2021 Ram 2500 Review: Buyer's Guide

2021 Ram 2500 Review: Buyer's Guide

Posted on July 14, 2021

The Ram 1500 is the workhorse of the Canadian half-ton truck scene, but sometimes a little extra grunt is needed to complete the job. The Ram 2500 steps up a gear to enter the true heavy-duty arena, providing exceptional capability with a rare level of comfort and drive quality. Could this be your next three-quarter ton truck? Read our 2021 Ram 2500 review to find out.

2021 Ram 2500 Performance

The Ram 2500 is offered in both gas and diesel formats. The gas engine is a 6.4L naturally aspirated V8 pushing out 410 horsepower and 429lb-ft of torque, with the output passed to rear-wheel or all-wheel drive through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

But while the gas powertrain is impressive enough, the diesel option takes matters to a completely new level. The 6.7L turbo I-6 diesel drops the horsepower slightly to 370 hp, but more than compensates by pushing up the torque to a wrenching 850lb-ft, more than enough for almost any heavy duty task. The extra torque is channelled effectively by an optimized six-speed automatic transmission, again with a choice of either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Towing and Payload

The 2500's capability figures comfortably outshine anything in the half-ton market. As you'd expect, the diesel powertrain has the best towing capacity of the two available, with a maximum rating of 8,926kg. However, the gas V8 is certainly no slouch, with its rating of up to 7,870kg.

The tables are turned when it comes to payload capacity, with the gas V8 managing up to 1,986kg compared to the diesel's 1,388kg. But whichever powertrain you choose, the 2021 Ram 2500 is certainly capable of handling its share of the workload.

Cab and Bed

Depending on the trim, there are three cab formats available: a one-row Regular Cab; a two-row Crew Cab; and a spacious two-row Mega Cab. There are also two bed sizes on offer, with lengths of 244cm and 192cm available depending on the cab and trim level that's chosen.

Infotainment Options

Heavy duty trucks aren't necessarily known for their impressive in-cabin experience, but Ram lead the way in offering advanced tech on nearly all their models. Apart from the stripped-down entry-level Tradesman trim, every version of the 2500 offers either an 8.4" or a 12" infotainment touchscreen, with smart device integration as standard through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A six-speaker audio system is standard on lower trims, with higher models offering a choice between a ten-speaker or a 17-speaker premium setup.

Advanced Safety Tech

Every 2500 trim is available with the optional Safety Group package which adds valuable features including:

- Adaptive cruise control.

- Automatic emergency braking.

- Blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts.

- Automatic high beams.

2021 Ram 2500 Review: The Verdict

The Ram 2500 offers among the best performance and capability of any three-quarter ton truck on the market, and backs it up with unbeatable cabin comfort and ride quality. If you need a powerhouse that goes beyond the half-ton market without the expense and size of a full semi, the 2021 Ram 2500 makes an unmatched choice.