KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

Before flying out to Bozeman, MT for cruising Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier Nat'l Parks, and turn the car in at Great Falls where we'll visit a friend for several days, I signed up online for an economical compact car. I figured we'll be driving 1400 to 1500 miles and wanted something that would give good mpg.

We got out to Bozeman yesterday and the rental car guy said "would you be okay with a pickup?" I told him I drive an F150, but wanted good fuel economy and he said the Dodge Ram was real good - plus we were doing a one-way rental and he'd like to get the truck up to Great Falls. I said if it was the same price I'd take it, and he said it was. He also comped me a 1/4 tank of gas.

So....I'm driving a Ram 1500 Big Horn4x4!! It's got a 5.7L V8 Hemi with an 8 speed transmission and 3.55 rear end. It's a "Quad Cab", which appears to be like our SCab, except the front and rear doors on each side both have outside handles and open the same way. I'm 6'2" and tried to get in the back seat - no go!! I think it would only work for kids.

The Rams apparently have a "Regular Cab" (like ours), the Quad (sorta similar to our SCab), and a "Crew Cab" ( I think like our SCrew).

I've got almost 300 miles on it now and it's okay. It's a real PITA getting in and out because it doesn't have any running boards!!

The driver's seat is power adjust, but I keep moving it a little and squirming around in it - it just doesn't seem nearly as comfortable as my King Ranch.

The mpg is pretty good - I'd be real happy if my EcoBoost got as good! On the interstate in Montana the speed limit is 75 and their lie-o-meter was giving me a reading of 24.5 mpg for the first 100 miles of highway driving. After driving around Yellowstone yesterday afternoon and today it's indicating 21 mpg.

So far it's okay, but nothing I'd consider trading in my King Ranch for!!


Here's a Ram with a herd of buffalo:

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NASSTY

The Hemi was a gas hog until it got the 8 speed transmission behind it. In a year or two when the EB and 5.0 get an 8 speed tranny, they will get outstanding mileage too. Most likely better than the Hemi.

zx12-iowa

But that's what the computer says, what is actual mpg? Not 24 at 70+...

Alcoloco

I can squeeze 20.1 out of my '09 Ram, cruising at 72 mph and that is a CC with 3.55. If you know how to use the MDS, it can get great results. So you are probably not to far off on that reading, even if it is 1 to 2 miles high that is still pretty darn good.

F-Series_Fanatic

Yeah, they started doing crew cabs with the new body style. Otherwise Dodges four door was always comparable to Ford and Chevy's supercabs. But I've heard nothing but good things about the mileage one Hemi's. Those a good engines, we had two Dodge rams in our family, a 2003.. When they went to the new style. And a 2006. Both were good, and good got damn near 20 mpg all the time. The 2006 was a bit more doggy because of emissions and stuff like that, then we got a 2007 F150 and, honestly, had nothing but problems. But my personal truck is a 2005 F150 which I have straight piped with no muffler at all, and I get just shy of 20. But I have heard claims that the new, 2014 rams get 28. Any truth to that? Cause that's pretty amazing.

depami

A coworker just had a baby and replaced his 4-door Dodge with a F150 SCrew because the child seat wouldn't fit in the back seat of the Dodge. He also mentioned that the Ford gets better MPG than the Dodge. Don't know what year or engine the Dodge was.

king nothing

Only the ecodiesel is getting that kind of mileage

Adam013085

So all the driving and you are happy with the "24" MPG, in a compact car you would be getting 15-20 MPG better which is a lot over 1500 miles.....

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

No, I'm okay with the mpg, but not happy with it - and I didn't say that in my first post.

I said "I'd be real happy if my EcoBoost got as good". The Hemi is getting WAY better mpg than my EcoBoost.

I don't think a compact car would give me "15-20 MPG better". I rented some kind of Kia in Colorado in July and drove about 1000 miles. I was getting about 30-32 mpg (so maybe 8 or so mpg better than this Ram). Still, that is a lot less $$$ on gas than what this Ram is giving me, but I like driving a truck!!

I've driven about 1200 miles so far in the Ram Hemi, and have an overall of about 23mpg.

I just did 241 miles on I-90. I filled up before getting on the interstate and filled up again when I got off.

The speed limit was 75, except for where the interstate goes through a couple cities and it was 60 or 65.

I set the cruise control on 78 and let it run. Traffic is great out here compared to up/down the east coast on I-95!!

There was a pretty strong 15 to 20 mph headwind for most all of the 241miles.

I put in 13.2 gallons, and that equals 18.26 mpg at 78 mph with a strong headwind.

So...not happy that I'm not getting econo car efficiency, but my wife likes sitting up high when sightseeing around the parks, and I was okay with the 24 plus mpg I was getting before my I-90 drive today pulled the overall down a bit.

BTW - I love my King Ranch and have no interest in owning a Dodge, but in addition to better fuel economy, the Ram has several things that Ford needs to put on an F150 when it's built:

• There's a nice grab handle on BOTH sides - and it's really nice because this truck doesn't have any running boards
  
• The cruise control has a display of the speed when you set and adjust it - it's very nice to click it on and then blip the button until the speed you want is displayed. In my F150 if I want 67 mph, I have to blip the speed button, wait for the speed to stabilize, try to decide if it says 66, 67, or 68, then adjust again if it doesn't look correct. My Chebie and this rent-a-truck are much nicer when the speed you set is displayed
  
• The tire pressure can be checked on the instrument display - select the vehicle info display and page through oil temp, pressure, etc., and one of the pages shows the pressure in each of the four tires
  
• The tailgate locks/unlocks when you lock/unlock the doors. I had to add an aftermarket solenoid to get that on my F150

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Adam013085

I own a Kia and if you are only getting 30-32 MPG on highway you are doing something wrong..... Anyway kudos glad you are enjoying your rental. Is 23 MPG on the dash or hand calculated?