Review 2024 Ram 2500 HD level, compromises for performance

Buyers of Ram Power Wagons have always had to compromise on hauling capacity. Ram's solution came in late 2022 in the form of the Ram 2500 HD Rebel, an off-roader with more work capacity.

Unfortunately, the solution to the Ram Level purchaser's problem came with a list of compromises that gave the competitor an edge.

The idea was to create a truck that would be a more capable work vehicle while maintaining the off-road capabilities of the Power Wagon. Instead, the Ram HD level, which is only $100 less than the Power Wagon at a nearly identical price of $73,730 (including a $1,995 destination charge), is a compromise to achieve that goal.

I spent a week with a 2023 Rebel, which will carry over to the 2024 model, except for a $2,570 price increase.

The 2024 Ram 2500 HD level

Power Wagon owners will want the optional Cummins 6.7-liter inline 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine in the Ram HD. This diesel engine is $9,795 more expensive than the standard gas 6.4-liter V-8 engine (410 hp, 429 lb-ft) and is the Power Wagon's only engine option. The Rebel HD can be equipped with the diesel because it does not have an electronically disconnected front stabilizer. According to Ram engineers, its off-road upgrade cannot be packaged with a turbo diesel oil pan.

The 6.4-liter V-8 is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Compared to the 7.3-liter V-8 engine in the Ford Super Duty Tremor and the 6.6-liter V-8 engine in the Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2, Ram's V-8 engine is older at this time. Both of these engines are hooked to 10-speed automatic transmissions and have more torque than Ram's V-8.

The turbo diesel is paired to an older 6-speed automatic and has less power than the available diesels from Chevrolet and Ford. It also feels a generation behind, with a loud diesel noise at idle, a lack of glow plugs that require long cold cranking times, and noticeable turbo lag. Despite this, no one would call the Level HD underpowered. While not as fast as its competitors due to noticeable turbo lag, the Rebel HD, which gains thrust as the turbo spools up, is a machine with plenty of oomph on the highway.

2024 Ram 2500 HD Rebel

Thanks to advances in engineering and suspension tuning, most pickup trucks, including some larger vehicles, no longer ride like the lumber wagons of yesteryear The Rebel HD rides like a lumber wagon, exactly as it looks, rough and rugged. You will always feel that this is a heavy-duty pickup truck.

On crushed pavement, the Bilstein off-road shocks fail to absorb the shock, and much of the movement is felt in the cabin and on the body. The ride is bumpy and at times jerky, unlike the Power Wagon, which has a softer suspension. Ram hardened the Level HD Bilsteins to make it better at hauling and towing larger loads than the Power Wagon. The result of that compromise is perhaps the worst ride of any Ram 2500. For those hauling very heavy loads, automatic self-leveling air shocks in the rear are available as an option for $1,705, but I did not test them. The latest Ford Super Duty Tremor has less bucking than the Ram and absorbs broken pavement as well as the Power Wagon does. I have not yet driven the Silverado HD ZR2.

2024 Ram 2500 HD Rebel

The Ram HD Rebel is equipped with the same 33-inch Goodyear Duratrac all-terrain tires that are on the Power Wagon. Like the Power Wagon, these tires are louder and the sound is constant on the highway.

A Sterantis spokesperson confirmed with Motor Authority that 35- and 37-inch tires will clear the Rebel HD if the buyer chooses to size up. According to the spokesperson, the latter will "fit"; the Super Duty Tremor comes standard with 35-inch tires and can also fit 37-inch tires.

2024 Ram 2500 HD Rebel

All Rebel HDs come as a four-door crew cab with a 6-foot-4-inch bed. Its bed can carry a payload of up to 3,140 pounds, and the truck itself can tow up to 16,870 pounds. Both numbers exceed the Power Wagon's 1,630-pound payload and 10,590-pound towing rating.

However, with a maximum towing capacity of 18,200 pounds and a maximum payload of 4,384 pounds, Ford is the king. Chevrolet also outperforms Ram with a maximum payload of 3,397 pounds and a tow rating of 18,500 pounds.

Level HD approaches the off-road performance of the Power Wagon. The Level HD has an approach angle of 26.6 degrees and a breakover angle of 21.8 degrees, compared to the Power Wagon's approach angle of 29.4 degrees and breakover angle of 22.0 degrees. Departure angle is 26.0 degrees. The Rebel HD's ground clearance is 13.3 inches, less than the Power Wagon's 14.2 inches; the Super Duty Tremor's ground clearance is only 10.8 inches, while the Silverado ZR2 is 11.6 inches, or 11.8 inches with the optional Bison package. . The higher ground clearance allows these trucks to roll over off-road obstacles, but creates more lean in corners on the road.

One of the features of the Power Wagon is the standard winch, which comes with a 12,000-pound Warn Zeon-12 front winch for Rebel HD buyers, but this is a $2,500 option and is only available with the gas engine. The winch restricts the air flow feeding the turbo diesel engine.

Chevrolet's Silverado HD ZR2 can only be optioned with a winch in top bison form with a front bumper provided by AEV. Ford's Super Duty Tremor can be optioned with a winch in any trim or engine choice.

All Rebel HDs come with part-time four-wheel drive, limited-slip rear differential, and electronic rear locker. Ram also bolted skid plates under the Rebel HD to protect vulnerable areas such as the fuel tank and transfer case.

Ford leads the way with an off-road driving mode that customizes the truck's powertrain, brakes, and stability control system. Chevrolet offers off-road driving modes on its Silverado HD ZR2, but they are much simpler and fewer in number. Ram takes a simpler approach, with no off-road driving modes. It is like the Jeep Wrangler in this pack in that the driver must perform most of the controls when driving off-road.

It would take more than a quick glance to spot a Rebel HD in a parking lot. For the most part, it looks like a standard Ram HD, but a closer look reveals important differences: the 20-inch wheels are exclusive to the Rebel, it has a Power Wagon grille, and the black bumpers, black underbody paint, and blacked-out trim give it a two-tone look. Disturbing is the Rebel-specific hood, which features a TRX-like power dome that raises the hood and significantly reduces forward visibility.

Unlike the brick-like front ends of Chevrolet and Ford, the Rebel HD's front end features curves, making the truck less intimidating. Getting in and out of the high cargo bed is a chore, despite the bolted drop-down step mounted on the driver's side under the rear bumper GM and Ford's bumper corner steps are genius, and Ford's tailgate-mounted The slide out drop down steps make my body less sore. I guess I'm getting old.

2024 Ram 2500 HD Level

Inside the cab, the Ram's interior remains the nicest in the segment, with leather wrapping on the grab handles, gear shifter, dashboard, and door panels, along with tasteful metal parts. Cloth bench seats are standard on the Level HD, but my test car was equipped with leather-trimmed front bucket seats (part of the $7,800 Level 2 equipment group). New 12.0-inch digital meter clusters are located front and center. The standard 8.4-inch touchscreen was replaced by a 12.0-inch touchscreen included in the Level 2 equipment group. This system is powered by Sterantis' UConnect 5 infotainment system, which is easy to use and operates almost like an iPad. However, previous systems could display Apple CarPlay and the vehicle's climate controls and other infotainment pages separately on a large touchscreen. This latest operating system kills that and displays CarPlay full screen.

Thanks to options such as the Safety Group ($2,240), which adds adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring, and the aforementioned Level 2 equipment group ($7,800), which also adds power-folding mirrors and rear window defrosters, my My test car cost a whopping $96,850 for the 2024 model year.

The 2024 Ram 2500 HD Rebel is neither the best off-road truck nor the most capable hauler, but it balances off-road capability with the demands that power wagon buyers have been voicing for years. Unfortunately, it took Ford and Chevrolet long enough to stop sitting on the sidelines and jump into the off-road arena with newer, more capable trucks.