Between the Meat & the Money: The 2025 RAM 2500 Laramie Sport Crew Cab 4X4

About that headline.

There's a mural in the center of the Amador County, California town of Ione (eye-OWN), population 5,141. It reads:

BETWEEN THE MEAT & THE MONEY

The story goes that there was a butcher shop on one side of the street and a bank on the other way back when (the town's roots go all the way back to the 1848 California Gold Rush).

I've had that mural in the back of my mind for years---thinking it would be a good photo backdrop for the next really big pickup truck I wound up reviewing.

My logic was really more about the look than any deeper meaning...but the more I think about the RAM 2500 Laramie Sport Crew Cab 4X4, the more sense it makes in this specific case.

The RAM 2500 is a three-quarter ton heavy duty pickup truck. RAM offers it in seven trim levels. The Tradesman, a work truck, is at the bottom of the ladder, then the Big Horn, and third from the bottom is Laramie.

That should make the Laramie an affordable way to get into a three-quarter-ton pickup, none of which are dirt cheap. The RAM 2500 Laramie starts at $64,430 ($66,425 including destination).

Heavy duty pickups shine when it comes to towing. A RAM 2500 with the standard 410 horsepower V8 gasoline engine has a maximum towing capability of at least 14,500 pounds (capabilities vary by cab and bed sizes).

Choosing the 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel gives up 40 horsepower, but very nearly doubles torque from 429 lb-ft to 850. Max towing capability leaps to 20,000 pounds. If you're towing a trailer of any serious weight, this is the engine you want. And the good news is that it is smooth, powerful and quiet in normal driving.

It even delivers solid fuel economy, given how big, heavy and powerful the RAM 2500 is. The EPA doesn't provide estimates for heavy-duty pickups, but in a week of driving, I saw 17.7 mpg. With a 31-gallon fuel tank standard, that works out to a 548.7-mile cruising range.

It also is a big chunk of change. The diesel option adds $12,595 to the RAM 2500. With nothing else, you're at $77,025 ($79,020 including destination).

If you could stop right there, within spitting distance of 80 grand, you'd get a lot of meat for your metaphorical money.

Standard equipment for the 2025 RAM 2500 Laramie Sport Crew Cab 4X4 includes an eight-speed automatic transmission, a comprehensive suite of active safety features, an electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case, trailer brake controller, an alarm system, remote start, a 12-inch touchscreen and a nine-speaker Alpine audio system with subwoofer, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a three-month subscription to SiriusXM 360L, a 12-inch TFT instrument display, a full-function media hub with two USB ports and an AUX port, temperature and compass gauge, dual-zone automatic temperature control, power windows, heated front seats, eight-way power front seats and a heated steering wheel.

But the allure of the option sheet has tempted many a strong person, and the press fleet folks at RAM are not immune. Our test truck carried an additional $10,570 in extra-cost options:

• Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat exterior paint: $295

• Towing Technology Group (surround-view camera system, trailer tire pressure monitoring system, trailer reverse guidance): $1,595

• Sport Appearance Package (center hub, sport performance hood, 20x8.0-inch polished aluminum wheels): $2,495

• Laramie Level 2 Plus Equipment Group (dual wireless charging pad, leather-trimmed bucket seats, traffic sign recognition, Uconnect 5 navigation with 14.4-inch touchscreen, drowsy driver detection, active lane-management system, second row in-floor storage bins, power heat/fold telescoping memory mirrors, automatic adjust-in-reverse exterior mirrors, automatic-dimming exterior passenger mirror, automatic-dimming exterior driver mirror, anti-spin differential rear axle, rain-sensitive windshield wipers, remote tailgate release, center stop lamp with cargo-view camera, LED bed lighting, depoyable bed step, power deployable running boards, a 17-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, power adjustable pedals with memory and a spray-in bedliner): $4,895

• Power sunroof: $1,195

• Clearance lamps: $95

Bottom line on the window sticker: $89,590. As in you hand your RAM dealer 90 grand and get $410 change back.

By the way, as I write this, tariffs are a big question mark. The RAM 2500 is assembled in Mexico. Prices at your dealer could be significantly higher by the time you read this.

I'm not going to tell you it's not worth it, because by any measure, the RAM 2500 is a great 3/4-ton truck. But taking the third-from-the-lowest trim level and then loading it is the least efficient way to arrive at this truck. Just head for the top-of-the-line Limited. The bottom line might be a few hundred bucks higher, but the price per pound winds up about the same.

Ione's butcher and banker would approve.