2023 Ram 1500 eTorque

[dishdude]

Currently driving this Ram as a rental. Arrived at the inner-city Avis location in Cleveland for my Toyota Camry or similar and was told all they had were minivans and pickups. Obviously chose the pickup, waiting to be checked out I read all the debit card warning signs...handed the clerk my Amex Platinum and they looked at it oddly. On to the truck.

I'm a GM guy when it comes to full size trucks and SUVs, but I have to say this is one nice driving truck. Spent four hours of highway driving in it and it was comfortable, quiet and a joy to drive. The 3.6 Pentastar is a really great base engine for an empty truck not being used for towing. For a weekend truck it's fine, but I'd definitely upgrade to a Hemi for any towing or hauling. It's smooth and a little too quiet in a pickup like this, but it's happy to rev and I got on it a few times and it moved the truck with ease. The interior is nice, this is the "Big Horn" trim which I would equate to XLT. It has some nice features like heated cloth, heated and leather wrapped wheel and full instrumentation. It has wireless Android Auto with a nice screen, but smaller than the upper level trims.

Cons - this monstrosity is great to drive on the highway but navigating through the city and parking garages is a real chore, it also reports 17 MPG, 15 after I filled it with the worst fuel ever - Sheetz 88.

Side note - I keep getting Avis vehicles with 10k+ on them with the factory fill. It was a half quart low and clearly on the factory fill.

 

[CKN]

Currently driving this Ram as a rental. Arrived at the inner-city Avis location in Cleveland for my Toyota Camry or similar and was told all they had were minivans and pickups. Obviously chose the pickup, waiting to be checked out I read all the debit card warning signs...handed the clerk my Amex Platinum and they looked at it oddly. On to the truck.

I'm a GM guy when it comes to full size trucks and SUVs, but I have to say this is one nice driving truck. Spent four hours of highway driving in it and it was comfortable, quiet and a joy to drive. The 3.6 Pentastar is a really great base engine for an empty truck not being used for towing. For a weekend truck it's fine, but I'd definitely upgrade to a Hemi for any towing or hauling. It's smooth and a little too quiet in a pickup like this, but it's happy to rev and I got on it a few times and it moved the truck with ease. The interior is nice, this is the "Big Horn" trim which I would equate to XLT. It has some nice features like heated cloth, heated and leather wrapped wheel and full instrumentation. It has wireless Android Auto with a nice screen, but smaller than the upper level trims.

Cons - this monstrosity is great to drive on the highway but navigating through the city and parking garages is a real chore, it also reports 17 MPG, 15 after I filled it with the worst fuel ever - Sheetz 88.

Side note - I keep getting Avis vehicles with 10k+ on them with the factory fill. It was a half quart low and clearly on the factory fill.

So you are saying it was on the factory fill based on the oil appearance alone? I considered a RAM before I bought my F150. Those 18" mirrors were a deal killer (wouldn't fit in the garage) and no one wanting to tell me if the sport mirrors (shorter) were still available and what the charge would be for switching them out.

 

[dishdude]

So you are saying it was on the factory fill based on the oil appearance alone? I considered a RAM before I bought my F150. Those 18" mirrors were a deal killer (wouldn't fit in the garage) and no one wanting to tell me if the sport mirrors (shorter) were still available and what the charge would be for switching them out.

1 - The OLM was at 0%
2 - The oil was darker than any 10k engine that has ever had an oil change should be
3 - Avis affixes these maintenance stickers to the door panels. It's blank.

 

[CarDoc66]

The Ram 1500 is hands down the best full-size, half ton American pickup. The 5th gen (2019 intro) is frightening at how refined it is. It’s as smooth and quiet (maybe quieter) than my 300C. The 5.7 is a capable tow rig too for a half ton.
When consumer reports recommends an American vehicle, you know that automaker did their home work.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

my son has a 2023 Laramie with the Hemi. It is a nice truck. Great interior, mirrors fold in and man that thing will get up and go!

Just my $0.02

 

[MParr]

I was looking for a 2020 Extended Cab Ram before purchasing my 2020 F-150. I couldn’t find one with the 3.6. It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t find one. That kind of fuel mileage is what I see when pulling my trailer with my zero turn or Kawasaki Mule lashed to it.

 

[Dave Sherman]

I'm surprised your mileage wasn't that great. I easily average around 21 MPG as a daily driver. Just got back from a road trip to Arizona where it managed 21.5 for the whole trip.

 

[Rand]

I was looking for a 2020 Extended Cab Ram before purchasing my 2020 F-150. I couldn’t find one with the 3.6. It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t find one. That kind of fuel mileage is what I see when pulling my trailer with my zero turn or Kawasaki Mule lashed to it.

Its probably the driver.
the 2020 ram with Hemi gets 17-19 when I drive it. 15 when my Dad drives it.

Of course there was a fishing trip to Canada with my 2011 forester.. I was averaging almost 25mpg with 4 people and towing a boat.
He took over for last 2 hours so I could rest. When we got there we were averaging 19mpg

 

[cptbarkey]

Cant say I enjoyed a rental with the same engine, but I had it loaded down with a deconstructed shed and my family of 5. It got us to our destination safely but the v6 struggled. It belongs in a minivan, not a truck.

 

[CarDoc66]

Cant say I enjoyed a rental with the same engine, but I had it loaded down with a deconstructed shed and my family of 5. It got us to our destination safely but the v6 struggled. It belongs in a minivan, not a truck.

Like I said the pentastar is adequate. Does it belong in a crew cab 4x4 truck? Probably not. I’d be willing to bet you’d get similar mileage with the 5.7 loaded up…….not working as hard and the MDS really works well on highway drives. My brother has a 2020 5.7 and he gets almost 23 highway in summer months. Puts my Tacoma double cab 4x4 to shame……I barely can get 19 highway. In the winter forget it, sometimes I see 16.5 mostly highway (probably 60% highway). Probably due to the fact it has to drop down two gears just to climb a hill @ 65mph.
Plus, who doesn’t love that glorious sound and smooth, effortless power delivery of a well engineered V8?!!
I purchased the Tacoma because of its mid-size but had I known I just would have lived with the behemoth size of a full size and enjoyed much more comfort and capability. I still love the Tacoma but it’s prehistoric in terms of engineering. The only tech/ driver assistance that works well is the blind spot and rear cross path. The radar cruise is horrendous, lane departure is just a bragging point ( I disabled it, terrible) and the automatic high beam system regularly fries oncoming drivers retinas before they kick down. Plus, it is virtually incapable of detecting tail lamps. The seating is horrible…..I could go on and on.
Bottoms line: Nobody does pickups like Americans do. Ford, GM and Ram.

 

[dishdude]

Its probably the driver.

That's a strong possibility!

 

[Rand]

That's a strong possibility!

I wasnt saying that negatively.. just in response to Mparr's post.

 

[AZjeff]

Did you do any eTorque burnouts? Could you feel it at all?

 

[Skippy722]

Everyone rags on the 3.6 v6 because “NoT a VeE eIgHt!!!!!” but I love it. I feel like the 5.7 doesn’t start coming alive till almost 3000rpm, at 3500 it’s finally awake.

It’s probably the driver.
the 2020 ram with Hemi gets 17-19 when I drive it. 15 when my Dad drives it.

Of course there was a fishing trip to Canada with my 2011 forester.. I was averaging almost 25mpg with 4 people and towing a boat.
He took over for last 2 hours so I could rest. When we got there we were averaging 19mpg

Sounds like my wife and I… I average about 16mpg in mine. She’s gotten it up to 20!

 

[JeffKeryk]

Pretty truck. Great interior; pure Cowboy Cadillac.

 

[CKN]

my son has a 2023 Laramie with the Hemi. It is a nice truck. Great interior, mirrors fold in and man that thing will get up and go!

Just my $0.02

The mirrors only (power) fold on the top models.

 

[andreigbs]

You can get folding mirrors on trims below Laramie, such as the Big Horn and Longhorn trims.

Mine (a Big Horn) has them.

 

[Nick1994]

That’s awful mpg. What’s the benefit of eTorque?

Didn’t know they did a 3.6L eTorque

 

[CarDoc66]

That’s awful mpg. What’s the benefit of eTorque?

Didn’t know they did a 3.6L eTorque

The torque system is really what controls the start/stop system (instead of using the starter) but as an added benefit it works with the engine to provide low rpm torque. I think it adds 45 pound feet below 2000 rpm…..don’t quote me on those specs but that’s more or less along the lines of how it works. Once your moving along it’s just sitting there waiting for you to stop.

 

[Nick1994]

The torque system is really what controls the start/stop system (instead of using the starter) but as an added benefit it works with the engine to provide low rpm torque. I think it adds 45 pound feet below 2000 rpm…..don’t quote me on those specs but that’s more or less along the lines of how it works. Once your moving along it’s just sitting there waiting for you to stop.

That sounds awful