Key Points
- 2026 Ram 2500 priced from $49,080; 3500 starts at $50,380 (all prices include $2,595 destination charge)
- Black Express and Warlock trims bring unique appearance for buyers on a budget
- No major changes for 2026 model year
Ram updated its heavy-duty 2500- and 3500-series pickups for 2025 with more and larger optional touchscreens — including a 10.25-inch display for the front-seat passenger. It also overhauled its available diesel engine, increasing output to 430 horsepower and an immense 1,075 pounds-feet of torque. For 2026, the Black Express and Warlock trim levels debut in the 2500 lineup, each a collection of distinct appearance bits. Some trim levels of the HD Ram also get increased gross vehicle weight ratings (increasing the maximum payload that can be hauled in the bed), not due to any structural or suspension upgrades or reinforcements, but because of revised testing procedures.
Related: 2025 Ram 2500 Review: Freshened Freight Train
Release Date and Pricing
The 2026 Ram HDs are on sale now. Pricing is as follows:
Ram 2500
- Tradesman: $49,080
- Big Horn: $52,830
- Black Express: $55,195
- Warlock: $58,625
- Laramie: $64,535
- Rebel: $71,980
- Power Wagon: $75,475
- Limited: $76,545
- Limited Longhorn: $76,545
Ram 3500
- Tradesman: $50,380
- Big Horn: $54,130
- Laramie: $65,835
- Limited: $77,845
- Limited Longhorn: $77,845
Trim Levels and Safety Features
Standard equipment on the entry-level Tradesman includes a trailer hitch receiver, an integrated trailer brake controller, black 17-inch steel wheels, black bumpers and LED headlights. Its interior is rather spartan, with vinyl bench seats and flooring, push-button start, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Regular-cab body styles get a four-speaker audio system and crew cabs get six speakers.
The only bits of modern safety technology that are standard on the 2026 Ram 2500 and 3500 are forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. The Safety Group, optional on every trim level, adds blind spot intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, a 360-degree camera system, driver attention monitor and road-sign recognition.
The Big Horn is upgraded with front and rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels, chrome bumpers, and power-adjustable and heated side mirrors. Inside, it features cloth upholstery and carpeting instead of the Tradesman’s vinyl flooring.
Largely an appearance package, the Black Express rides on black 20-inch wheels and features body-color bumpers, a domed hood with vents, a black grille and black running boards. Its interior is upgraded with cloth seats and carpet.
A cheaper alternative to the Rebel, the Warlock gets a lower cost suite of off-road gear: a limited-slip rear differential, Bilstein shock absorbers, a transfer-case skid plate and 20-inch wheels wrapped in 34-inch all-terrain tires. It wears black finishes on its fender flares, bumpers and grille, as well as Warlock decals on the sides of the bed.
The Laramie is where the Ram HD starts to get luxurious. This trim includes leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 12-inch touchscreen with navigation and seven (regular cab) or nine (crew cab and Mega Cab) speakers. It also features blind spot monitors with trailer coverage, a damped tailgate, sound-insulating front glass, a power-sliding rear window, LED taillights and 18-inch wheels.
The Rebel forgoes many of the Laramie’s luxury features, but it does get heating for the cloth front bench seat as well as the digital instrument cluster, larger touchscreen and blind spot monitors. It also builds on the Warlock’s capabilities with a locking rear differential, a rear air suspension with automatic leveling, and black 20-inch wheels with all-terrain tires.
For Ram buyers who are serious about going off-road, the Power Wagon gets increased ground clearance, an off-road-tuned suspension, locking front and rear differentials, an electronically disconnecting front anti-roll bar, and matte-black 17-inch wheels with 33-inch all-terrain tires. A heated cloth front bench seat, a heated steering wheel and dual-zone automatic climate control keep occupants comfy in the backcountry.
At the top of the Ram lineup, the Limited and Limited Longhorn offer a choice between modern luxury and Western-themed ritz, respectively. Both feature 20-inch wheels, unique grilles, running boards, rain-sensing windshield wipers and keyless entry. Their cabs get upgraded trim, premium leather, front captain’s chairs, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, two wireless phone chargers and a 17-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.
Powertrain Specs
The 2026 Ram HD’s standard engine is a 6.4-liter V-8 generating 405 horsepower and 429 pounds-feet of torque; it’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A turbo-diesel 6.7-liter inline-six-cylinder is optional on every trim level except the 2500 Power Wagon for an additional $12,595; it grunts out 430 hp and a whopping 1,075 pounds-feet, which it also sends through an eight-speed automatic.
Rear-wheel drive is standard on all trim levels except the off-road specials: Warlock, Rebel and Power Wagon. Four-wheel drive is standard on that trio and optional on other trim levels, costing $2,930 on most. 4WD is also standard with the diesel engine. A limited-slip rear differential is standard on all Ram 3500 trim levels. Automakers are not required to release fuel-economy figures for heavy-duty pickups, so Ram doesn’t — the fuel economy wouldn’t be pretty.
Cab and Bed Configurations
Ram HD buyers who want a regular cab with only two doors have just two choices: the entry-level Tradesman or the Big Horn (sold as the Lone Star in Texas); a crew cab is optional on those trucks and standard on the rest of the lineup. Crew-cab trucks come standard with a 6-foot-4-inch bed; an 8-foot bed is optional on all but the Warlock, Power Wagon and Rebel off-road specials. Ram’s Mega Cab, which stretches the cab with an additional 2.9 inches of rear-seat legroom and a bonus half inch of headroom, is optional on the three priciest trim levels: Laramie, Limited and Limited Longhorn.
Read More Ram HD News on Cars.com:
- Pickup Truck Buying Guide: How Much Truck Do You Need?
- How Much Is the 2026 Ram 1500?
- Updated 2025 Ram HD Starts at $47,560 for 2500, $48,565 for 3500
- Research the Ram 2500
- Research the Ram 3500
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