New Ram Quad cab 4x4 with V6...anyone got one???

[FADEC]

Thinking of trading my Avalanche for something different. Does anyone have any experience with a new Ram 1500 4x4 with the V6 and auto?? Had GM's for the past 20 years and just want something different. Is the V6 powerful enough for this truck?? I will not be doing much towing. Seems like the highway mileage of 25 mpg is pretty decent for this size of truck. Any and all comments appreciated!! Tom

 

[supton]

The Fast Lane Truck (on youtube) shows the V6 Pentastar accelerating with a boat in tow. I forget how much it weighed. But you could watch that and see if it looks promising. There are also other reviews on youtube too.

I want to say 25mpg is for 2WD though, and 23 is the 4x4 mpg.

It seems promising. I've read decent things online. Lacks the low end torque of V8's of course, but once the rev's get up it seems to hold its own. If you are not towing it may well be sufficent.

But I'm not sure how easily it hits that mpg rating. How are you currently doing on your truck, relative to its rated EPA mpg? If you are meeting that then it would seem a good chance that you could hit the EPA number on this new truck.

 

[Hokiefyd]

The Pentastar is a pretty high-revving engine with a lack of low-end grunt. I personally prefer those types of engines to low-rev engines, but you may or may not. I'm sure they've geared the truck appropriately to account for this. You said you don't do much towing, so this may or may not be a concern to you.

 

[DemoFly]

Originally Posted By: supton
The Fast Lane Truck (on youtube) shows the V6 Pentastar accelerating with a boat in tow. I forget how much it weighed. But you could watch that and see if it looks promising. There are also other reviews on youtube too.

I want to say 25mpg is for 2WD though, and 23 is the 4x4 mpg.

It seems promising. I've read decent things online. Lacks the low end torque of V8's of course, but once the rev's get up it seems to hold its own. If you are not towing it may well be sufficent.

But I'm not sure how easily it hits that mpg rating. How are you currently doing on your truck, relative to its rated EPA mpg? If you are meeting that then it would seem a good chance that you could hit the EPA number on this new truck.

Here's the video

WATCH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE

http://youtu.be/8h6OYXemTxE?t=4m59s

 

[supton]

Well, it's being used at its limit, I'd expect the temp gauge to move. Full throttle, zero to 60. Real question, which isn't answered, is if it climbs into the red on a long hill climb.

Unfortunately, gauges are darn near useless: what is "hot" and what is cold? Not only that but they often do something where "normalize" the gauge so that it reads one temperature for a huge swing. I'd like to see that ran again but with a Scanguage / Ultraguage / pick your reader, and see exactly what water temp was doing.

You'd think though if they used the same radiator across platforms then it'd be darn near impossible to overheat. Wouldn't be surprised if they used a smaller one though, to save money; in which case I wonder if inlet/outlet are in the same locations.

 

[mrsilv04]

Motor Trend Car and Driver did a long term test with a Crew Cab 4x4 V6.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-ram-1500-slt-crew-cab-4x4-long-term-test-wrap-up-review

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Motor Trend Car and Driver did a long term test with a Crew Cab 4x4 V6.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-ram-1500-slt-crew-cab-4x4-long-term-test-wrap-up-review


Quote:
Despite lacking proper winter tires, our truck was largely unfazed by Michigan’s harshest winter in recent memory, only once needing a jump after a sub-zero night trapped in the polar vortex.


Huh???? How did they manage that? Bad factory battery?

*

How did they manage to option it out to $47k yet avoid getting a backup camera?

*

They said $38k for the trim level, which was then optioned up to $47k. I wonder what the more stripped versions actually go for, after rebates/haggling.

But seems a decent review otherwise.

 

[UNC017]

I've been hearing that it works well with the 8HP transmission, especially just carrying people or hauling payloads in the bed. Towing at the rated limits with the Pentastar would be questionable, IMO, because its such a revver. We have the Pentastar in my wife's JGC, but with the 5-speed NAG1 transmission. It generally moves the heavy JGC just fine, but there are a few situations where you can catch it in a torque pit and it has to climb out before moving 'smartly' again. Not bad, but shows the limits of using a high-winding engine in a heavy vehicle. Torque. Is. Better.

What really looks great in the Ram 1500 to me is the 3-liter EcoDiesel. Same tow rating as the 5.7 Hemi (and does it all below 4000 RPM), and the same fuel economy as the Pentastar. OF course the downside is up-front cost and the high cost of diesel fuel at the moment. But performance wise, it's the ONE!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

It's not the right engine for the truck. If you could move the torque curve down a few thousand RPM, then it would be great!


Originally Posted By: DemoFly
Originally Posted By: supton
The Fast Lane Truck (on youtube) shows the V6 Pentastar accelerating with a boat in tow. I forget how much it weighed. But you could watch that and see if it looks promising. There are also other reviews on youtube too.

I want to say 25mpg is for 2WD though, and 23 is the 4x4 mpg.

It seems promising. I've read decent things online. Lacks the low end torque of V8's of course, but once the rev's get up it seems to hold its own. If you are not towing it may well be sufficent.

But I'm not sure how easily it hits that mpg rating. How are you currently doing on your truck, relative to its rated EPA mpg? If you are meeting that then it would seem a good chance that you could hit the EPA number on this new truck.

Here's the video

WATCH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE

http://youtu.be/8h6OYXemTxE?t=4m59s


That's the one thing I noticed! Scary!


Originally Posted By: supton
Well, it's being used at its limit, I'd expect the temp gauge to move. Full throttle, zero to 60. Real question, which isn't answered, is if it climbs into the red on a long hill climb.

Unfortunately, gauges are darn near useless: what is "hot" and what is cold? Not only that but they often do something where "normalize" the gauge so that it reads one temperature for a huge swing. I'd like to see that ran again but with a Scanguage / Ultraguage / pick your reader, and see exactly what water temp was doing.

You'd think though if they used the same radiator across platforms then it'd be darn near impossible to overheat. Wouldn't be surprised if they used a smaller one though, to save money; in which case I wonder if inlet/outlet are in the same locations.


I've had my Cherokee close to it's limit before and never noticed the temperature gauge move up more than 5 or 10 degrees ... not into the red ...

 

[supton]

I found a plot for the 2011 Jeep GC 3.6, it looks like 250ft-lb at 2k. It dips down to maybe 245 at 3k, climbs back up to 250 at 4k, up to 260(?) at 4600 and still has 250 at what looks like 5800rpm.

That's one wide, wide torque curve! I'm actually kinda impressed. Even at 6,500rpm it's at least 230ft-lb. But the point I want to make: it has reasonable low end torque (much less at below 2k is apt to just heat up the ATF anyhow).

Yeah, I don't like screaming engines either. But let's be real: this is as good as any other 300hp motor, in terms of getting work done. Time will tell if it holds up to frequent hard use. Which I don't think it's being marketed for.

*

I'd like to see that test redone, just to figure out this temp gauge issue. I've never seen temp gauges move in my vehicles though. Maybe Dodge *doesn't* filter their gauges?

 

[hattaresguy]

I'd have no issues with a V6 in a modern half ton, same HP or more than the V8's of a decade ago with better fuel mileage.

Who cares if it has to rev a bit? Put it in D, hit tow mode, plant your foot and let the ECU figure it out.

I'd only buy a V8 for fun or serious towing, but personally I don't have anything heavy to tow so towing is a mute point for me.

 

[Thermo1223]

They have a temp gauge in the dash that reads exactly what the ECU sees on the little LCD screen. I'd look a that before I'd trust a filtered idiot gauge.

That dash gauge isn't connected to anything other than an IC with a stepper motor telling it what to do. All cars have been the same way for years.

 

[rjundi]

A friend of mine is leasing one for homeowner duty. He loves it and surprised its decent.

His former car is MB E 350 diesel. He also has a GL450 diesel. Not sure why he did not just buy a trailer for SUV but is an immigrant living the US dream!

 

[FADEC]

Thanks for the links and comments!!

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: supton
I I'd like to see that test redone, just to figure out this temp gauge issue. I've never seen temp gauges move in my vehicles though. Maybe Dodge *doesn't* filter their gauges?


The analog temp gauge on my 12 SRT and 08 Ram both track perfectly with the scan tool data. The oil pressure gauge in the Ram is a complete fiction. It's an analog idiot light- either "normal" or zero. The oil pressure and temp in the SRT is a bar graph of the PCM data.

My guess on the video- sudden flushing of hot coolant past the sending unit after the thermostat finally responds to the extreme heavy load applied suddenly. I bet it would drop back even if the load were maintained

 

[UNC017]

Originally Posted By: supton
I found a plot for the 2011 Jeep GC 3.6, it looks like 250ft-lb at 2k. It dips down to maybe 245 at 3k, climbs back up to 250 at 4k, up to 260(?) at 4600 and still has 250 at what looks like 5800rpm.

That's one wide, wide torque curve! I'm actually kinda impressed.


Theres a lot of misunderstanding about the Jeep sixes since the much loved 4.0. The 4.0 was a tractor- great off idle toque, superb delivery at tip in... Great for crawling.

When the 3.8 replaced it, the gripe-o-sphere was abuzz with complaints about a "gutless" v6. But if you overlay the torque and hp curves, the 3.8 is NEVER lower than the 4.0, except for a span of maybe 300 rpm where they overlay. At the high end, the 3.8 clearly pulls ahead. Same for the 3.6 vs the 3.8. The 3.6 is always higher but really separates itself above 3000 rpm.

Each newer engine only feels less torquey at the bottom because it takes off so much better up high. I love my 4.0, but the 3.6 is in another universe. A 4.0 would be hopeless in a heavy WK2 or Ram but the 3.6 moves it very well. And even better with the 8HP transmission.

 

[Cujet]

I have no issues with V6 engines in full sized pickup trucks. They really do make plenty of power now, once you rev them up. The issue is if you find that annoying or not. I generally like an engine with a high redline, but I don't like an engine to be at high revs all the time...

Test results show this truck at 17 Real World MPG. Don't believe the 25MPG highway numbers. It's not likely unless you are incredibly careful and gentle with the throttle, use fuel without ethanol, and drive slower than typical highway traffic.

 

[UNC017]

Actually 25 highway wouldn't surprise me at all. I get 21 freeway with my 4.7 v8 and it doesn't have goodies like active grille shutters that the V6 Rams have. The thing with any truck is that it only takes a little bit of stop and go to drag the mileage way down.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: supton

Quote:
Despite lacking proper winter tires, our truck was largely unfazed by Michigan’s harshest winter in recent memory, only once needing a jump after a sub-zero night trapped in the polar vortex.


Huh???? How did they manage that? Bad factory battery?


Are you kidding me? It's OK that a new vehicle in 2014 "only once needed a jump start"? Sorry, it shows that Chrysler still doesn't get how to make a quality vehicle. And that is backed up by CR and JD Powers long term dependability.

 

[ms21043]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
Originally Posted By: supton

Quote:
Despite lacking proper winter tires, our truck was largely unfazed by Michigan’s harshest winter in recent memory, only once needing a jump after a sub-zero night trapped in the polar vortex.


Huh???? How did they manage that? Bad factory battery?


Are you kidding me? It's OK that a new vehicle in 2014 "only once needed a jump start"? Sorry, it shows that Chrysler still doesn't get how to make a quality vehicle. And that is backed up by CR and JD Powers long term dependability.



lol...In that article C&D wrote: "the 2013 Ram 1500 proved one of the most versatile and trouble-free vehicles we’ve ever subjected to a 40,000-mile evaluation"

In reading the article the impression is that C&D liked the truck. Some on the other hand pick out a jump start and become drama queens.