2023 Dodge Ram 2500/3500 Owner’s Manual

For when regular pickup trucks are not enough, heavy-duty trucks like the Ram 2500 and 3500 answer the call, bringing effective high-powered toolkits in gargantuan builds that can handle the most vile tasks you can throw at them. The top entry in Ram's trusty lineup, this model group is designed to be overkill in every high-effort department, and the 2023 editions deliver on this promise yet again.

New for 2023 is the automaker’s addition of a new Rebel trim to the lineup that takes the already gusty off-road credentials of Ram heavy-duty trucks even further. The Rebel models will join the pre-existing Power Wagon trim as the dedicated off-road options.

The new Rebel trim adds extra adventure-oriented features like an electronically locking rear differential, a lifted suspension and skid plates. The Rebel—which is already unlike the Power Wagon in that it is exclusive to the 2500 model—packs the same standard 4-wheel drive as the Power Wagon but can also be ordered with a diesel engine. The Power Wagon can only be equipped with the base gasoline engine. However, even this base engine already seems overpowered.

The standard powertrain options boast a 6.4-liter V8 gasoline engine that provides an ample 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque and comes mated to a first-rate eight-speed automatic transmission.

The alternative engines are two Cummins inline-six diesel options that produce similar power outputs but edge toward the ridiculous with their dramatically higher torque quotients. The first unit produces 370 horsepower and 850 pound-feet of torque, while the second (exclusive to the 3500 model) ups things further to 400 horsepower and 1075 pound-feet of torque.

This torque overkill translates directly into towing power, as the 3500 model, paired with the brawnier diesel engine, can tow up to 37,090 pounds, annihilating the competition. Even the lower-powered engine can easily challenge competitors like the Ford Super Duty and Chevrolet Silverado HD models.