2002+ Dodge Ram 1500 and 2003+ Dodge Ram 2500/3500

libertycat

There is no real conversation about the Dodge Ram. The Dodge Ram problems board doesn't seem that nice to me because I want to hear positives too and I'm not an owner, so the members board isn't for me. However, knowing you finicky hosts, this discussion will be read only by this afternoon. Anyway, if I were to get a pickup, I would get a Ram 1500 Laramie Quad Cab Short Bed with beige interior and gold exterior (what is the gold called? Desert Sand Metallic or something?). So are there any people looking to buy a Ram or happy owners of a current Ram?

dustyk

I was in the market for a RAM, but I decided to go with the Dakota instead. I've talked to about 15 owners of the 2003 RAM and not one's been displeased so far. There might be some disgruntled owners here on the boards, though.

Is there something I could help yoou with?

Best regards,
Dusty

libertycat

I also have heard only good things from Ram owners. I am sold on the Ram myself and would buy one the second I convince myself to get a pickup to compliment my current wagon.

iowabigguy

I just bought a 2003 Ram 1500 Quad Cab. I traded a 2000 Dakota Quad Cab 4.7V8 5 speed. The only reason I traded the Dakota was the 5 speed. I was in a motorcycle accident and screwed up my left leg to the point where it was uncomfortable to use the clutch. If not for this problem I'd have kept the Dakota till it fell apart, and with 3 trouble free years of ownership I'm sure that it would have been many years. My main complaint with the Ram is gas mileage but I knew what I was getting into before I bought the Ram. The Ram has the Hemi engine and the 20" wheels which required the 3.92 rear end. Driving the same routes and using the same driving style where I could get 21+mpg with the Dakota so far has yielded almost 15mpg with the Hemi. Spirited driving drops down into the low 13s and this is mostly highway. City driving with the Dakota was in the 17mpg range while the Hemi is approaching 12mpg. I can live with it but I don't have to like it!
   I wonder why the imports I've owned always met and exceeded their EPA ratings while my American Iron always falls short. At least it is better than the 1987 Ford 150 XLT I bought new. It had the 300 CI inline 6 and a 4 speed manual trans. It got 11.5mpg in the winter and 13.5mpg in the summer driving easy.
   Back to the Ram 1500, so far it has not been a disappointment. I need to get some side steps to ease getting in and out because it is soooooo tall but in turn that height gives much better visibility and driving position. Fit and finish is really good. On my Dakota using the air conditioner extracted a 1 to 2 mile penalty in gas mileage. The Hemi doesn't seem to notice if it is on or off and I haven't observed a noticeable loss in mileage.
   If I had special ordered the truck I would not have ordered the 20" wheels but I have grown to like the look. I probably would have also ordered the 4.7 V8 since I had such good luck with the one in my Dakota however the Hemi has a nice sound and spirited acceleration plus I expect the mileage improvement would only have amounted to another 1 mpg.
   I think my Dakota Quad probably would have given this truck a race. The Hemi is powerful but it hampered by the automatic transmission, it gets up to speed faster than you realize but it doesn't smoke the tires on a brisk takeoff from a stop. The 20 inch tires probably contribute to this because the tire patch IS REALLY LARGE. So far so good and my clutch leg appreciates the automatic too! Any specific questions, just ask. Rick

dustyk

My 2003 Dakota Club Cab with 4.7 and 545RFE was rated 15 city and 20 highway. I've beat the highway mpg twice, both times with about 1200 pounds in the vehicle and steady 65mph driving (20.01 & 20.76).

Except for the coldest months of this past winter, I was pretty steadily over the 15 mpg mark for my around town driving, which is a lot of stop and go, short trip. For the past month my average is 16.43 and that's all around town and lot's of air conditioner use. Admittedly, I'm a very sedate driver most of the time.

With the 4.7 I've found that a few high pressure foot applications of the accelerator pedal is all it takes to drop the mpg.

Most of the people I've talked to with the 4.7 RAM Quad are getting a steady 14-15, a few up to 17 and a few more in the 13-15 range. It was thought by a lot of people that the hemi RAM would get about the same, if not a little better, but in reality I'm hearing nothing over 15 mpg...so far.

Those extra horses have an appetite!

I don't know what the diameter difference is between the the standard 17 inch tires and the 20 inchers, but with the 3.92 axle ratio and the increased roll resistance of those gigantic 20 inch tires, I could easily see that the combination is all negative for fuel consumption.

I'm not sure, but I think maybe those that are getting upwards of 15 mpg with the hemi RAMs are on the 17 inch wheels.

Good luck with your new RAM.

Regards,
Dusty

iwphill

I have 1850 miles on my Ram (1500 reg cab v6 manual). Even though I'm using the a/c a lot more now than when I first got the truck, the mileage has been improving. Was averaging 16.5-17 for first 1000 miles, and now average 18-19 (mostly city). Sure wouldn't mind if it keeps going up!