Rebel Worth It for Highway Driving?

[kevinped31]

I'm looking at buying a 2024 Ram 1500. I love the look of the Rebel. But it's more about the look than the functionality (and some bells and whistles). I will only do very occasional off-road driving.
Will I be happier with the highway handling, mileage, tire wear, etc with a Limited/Laramie? I know I'm paying money for some features I will rarely use. But am I sacrificing anything?

 

[tron67j]

Two different trucks. Your off-road needs are what will decide your path. By indicating occasional it is apparent you will be actually doing it rather than if you said "I may do some off road driving some day'. Having a vehicle set up for off road work will sacrifice road driving, just the way it is. You can get a loaded Rebel that is similar to a Laramie or Limited but, again, on road will not be as smooth. Or, you can buy a Limited or Laramie and then spend more money to make it more like a Rebel and again sacrifice a smooth ride. I personally would go the loaded Rebel route based on what you wrote. Good luck.

 

[KYPOTLICKER]

I vote for the Laramie, but I am biased. Very happy with the ride/performance

 

[Mb7640]

I vote for the rebel, I have a warlock the stripped down version of the rebel with the all terrian package. I go off road around a half a dozen times a year sometimes more sometimes less. Its better to have good at tires the 1 inch lift and better suspension. Before the ram I was driving challengers for 12 years. The Ram is a way smoother ride I dont worry about gas milage. I get 16.5 with 90 percent hwy. I drive 20k miles a year. I think its definitely worth it and you wint regret it.

 

[zrock]

I do not think your really going to notice the difference between them..

 

[rzr6-4]

It depends on what you consider off roading. A minimum maintenance road to the camp site with a few bumps and mud puddles on the way is easily done with the Laramie and some decent AT tires. Having your suspension flexed on some rocks or 6" deep mud, the difference will become more apparent.

Odds are the Laramie will be sufficient. The debate for miles/gallon on the Laramie vs smiles/gallon with the Rebel is for you to decide.

 

[Hawkman]

I have owned a Laramie and two Rebels. The Laramie definitely rides better on the HWY, but the difference is minimal. I currently have a 2024 Rebel GT.

The real difference may be your fuel mileage. My Laramie was a 4X4 but had 3.23 gears. Both Rebels have had 3.92 gearing. The Laramie pulled 17 to 18 MPG on the HWY. My Rebels average about 15.

It up to how much small differences mean to you. Comfort wise, if you are doing mostly HWY cruising and some off roading hear and there, you will not be unhappy with a Rebel.

 

[stevenP]

Test drove the rebel, and though the ride quality was terrible. I really would never off road my trucks anymore. Did it years ago, and broke too many things. Love the look, but the other trims just rode better. Hey its your choice.

 

[andymax]

FWIW I cannot say enough good things about my Laramie, it's an amazing highway vehicle and really shines with 4 passengers. Mine is a 2019 CC with 5.7 and 4WD. I'm at 137,000miles with almost zero issues and run the highway every day minimally 122miles round trip. In the warmer months I average 20.1mpg, and lose about 1mpg on winter fuel. (yes, both numbers hand calculated). Given the highway running and many other longer trips I'm leaning hard towards the Laramie. The ventilated seats make a great difference, as do many other features of the Laramie. Every year I go on several fishing/hunting trips with no issues off-road. As stated above, heavier off-roading can be questionable. I do miss having the 4-corner air suspension you'd get on the Limited, but only for its off-road and some maintenance functionality. For me that's the only reason I'd get the Limited over the Laramie, but then you would likely get those 22" wheels/tires which are not for me. I'd shop for a Laramie with air suspension, or a Limited with 20" wheels. It all depends on where you place your priorities. Good luck with the decision!

 

[jimmyfjk]

i drive a 21 rebel with the air ride suspension. It has all the bells and whistles except sun/moon roof which i did not want. this truck drives very nice. even with a/t tires it is as quiet as the tundra limited i had before. it handles great and lots of power. expect very little gas mileage though. they are heavy trucks and with the 4wheel off road package i get apx 11.5 around town and 12.5 hwy. of course i do not baby it as that 5.7 hemi likes to go.

 

[Jim113]

I have a 2020 Laramie Longhorn and it's a great highway truck ... I don't do off-roading so all my mileage is around town or highway ... My son however has a 2022 Rebel and you need a step stool to get into it as he doesn't have running boards ... It all depends on what you want most, comfort, or, give up comfort for the small bit of off-roading that you may do ...

 

[Schotzy]

I had a 2015 Laramie and loved it. I put BFG ATKO2's on it and had the best of both worlds. MPG was 19 on the highway and did ok off road. I now have a 2022 2500 Power Wagon and love it even more. It rides a little stiffer than the 1500, but off road is no match for this thing. also only gets about 12 MPG on the highway. So at the end of the day, it comes down to what you really want. Either choice is a great one! Please let us know what you decide on!

 

[Taters21522]

I have a 22 Rebel with KO2 AT tires on it . My wife tells me to rides like a Cadillac- I agree.

 

[Rebel Guy]

I have a 2020 Rebel non etorque.I have kept the truck totally stock except for the S type Borla exhaust I put on day one. Having driven heavy duty pickups my whole life this truck has a very nice highway ride! MPG is 12 around town and up to 16 on long trips.Four wheel drive only goes on during snow storms so far! Love this truck!!

 

[Tactics]

I live in a rural area where there is not much difference between driving off-road and driving on dirt roads. The last time we had heavy rain and flooding, I had one of the few vehicles in the area that could drive through the mud holes and make it to a paved highway. The Rebel is an excellent vehicle for off-road driving and highway driving, and I like the way it looks.

 

[brian42]

I like the Rebel's level look and better front entry angle (although I hate that grill). When I was shopping it was definitely at the top of my price range but only came with a host of red accents throughout the cab so took it off the list.

I ended up with a Big Horn 4x4 with the Off-Road Group and was very happy. 1" lift, AT tires (with full-sized spare), e-locker, skid plates, and tow hooks. Ride was great and never had an issue with the mild off-roading I did.

If I went back, knowing what I know now, I would get a Laramie with the ORG. I don't off-road much any more so would stick with the "street" 1500 with the off-road goodies for the few times in the dirt. There are plenty of suspension options to add some entry angle down the road.

Just my .02

 

[Fediej]

I'm looking at buying a 2024 Ram 1500. I love the look of the Rebel. But it's more about the look than the functionality (and some bells and whistles). I will only do very occasional off-road driving.
Will I be happier with the highway handling, mileage, tire wear, etc with a Limited/Laramie? I know I'm paying money for some features I will rarely use. But am I sacrificing anything?

Everyone here has brought up many good points. And most are completely valid. But really you just need to figure out what your options are, test drive them, and pick the one that fits you best.

 

[OKGN_RAM]

We bought a 2024 Rebel GT recently and we just finished an 1800km / 1120 mile trip through the interior of BC, including some mountain passes. Our average fuel economy was 12.8 l/100km (18.4 MPG) mostly in the Aero position of the suspension. The Goodyear Wranglers are a bit noisy but overall the truck performed very well on the highway. The interior was very quiet even at 120 kph / 75 mph (Active Noise Cancellation I think?). We did go mildly off road a couple of times, but nothing that the Laramie couldn't handle competently.

We picked the Rebel over the Laramie for a few reasons, but one of the key ones are the seats. The Laramie seats (and Limited seats) have a protruding piping edge at the front that my wife found a bit uncomfortable due to her legs being a lot shorter than mine. If we could have had the Rebel seats in the Laramie, then we would have taken that model instead but we were told that it was not available and we didn't want to order a new truck because of the new engine (which may be perfectly fine, but I don't know yet...).

We have also been looking into going up to local lakes for some fishing (the lakes are all stocked around here) and some have difficult access, but we're not concerned any more!