Review 2025 Ram 1500 Tows Like a Champion
While the Ram 1500's towing rating is not the highest, it offers the best towing experience among gas-powered full-size light-duty pickups.
The updated 2025 Ram 1500 tows with aplomb, thanks to its high horsepower and torque, self-leveling suspension, and ability to integrate trailer and safety systems. But all is not rosy, as it may have the worst safety chain connection in a pickup truck, its engine consumes gasoline, and it lacks some clever technology features that competitors have.
Ironically, the maximum towing rating of the updated 2025 Ram 1500 has dropped to 11,580 pounds from the previous model's 12,750 pounds. The maximum payload remains stable at 2,300 pounds. For reference, the king of tow ratings in this segment is the Ford F-150, with a maximum rating of 13,500 lbs.
So let's hook up and get down to business.
The 2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten
My highest spec Tungsten tester was a high-output twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder pushing up to 28 psi of boost. This huffed up the output to 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque. By my calculations, that's 145 hp and 110 lb-ft more torque than the old V-8 engine. Farewell, Felicia.
That means this truck doesn't mind having a 5,000-pound boat and trailer hooked up to the rear end. It doesn't care if you're going 70+ mph. If you step on the throttle at highway speeds, the truck will lurch forward even if the trailer is hooked to the back. The only other small gas-powered truck that felt this way was the 2019-2020 Ford F-150 Limited with the Raptor's high-output twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 shoved under the hood. However, with 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, it was down on power by a considerable margin compared to this Ram.
The Ram is very powerful and the accelerator is very sensitive, so care must be taken. The boat could slide backwards on the trailer if pulled forward too rapidly, risking damage. The towing mode readjusts the shift point and throttle mapping, thankfully taking it down a notch. Safety first.
2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten Towing
With a 5,000 lb boat and trailer hooked up behind, the Turbo 6 averaged 9.3 mpg over the course of the 144 mile tow. I averaged about 9.5 mpg with this same boat and a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. The Ram 1600 made tons of power without losing efficiency. The aforementioned F-150 Limited's high-output turbo V-6 averaged 8.1 mpg in the same boat on the same route. A Toyota Tundra with a twin-turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain averaged 9.4 mpg. But GM's 6.2-liter V-8 averaged just over 12 mpg, though it is down on power. With power comes boost and thirst.
2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten Towing
As soon as I lowered the trailer onto the ball and latched it I heard the truck's air compressor kick on. It pumped up the rear air suspension and automatically leveled the load. Slick; the four-corner air suspension (optional on the mid-trim Ram, standard on the upper trim) responded instantly to the load. The rear end never crouched. No other full-size pickup offers four-corner air suspension. Toyota has a rear air suspension for self-leveling, but I experienced trailer rush and was always very aware that the boat was behind the truck. The Ram never caused any trailer rush and I would forget that I had a trailer hooked up. Ford avoids the problem of the truck sagging when not loaded with stiffer rear leaf springs.
2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten Towing
Good call. The Ram 1500 receiver's safety chain hookup is the most difficult of any full-size pickup truck. The chain is hooked up to the truck via a complete box-shaped hook-up assembly with notches on the outside and bottom. It is hard to see where the hooks go through and the right angle on the pressed steel that the hooks have to clear is huge. I have never seen anything like this. This design led to compatibility issues with the emergency brake hooks on two different boat trailers I tried. The ram should mimic the large, flat opening that Ford has put on their latest Super Duty, which is easy to see and easy to hook up.
2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten Towing
Quick. Most of today's pickup trucks can integrate a trailer with a blind-spot monitoring system. Ford's system requires the driver to input the length of the trailer. The Toyota system on the Tundra scans the trailer and takes into account the added length. However, I have never seen a system that responds as quickly as the Ram 1500. Within a few feet of connecting and starting to move forward, the 12.3-inch digital meter cluster lit up, letting me know that the 20-foot trailer had been considered and integrated into the blind-spot monitoring system. The boat is 20.6 feet long. That's impressive, Ram.
2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten
It's inexcusable that the Ram doesn't have a boost gauge; both the F-150 and the Tundra have boost gauges. Trucks with turbocharged engines should indicate how much boost they are running when towing or hauling; the GMC Sierra has a camera view that looks down the side of the trailer while cornering. When the turn signals are activated, the side mirror cameras are activated. The Super Clutch Ram has a camera in the mirror, but not this one; GM trucks can be driven hands-free with Super Cruise while towing, but the Ram's hands-free active driver-assist system does not work with the trailer hooked up. The Ford F-150 can now back itself up, place the receiver directly under the trailer, and hook up the trailer at the push of a button. This is another clever trick that the Ram does not have. However, anyone who needs these technological features to tow probably shouldn't tow. Let's just say it's a "nice to have".
The 2025 Ram 1500 I towed was a tungsten model. It was the pinnacle of luxury trucks, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class of pickup trucks. It was priced accordingly, $90,505 (at the time of testing), including a $1,995 destination fee. I can't throw the word value around here, but that doesn't change the fact that it is the key to the truck I reach for when towing my 5,000-pound boat.
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2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten
Base Price: $89,070 including destination $1,995
When tested Price: $90,505
Powertrain: 540-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder, 8-speed AT, full-time 4-wheel drive
EPA fuel economy: 15/21/17 mpg
Pros: horsepower, convenient air suspension, safety tech with trailer Integration.
Cons: gasoline consumption, poorly designed safety chain connections, lacks some competitors' high-tech features.
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