2025 RAM 1500 TUNGSTEN Crew Cab REVIEW

Trucks are wildly popular today and the Ram 1500 Tungsten Crew Cab is one of the best sellers in the segment. But the popular RAM pickup has been getting a bit long in the tooth lately. What do you do to refresh it and keep it relevant? Offer new features, new technology and new powerplants, that’s what. The folks here at Napleton News love new and shiny things. That’s why we were eager to get inside the new Ram 1500 Tungsten Crew Cab. Read on to find out more of what we thought.

No Elephant under the hood of the RAM 1500 Tungsten Crew Cab.

In previous versions of the RAM 1500 pickup trucks, it was no big thing to have a HEMI V8 engine under the hood. In the olden days, this engine was known as the Elephant. That was then. The new RAM 1500 Tungsten is now. The new RAM 1500 receives basic power from Stellantis’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with 48-volt mild hybrid system. Used throughout the corporation’s brand of cars, trucks and SUVs, it delivers 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. The mild hybrid helps with fuel efficiency and more.

In its place we find a Hurricane! What’s a Hurricane you ask? Well, we aren’t talking about the storms that terrorize the tropics. Instead, this is the new Hurricane twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine making 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft of torque. The strongest towing vehicle in the RAM 1500 lineup, it can haul 11,550 pounds on the hitch.

Bring on the HEMI you are probably saying (yelling). Not gonna happen. For 2025, the HEMI is dead! Long live the HEMI! Actually, it may not be dead yet, but it may be on life support. This new High-Output 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder Hurricane Engine delivers 540 horsepower and 521 lb-ft of torque. In the bed, it can haul 1,520 pounds. On the hitch, you can load it up to 9,920 pounds.

The beauty of the Hurricane engines is they are inline six-cylinder mills that are smoother than the HEMI V8s they replace. All three engines are mated to the Torqueflite 8-speed automatic transmission. Four-wheel drive is an available option, and as a standard offering on higher trim models like the Rebel, Limited, Longhorn and Tungsten.

What’s new in the looks of the RAM 1500 Tungsten?

The RAM 1500 features that distinct identity that it has become known for. This time, though, the grille is more massive and imposing than before. It now includes HO letters on the edges of the hood that had us flagged down by the owner of an older (by a couple of years) RAM truck. He asked what the HO lettering meant, as he had never seen one of these new-fangled RAMs. We explained it stood for High-Output power by Hurricane. He still didn’t get it (What? Doesn’t anyone read anymore?) and we explained the Hurricane is the new family of inline six-cylinder engines from Stellantis. What, he exclaimed? All he could do at that point was shake his head (and crawl back under the rock he has been hiding under for all that time since the Hurricane was announced).

Our RAM 1500 Tungsten Crew Cab featured automatically retractable running boards and lockable compartments on each side of the bed. They’re perfect for storing tackle gear, canes and an errant putter to practice your short game.

Inside the Tungsten

The interior of the Tungsten is almost limousine-like in its accommodations. There is room in ours for five passengers but if you order a model without the front console, you can fit a sixth person in-between you and the passenger.

The second row seating includes enough legroom so that backseat passengers will never be accused of kicking the front seat dwellers.

The infotainment system continues to grow! Through the years, the system has gone from an iPhone-sized appliance to one that approximates the latest iPad! It’s quite large but when filled with apps, can look quite daunting. By the numbers, 12 inches is standard, followed by a 14.5-inch unit for the higher-zoot models. A pair of Qi wireless chargers round out the experience.

Behind the wheel of this Torrential RAM 1500 Tungsten.

They’ve told us the new RAM 1500 is a smooth operator, and honestly, we’d have to agree. Our 3.0-liter high-output twin turbo inline 6-cylinder provides, in our case, 540 horsepower. It comes on gradually at first but with a torrent when you squeeze the skinny pedal. And boy, is it surprising. We weren’t expecting such torque but it’s every bit as exciting as any HEMI we have driven in the past.

The fuel consumption is pretty relaxed, too. It is definitely not as thirsty as a big V8, but the gas gauge has been holding steady for most of the week.

The thing that really surprised us was the overall smoothness of the RAM’s powertrain. It was almost as though we were in a luxury car rather than a high-zoot pickup truck. The ride was well-controlled, even with the high-rise ride that is part of the RAM 1500 Tungsten Crew Cab’s normal altitude. Add to that, the independent rear suspension which lends an air of confidence to whomever is behind the wheel.

As a result, this RAM 1500 Tungsten Crew Cab is one stout contender that will carry the brand forward for a few more years.

RAM 1500 Tungsten Crew Cab Specifications

Engine Type	3.0-liter twin turbocharged “Hurricane High-Output Inline-6
Horsepower	540 hp
Torque	521 lb-ft
Transmission	8-speed automatic
EPA Fuel Economy (Combined/City/Hwy)	17/15/21 MPG
Suspension F/R	Short and Long Arm / Multi-Link
Turning Circle	46.2 ft.
Also Available	various trim levels, V6 mild-hybrid
Specs
Warranty	3 years/36,000 miles
Powertrain Warranty	5 years/60,000 miles
NHTSA Safety Rating	5-stars
Max Seating Capacity	5 passengers
Wheelbase	144.5 inches
Overall Length	232.9 inches
Width	82.1 inches
Height	77.6 inches
Cargo Bed Length	5-feet 7 inches
Headroom, Front	40.9 inches
Headroom, 2nd	39.8 inches
Legroom, 1st	40.9 inches
Legroom, 2nd	45.2 inches
Shoulder room, 1st row	66.00 inches
Shoulder room, 2nd row	65.7 inches