listings

Price and value 

Trucks aren’t cheap these days, and neither is the new 2500 HD Rebel. The MSRP range for the 2023 Ram HD is $47,320-$85,555. Our Rebel tester priced out at $91,730 with options. It is available in seven trim levels, with a suite of standard features that includes a 6.4-liter V8 engine, Uconnect 5 and telescopic trailer tow mirrors. Some of the major differences in trim levels are noted below. 

• Tradesman: $47,320 See listings

17-inch steel wheels

Work-grade vinyl bench seats

Active grille shutters

• Big Horn: $52,050 See listings

Chrome front and rear bumpers, chrome grille

18-inch polished cast aluminum wheels

Electronic trailer brake control

• Laramie: $64,895 See listings

18-inch polished aluminum wheels 

Heated 10-way adjustable front seats

Dampened tailgate with remote release

• Rebel: $68,525 (our tester) See listings

Available 6.7-liter turbo diesel engine 

Rear limited slip differential with e-locker

Bilstein gas-charged shocks with five-link rear suspension

• Power Wagon: $69,545 See listings

WARN 12,000-pound winch 

Electronic locking front and rear differentials

Electronic disconnecting front sway bar

• Limited Longhorn: $81,985 See listings

100% leather seating with barnwood accents

Available two-tone exterior paint and wheels

Available 360-degree surround view camera

• Limited: $85,555 See listings

Blind spot monitoring with rear cross path and trailer detection

Available power deployable running boards

Available 17-speaker Harman Kardon Premium Audio System

The Ram 2500 Rebel is pricey, but it is capable and luxurious. If you need more truck than this, you probably should just buy a semi. Or a tank. Ram’s warranty is about on par with the rest of the industry, offering a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Ram does not include any complimentary scheduled maintenance. 

Performance 

The new Rebel trim in the Ram 2500 HD lineup aims to serve the “I want to do it all” crowd. Luxury features? Check. Extreme off-roading? Check. Towing anything short of your neighbor’s house? Check. The Ram 2500 Rebel can do just about anything and then some, which might be too much for some buyers.

Engine 

The 2500 HD Rebel has two engine choices: a super powerful 6.4-liter V8, or a super powerful 6.7-liter Cummins diesel. Either way, you’ll have plenty of grunt for all your ranch work. Or commuting down I-15, either way. Our tester was equipped with the diesel and boy, it’s burly. In the Rebel trim the diesel produces 850 pound-feet of torque. The 3500 HD gains almost 200 more pound-feet. There’s always power on tap, with plenty for towing, pulling out stumps and helping with the rotation of the earth — if you’re into that sort of thing.

Fuel efficiency 

The Environmental Protection Agency does not provide fuel economy estimates for heavy-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 8,500 pounds. But, being a diesel, the 2500 HD Rebel was more fuel efficient than expected. In our week of combined highway and city driving we averaged just over 18 mpg. Not bad for a truck as tall as a house. 

Drivetrain 

As with the rest of the truck, the Rebel drivetrain is beefed up to the max. The 6-speed automatic transmission did a nice job handling all 850-pound feet of torque, never leaving the driver looking for power. We didn’t get a chance to take it off-roading, but we’re sure there won’t be too many obstacles this powerful, off-road brute can’t handle with its four-wheel drive, limited slip differential, electronic rear locker, 2-inch lift, skid plates, knobby 33-inch tires and ultra-high ground clearance. Browse Rams for sale

Acceleration and handling 

C’mon, what do you expect from a truck as large as a condo? There’s plenty of power here, but that doesn’t translate to anything resembling speed. The 2500 HD Rebel accelerates more like a freight train — slow and steady. But once it gets moving, watch out. Car and Driver clocked it going 0-60 mph in 8.2 seconds. 

Handling is a bit of a mixed bag. While easier to maneuver on city streets and freeway lane changes than we were expecting, the three-link live-axle front suspension and five-link coil-sprung rear axle, combined with the long wheelbase, makes for a hilariously stiff and bouncy ride at freeway speeds. If you plan on commuting in this beast, you might want to rethink your plans. Unless you like replacing fillings and making regular appointments at your chiropractor. 

Braking 

The brakes on the 2500 HD Rebel inspire a lot of confidence. Which you want when, you know, you’re driving something that weighs more than two Dodge Neons. Some fancy braking technology was included, like forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking, which we were thankful for, especially when the interstate got crowded. 

Interior comfort and convenience 

Ram does luxury interiors very, very well, and that tradition carries over here. It’s a nice place to spend time — if you can get into it. Crossfit bros and parkour enthusiasts will love the high entrance, but everyone else will find it challenging to scale this towering truck’s door frame, especially with no side steps. Have kids in child seats? You might want to rig up a hoist. 

Seats 

Aside from the Mount Everest ascent into the cabin, the interior of the 2500 HD Rebel is amazing and rivals some of the best luxury cars. The seats are large and comfortable for all body types. There’s plenty of room up front, and we’d love to lounge in it on a long-haul road trip (that is, if the roads were smooth). All the materials feel high quality, especially the leather, and the heated functions work wonderfully. Adults and children will find the rear seats plenty comfortable, as well.

Cargo space and cabin storage 

With an interior this large comes all the storage space you could wish for. There’s an enormous multilevel center console, multiple cupholders, large door pockets and more. If you can’t fit all your trinkets in this cabin, call Marie Kondo. Other niceties include acoustic glass and active noise cancellation programming to help combat the diesel’s signature engine racket. 

Infotainment system 

The Ram 2500 HD Rebel with the Level 2 package is packed with technology. The centerpiece of it all is the glossy, intuitive 12-inch touchscreen, complete with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Uconnect 5 system worked great during our week of testing and quickly became one of our favorite infotainment systems, thanks to its sharp looks and easy-to-use nature. 

New for 2023 is the 12-inch digital gauge cluster. It’s highly configurable and shows lots of information including temperatures and fuel statistics. The interior also sports three 115-volt outlets (that can run up to 400 watts) and five USB ports. 

Exterior appearance and functionality 

The Ram 2500 HD Rebel is a huge truck. We’ve already commented on its height, but everything about it suggests power and capability. It’s nearly 20 feet long, 7 feet wide and 6.75 feet tall. It looks tough, too, especially with the Rebel’s unique grille and hood. In other words, there will be no second-guessing your Y chromosome as you lumber around the streets (and mountains) in this rig, waiting for the imminent zombie apocalypse.

Bed

The only bed available on the 2023 Ram 2500 HD Rebel is the 6.4-foot bed, which is long enough to accommodate a small Polaris RZR, your mom’s dining room hutch or pretty much whatever else you can want to haul around.

Towing capacity and payload 

Towing capacity and payload are two of the 2500 HD Rebel’s main selling points, especially when equipped with the 6.7-liter turbocharged inline 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine. As equipped, this Ram is capable of towing a staggering 14,920 pounds. Payload is also impressive, coming in at 1,970 pounds. If you’ve been waiting for a heavy-duty, diesel-powered truck that’s also extremely capable off-road, this is the one for you. 

Wheels 

The 2500 HD Rebel has 33-inch Goodyear DuraTrac tires on 20-inch eight-lug wheels. Off-roaders might want to opt for a smaller wheel and larger tire, but there was still plenty of sidewall to be confident off-road. DuraTracs can be noisy on the freeway, but the acoustic glass did a good job of keeping most road noise out of the cabin. 

Lights and turn signals 

The LED lights and turn signals worked great on the Ram, providing a lot of light for drivers to see. It’s not like they couldn’t already see you, though. 

Cameras and side mirrors 

Other standout features are the cameras and their resolution, as well as the rearview mirror camera display. The Tow Tech Group package adds several features well worth the $1,995, including a cargo view camera, a surround-view camera, trailer reverse guidance and even an auxiliary camera that plugs into the port on the rear bumper. These camera views can all be viewed on the center screen but also on the digital rearview mirror, where three of them can be viewed simultaneously. It’s an impressive display and one we were glad to have with a truck so large. Find a Ram today

Front and rear windshield 

You’ll probably never sit up higher in a vehicle than you do in this one. The commanding seating position and large, square windows provide excellent visibility out the front, rear and sides of the truck.

Safety 

If you could travel in a bank vault, it might look and feel something like the Ram 2500 HD Rebel. Its heft, stature and modern safety technology make it all but bombproof. 

Features 

There are a lot of safety features these days, and this Ram can be equipped with just about all of them. With the Safety Group package you’ll get:

• Adaptive cruise control with stop

• Adaptive steering system

• Automatic high-beam headlamp control

• Blind spot detection

• Cross-path detection

• Lane-keep assist

• Forward collision warning with automated emergency braking

Awards and ratings 

The Ram 2055 HD is an excellent heavy-duty pickup truck, and the awards outlets have noticed. Some of its recent awards include a four-star overall crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had not rated the 2023 model as of this writing.

Final impression 

The 2023 Ram 2500 HD Rebel is a compelling entry into the growing hardcore truck segment. It can tow, haul or move pretty much anything. It can go off-road on extreme terrain. It’s luxurious, comfortable and daily drivable — as long as you don’t mind the stiff ride on the freeway. The folks at Ram are masters of their craft and have created one of the most capable trucks on the market. If you have a need for towing, hauling and off-roading, with the option of a diesel engine, you’re going to love the Ram 2500 HD Rebel. See Ram 2500 listings

The other trims in the Ram 2500 HD lineup are also excellent, especially the closely related Ram Power Wagon. The Rebel is available with a diesel, though, so if using the green nozzle at the gas station is your thing, the Rebel is the better option.

Interested in seeing the Ram 2500 HD Rebel for yourself? Check it out on KSL Cars. 

FAQs 

Who is the Ram 2500 HD Rebel for? 

If towing, hauling and offroading while looking really cool are your thing, with the option for a diesel engine, this truck is for you.

Is the truck good for families? 

While it is spacious inside, the Ram 2500 HD Rebel probably isn’t the best truck for families. It’s tall and difficult to get in and out of, so anyone shorter than 6-foot will need to get a running start.

KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.