Looking to buy a Ram. Have questions

[ramitva]

Hello everyone!!! I am considering buying a used 4x4 Ram 1500 quad cab. I don't have my mind set on just one pickup yet however out of the big three (Ram, Chevy, Ford) I definitely like the Ram the most. I am looking to buy a 2011-2013 model.

I'm not looking to haul heavy loads with my pickup so I was thinking I'd probably get the 4.7 liter v8 rather than the Hemi. I've been told before however that the newest model Hemis actually have a 4 cyl. mode something like the Chevys have. This pickup will be a daily driver for me (minus the days I ride my motorcycle) and it will be used to haul trash away, go hunting with and hauling water with a couple times a week. I have a cistern at my house and I haul water via a 280 gallon water tank, bear in mind though the water will only be hauled 2 miles from a local spring so I'm sure the 4.7 would do okay no further than that is.

So with this in mind, what are the perks of one engine vs the other, which one have they had more issues with and realistically speaking for my application, which one will get the best fuel mileage? Thanks in advance and hopefully I'll soon be the newest Ram owner on the forum.

 

[S2kiHemi]

This is a no brainer. Get the HEMI. A 2011 4x4 quad cab 4.7 is rated at 13 city 18 highway and a 2011 4x4 quad cab 5.7 is rated at 13 city 19 highway. Both trucks are going to get the same MPG so go for the Hemi.

 

[Brakelate]

Personally, I would get the 5.7 Hemi.

If, for nothing more than having it when or if you do need it, and resale value.

That amount of water, even though only going a short distance is up over Two Thousand pounds.

A modern 5.7 Hemi, with the Cylinder Deactivation and Six or Eight speed Auto is going to get damn near right at the same mpg as the smaller motor.

Plus, at least in my opinion, there will be many more parts on the shelf for the larger motor, more people experienced with it and again, it is always better to have a little more power than you need, as opposed to less.

Good luck with the truck search, and Welcome.

I am sure many more will chime in following me, with their own opinions.

 

[CabinDweller]

I couldn't agree more with the others. Hemi = way more capability and the same or better MPGs. Seems like an easy choice.

 

[xrsman]

I'd get the hemi. I do disagree with the other guys on here about the MPG on the 4.7 though! I've got a 2011 4.7l right now and I get good mileage with it. Coming out of the winter I'm averaging 21mph imperial so I think that's around 18 US mpg. I normally get around 25-26 in the summer though! (Maybe 21-22 mpg US). I don't baby the throttle either! Despite what I've said above, for me I'd get the hemi because I find that the 4.7l doesn't have the snap that i'd like or the power to tow the trailers I tow. It has been a fantastic truck for the past 3.5 years but I'm now trading up to a 2014 with the hemi!


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[SKorch630]

The mpg I get in my 4.7 is quite good. 20-22 highway all day long. I drive 200 miles from Chicago to south central Michigan every weekend and get there in just over a sliver of a 1/4 tank. It's +/- depending on which station I go to, but it's around that mark. I will tell you though, the flex fuel is incredible. On the weekends I drive that route, it saves me almost $1.00/gal here in Chicago. Today it was $1.10/gal. It doesn't seem like much, but it saved me $16. I don't tow, or haul, so I can't tell ya the difference between the two in that aspect, but if I had to choose again, I'd go hemi just because of the availability of the parts. I can't find much for the 4.7 :/


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[scottyram]

Definitely go with the Hemi

 

[ramitva]

Ok so that's pretty clear. Now I've been looking at trucks in my price range with the hemi and they're all the express package. Am I correct that this "express" model is basically a dressed up work truck? What kind of features will I be missing as compared to say a big horn slt or Laramie package. One thing I saw off the bat was that the "express" doesn't have the dressed up heads up display and only 4 gauges. That is a real bummer as I'm young and a techno guru. Also the bumper and grille are painted and not chrome.

 

[UPNO4]

Hemi rocks like everyone else says. The Laramie as lots of bells and whistles almost a distracting amount sometimes but I wouldn't give them up

Mine is still impressing me with it's capability. It just just never gives up. Good luck on your search and stay in your budget so you don't regret the payment.

 

[jagr200]

I just bought an SLT. The instrument cluster with the evic display was a big deal for me. I also wanted a sliding rear window. Obviously power locks and windows which some express models don't have. And 4x4 and the hemi were a must. I paid 22k for my 2010 with 36k on it in flawless shape. So I got a screaming deal. You can find the same deal if you look. I searched for a month.

 

[pickupman66]

I tell ya. On my 09 hemi crew cab 4x4 lariat I'm getting 17+ real world ggas mileage today. Run ethanol free and synthetic oil

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[ramitva]

Ok thanks for the replies. Who can weigh in on the difference in the 6 speed vs the 8 speed automatic? Obviously more gears, difference in ratios, fuel mileage. But one more prone to issues than the other? Should I stay away from one or the other?

 

[xXAvroArrowXx]

HEMI POWWWWWAAARRRR!

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[14hemiexpress]

The express is a great truck I picked mine up about 3 weeks ago I'm like you young and like all the gadgets but I must say my express is loaded up nicely way more options than my 06 slt ram or my 06 xlt ford. The evic displays everything from mpg, Trans temp, oil temp actual mph, temp, if the truck is in mds, individual tire pressures and the stereo is really nice I love the Bluetooth streaming and the hands free is flawless with the u connect 5.0. With all that being said the hemi is the way to go great power and reasonable mpg 17.5 on a 50/50 driving (quad cab 4wd). As far as options you can get with a lone star/big horn is that they have back up sensors sliding back glass with rear defrost, chrome bumpers,a nice big center console, alpine system with 8.4 nav and heated steering wheel and seats. Now if you step up to the Laramie or sport you get leather, heated and cooled seats, rear heated and cooled seats fancy wheels and I'm sure more little features I can't think of. The 8 speed vs 6 speed I personally have the 6 speed I'm little nerves of the 8 speed it's just a very new transmission but my mom has the 8 speed in her 300 and that thing is very smooth and gives the pentastar tons of go for how heavy that car is and gives it the same mpg as my wife's 4 cylinder altima so it definitely helps in the mpg department and a little better acceleration. Hope this helps


Ps I'm not saying the 6 speed is better than the 8 speed I just like to let the new items settle in before getting one.

 

[Ramguy65]

I have a 14 with the 8 speed and averaging 21mpg on the highway. The 8 speed will definitely help with gas mileage. My 09 had the 6 speed. I like the way the 8 speed shifts...so much smoother and at WOT it keeps you in the power band when shifting.

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[VolsRam]

When you pick up your truck, regardless if it's the 4.7, HEMI, 6 spd, or 8 spd I would recommend you check out Moes Performance for a set of AIR LIFT Rear Air Bags. They will help keep the truck from sagging when hauling the water. I know it's only 2 miles at a time, but over time all that weight could eventually wear out your rear coils to the point that they may not fully decompress to the stock height.

 

[Mpgrimm2]

@ramitva,
Here are my thoughts:
I had my last SUV for about 11 yrs and my son is ready to drive so I had been looking to buy my first Ram for about 1 year and settled ideally on a 2013 Ram 1500 4x4 Crew or Quad with V6/8spd with anywhere from a base ST to an SLT. This is what I typically sent out for contact to dealers:

We are ideally looking (within 300 miles of xxxxx) for:

2013/2014 Ram 1500 Features:
- 4x4 Crew Cab - V6/8spd (SLT preferred)
(may reconsider a quad cab)
- May consider a dark/black (maybe blue) Tradesman with popular options like wheels, bumpers
(black plastic front bumper stands out too much)
- Uconnect 5.0 is a bonus
- Bedliner/hitch preferred but not required

Specifically, our goal is to stay around $26K ($28k OTD w/TTL) and willing to wait if needed.
We are looking to purchase a Ram or Tacoma anytime between now and the next 9 months.
No trade (son will be needing a car), No recent Grad, No Ret. Military (10yrs ago).

As far as I can tell this is the closest match on your lot if there is room on the price:

So that set the stage for tough negotiations and a lot of deal searching. My wife and I also kept in mind..

KBB , NADA VALUES for 2013/2014:

2013/2014 Ram 1500 v6 Crew SLT Uc5 _ _ Tradesman Option w/Uc5 & Pop Options:
- Invoice: $36,000 / $36,343 _ _ _ _ _ _ $34,295 / $35,600 (v8/8spd in 2014)
- MSRP: $38,000 / $39,160 _ _ _ _ _ _ $36,995 / $38,690 (v8/8spd in 2014)

(+$450 for display, +$660 for Uc 5.0. $695 for both in 2014)

2013/2014 Ram 1500 v6 Quad SLT Uc5 _ _ Tradesman Option w/Uc5 & Pop Options:
- Invoice: $34,100 / $34,753 _ _ _ _ _ _ $32,260 / $32,451 (v6/8spd in 2014)
- MSRP: $36,600 / $37,265 _ _ _ _ _ _ $34,640 / $34,730 (v6/8spd in 2014)

(+$450 for display, +$660 for Uc 5.0. $695 for both in 2014)

Pricing (Sw VA Titling zip: xxxxx)
- V6 4dr Ram: $26,500 _ _ _ _ $28,500
- 4% VA Tax: _ $1,060 _ _ _ _ $1,140
- VA Registr: _ _ _ $46 _ _ _ _ _ _ $46
(5,200lb trk)
- VA Title: _ _ _ _ $10 _ _ _ _ _ _ $10
- Dealer fees: _ _ $384 _ _ _ _ _ $304
Max OTD: _ _ $28,000 _ _ _ _ $30,000

After about 9 months of searching, my local dealer had a low mile dealer demo (2,200 mi) 2013 Black 4x4 Crew Cab with backup camera that they were willing to offload for my OTD price. Turns out it was an Express with UC 3.0 and Hemi V8/6spd. I actually walked away that day, and decided the next that I couldn't pass on the price and bought it.

2013 Black 4x4 Crew Cab Express 5.7L v8/6spd (short bed) experience:
Pros:
- Great ride, Great HP, very comfortable, and after using the backup camera (displayed in Rearview) I would consider it dang near a requirement in a truck this large since it makes backing into spaces so much easier since some smaller cars can't be seen at all behind the tall tailgate. When we had 10 inches of snow recently, it was able to get me home from work with cable chains (side of a mountain).

Cons:
- Gas Mileage horrible. Had a hard time going 2 weeks on a tank of gas. I basically drive about 7 miles each way to work, plus regular errands in a somewhat hilly area (Appalachian Mtns) and would average 12.5 - 13.5 MPG even with "eco" mode and moderate acceleration. The 20x8 tires look good and ride great, but I was not looking forward to the $800 -$1000 to replace them eventually.


I had the truck for 4 months, put about 3k miles on it and while getting an oil change on the truck, I saw they had the last 2013 Ram 1500 4x4 Crew SLT V6/8spd marked down (on the lot for a year). I was able to get a good trade, and picked up the V6 SLT for basically $2k more out the door, putting me around $30k total which was where I was originally willing to be for this particular truck.

2013 Ram 1500 4x4 Crew SLT 3.6L V6/8spd Experience:
PROS:
- As a gadget nut, the UC 5.0 with BT phone connectivity and the EVIC customizable dash is great. The Overhead map lights are a bonus that annoyed me were missing in the Express. On the short bed I find it beneficial to have the sliding rear window to allow me the option to get the occasional few pieces of longer lumber into the cab that don't fit completely into the 5'7" bed (Express had solid rear window).
The gas mileage noticeably better. After 3 weeks of use it is easily averaging 16-17.5 MPG city and I suspect would average 20 - 25 MPG highway. Since the truck is more of a daily driver vs. a work truck, this is ideal for my situation but with the utility bonus when needed.
There is a great initial review and 36k mile review of the 2013 v6 crew at Car & Driver, which makes the 310Hp v6 seem up to most truck tasks, so I am not too worried about choosing it over the 5.7L v8 (4.8L is discontinued anyway and a non-option imo ).
The ride is still great, although there is a bit more "feel" to large road bumps than the Express's 20x8 tires passed to the cab, but the 17x7 tires on the v6 SLT will be noticeably cheaper to replace down the road.

CONS:
- This SLT didn't come with the factory backup camera viewed on the UC 5.0's 5 inch screen. After driving the Express with the Rearview Cam, I see the need for one. Because Ram doesn't offer an add-on harness for this truck's Trim level to bridge the missing wires from the tailgate to the cab, dealers can't add ANY factory camera. But, Jeepguy1980 makes a custom harness to enable the OEM camera to be installed as a DIY and then get the dealer to flash the Parkview Camera code. This is fairly straight forward, and I will be doing this mod within the next week or so, just waiting on the parts.
Edit: RAM now offers dealer add on kits for the ParkView camera to display on the radio. SEE HERE
Also added the Steering Wheel Audio Controls later.

I didn't get a hitch with this one, but that is an easy addition, and may also decide to add the Remote Start myself later. DONE.


Overall I am much happier with the upgraded trim level, extra features, and better gas mileage of the SLT with v6/8spd. I will add that I did originally test drive a used 2013 1500 BigHorn V8/8spd 4x4 Crew which was great overall but cost about $8K-$10k more and the gas mileage seemed only marginally better than the V8/6spd Hemi, but again that was just during the test drive.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your decision.

April 2015 Edit:
When I moved from VA to Southern Indiana a few months ago, I brought a 1 bedroom apt's worth of stuff with me. Had it all loaded in the back seat, bed (under hard cover), and an attached 5x8 uHaul Trailer. Took i77 to i64 through West VA & the Appalachian mountains at about 70mph. Sure the 8spd shifted a lot b/w 6 & 8 gears but it didn't miss a beat keeping things in the right power band. Works for me as a daily driver since I rarely need to tow much anyway.

Another option is the EcoDiesel: EcoDiesel, A Maiden Voyage

 

[ramitva]

Ok everyone today may be a big day. I found a dealer that had a 14 hemi express with the 8 speed transmission, tow package, receiver hitch. I'm going to call them when they open.

 

[audio1der]

I hope whatever you choose works for you.
My vote would be a strong 4.7/8spd. I can't imaging feeding a Hemi gas hog as a daily driver?! We go out of our way not to drive the truck, it's so pathetic on gas. A good friend here has a RCSB 4.7 (we both have the 6spd) and his mileage is SHOCKINGLY better than ours, and the power difference is not night/day. Why would you pay for, and have to feed a Hemi if you don't need it?
To me, many of the responses above like 'Hemi powwwwaaaa" sum it up by young adrenaline junkies who don't value gas mileage whatsoever.
My $.02

 

[Pitch1]

You can forget about hauling that water in a 1500. 8# a gallon plus container is going to bottom out the suspension. Take half a load and you won't go wrong.

I too recommend the 5.7 and at 59 yrs old I am no young testosterone fueled hot rodder. I had a 2012 4.7 that SLT that I traded for a '13 5.7 express. the '13 is heads and shoulders above the '12.

Why would you by a 5000# truck and look at the mileage? It is what it is a big heavy truck and it takes fuel to move it around. 4.7 got way better mileage in OD at 67MPH than I do with the Hemi,(22vs18) but driving around normal use there is no difference, 16 to 19