{"id":31576,"date":"2023-10-12T18:07:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T22:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31576"},"modified":"2023-10-12T18:07:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T22:07:01","slug":"payne-2023-ram-2500-heavy-duty-rebel-is-a-beauty-and-a-beast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/payne-2023-ram-2500-heavy-duty-rebel-is-a-beauty-and-a-beast","title":{"rendered":"Payne: 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel is a beauty \u2014 and a beast"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Holly Oaks<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Dude, light-duty off-road trucks are soooo 15 minutes ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">On a sodden Saturday at Holly Oaks ORV Park, I could barely stand along Ridgeline Trail on the park\u2019s west side. At 6-feet-7-inches tall, my 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel loomed beside me like the War Rig from \u201cMad Max: Fury Road.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Thirty-three-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires. Power dome hood. Skid plates. Red war paint. A beast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">And a beauty. As I swung my mud-caked boots into the cab, I entered an interior straight out of a South Beach condo. Leather stitched dash, leather thrones, 12.3-inch digital instrument display, 12-inch vertical infotainment screen. What, no sauna?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135195007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-fr-34-tires.jpg?width=990&amp;height=558&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" width=\"589\" height=\"332\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Bigger is better and my fearsome 2500 Rebel has it all. Heavy Dutys designed for hauling yachts now have yacht-like interiors plus the off-road armor once reserved for Jeeps. Ram follows Ford\u2019s Tremor in bringing its Rebel off-road model to the HD segment \u2014 and Chevy isn\u2019t far behind with its first heavy-duty ZR2 trim for the 2024 model year. My friend Scott, a loyal Ford owner, covets the Tremor but was wowed by the Ram\u2019s interior. High praise.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Rebel badge debuted on the Ram 1500 in 2015, but that truck can\u2019t fit in my garage either. So why not supersize to a 2500 and its monster, 17,000-pound towing numbers. Heck, this thing can tow a garage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The license plate should be issued by the state of Brobdingnag.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Rebel HD is massive. Gargantuan. Mega. In addition to the aforementioned highlights, my HD Rebel Crew Cab has a 410-horse V-8 (a 6.7-liter diesel inline-6 is a $9,595 option), 6-feet-4-inch bed, and 13-inch lift . I\u2019m 6-feet-5-inches and had to haul myself into the seat by the steering wheel. Mrs. Payne needed a ladder.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">With great size comes great responsibility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">After a night of heavy rain, I drove the HD Rebel to Holly Oaks for some playtime. At nearly four tons, 79 inches wide, and 19\u00bd feet long, the War Rig needs room and I drove it on adaptive cruise control up Telegraph Road so radar would aid my eyeballs in detecting any sudden slowdowns up ahead. War Rig could do serious damage in a collision to a small, 3,000-pound compact car.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135194007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-int.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The refined, leather interior of the 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel rivals many luxury cars.\" width=\"541\" height=\"305\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135194007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-int.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135194007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-int.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The refined, leather interior of the 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel rivals many luxury cars.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The refined, leather interior of the 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel rivals many luxury cars.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Curiously, for all my $80K tester\u2019s luxury, the adaptive cruise will come to a complete stop at a stoplight \u2014 then, um, release after five sedans like my wife\u2019s old 2017 Subaru Impreza. Never take for granted these driver-assist systems. Like 1500 Rebel Jr., 2500 Rebel rides on rear coil springs making for a smooth ride with little bed flutter, though the all-terrain tires are predictably noisy compared to all-season offerings.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"><\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Continuing the truck\u2019s beauty-and-the-beast duality, the brawny, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine is married to a smooth 8-speed transmission. Flattening the throttle onto I-75 at Exit 93, the 8-speed clocked off seamless shifts before I settled back into cruise control at 75 mph.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Dedicated off-roaders will hook the V-8 up to a trailer where the 2500 Rebel\u2019s max tow capacity increases from the 1500 Rebel\u2019s healthy 11,500 pounds to a spectacular 16,800. That\u2019s enough grunt to plan a big weekend with your buddies towing, say, eight Polaris RZRs with seven riding in the trailer \u2014 and another stuffed into the bed with its 3,140-pound payload capacity.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Of course, the HD Rebel will want to join in the fun, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But like on-road, its girth needs to be respected off-road, too. To support its weight, the Wrangler all-terrains are pumped to 64 PSI. Ideally, I should have bled them down by half to take on the tortures of Holly Oaks&#8217; landscape. For my short time around the park, I didn\u2019t bother.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135203007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-mudhill.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel can tow nearly 17,000 pounds.\" width=\"530\" height=\"299\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135203007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-mudhill.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135203007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-mudhill.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel can tow nearly 17,000 pounds.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel can tow nearly 17,000 pounds.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">That was fine for wide-open throttle donuts on the sandy flats, but the park\u2019s muddy slopes required some tiptoeing lest the beast\u2019s 7,500 pounds become a runaway avalanche. The HD Rebel has a useful locking rear differential for climbs (patience, it takes a while to connect) but you\u2019ll want to pay for the next trim Power Wagon if you want Jeep Rubicon-like, twin-locking differential and front sway bar disconnect. Speaking of Jeeps, 2500 Rebel\u2019s ocean-liner length makes for less breakover angle than the last V-8-powered off-roader I piloted at Holly Oaks, the insane Wrangler 392.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Wrangler takes the same displacement, 6.4-liter Hemi block and squeezes out another 60 horsepower and 40 pound-feet of torque. Floor Jeep\u2019s 5,100-pound hellion up a Holly Oaks trail and you\u2019ll wake the dead. The HD Rebel was more civilized under my size-15 boot. The Ram\u2019s priority is towing off-roaders and their gear to the trail.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"4\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">To that end, the interior is practical as well as luxurious.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Jeep\/Ram leverages its superb UConnect infotainment system across the lineup \u2014 including the HD Rebel. In addition to mirroring my phone, it also provided multiple camera views, the forward-facing view proving most useful as I crawled over Holly Oaks\u2019 trail peaks. But there are other options like a camera with a 55-foot cord should you want to keep an eye on the inside of your trailer.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135198007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-muddy.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Get the 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel muddy and its rubber floors can be hosed down.\" width=\"536\" height=\"302\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135198007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-muddy.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/10\/10\/PDTN\/71135198007-ram-2500-hd-rebel-muddy.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Get the 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel muddy and its rubber floors can be hosed down.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Get the 2023 Ram Rebel 2500 HD Rebel muddy and its rubber floors can be hosed down.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The center console can be turned into a middle seat to carry a total of six inside the Crew Cab. Legroom is generous, and the rear seats split 70\/30. Folding the right seats exposes a flat floor (complete with cupholder for the remaining left-side passenger) so you can load luggage, coolers and gear if the pickup bed is occupied by a motorbike or RZR.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Beneath all the digital wizardry, stitching and leather thrones is a good ol\u2019 rubberized floor. So that when you get home and realize the floor is caked with mud, you can just wash it clean with a hose (ahem, you may need a power washer for the exterior).<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-6\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"5\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Because, come Sunday, you\u2019ll want to throw a coupe of golf bags in back and take the Rebel to the golf club to embarrass your buddy\u2019s light-duty truck.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Next week: 2023 Toyota Crown<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, four-wheel-drive, four-door pickup truck<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Price: $68,840, including $1,895 destination charge ($77,395 as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Powerplant: 6.4-liter V-8; 6.7-liter, inline-6 cylinder diesel<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Power: 410 horsepower, 429 pound-feet torque (V-8); \u00a0370 horsepower, 850 pound-feet torque (diesel)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Transmission: Eight-speed automatic (V-8); six-speed automatic (diesel)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.5 seconds (Car and Driver est.); Towing, 16,800 pounds (V-8); 3,140-pound payload<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Weight: 7,500 pounds est. (V-8 as tested)<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-7\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"6\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Fuel economy: EPA est. NA; Fuel economy observed while thrashing to Holly Oaks and back: 9 mpg<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Highs: Looks awesome inside and out; tenacious towing<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lows: Ginormous size. . . and price tag<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Overall: 4 stars<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Holly Oaks\u00a0\u2014 Dude, light-duty off-road trucks are soooo 15 minutes ago. On a sodden Saturday at Holly Oaks ORV Park, I could barely stand along Ridgeline Trail on the park\u2019s west side. At 6-feet-7-inches tall, my 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel loomed beside me like the War Rig from \u201cMad Max: Fury Road.\u201d Thirty-three-inch [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31576"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31576"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31577,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31576\/revisions\/31577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}