Back in October 2024, I added a new 2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn Night Edition to my personal fleet and since then, I have put more than 4,300 miles on my new truck. It effectively replaces my 2006 Ram 1500 Laramie, which has endured over 140,000 miles of hard life, with tens of thousands of miles of towing and hauling work that comes with owning and operating a horse farm. The key difference between these two trucks is the engine, as my 2006 has the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 while my 2025 has the standard output 3.0-liter Hurricane I6, and that is the focus of many people who ask what I think of my new truck.
To get to the point, I absolutely love my new truck.
While the 2025 Big Horn is technically one step above the base model and my 2006 Laramie was the top-of-the-line when I got it new, advancements in half-ton pickup tech make the new, near-base truck far more luxurious inside than the 19-year-old premium truck. My 2025 doesn’t have leather, but in every other way, it offers more creature comforts than my 2006. The new Big Horn has dual zone heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, neither of which were included with my ‘06. Of course, the 12-inch infotainment screen in the new truck can’t even be compared to the basic radio unit in my 2006, but even the Alpine speaker system in the 2025 is leaps and bounds better than the Alpine system in the 2006. Also, I find the 2025 seats to be more comfortable on a long ride than the 2006 seats.
There are also advantages that come with the new truck that hadn’t even been considered when my 2006 was new, like the Ramcharger wireless phone charger, the configurable driver information screen in the gauge cluster and the center console/armrest, which can be adjusted to accommodate different sizes of cargo in several different areas. You don’t realize how much you can enjoy the functionality of a center console until you spend a few thousand miles with the layout in the newest Ram 1500.
The interior of the 2025 Ram 1500 is far more comfortable and functional than the interior of a 2006 Ram 1500, but that should be expected when comparing trucks that were introduced 20+ years apart. What I didn’t expect was how much I enjoy the new Hurricane inline-six engine.
The elephant in the room with the Hurricane – and most modern engines that aren’t V8s – is the sound. My 2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn does not have the same V8 grumble that my 2006 does with the Hemi, but that is literally the only downside to this new engine. In driving more than 4,300 miles, I have found that the Hurricane is a few MPGs better around town and on the highway, even though it delivers 75 more horsepower and 94 lb-ft of torque. Oh, I should also point out that my 2006 Ram is rear-drive while my 2025 is four-wheel-drive, yet the new truck still gets better fuel economy.
Far more important that the fuel economy is the power delivery of the Hurricane engine in my 2025 Ram 1500. While it does not offer that initial pop that you get with a naturally aspirated V8, the 2025 Ram beats my 2006 in a head-to-head race in every metric. Even though the Hemi feels like it is launching harder, the Hurricane immediately jumps into the lead when racing from a dig (with the 2025 in 2WD mode) and quickly walks away, and that makes sense, seeing as how my 2006 ran in the high 14s in the quarter mile while trucks similar to my 2025 are running in the low 13s.
That acceleration makes the new truck more fun to drive, but the added power also makes it a better tow vehicle. Since getting the new truck, I have towed a car or horse trailer for more than a thousand miles and the Hurricane does a fantastic job of pulling the extra weight. You do have to ask a bit more assertively with the Hurricane when you hit a steep hill at highway speeds, as you need to get the engine up into the boost when cruising along in 8th gear, but overall, the twin turbocharged six-cylinder rarely seems to break a sweat to move my ~5,500lb horse trailer or ~7,500lb car trailer. The Hurricane is also smoother and quieter than my aging Hemi, giving the truck a far more refined feel.
I will go into more detail on my 2025 Ram 1500 as time goes on, but for now, I have this advice to current Ram 1500 Hemi owners – unless you absolutely cannot live without the sound of the V8, the Hurricane engine is a fantastic upgrade. I do not have a single complaint about my new truck, and while I still have my 2006 Ram with the Hemi, I rarely drive it because the 2025 is better in every way.
Patrick Rall is a professional writer and photographer with a passion for all things automotive. Having grown up in his father’s performance shop, he spent extensive time at the oval track and drag strip – both driving and wrenching on various types of vehicles. In addition to working as a writer, Patrick previously worked as an automotive technician before moving on to a business office position with a chain of dealerships, and this broad spectrum of experience in the industry allows him to offer a unique look on the automotive world. Follow Patrick on Twitter, Facebook and on Youtube.
Discover more from Stellpower - that Mopar news site
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.