Get More Capability, More Comfort-Ability: 2025 Ram HD First Drive Review

Making the steep, 12-mile long, 3,000-foot change in elevation up the notorious Davis Dam Grade to the top of Union Pass on Arizona State Route 68 can be a real challenge for anyone towing a trailer because it taxes the ability of any tow vehicle. That’s why this stretch of highway is a well-known testing ground for all the pickup manufacturers and the Society of Automotive Engineers (ASE) to determine tow ratings under the J2807 criteria.

That’s what I was thinking as I looked down at the digital speedometer and saw a steady “65” registering. Along with an array of other digital gauges monitoring engine oil, coolant, transmission temperature, and oil pressure. Every readout was registering well within the normal range.

Then I looked in the extended side mirrors to remind myself what the 2025 Ram 2500 HD Crew Cab I was driving was towing. A loaded, 19,000-pound flatbed gooseneck trailer — and my right foot was barely pressing on the throttle.

I had the same driving experience an hour later while driving a new 3500 Ram Crew Cab Dually. I was driving up the same route with a 13,000-pound Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL fifth wheel in tow.

In short: The 2025 Ram HD 2500/3500s come nicely equipped in upper trim levels and are more than capable of pulling the heaviest work and recreational trailers. The Ram engineering team has done a masterful job integrating the newest entertainment, information management, drivetrain, and safety features into the 2025 HD lineup.

2025 Ram HD First Drive Review

Both the gas 6.4L Hemi V8 and the 6.7L Cummins diesel have the power to stay with — or outpace — the competitors. The eight-speed automatic is beautifully matched to both the gas and diesel engines. Keeping the shift points inside the peak torque curves for maximum performance.

The Cummins diesel and ZF 8-speed are also smoothly integrated with the exhaust brake. Set it in “Auto” mode when driving in Cruise Control to make it easier on the driver while towing heavier trailers. 

Pricing is also very competitive. According to Brant Combs, director of Ram North America Sales for Stellantis, buyers of the new heavy-duty pickups get all the improvements and upgrades for nearly the same price as a comparable-trim 2024 model.

“The 2025 Rams have thousands and thousands of dollars worth of standard content. Everything from the refreshed exteriors, the refreshed interiors, LED headlights, a long list of standard safety features, adaptive cruise control — all coming in for a regular model year price adjustment of a few hundred bucks,” he said.

2025 HD Ram Driving Impressions

I had the opportunity to slide behind the wheel of gas and diesel versions of the 2025 Ram HD pickups, in both 2500 and 3500s, 2WD and 4WD, single rear wheel and dually, towing and unladen. All were column-shift trucks with 3.42:1 axle ratios.

Driving such a variety of pickups, trim levels, and engines allowed me to come to one conclusion: If you are in the market for a full-size heavy-duty pickup to handle towing/hauling needs, the 2025 Ram HDs are a must-drive.  

I drove this Ram 2500 HD, with Hemi V8 and eight-speed automatic, for more than 90 miles. In that, I saw 19-plus mpg cruising along at 75 mph. At no time did the 1,200 pounds of cargo in the bed affect its performance. This truck is fast and smooth-riding.

I spent about 2 hours freeway driving from Las Vegas to Laughlin, Nevada, behind the wheel of an upper trim 3500 HD Crew Cab short bed with the 405-horsepower 6.4L Hemi V8. Beneath the tonneau cover lay more than a half-ton of bagged dog food.

Ride quality was excellent, with minimal road noise inside the cab. Steering is light and precise. Seating comfort, front and rear, rivals what one would find in an upscale SUV. The interior is richly plush for a pickup.

Highway Flyer

Ram Trucks says the 2500 HDs, like this 2025 Ram 2500 Crew Cab, account for more than 70% of its HD sales. Those numbers should rise with the high-output 6.7L Cummins with more power and torque now the default diesel option on the new models.

From a power standpoint, tighten your seatbelts! The 2025 Ram diesels are more than a second quicker than the previous models in 0-60 mph and quarter-mile sprints, thanks in great part to the lower first and second gears of the eight-speed automatic.  

During the 90-mile drive, I constantly found myself looking at the foot-wide, digital readout instrument cluster behind the steering wheel only to realize I was cruising along at 80-85 mph. I ended up driving the last 50 miles on Cruise Control to maintain the posted speed limits.

The power of the Hemi V8, coupled with the eight-speed automatic now used across the Ram Truck line, makes it all too easy to attract unwanted attention from local law enforcement.

New Cabin Starts With Massive Center Screen

The other improvement I loved is the integration of the Uconnect 5 system with a huge 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen that seems to dominate the center of the dash in the upper trim pickups. The ease of use and configurability of the Uconnect system and its integration with smartphones are impressive.

So Many Gauges!

Gauge watchers will love the variety of digital instrumentation available at the touch of the screen in the 2025 Ram pickups. The configuration options and data available let you bring up digital gauges to display almost anything.

Coolant and oil temperatures, oil pressure, battery voltage, turbo boost pressure, tire pressures, and a number of other displays let you monitor everything going on under the hood.

The 2025 Rams also give the person sitting in the front passenger seat an optional 10.25-inch-wide monitor built into the dash above the glovebox to provide the same opportunities. That passenger display also integrates with smartphones, so map routes and other information can be shared with the center display for the driver to see.

A tech bonus for the passenger-side display is that it can also be tied into a smartphone to watch videos and play games. The 2025 HDs are the only heavy-duty pickups made that offer this feature. 

Ram Packs in the Cameras

Speaking of visuals, there are more than a dozen ways to get a clear view of what is around the pickup. Thanks go to cameras seemingly everywhere on the Rams I drove.

Touch “Camera” on the center display and then “Vehicle” to give instant access to every view — from the surround camera and rear cross path to front and passenger curb views to a 360-degree top view to a cargo camera and rear view. The same selections can be seen on the passenger’s display screen.

The only camera angle(s) that I didn’t see were those showing views of what was going on under the pickups, which could be good when off-roading.

Big Changes for the New Cummins 6.7L

Ram Truck customers opting for the diesel will not be disappointed. The 2025 Ram HDs only have one diesel option ($12,495). It’s the High Output Cummins 6.7L turbo-diesel that makes 430 horsepower and 1,075 pound-feet of torque.

Cummins reengineered the new cast iron block to provide considerably better coolant flow. It also has a new cylinder head and intake manifold, as well as lower emissions than the previous model.

New Pump Keeps Diesel Blood Flowing

At the heart of the Gen 4+ Cummins is a brand-new injection system centered around the Bosch CP8 pump and top-feed injectors. The pump housing looks identical to that of the CP4.2 found in the previous model. However, the two are not the same inside. Cummins engineers told me the CP8 has a completely redesigned pumping system that is far more robust than the old CP4.2.

More importantly, the CP8 now incorporates a closed-loop lubrication circuit that is an independent circuit from the fuel that feeds the new injectors. Fuel used for lubrication goes through the pump, lubricates the pump, and exits the pump to travel back to the tank.

Cummins and Ram also upped the fuel pressure from 32,000 psi to 39,000 psi. This change in both the style of injectors and higher fuel rail pressures from the CP8 is said to increase overall fuel economy by 7% compared to what the 2024s were achieving.   

Glow Plugs & New Turbo Mean Better Performance, Hot & Cold

Previous models of the Cummins 6.7L used a cast-iron intake manifold with a grid heater inside. The design had some grid heater bolt failure issues. The 2025 Cummins 6.7L alleviated all of that with a fresh intake manifold design.

The new models use glow plugs. This delivers start times in sub-zero temperatures cut to less than 3 seconds, compared to nearly 30 seconds with the old grid heater.

Lower Emissions, Easier Maintenance

Thanks to a new aluminum intake manifold, coupled with a faster-spooling 300VG Holset turbo that spins in the opposite direction of the turbo used in the pre-2025 6.7s, Cummins can use an engine-mounted catalytic converter. This change was made to improve emissions and exceed expected Clean Air requirements in 2027.

Along with the new block, fuel injection system, turbo, intake, and exhaust design comes a maintenance boon. All 2025 Ram HDs now have oil and fuel filters that can be changed by opening the hood instead of putting the truck up on a hoist.

The new cartridge-type drop-in oil filter is now located in a canister on the passenger-side front of the engine. The fuel filters are tucked back by the engine block on the driver’s side.

Nice Price: 2025 Ram HD Trucks

Pricing is another item that can’t be ignored. When you can buy a new vehicle for almost the same price as the previous model year, one that’s loaded with a plethora of new safety features, engine tech, and electronics upgrades, it’s a winner.

The 2025 Ram 2500 and 3500 HD trucks appear to be just that. The new starting price of $47,560, including destination for a 2500 or an extra $1,005 for a 3500 HD, is a bargain in modern truck standards.

Ram’s lineup still remains the same as in 2024. Tradesman, Lone Star, Big Horn, Laramie, Power Wagon, Limited Longhorn, Limited, and Rebel trim levels offer wide-ranging choices.

Multiple cab styles and bed lengths, both rear- and four-wheel drive, fit differing buyer needs. As before, the 6.4L Hemi V8 is standard; the Cummins 6.7L is optional.

2025 Ram HD First Drive Review: Conclusions

Ram and Cummins have done a really nice job in this major refresh of the 2025 heavy-duty pickups. Where the changes will be noticed by owners of 2024 and older models is in overall performance and ride quality. Both are better, as is the increased level of standard safety features, faster connectivity, and improved fuel economy.

The CP8 diesel fuel injection pump’s robustness and redesign should assuage any lingering fears of potential issues that some 2024-and-older Cummins owners experienced.

To say the towing ability, ride quality, and overall performance of the 2025 RAM Heavy Duty pickups are impressive is a bit of an understatement. The new Cummins 6.7L turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic make for a trailer towing behemoth — one that’s a big step above the previous RAM HDs.