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Dodge Ram Real World MPG Numbers

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Comments

  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    My experience with 3/4 ton RAMs and Hemi engine is any where from 10.5 to 14 MPG in varied driving.

    I've also found 3/4 ton trucks from other manufacturers are in the same exact range, except for the really big GM 6.2 engines, which can get even lower.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • jjn3jjn3 Member Posts: 2
    What is AAM? Is that an aftermarket manufacturer?
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    AAM is American Axle and Manufacturing. You probably know them better as the old GM Axle division - they were spun off as an independent some years back.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    ...yes, and I wish Dodge would find another supplier.

    Dusty
  • justlarryjustlarry Member Posts: 5
    i got a 06 1500 with 3.73 gears my mileage rihgt now doing a 60/40 split freeway/city with 3000 on the odometer is right at 14 mpg up from 12 mpg when new the 1500 is basicly a 2500 so hope you do as good
  • nj123nj123 Member Posts: 3
    would a power wagon with 4.56 gearing beat most other 5.7's or is it far to heavy to compete??
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Hard to say. Keep in mind that the Power Wagon with 4.56s gets a much larger diameter tire, compensating for that low numerical gearing.

    Bests,
    Dusty
  • 97dodgeram150097dodgeram1500 Member Posts: 2
  • nj123nj123 Member Posts: 3
    I want to know the real mileage of the 2007 5.7 V8 2500 with MDS. Does the engine need to run on 91 or can it do with 89?
    Thanks
  • bigdave4269bigdave4269 Member Posts: 4
    i own a 2006 megacab 2500 4x4 with the hemi and 410 rear end. I do not have the Mds system and from what i hear only the 1500 on the 2007 trucks have the mds and people are not to happy with the performance. I just hit the 1000 mile mark and average overall about 14.5 mpg split highway/city. you can run the 87 fuel the owner manuel says but they recomend on this engne the 89 fuel
  • mopar06mopar06 Member Posts: 1
    I have had my 06' 2500 for over a year....going on two now. I have put 15,000 miles on it and I have no buyers remorse what so ever! I have a 373 rear end with a 6 speed manual transmission and get 12-13 in the city and 16.5 to 17 on the highway at speeds around 65. I also save money by driving a 4 cylinder car to work and let my HEMI rest for play time. I just don't see the point in driving it when I'm miserable going to work. Not to mention the traffic and if someone nicks it I would have to kill them.
    I recently took a trip to Reno it's about a 500 mile trip averaged 15.3mpg, but also drove around the town of Reno a bunch. I also pull a 6,000 pound trailer with no problems, and I advise unless you're intending on doing SERIOUS towing it would be foolish to get a 410 rearend. Also if you were doing serious towing it would be foolish to get a V8 when you could get a diesel. With the 373 rearend I can pull my camp trailer from 4th gear at 60-70mph up the hill pacing pickups with no load. I'm sure i get surprising looks when they read HEMI on the side instead of CUMMINS. I know this is poor for fuel performance but I just can't hold back the power! :mad:
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Mopar,

    Your excused!!

    Enjoy that Hemi.

    Best regards,
    Dusty
  • scoopyexscoopyex Member Posts: 31
    first 26 gallon tank full of gas compliments of the dealer... COOL! :D

    523 miles on the odometer with slighty under a 1/4 tank of gas remaining... YAY! ;)

    stealing my Chevy driving brother's fuel economy bragging rights... PRICELESS!!! :shades:
  • nam92nam92 Member Posts: 3
    I am in the market for a truck with that gas mileage and power. What engine/rear end do you have? I don't pull a trailer but like the power when I need it. I am looking at the FlexFuel V8 as an option to get into E85 fuel as another alternative to keeping the gas price down. Thoughts?
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    Hi,

    Got some questions for ya.

    Is there any type of indicator, such as a light, to let the driver know if the 5.7 is in 4 cylinder or 8 cylinder mode?

    Does the engine switch to 4 cylinder mode only at "LIGHT" cruising applications, or will it also use 4 cyl when idling or driving around local and back roads with a very light foot?

    Is there a "Real Time MPG" display as well as the "Average Mileage" one?
    If so, are the above in a particular package or trim level?

    What does "TOW MODE" actually turn on or off or whatever?

    Thanks,
    Kip
  • nelsonsricknelsonsrick Member Posts: 3
    I just bought a 07, 2500, quad cab with the hemi, And so far I'm disgusted with the fuel milage. My old 99 GMC with a 6.0L had just as much power but better on fuel. So far I'm getting 8 while towing and 10 in town. I hope it gets better, at this rate I could have afforded the deisel.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    Quad cab 5.7L Hemi gets 12-14.5 City, but 19-20 mpg Highway...when we purchased it, the EPA ratings were identical for the 4.7L and 5.7L, so, once we "absorbed" the additional cost of the Hemi and 5 sp tranny, the mpg was the same, but we have 340 HP/370 Ft Lb...this thing accelerates up to 80 mph before you know it...gotta be careful...
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    I understand there is an "Average" trip MPG reading that can be reset for trips and such and records the MPG from one RESET to the next.

    Is there a "Real Time" mileage indicator on the display computer. It would constantly be changing. ie Going downhill it might show 24 mpg and going up hill it might show 14 mph as examples.

    I'm talking about showing the fuel mileage (MPG) as it is actually happening. Something to help the driver know just what speed to run for best mileage.

    Thanks,
    Kip
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Most Chrysler products I've seen in recent years will display the real time MPG. An acquaintance of mine has an older Dakota that reads real time MPG. My son who just returned from Iraq just bought a (used) 2003 RAM and his does not give real time MPG, just average.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    Thanks Dusty.
  • stylin06stylin06 Member Posts: 2
    No indicator light as far as I know.

    I believe that the 4 cyl mode is activated when at a steady speed, no matter what the speed. I've never felt it kick in at a standstill. It might not be activated below a certain speed though. My question on the "MDS" is does it shut down the same 4 cylinders every time, or do they alternate?

    Your transmission is electronically controlled. In tow mode, the computer changes the shift points. As you accelerate, it takes longer to shift into 2nd, 3rd, etc. What the computer is attempting to do is keep you in the higher torque range in all gears. If you shifted into 2nd in a lower torque range (low rpm) while pulling a lot of weight, it's harder on the trans / engine.
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    Thanks stylin06 !

    Wonder if "TOW MODE" also disables the MDS !

    Kip
  • cudabobcudabob Member Posts: 4
    Newbie here!
    Empty, at 65 pmh I get about 21-22 mpg. Around town about 15. If I add the slide-in camper it drops to 13 on the hiway. Add the 2 horse trailer and it drops to 10 mpg (this confiuration grosses about 18,000 lbs).
  • cmerrimancmerriman Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking at a 2001, 2wd, 5spd turbo diesel. What kind of mileage can I expect in town and on the hwy.
  • tinkerdolittletinkerdolittle Member Posts: 3
    :confuse: Can anyone one tell me just how much mileage I lose and horse power when you go up one tire size on my truck. A dumb question perhaps, because I have lost mileage and some power or so it seems to me. I used to get as high as 24 miles to the gallon over the road now I do well if I get 17-18 and most of the time it is 14-17 over the road and I don't even want to talk about in town.
    If I go back will the mileage come back --- This is a 2004 dodge ram quade cab with 48000 mile on it
    Tinkerdolittle
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    Keep in mind it all has to do with how much larger you went.

    When you went "UP" in tire size, you "effectively" changed the gear ratio to a lower number. The larger the tire, the more change. The truck will not accelerate or "pull" as well with the larger tires.

    Example: If you have a 3.55 axle ratio, you might now "EFFECTIVELY" . have a 3.40 or lower. Each time the larger tire rotates you move farther than you did with the old ones.

    In reality you are moving farther down the road with each revolution of the entire drive train. Chances are good the speedometer sensor is reading something spinning, so at a given "spin" (RPM) it says you are going this fast and this distance. It thinks you are using the standard size tire it was calibrated to deal with. In reality you are going faster and farther than the gauges are showing. I don't know if there is a way to change or correct the speedometer.
    In days of yore, it was simply a small speedometer gear on the side of the transmission.

    You can check your speed/mileage with Expressway mile markers. At exactly 60 miles per hour, you should travel exactly 1 mile each minute. I generally do that for 10 miles. (A GPS works great and is much quicker).

    You most likely will find that the 10 mile markers test resulted in your gauges saying you went 9.? miles.

    Again...., "Effectively", you are getting better mileage than the math says.

    Mileage can also be affected in a negative way if the new tire is wider. More rubber on the ground equals more friction and resistance.

    You can find how much things have actually changed by measuring around the tread of the new tires vs the old ones. They both need to be inflated on a wheel. Do the math for the percentage of change.

    Something else to keep in mind is the spare, should be the same circumference as the other tires. If it is smaller, it is having to spin faster to go the same distance. That "could" result in weird things happening with "anti- spin", axles if the spare is installed on the rear. It could also possibly affect, ABS, and/or stability control in some way. Maybe not! :)

    Kip
  • tinkerdolittletinkerdolittle Member Posts: 3
    Hey there Kip,

    Thank you for your reply.
    What I hear from what you have said is that my gas milage may not have suffered, but there has been a little power loss. Which I have noticed when I go up to the mountains. I live in Colorado. I have noticed an increase in shifting frequency and I have to excelorate more on the hills. I haven't towed anything up the hill lately, but from what you have said -- it will work a little harder.
    Will this add more stress to the drive train or perhaps I should say more than it was designed for?
    I did go to a wider tire for when I go off the road. I felt that perhaps I needed a better foot print, but after listening to your comments -- I question my wisdom. What do you think? I a not a hard core fourwheeler. but I like to find a dirt road even if it has some fourwheel driving to find that fishing hole or trail to hike.

    My truck has a overhead display available to me for milage and distance to empty and the like. I have been using it as my measuring stick. The owners manual tells me that it can calibrate all the data it get from the actual use it is getting on the road. I reset it after each tank full of gas to keep it acurate.

    Thank you for the reminder of the spare too. I really appriciate you taking the time to listen and help.
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    It probably will not cause any extra stress to the drive train, unless you went really big ! :)

    Kip
  • tinkerdolittletinkerdolittle Member Posts: 3
    Thank you sir for you help.

    I may go back to the factor size later because I don't like losing the power going up the hill.
    I will also do the road test for milage. I will be interested in seeing just what happens. The manual says it recalibreates mileage -- we will see
  • 2dodges2dodges Member Posts: 4
    Hello I have a 06 2500 hemi 6 speed with 4.10 rears. I am only getting 10-11 mpg empty anybody with the same setup is this normal milage at 20000 miles.I am also displeased with the torque my 01 360 cid 4.10 rears 35's and 180000 miles out tows my hemi and gets better gas milage whats up is something wrong with this truck.
  • 2dodges2dodges Member Posts: 4
    Hello,I know what your saying I am only getting 10-11 in my 06 ram 2500 hemi with a 6 speed.SO 2 weeks later I am selling it because I already bought a deisel.I read these forums and people say they are getting 15-18 with 2500 hemi's makes me wonder if there is something wrong with my truck,it is broke in with 20,000 miles so I dont think it will get any better.
  • minardiminardi Member Posts: 30
    I've had my 2007 HEMI-powered 1500 Quad Cab 4X4 w/20" wheels and the 3.92 rear axle for about 3 weeks. Best mileage so far has been about 17 on the highway(at 70-73 mph). Any faster and it drops to around 15-16, still better than my "02 Durango with 5.9, which never got better than 14 HWY.
  • minardiminardi Member Posts: 30
    Just bought a new 1500 Quad with the hemi and 20" tires. The 20" tires don't hurt power or mileage because Dodge compensates for it by packaging a different rear axle with the bigger tires(3.92:1)- the "Thunder Road " package. I love the power and handling of this truck. It practically steers itself on the hwy. Best hwy mileage so far was around 17(at 70 - 73 mph). Only have 1900 miles on it as of today.
  • minardiminardi Member Posts: 30
    I've got an '07 Quad Cab 4x4 1500 with MDS and get 17 mpg @ 70-73 mph. So far I've got about 15 if I cruise 75-80, and this engine wants to cruise fast. It jumps from 30-80 mph in a heartbeat.
  • byrdsrambyrdsram Member Posts: 1
    I have read many reviews about fuel mileage and can not believe that the numbers are so low. I bought a Ram with the HEMI and installed the K&N cold air intake #57 series (the #77 series in the polished metal conducts more heat and does not increase horsepower as much) and have seen my fuel mileage go from 18MPG average to as much as 22mpg on the same stretch of highway at 50-55mph according to the average on the truck trip computer before and after. I have calculated the fuel mileage in the past and the computer is very close to the actual mileage. I got the idea of the K&N from a guy in a camp ground that was pulling a travel trailer that was over the weight rating of the truck (7800lb.s according to Dodge website for the 5.7 with 20" rims)his was over 8000lbs and he said he has pulled that trailer through the mountains with no trouble at all. I have not pulled my 6000lb camper yet after installing the air filter but I will in about 2 weeks and will report the outcome. I have read reviews that said the K&N air filter would be a waste of money and if you wanted to save fuel then you needed to pick another vehicle. I also read that someone claimed to get 5mpg better, I think that is wishfull thinking but after getting an average of 3mpg better I think this may be possible with the right conditions. I have just ordered a Flowmaster 50series HD muffler after talking to the tech department at Flowmaster and the person said that any other muffler would decrease the horsepower and I would be better with the stock muffler since it was so good. The 50 HD was designed specifically for the HEMI. I already get 10mpg pulling my 6000lb trailer and I hope to get to 13+. If anyone has any experience pulling this kind of load please let me know.
    Thanks.
  • jasperpoochjasperpooch Member Posts: 1
    Grab This By The Horns!! I own an 05 2500 Quad Cab Dodge Ram. It is a 2X with the Six Speed Coffee Grinder Tans. This 375hp 610ftlbs of torque 5.9 LT Cummins has made me a believer. I bought this with the absolute need for a 20MPG rig. Check this out folks 23 City, easily gets 25.5 Hwy and that is at 70-75. I have seen 28 MPG on a trip through the Cascades, K-falls, Susanville, and Reno to Las Vegas Loaded. Elevations of 300ft. to over 7,000ft were encountered. I just got a 39,000 mile service. And the salesman that sold it to me wanted to buy it on the spot for more than what I paid for it. (I think he was kidding about the price!) The service mechanic said I needed a new Air Filter. Just what I had been waiting for: (the justification to purchase a new filter), more specifically a True Flow System. Keep in mined this rig has a totally stock chip and CPU. Should I expect to get more on the MPG? It would seem to be unrealistic to expect any more. But we are about to find out just how good the True Flow System really is. I will keep you all posted. If anyone out there has a similar rig please share. Oh! For all you Hemi Guys out there.. Tacoma, WA to Reno, NV to Las Vegas, NV up the 93 to Boise, ID and Hells Canyon finishing at Spokane, WA. That is 2300 miles pulling a 30ft Travel Trailer. I got a Solid 15 MPG in fact make that 15.3.
  • mek0123mek0123 Member Posts: 33
    Just an fyi with those of you complaining about economy, Dodge engines are known for being tight. They are not really broken in until about 40K miles. My brother's '05 Ram 2500 with a Hemi only increased in fuel efficiency after 40K. He gets about 19.5mpg on hwy at 63-65 mph. My '01 Grand Caravan ES (3.3L V6) did not attain its best efficiency until it had 43K miles on it in 2003. I was in the mountains of Pennsylvania and finally (at 65 mph) was able to get 24.5 mpg. Prior to that, fuel economy, unloaded on the highway was 19.9 at best! Just so you know. I guess they build their engines with harder rings/etc., to last and with 205K on the minivan, it hasn't missed a beat!!
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Contempory Dodge truck engines are built exceptionally tight, in fact tighter now than many Nissan and Lexus engines. New Mopar tolerances are:

    Wrist pin 0.0004 (4.7), 0.0003 (5.7)

    Piston-to-bore 0.0014

    Connecting rod bearings 0.0006

    Main bearings 0.0008

    Camshaft bearing clearance 0.001

    Valve stem clearance 0.0028

    Piston ring pressure = 16 lbs.

    Compare these tolerances to Ford and GM V8s. The real killer that contributes to long break-ins on Dodge motors is the piston ring pressures. Typical values are around 6 lbs. nowadays. Low ring pressures are used to reduce friction. On newer GMs they are 2 lbs., which is why they get good mileage out of the box, but also are prone to piston slap and oil consumption at higher mileage.

    My 4.7 was not fully broken in until about 50K. That's when the mileage really started climb. Hemis are pretty much the same way.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • minardiminardi Member Posts: 30
    My '07 RAM 1500 4X4 Quad cab w/HEMI has P275/60R20 tires(Goodyear Wrangler HP's). When I picked up this truck, tires had 40 psi(cold). They are rated at 44 psi for max. load. Door sticker recommends 35 psi. I decided to split the difference and go with 38 psi, fearing that my gas mileage would go down the drain if I dropped to 35. Anyone out there find a pressure range that gives a good balance of handling and mileage? I've been somewhat satisfied with mileage so far(16-17 @ 70-73 mph), but always looking for improvement.
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    I over inflated a set of tires on my last pickup and found once you get over the maximum rated pressure of 35 psi on passenger tires, I didn't see any improvement in fuel consumption. It did make the truck handle differently and the braking was a little squirrely.

    I ended up going back to 35psi.

    Regards,
    Dusty
  • badd63badd63 Member Posts: 2
    First, I must say I love this truck. I am an “old car guy” so I really appreciate the modern conveniences along with the power of my Ram. It’s an 05 quad-cab, 2wd, AT, 20k miles.

    However, after about a month of ownership, the engine light went on—the dealer “fixed” it; then it came back on again in a couple days—the dealer “fixed” it again (I think they put in a new ECM). The only thing they told me was to make sure and run premium. Before the “fixes”, my mileage was about:
    18 hwy, 14 city. But after, it dropped to about
    12 hwy, 09 city.

    My wife mentioned it to the dealer at the last oil change but she felt they just dismissed her, and offered no input after saying they would “check it out” during the oil change.

    Last weekend I put on the K&N intake(57), but it did nothing for mileage. I am now thinking of trying out the Hypertech Max Energy programmer that claims a 2-5mpg increase—hoping it would not only improve nominal mileage, but “fix” the issue if the dealer programmed the computer to run richer for some reason.


    a) does anyone have experience with gas mileage improvements w/programmers?
    b) Anyone have any idea what the dealer would have done to impact mileage so much?

    Thanks! Ron
    .
  • dustykdustyk Member Posts: 2,926
    Gas mileage is highly dependent on driving style. My son averages 14-15 in just-around-town driving, about 17 on the highway towing with his '03 Hemi RAM. However, just like his other vehicles I can get better mileage driving the very same vehicle.

    Assuming that your driving style has not changed since the dealer made the repair, your 9 MPG city, 14 highway is definitely not right for this truck, even though it takes a long, long time to break the Hemi engine in.

    Everyone I know gets 14 or better with their Hemis around town, and most better than 15. I was with a friend one weekend and he managed 18.5 on a highway trip and that was doing the speed limit (65 MPH).

    I'd say something the dealer did wasn't right or there's something else wrong.

    Best regards,
    Dusty
  • lady4032lady4032 Member Posts: 2
    I am assuming the mds system is where the motor runs on only half the cylinders.If that is what you ment the mega cab does not have it because of the weight of the truck.They are so much heavier than the regular quad cabs they would be in and out of the mds system.I was told by a dealer when i purchased mine
  • lady4032lady4032 Member Posts: 2
    I also have a mega cab and would like to know if you did anything to get that kind of mileage.
  • jafo4jafo4 Member Posts: 2
    I can't help getting the impression (because of the very wide variety of avg's) that some posters are actually doing hard calculations (# miles/gallons @ refill) while others are still trying to figure out how to work their onboard computers... Could all posters please state whether they are using hard numbers or just reading some arbitrary number off of their dashboard... We all thank-you.. :)
  • wvchaddoxwvchaddox Member Posts: 1
    badd63,

    Do you have the Hemi with the multi displacement system? It's possible that the shop in order to "fix" the problem just turned it off which would kill your gas mileage. I over heard a mechanic talking about doing this and not telling the vehicle owner, which would only server to really peeve me off. I wouldn't know how to check if this was turned off except for going to a different car shop. Does anyone else know of a different way of checking that the multi displacement system is turned on or off?
  • hemiman1hemiman1 Member Posts: 2
    I agree. What I have been doing is setting my cruise at a particular speed and then hitting the mileage reset on the onboard computer. After a good 5 minutes at that speed, I log the cumulative MPG that it reads out. Does anybody else do this? Since the computer mpg reading is a cumulative reading, you will never get a good idea what your ideal mileage is unless you hit the reset button under each of the conditions you drive.
  • hemiman1hemiman1 Member Posts: 2
    BTW, I have been registering about 17.5 at 70 mph, about 19.5 at 65 mph, and a whopping 22.0 at 55 mph.

    I have an 07 Ram 1500 quad w/ Big Horn Package and the 5.7L Hemi with MDS. I have about 4,000 miles on it so far.
  • madjack00madjack00 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 ram with the 5.9 gas. It got terible gas milage, so I have done a lot of playing to get the gas milage and HP up. I put in a throttle body spacer, that helped a little bit. Then I went to a K&N filter, that helped a little bit. Then I took the horn off of the air filter box, that helped a little more. THe biggest improvement came with installing a set of Bosch platinum premium 4 Plugs. I have since tried champion and autolite plugs and had the milage go into the dumpster. So I went back to the Bosch. Best milage is 15.8 city and average is 14. before the mods I got 11 and 12mpg. I have since added edlebrock shorty headers, more power but mpg the same.
    jack@mopar-world.com
  • fueledupfueledup Member Posts: 64
    1 also own a 2006 megacab 1500 2 wheel drive. i now have 40,000 +miles. i've driven from atlanta to miami and back 8 times and always avg 15mpg at 80-85 mph. in every day driving with morning rush and mostly city(85%) i avg right at 11mpg. i always calculate miles driven and gallons pumped back into tank for accuracy. computer is usually within 3tenths mpg accurate. i absolutely love the truck but would love to see better mpg results. anyone else with true mpg numbers would love to hear.
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