Used 2023 Ram 3500 Crew Cab

The really good, hard-working, heavy-duty trucks are American exclusively. There’s this, the Ford Super Duty, and the Chevrolet Silverado HD/GMC Sierra HD twins from General Motors. These are the trucks to buy when something like a large horse box or a massive Airstream trailer needs towing. They’re the big guns for the big jobs.

Because the competition is so fierce between these three companies, it’s the buyers who end up winning because there isn’t a bad heavy-duty truck on the market. The final decision might be determined by something like a previous good relationship with a certain dealer, perhaps the extra-smooth ride quality of the Ram HD, or maybe because only Ram offers the especially spacious Mega Cab.

The half-ton Ram 1500 truck is reviewed separately.

Let’s get the work truck angle covered first. The maximum tow rating for the 2023 Ram 3500 is 37,090 pounds, while the 2023 Ram 2500 can pull up to 20,000 pounds. Only the Ford Super Duty can match or come close.

For payloads, the 2500 Tradesman Regular Cab with the 6.4-liter V8 and rear-wheel drive can take 4,010 pounds. The 3500 equivalent is rated at 7,680 pounds. In this respect, the Chevy Silverado HD/GMC Sierra HD twins can’t compete with the Ram HD, but the Ford Super Duty leads the class.

For buyers who feel a three-quarter-ton truck like the Ram 2500 is perhaps overkill, but still want more than what a half-ton truck can deliver, the Nissan Titan XD might work. Its total payload capability is 2,406 pounds, and it can tow up to 11,060 pounds.

All three engine choices in the Ram HD truck range are good. Even the base gasoline V8 is strong enough for most tasks. But the High Output Cummins turbodiesel really takes the honors by developing a massive 1,075 lb-ft of torque.

The difference a Ram makes is in ride quality, especially the 2500’s rear coil springs bringing an unusual refinement. An adaptive air suspension is optional, even with the rear leaf springs of the 3500.

There’s a choice of cabs: Regular, Crew, or Mega (rivals stop at Crew). The Regular has one row of seating for up to three occupants. The Crew and Mega have two rows, with the driver and one passenger sitting up front, plus 3-person accommodations behind. All the seats are comfortable.

One difference between the 2023 Ram HD Crew Cab and Mega Cab is that the Mega has more stowage behind its rear seats — 9.1 cubic feet, compared with the Crew’s 3.4. Those seats also recline. Both are generous with rear legroom. The Crew has 40.2 inches, and the Mega enjoys 43.1.

In typical heavy-duty truck fashion, the Tradesman is a rudimentary model with vinyl flooring, vinyl or cloth seating surfaces, and a tiny 5-inch infotainment display. Trim levels then become plusher and plusher until they top out with the Limited version. This brings items like leather-covered seats, real wood cabin accents, a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a Harman Kardon audio system.

We recommend selecting the optional digital rearview mirror with the Crew or Mega Cabs, since the second seating row has a fixed center headrest that hinders outward vision.

The thing about the 4-door Mega Cab is that it comes solely with the 76-inch cargo bed (and 4-wheel drive). The 4-door Crew offers a choice of that or a 96-inch bed. The 2-door Regular is paired solely with the longer bed.

Lockable storage bins on either side of the bed are available. Like its rivals from Ford and Chevrolet/GMC, the Ram HD also offers a dual rear-wheel setup, sometimes called a dually.

A Mopar sport performance hood with extra air inlets is a new option for the Laramie and Limited versions of the 2023 Ram heavy-duty truck.

People might think there’s a solar eclipse happening, but it’s probably just a Ram HD truck passing by. This thing is big.

1. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
We’d call smartphone integration a necessity, but Ram disagrees. This is not available until the Big Horn trim, one up from the base Tradesman, where it’s on the options list. Amazon Alexa compatibility is also available.

2. Digital driver information display
A 12.3-inch configurable instrument cluster is a new feature for the 2023 Ram HD truck. When complemented by the 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, they push the cabin’s high-tech feel as high as it will go. Optional in Laramie trim, standard in the Limited Longhorn and Limited trims.

3. Digital rearview mirror
Enhanced this year with side camera integration, this optional feature can typically show a video feed of what’s behind the truck without passengers’ heads or cargo getting in the way. It also has a tow mode, so the trailer can “disappear.”

4. Trailer Reverse Steering Control
Another new option in the 2023 Ram HD range — just turn the control in the center console in the desired direction, and this system handles the steering while the driver controls the brakes and accelerator.

5. Power Wagon
Available only as a 2500 Crew Cab, this is the off-road specialist. In addition to sporting 4-wheel drive as standard, it also offers a disconnectinve front anti-roll bar to provide as much axle articulation as possible, Warn Zeon-12 winch (rated at 12,000 pounds and with a kink- and fray-resistant synthetic line), electronic locking front/rear differentials, and a specialized Bilstein suspension.

6. Harman Kardon audio
Only available as an option in the top Limited trim, this 17-speaker/900-watt surround-sound system would be the finishing touch.

The standard engine in both the 2023 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks is a 6.4-liter V8 running on regular gasoline. Output is 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. Automatic cylinder deactivation helps save fuel. This engine connects to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The turbocharged 6.7-liter diesel alternative from the highly respected Cummins company has an inline-6-cylinder configuration and makes 370 horsepower, plus a considerable 850 lb-ft of torque.

An even mightier version of this engine, called High Output, is offered with the Ram 3500, developing 420 horsepower and a class-leading 1,075 lb-ft of torque (Ford has a diesel with 1,050 lb-ft, the Chevy equivalent makes 910 lb-ft).

Both diesel engines are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is the basic arrangement across the 2023 Ram HD truck range; 4-wheel drive (4WD, with a transfer case to access high and low gearing) is available as an option. Or standard in the 2500 Power Wagon and Mega Cab variants.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn’t provide fuel economy estimates for heavy-duty trucks.

6.4-liter V8
410 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
429 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm

6.7-liter turbocharged diesel 6-cylinder
370 horsepower @ 2,800 rpm
850 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700 rpm

6.7-liter turbocharged diesel 6-cylinder (High Output, 3500 only)
420 horsepower @ 2,800 rpm
1,075 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800 rpm

3/36 Warranty

The new-vehicle warranty on a 2023 Ram HD is 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. The gasoline powertrain warranty is 5 years or 60,000 miles. Same time period for the diesels, but distance extends to 100,000 miles.