Dodge Ram Real World MPG Numbers

hemiturbo · November 2005

I have a 03 hemi with a STS 70mm turbo with a water to air intercooler. The truck has a 6 inch lift with 35.5 x 12.5 Toyo tires with 20x10 American Racing Mojave wheels. On 5lbs. of boost the truck will rip any of these trucks including the diesels appart. On 10 +lbs. WATCH OUT- You now have a tire frier. The truck puts out 440hp and 560lb/ft to the tires. Keep in mind this is a heavy 2500. The truck still gets 11-13 mpg. Not bad. Thats my story. Now for the 4.7 vs the hemi. There is no way the 4.7 is faster unless it is a substantially lighter truck or the hemi must have some serious computer or fuel air issues. Either way if these guys want more power with the better fuel economy then go with the turbo. I am also selling my truck in order to get back into the street and track racing scene. I am a horsepower junky as you can tell. I am interested in hearing back about the 4.7 and the hemi.

tcole · December 2005

ok you truck nerds whats the best puller for heavy hauling say 10 to 20 thyousand pounds. stick or auto? diesel or gas? best mileage? thanks

moparblue2 · December 2005

YOU GET BETTER MPG OUT OF DIESEL WHEN PULLING. FORD SEEMS TO DO BETTER STICK. DODGE & CHEVY DO BETTER AUTO.AS FOR PULLING POWER I THINK IT WOULD BE STICK PULLING 10K TO 20K POUNDS. MOST OF US WILL NEVER TOW OVER 7K POUNDS. AUTO. IS GOOD FOR THAT.

schmedly · December 2005

For serious towing, diesel is best. Gas engines will drop in fuel economy way too fast. If you were to be sold on the gas for some reason, the 6.8 liter Ford V10 does pretty well. All three major competitors put in a pretty good diesel and they are made by an outside source. None of the big three make thier own. Auto or manual is a matter of preference and skill. A marginally skilled driver with a serious load will fry a clutch. An auto is easier - just push the go pedal. If you are genuinely good with a stick, it will be lower in maintainence costs. But don't kid yourself about you ability or you will lose out on the same maintainence cost. Ford powerstroke with an automatic is by far the biggest seller. In the diesel market my favorite would be the Dodge Cummins with the manual.

moparblue2 · January 2006

Ford. Dodge. Chevy. Toyota. Nissan. What is the best truck? :shades:

schmedly · January 2006

Are you asking which truck is the best pickup? That would considerably off topic. Or are you asking which gets the best mileage?

moparblue2 · January 2006

Take Ford. Dodge. Chevy. Toyota. Nissan. All with V8. Witch one gets best gas mileage?

dustyk · January 2006

If I had to go on first hand reports I'd say the Titan is by far the worst, but in reality the closest scientific answer is the EPA ratings. Most all of the trucks are very, very close in EPA. But fuel consumption is far more dependent on the driver and conditions.

Just today a friend of mine reorted that his first two tanks on his newly acquired '05 Hemi RAM gave him 18 and 18.5 MPG. Others can't seem to get a Hemi RAM past 15. In the vast majority of the cases it's the driver who has the greatest impact.

Best regards,
Dusty

heeemmmi · January 2006

I just bought a 06' Dodge with a 5.7 Hemi. Any hopes that the gas mileage will rise from a 12.5 avg.? Would I be dreaming if told myself; "The engine is breaking in and mileage should get better." ....around 15mpg? :confuse:

dustyk · January 2006

A fresh motor, especially Chrysler V8s, will not be broken in for a number of miles and fuel consumption will decrease as the combustion efficiency increases from better cylinder sealing. Drive line components, too, will benefit from break in.

It took my 4.7 Dakota about 25K to be fully broken in. I'm not sure about the 5.7 motors, but I think they break in a little sooner.

Most Hemi buyers like the rush of the power, especially when they are new. You will see gas mileage improve significantly from more sedate driving techniques. In addition, winter time is going to contribute to poorer gas mileage. So give it a chance.

Good luck with the new Hemi.

Best regards,
Dusty

jneal · January 2006

"You will see gas mileage improve significantly from more sedate driving techniques."

That is the very reason I bought the '06 Dakota... so I couldn't get the Hemi....just couldn't force myself to drive a Hemi sedately!!!!

dustyk · January 2006

I know what you mean!

I can't fault a person too much for wanting to feel the surge of the Hemi's power now and then. If I bought a RAM I'd be tempted to opt for the Hemi.

And soon there'll be a 6.1 Hemi to choose from, too.

Regards,
Dusty

hybridluke · January 2006

Good luck ever getting better MPG out of a Hemi. I saw this guy that owned one did everything but put tail light covers on it and he still never got over 11mpg. So he traded it in on a Toyota Prius. That thing gets 40MPG+ and he can still tow his horse trailer! :lemon: Just face it that Dodges suck and the Hemi will always be thirsty and break down prematurely

schmedly · January 2006

Wow! Someone you knew was unhappy with his Hemi and traded it! Boy, after hearing statistics like THAT, I know I surely would NEVER buy one! Surely they ALL break down prematurely. Thanks ever so much for that warning hybirdluke!

iowabigguy · January 2006

You said: "So he traded it in on a Toyota Prius. That thing gets 40MPG+ and he can still tow his horse trailer!"

I really find it hard to believe you can pull a horse trailer with a Toyota Prius. Sounds like horse droppings to me!

dustyk · January 2006

Having managed a fleet of trucks I can tell you that the Dodge RAM is probably one of the best light duty pick up trucks on the market. They most certainly are far more capable that their detractors can admit. Then again, an admitted Dodge truck hater can never be unbiased.

heeemmmi · January 2006

MPG avg on a Dodge computer is Skewed due to getting an average of 0 mpg when stopped idling. To get true numbers you should do the math. My 5.7 is getting an around town average of 14.6mpg. That is a half and half mix of town and Freeway driving. After my first 1,500 miles I am so impressed with 06'Hemi!!!

It even got to play in the mud last week.

A Toyota pulling a horse trailer!!?? Bet the MPG really comes down from forty doing that!!! Probably hauling goats or pigs or something....Does the Prius come standard with a tow package? Where was Hybridluke's post before I bought the Hemi? Should have gotten the Prius, thanks for the buyers remorse!

moparblue2 · February 2006

can a k & n air filter & dual exhaust realy help your gas mileage? or do you know what can. i have 2002 4by4 4door dodge.

jlacobb · March 2006

I just picked up an '04 with 30,000 miles on it and have tried to milk every mpg out of it possible. I do a combo of hwy & 'running around' driving and I got right at 15 on my first tank and 15.3 on the second one. My truck has a VERY nice dual exhaust installed on it.. with a velocity style "X" pipe and dual mufflers... apparently not much difference on mileage from what I'm reading from others.

I think I'm gonna try one of those Tornado's... they're cheap enough to give one a shot. Mine's 2wd by the way... quad cab.

moparblue2 · March 2006

i have down some stuff on my own. put 2half" duals on it no differance in milage. tryed K&N air filter. more power but more gas to. took it back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the only way you will every get good milage out of a big truck if you never go over 45 mph. my truck is a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 4 door 4 by 4 with 4.7 engine & 3.92 gears. if any body has figured out how to get better mpg. let us now

riddleman · March 2006

I have a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 HD 359 Cubic Inch diesel
with Bully Dog 75HP Chip and Toruq Converter Lock up and Jake Brake K&N air filter any Suggestions. Just bought
running about 13.5 in town and 18 on the Highway at 55mph :confuse:

adamrock · March 2006

I found myself in the wrong section because i own a 2004 F150 Ex Cab Long bed "8 feet" with the 5.4L 3v. I use my truck as a work truck, but have added a Gibson Cat Back Dual Sport, Superchips Program, AirAid Intake System, and A PowerAid throttle body spacer. Anyways i get 13-15 all day long never better never worse, but i pull on Hemis all day long as well. Took it to the Dyno and rear wheel horespower was 347. Not bad considering its not supercharged and its only a 5.4 and stock ford claimed it at 300hp. If you see me around Corona Ca, honk if you want to run! Cant miss me i have a big Buy American Bumper sticker on the Rear Window! Cheers!

patriot03 · March 2006

I have a 2002 with the 3.7L V6 (I know I wish I had the 4.7L too, but not when I fill up). It was my little brother's, and getting about 11 mpg, no joke. Then he put just a single Flowmaster 40-series on it, and it went straight to 13. Then I convinced him to give it to me in a 3 way swap where I traded my Silverado and he got a Honda. I've filled up 3 times, with mpg of 17.5, 17.3, and 16.6, almost identical to the mileage I was getting in my 2000 Silverado with 20 less hp. The main difference is our driving style, he always left it idling for 5 minutes or more while he was doing something. I am by no means a "sedate driver," so I know putting on a muffler can help, at least for me, and driving with a bit of a heavy foot must not be that bad because I'm getting over 17 on a truck rated at 16 highway.

patriot03 · March 2006

I am also going to try one of those tornado's and a fuel ionizer. I am getting both for $30, so any improvement will pay for itself in no time. I'll post on here and let you know if the mpg goes up or if these are a waste of time. You have to think that the engineers at DC would spend an extra $30 if it meant adding 1 or 2 mpg, so I'm already seriously doubting whether they're going to work or not, but for $30 it's worth a try.

rlicari · March 2006

(MDS) for the 2006 1500 5.7 Hemi, Does anyone know if there will be a computer chip that will allow you to change the settings for the MDS system. It would be nice if you can tell the system when you want to use 4 cylinders instead of all 8. I drive a lot of highway and only need 8 cylinders about 30% to 40% of the time. Right now the gas mileage isnt great. I dont get my foot into it much and was hoping to get 15 or more highway miles per gallon.

chillin669 · March 2006

FYI: those torando devices are not worth the money! I tested on for a while on my Ford Ranger a number of years ago, and it did not do squat, so i mailed it back. The whole market of devices, that changes intake airflow etc., do not work. Engines like smooth airflow, not turbulent airflow like many of these devices create or even boast about.

blink3 · March 2006

I have looked high and low and cannot find a listed city/hwy fuel mileage on the 1500 Ram with the Hemi with the MDS system. All I find is "the MDS system will increase fuel mileage by as much as 20%". So that would put HWY mileage at around the 18mpg mark? Does anyone know the ratings or does anyone have real world numbers they could share?

Thanks!

dustyk · March 2006

The Road & Track Truck Buyer's Guide for 2006 lists IMPLIES that the 5.7 Hemi with MDS is 16 city, 18 highway.

Regards,
Dusty

chillin669 · March 2006

huh, that gas mileage almost seems like what the non MDS Ram Hemi would get. i thought it was suppose to be over 20 on the highway. The Chevy's with DOD, MDS etc., lists over 20mpg on the highway

gman21 · March 2006

Any one have some current info. on the MPG diff. in these two gears in a 1500 4x4 Mega Cab Hemi MDS? I am going to order the truck soon and will be towing a boat about 5000 lbs around FL and would like to tow at highway speeds. Which gear will allow me to tow at highway speed with less strain on the engine and trans? Is the reduced around town mileage that much different between the 373 & 410 (w/o a boat in tow)?

chillin669 · March 2006

That sounds interesting. I have a budy who's friend is a chemist, and told me that Acetone in the tanks works to give better gas mileage. I was skeptikal to try it in my car, but he said it works(I have also heard about it once in some other forum a while back). If these remedies are that easy, and works so well, i dont know why others have not used it yet.? :shades:

jneal · March 2006

My preference would be the 3.73's just for the slight difference in mileage. 5K isn't that much of a load for the Hemi and I think the 3.73's would pull at highway speeds just about as well. If you are going to be pulling every day then it becomes a different matter.......

jneal · March 2006

Has your buddy tried Acetone in his vehicle?? Let him try it first.....if not, after you try it, come back in a couple of months and let us know what it did to the rubber seals in your fuel system.
FWIW, I haven't tried it in my vehicle either but have used Acetone extensively in my working days. Knowing what it will do to various materials I'm not just about to pour it into a $30K vehicle based on what someone's friend who isn't even a mechanic told them.

schmedly · March 2006

From what I have read the MDS feature is not available in the 1500 megacab and any of the 2500/3500 series trucks. The reason being is that the vehicles are so heavy that they would virtually never enter the 4 cylinder mode. When you read the advertisements for the MDS feature that claim that they will save up to 20% on fuel, the savings is in reference to ALL the MDS hemi engines combined. Most of the savings will be found in the Jeeps and cars, with little to none in the 1500 truck. The three factors contributing the most to fuel mileage are driving habits, vehicle weight, and aerodynamics. At least 2 out of 3 are killing right off the bat.

afdr · April 2006

I have a 06 2500 5.7 4x4 3.73 gears with 5000

miles on it & looks like it will average 10-9 city maybe 13 highway. Does these numbers look like normal?

schmedly · April 2006

From what I've read elsewhere, you seem to be about 2 MPG low. Could be driving habits. At 5,000 miles, I would expect that it should be broken in.

roadking7 · April 2006

Just bought a 06 5.7 Megacab, Looking to install a K&N cold air and cat back system. Any benifit to installing a throtle body riser? Costs about a hundred bucks. Just wondering if it would help the mpg cause?

roadking7

roadking7 · April 2006

That was the same scholl of thought I was going to attempt. Cat back, K&N. I am surprised that the K&N hurt the mpg cause>
roadking7

chillin669 · April 2006

Yeah, You would think such upgrades would give some increase in mileage, but I have done the same on a few vehicles, and the only thing that increases is power. Maybe K&N does help MPG a little, but who doesent gas it a little bit more to hear that cool intake /exhaust growl. Its like a catch 22....

schmedly · April 2006

From what I've read the throttle body spacers are useless. The exhaust may have some benefit, but mostly if you like the tone better. The engine needs a little back pressure or it hurts the low end torque. The 5.7, from what I've read, doesn't really like any of the cold air intakes a whole lot. The factory intake and exhaust is actually pretty efficient. Everybody still flocks to the mods that did well before electronics controlled everything.

lml55 · May 2006

Seriously looking at purchasing either a Ram 1500 or an F150, but I'm very skeptical of the gas mileage for both trucks. I do not do any major towing or hauling, I just love the looks of both trucks. I hear reports of MPG in the low teens for both trucks, and would like to know what everyone here has experienced. I'm curious to know how the Dodge stacks up to Ford and Chevy (I may wait to see how the new 07 Silverado/Sierras turn out).

Mileage that low would probably be a deal breaker, but the multi-displacement Hemi is intriguing, as I've heard it can help get the MPG up to the low-20's.

crash11 · May 2006

I have had my Ram 1500 (Daytona Edition) with the 5.7 HEMI for about a year now. I am getting barely 14 MPG City and on trips I have managed to get a whopping 18 MPG. I had a Ford Sport Trac and planned on getting the F150, but after testing them out, to my surprise the Dodge won out. I don't regret it a bit, I love it. Good luck!

pbass72 · May 2006

I have an 05 1500 quad cab with 3.93 gears and I am getting 10-12 city and getting a respectable 21mpg on the (mostly) flat level highway stretch to my job. At the end of a tank of gas my overall fuel ecomony is 15.8 mpg / about 340-ish miles to a 26 gallon tank with no modifications done. But .... in order to achieve this I set the cruise on the highway to 55mph. The problem is the speed limit is 65 (so that means most are doing 70+, and I do get lapped and cursed at.... but when I was out their doing 70ish with the "crowd" I was only getting about 16 on the highway and overall about 12mpg. Slowing down and taking an extra 10 minutes to get to work really saved me money and stress. I get my coffee and put on some tunes and take easy. This may not be practical for all ... but these are possibly results.

coontie57 · May 2006

My buddy just bought one of these 4 x 4 manual shifters and is really getting terrible mileage (at least by my way of thinking). 11.5 hauling down a 7000 pound trailer from Ohio to NC and 14.5 mpg by itself.. OUCH... 3.73 rearend?? is that all I can expect from one of these Dodge things... I drove to AK last summer and the folks hauling big campers were all braggin on their Dodge's... 14.5 or so.. also with manual shifting...The Chevy guys were also getting about the same thing.

What do the automatic shifters get...How is the AutoTrans holding up.

p100 · June 2006

Can somebody tell me what would be approximate fuel economy on this truck (empty and towing say 8,000 lb trailer):

2006 Ram 3500 quad cab, 4X4, dual rear wheels, long bed, 5.7 liter HEMI V8, 6 speed manual transmission, 4.10 ratio differential gears.

Would this be a good tow vehicle?

Is this 6 speed transmission the same as used in the Cummins engine equipped 3500 series truck?

p100 · June 2006

Yes, the trailer that Prius can pull is a horse droppings trailer. It is a 4X8 200 lb trailer from harborfreight.com loaded with horsedroppings.

rlchapin · June 2006

My Dilemma:

I need to drive from CT to VT once/twice per week year round. In VT I need to plow a small parking lot and my driveway. I want decent HIGHWAY mileage and be able to plow with a BOSS V-plow (7'6" Steel).

Model: 4x4, Quad, Short Bed, Auto Trans

I understand that a 1500 is not factory recommended for plowing.

So with that being said what kind of HIGHWAY mileage can I expect from all three. And does anyone have an opinion of whether I can, can't, or should'nt plow with the 1500.

I will rarely tow anything. My main concerns are mileage and plowing in VT. I usually drive 65-70 and don't stomp on it from a stand still.

Any thoughts on which model and highway mileage comparisons would be great.

Thanks,
Bob

KCRam · June 2006

Yes, same 6-speed manual as the Cummins. Fuel economy won't be all that great due to the fact that you have to keep your foot in it to get to the power. Cummins would be the better hauler, will get better mileage, and will recover plenty of the cost of the engine option at resale.

kcram - Pickups Host

tomundis · June 2006

With gas prices soaring, :mad: ethanol looks to be an attractive alternative. I am looking to convert my 1995 Ram 1500 to burn ethanol.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? :confuse:

chillin669 · June 2006

That sounds like a good idea, but i believe it might not me such an easy conversion if it is not done by the factory like the Ford FFV's. You should check This site http://www.cleancarmaps.com/home/ it will give you an idea of how many stations are in your area. I was thinking about a possible ethanol truck too, but i live and California and there is only one in the state station that offers it.You might want to to consider CNG. CNG is half the price of gas, and a conversion is around $1000(i believe) and pretty common. There is a high number of CNG stations(they just opened a new one near my office) so there are way more stations then i thought there would be. I guess it is because of all the Taxis's and buses runnung on CNG around here. Good Luck

Dodge Ram Real World MPG Numbers

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