Poor mpg on 2023 Ram 1500 Big Horn V8 Hemi with Etorque 4 x 4.

[Mike Townsend]

I always find it funny how everyone says don't take off fast. Well, I have watched my instant mileage and even keep it under 2k while accelerating it is in the single digits. I figured I might as well take off a little faster and have some fun for pretty much the same mileage. LOL

 

[Dusty]

Also, just tried to do what you said and I’m back down to 13mpg. LoL

First, you can't make a judgement from one tank of fuel to the very next one. I would doubt the vehicle was driven the very same speed, same number of stops, etc., before or after.

At your mileage you have a way to go before complete break-in. These engines use a heavy piston ring pressure (the pressure exerted on the cylinder walls) better than 10 lbs. which increases friction, untypical nowadays. Then again, high mileage hemis don't have a reputation for burning oil.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 95755 miles.

 

[Zac1]

With 392 rear end my 2022 gets 15.3 in town

 

[REDNECK28871]

Well if you dont like it ! What the hell why would you buy a truck!

 

[bph663]

I have a 2023 1500 lone star 4x4 etorque 5.7 2000 mi.
I was using 89 octane initially, traveling 20 mi one way to work mostly hwy. I was getting 19mgp avg. I switched to 87 octane and went to 17 mpg. My drive to work changed to 6 mi one way and mpg changed to just under 16 mpg mostly non-hwy. I did not notice any performance change. I used to have an F-150 5.0 2wd (before the head-on hit-and-run) and was averaging 17mpg when traveling the 20mi to work. I was surprised to see it increase to 19 on the Ram 1500 5.7. (I'm happy)

 

[gwilburn]

His location says Los Angeles... so is that city driving in traffic? Regardless I'd hate to see what he pays for gas.

 

[Dusty]

His location says Los Angeles... so is that city driving in traffic? Regardless I'd hate to see what he pays for gas.

I have family in LA. It appears their freeways have a reputation for becoming "parking lots" at rush hour.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 95912 miles.

 

[metalchewy]

California's gas formulation requirents also play a factor here. Higher water content and alcohol is added and other things to satisfy the requirements.

Can guarantee worse mileage there than buying non ethanol gas in a state like Texas with the same.octane rating.

 

[gwilburn]

I have family in LA. It appears their freeways have a reputation for becoming "parking lots" at rush hour.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 95912 miles.

Experienced San Diego traffic this past Christmas while visiting my daughter & son-in-law (Navy). You can have it! The homeless issue is unreal.

 

[skates15]

The 30,000 mile Ram 1500 hemi test vehicle that Edmunds.com has reported an average lifetime mpg of 14.7, including some towing and a high of 21mpg for highway for their hemi. Obviously not a direct comparison, but their 20,000 mile Kia Telluride SUV test vehicle average lifetime mpg was 19.3. The 3.6 in my 2018 durango GT averaged 22-23 in mixed highway/city with a heavy foot over 3 years, which is better than the EPA average.

So, the difference between a hemi and telluride average lifetime is close to 5 mpg and this includes some towing with the hemi. Of course, their driving may not be the same as yours, but it is worth noting because it is average lifetime mpg over at least 20K miles, a decent sample.

The Kia has an 18 gallon tank, so it will go 347 miles @ 19.3 mpg. For the same amount of fuel, the hemi will go 264 miles @14.7 mpg. This means you can travel 83 miles further in the 6cy Telluride or 4.3 gallons of gas to the positive of the Telluride, or a savings of $15.05 @gas price of $3.50 per gallon.

I drive 1200 miles a month, pretty even mixed driving highway/city, so for me that's 81 gallons per month or $283 per month in gas. For the Kia, it amounts to 62 gallons per month, or $217 per month in gas, a grand total difference of $66 per month, which I can afford and come on, a hemi vs. Kia 6 cylinder?

I just wanted to put this out there because if you are shy of the amount spent on gas owning a truck and think you will do lots better in a mid-sized SUV, then I'm thinking the delta between the two is not all that great, and when you consider the many options you have with using a for real 4x4 truck with a hemi vs. a mall crawler and the long term reliability of a truck, then for me a truck is the way to go, even if I use it as a daily commuter with occasional playtime. Oh, and hemi vs. Kia 3.8 6 cylinder? 11K tow rating vs. 5K.

I don't know, if the hemi gas puts you off, I'd look at the Durango 3.6, it can tow more than other mid sized SUVs and the 3.6 is venerable. I thrashed mine and it never quit.

Obviously, your mileage may differ, but the 14.7 mpg reported by Edmunds seems pretty reasonable after looking at the threads in this forum, so I used those numbers.

Overall, having to pay $66 extra a month for a hemi seems to be worth it considering its a hemi, its a truck with all the options of using it, and there are loads of places to have it repaired no matter where you are at, parts availability and general long term use of the vehicle is high.

A long read, but I hope this helps put in perspective for those on the fence of owning a truck and think they may save lots of gas going with a SUV and while you will save some, you'll be missing out on a whole lot of hemi/truck goodness.

 

[Dusty]

The 30,000 mile Ram 1500 hemi test vehicle that Edmunds.com has reported an average lifetime mpg of 14.7, including some towing and a high of 21mpg for highway for their hemi. Obviously not a direct comparison, but their 20,000 mile Kia Telluride SUV test vehicle average lifetime mpg was 19.3. The 3.6 in my 2018 durango GT averaged 22-23 in mixed highway/city with a heavy foot over 3 years, which is better than the EPA average.

So, the difference between a hemi and telluride average lifetime is close to 5 mpg and this includes some towing with the hemi. Of course, their driving may not be the same as yours, but it is worth noting because it is average lifetime mpg over at least 20K miles, a decent sample.

The Kia has an 18 gallon tank, so it will go 347 miles @ 19.3 mpg. For the same amount of fuel, the hemi will go 264 miles @14.7 mpg. This means you can travel 83 miles further in the 6cy Telluride or 4.3 gallons of gas to the positive of the Telluride, or a savings of $15.05 @gas price of $3.50 per gallon.

I drive 1200 miles a month, pretty even mixed driving highway/city, so for me that's 81 gallons per month or $283 per month in gas. For the Kia, it amounts to 62 gallons per month, or $217 per month in gas, a grand total difference of $66 per month, which I can afford and come on, a hemi vs. Kia 6 cylinder?

I just wanted to put this out there because if you are shy of the amount spent on gas owning a truck and think you will do lots better in a mid-sized SUV, then I'm thinking the delta between the two is not all that great, and when you consider the many options you have with using a for real 4x4 truck with a hemi vs. a mall crawler and the long term reliability of a truck, then for me a truck is the way to go, even if I use it as a daily commuter with occasional playtime. Oh, and hemi vs. Kia 3.8 6 cylinder? 11K tow rating vs. 5K.

I don't know, if the hemi gas puts you off, I'd look at the Durango 3.6, it can tow more than other mid sized SUVs and the 3.6 is venerable. I thrashed mine and it never quit.

Obviously, your mileage may differ, but the 14.7 mpg reported by Edmunds seems pretty reasonable after looking at the threads in this forum, so I used those numbers.

Overall, having to pay $66 extra a month for a hemi seems to be worth it considering its a hemi, its a truck with all the options of using it, and there are loads of places to have it repaired no matter where you are at, parts availability and general long term use of the vehicle is high.

A long read, but I hope this helps put in perspective for those on the fence of owning a truck and think they may save lots of gas going with a SUV and while you will save some, you'll be missing out on a whole lot of hemi/truck goodness.

I own a truck since I only have one vehicle and I have a towing requirement. My lifetime average is currently 19.91 MPG. The only time I dip below 19 MPG is when I'm towing or a lot of around town driving in winter. Even towing at the max has only produced under 14 MPG twice in the vehicle's life.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 96246 miles.

 

[gwilburn]

The 30,000 mile Ram 1500 hemi test vehicle that Edmunds.com has reported an average lifetime mpg of 14.7, including some towing and a high of 21mpg for highway for their hemi. Obviously not a direct comparison, but their 20,000 mile Kia Telluride SUV test vehicle average lifetime mpg was 19.3. The 3.6 in my 2018 durango GT averaged 22-23 in mixed highway/city with a heavy foot over 3 years, which is better than the EPA average.

So, the difference between a hemi and telluride average lifetime is close to 5 mpg and this includes some towing with the hemi. Of course, their driving may not be the same as yours, but it is worth noting because it is average lifetime mpg over at least 20K miles, a decent sample.

The Kia has an 18 gallon tank, so it will go 347 miles @ 19.3 mpg. For the same amount of fuel, the hemi will go 264 miles @14.7 mpg. This means you can travel 83 miles further in the 6cy Telluride or 4.3 gallons of gas to the positive of the Telluride, or a savings of $15.05 @gas price of $3.50 per gallon.

I drive 1200 miles a month, pretty even mixed driving highway/city, so for me that's 81 gallons per month or $283 per month in gas. For the Kia, it amounts to 62 gallons per month, or $217 per month in gas, a grand total difference of $66 per month, which I can afford and come on, a hemi vs. Kia 6 cylinder?

I just wanted to put this out there because if you are shy of the amount spent on gas owning a truck and think you will do lots better in a mid-sized SUV, then I'm thinking the delta between the two is not all that great, and when you consider the many options you have with using a for real 4x4 truck with a hemi vs. a mall crawler and the long term reliability of a truck, then for me a truck is the way to go, even if I use it as a daily commuter with occasional playtime. Oh, and hemi vs. Kia 3.8 6 cylinder? 11K tow rating vs. 5K.

I don't know, if the hemi gas puts you off, I'd look at the Durango 3.6, it can tow more than other mid sized SUVs and the 3.6 is venerable. I thrashed mine and it never quit.

Obviously, your mileage may differ, but the 14.7 mpg reported by Edmunds seems pretty reasonable after looking at the threads in this forum, so I used those numbers.

Overall, having to pay $66 extra a month for a hemi seems to be worth it considering its a hemi, its a truck with all the options of using it, and there are loads of places to have it repaired no matter where you are at, parts availability and general long term use of the vehicle is high.

A long read, but I hope this helps put in perspective for those on the fence of owning a truck and think they may save lots of gas going with a SUV and while you will save some, you'll be missing out on a whole lot of hemi/truck goodness.

Put the 33 gallon fuel tank in a Ram Crew getting 14.75 mpg and you'll go 485 miles on a tank (but the fuel light comes on with 7 gallons remaining).

I'm not sure how you guys are getting the "lifetime" MPG. I'm pretty sure the EVIC reads the last 1000 miles or so (at least on my 2014)

 

[kdoublep]

Who cares? Drive like the wind! Cracks me up people spend time hand calculating mpg. I'd rather be lied to by the computer. It feels better. It's very entertaining though and the different numbers are pretty funny. I drove 50% up hill and it was 89 degrees outside and I was hauling my neighbor's cat to the vet and it started to rain and the wind picked up and it was blowing against me and I'm pretty sure that's why I only got 17.3 mpg this time and not 17.8. I'm going to call my friend at NASA and ask him to check my math. I'm also going to send my oil off to a lab for testing even though I haven't had bloodwork done in 10 years and I'm 75 yrs old. Wouldn't want that truck dying before me dammit! My copper was high last time in my UOA. Who cares about my cholesterol.

Just having some fun...

 

[reynoldsok]

First timer here with a 5.7 hemi 2013 quad 4x4 pulling 7,000 # travel trailer. I’m getting
prox 5.4 mpg pulling with near zero power from a stop. After reaching prox 2500 rpm begins to run normal. No codes showing. When not towing run’s normal no issues. Looking for suggestions n this isn’t funny to me.
Thanks for any help. Paul

 

[Tulecreeper]

First timer here with a 5.7 hemi 2013 quad 4x4 pulling 7,000 # travel trailer. I’m getting
prox 5.4 mpg pulling with near zero power from a stop. After reaching prox 2500 rpm begins to run normal. No codes showing. When not towing run’s normal no issues. Looking for suggestions n this isn’t funny to me.
Thanks for any help. Paul

Seems a tad low, but since you're pushing your max towing cap it's probably not that far off. As for the zero power from a stop - what rear end/ratio do you have?

 

[KeithP]

Wow my 2019 ram 1500 classic is 17 I don’t have etorque I’m glad I don’t

Didn’t want eTorque but ended up buying a dealer demo with it 13 months ago. Don’t even notice it (I do toggle off the start stop every drive). I’m averaging 17+ with a 50/50 mix of interstate and big city driving. I recently switched from 87 to 89 and it’s made a difference in performance.

I wouldn’t hesitate on another eTorque. It just doesn’t seem to be a factor In performance. BTW: I had 2 non-eTorque Hemis prior to this truck.

 

[reynoldsok]

Seems a tad low, but since you're pushing your max towing cap it's probably not that far off. As for the zero power from a stop - what rear end/ratio do you have?

 

[reynoldsok]

I’ve pulled this trailer with 9-10 mph couple yrs ago. Have 10 ply tires now. All tire aired up now and sorry I’m not sure on rear end gears. Truck in shop looking for answer now. Have new ngk iridium plugs and all new fluids recently. While looking today they’ll put new oxygen sensors upstream and pvc.

 

[reynoldsok]

Sorry. Thanks for responding

 

[reynoldsok]

Also have 90,000 miles. No prior issued.