First drive: 2023 Ram 2500 Rebel
Now that many pickups are more about lifestyle than hard work, automakers are rushing to fill every possible niche, and that’s the case with Ram.
Up until now, those who wanted an off-road-ready Ram could opt for the light-duty 1500 Rebel; or the heavy-duty 2500 Power Wagon.
Now they can split the difference with the 2500 Rebel, for those who want the capability of a heavy-duty truck that can also handle outdoorsy fun. In the trim levels, it slots in between the Big Horn and the Power Wagon.
It lacks the rock-crawling extra suspension articulation of the Power Wagon, as well as its locking front differential; but that model only comes with a gasoline engine, and the Rebel can be ordered with a diesel. It also has a higher towing capacity than the Power Wagon.
It goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2022, starting at $75,450, plus a destination charge of $2,095. It’s a single trim line, but can be ordered with various equipment packages or stand-alone options, including rear air suspension, adaptive cruise control, and a digital mirror that can display up to three views at once — front, rear, and one from an optional auxiliary wired camera that you can put at the back of your trailer, or inside it to keep an eye on the cargo, especially if it’s something like a horse or two.
You can choose a front bench or bucket seats, and the upholstery ranges from cloth to premium leather. A 12,000-lb factory-installed front winch is also available with the gas engine, but not the diesel, as it won’t fit with the engine cooler.
As with all Ram 2500 trims, the gas engine is a 6.4L Hemi V8, making 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. To improve fuel economy – how much we don’t know, since Natural Resources Canada doesn’t require numbers for heavy-duty trucks – it’s equipped with cylinder deactivation, which shuts off four cylinders when full power isn’t needed. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, shifted via a dial on the dash.
All Rebels are strictly crew cab with 6-foot-4 bed, in 4×4 with a Borgwarner part-time transfer case with 2High, 4High, and 4Low.
Maximum towing capacity is 16,870 lbs with the gas engine, while the diesel engine’s weight drops it to around 15,000 lbs. By comparison, the Power Wagon tops out at 10,590.
Because it’s intended as more of a rock-crawler, the Power Wagon has front and rear electronic lockers, while the Rebel settles for just the one at the back.
The Power Wagon’s springs are softer, and its front suspension contains articulating control arm joints and a disconnecting front sway bar that the Rebel doesn’t have. The Rebel also shares its 216-mm (8.5-inch) ride height with other 2500 trucks, while the Power Wagon is 51 mm (two inches) higher.
The Rebel got me up and down some pretty steep inclines in California’s Big Bear Park, where a fierce storm the week before had washed out several of the trails and had me navigating deep crevices and rocks. It’s restricted by its size on the trails — this is a really big truck, after all — but it handles these wide-open spaces very well.
It features a five-link coilover rear suspension, and on paved roads and smoother gravel roads, the gas version proved very smooth. Offroad-specific vehicles often have a rough ride on pavement, but the Rebel keeps its composure extremely well, without the bounce-and-jounce that some exhibit.
The diesel version was a bit less refined, where I could feel that extra weight in the front end and more rebound in the rear, but it was still well within what I’d expect from a heavy-duty truck. The Rebel can be optioned with a rear air suspension for an even smoother ride, but the trucks I drove didn’t have it.
As with all Ram trucks, it drives as big as it is, while Ford and GM seem a bit tighter and more responsive with their steering, making them feel more manoeuvrable.
The handsome cabin features a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, and a button on the steering wheel switches it between a plain speedo-tach display, or five configurable “tiles” that can show you offroad items such as steering angle and pitch.
Optional is a 12-inch vertical infotainment screen that includes hard buttons for the climate control, and dials for stereo volume and tuning. The centre console includes a large dual-height cargo box, small-item storage, and generous cupholders.
Trailer steering is also available, a take-off on the system initially introduced by Ford. Turning the dashmounted dial steers the truck in the direction you want the trailer to go. It won’t turn you into an experienced backer-upper right away — you still have to know where to initially position the trailer and the direction it needs to go — but unlike Ford’s system, which requires you to put stickers on the trailer tongue, Ram automatically detects and calibrates the trailer so you can use the system right away.
Off-road is the truck ticket right now, whether for those who actually tackle the tough stuff, or those who just want to know they could. The 2500 Rebel offers the best of both worlds: You can tow a heavy trailer to the campsite, and then unhook it and go out and have some fun.
If you don’t need the rock-crawling capability of the Power Wagon but want to tow or haul more than the 1500 Rebel, this could be the happy medium you want.