V6 worth the reduced price?

[garner]

Hey guys,

So I'm thinking about getting back into a Ram as my mustang is almost out of warranty(32,000 miles) and an extended warranty is going to cost me about $2600. However, I'm in sticker shock at how expensive these trucks have gotten in the 3 years since I bought my 2012. I'm seeing 2wd lonestar stickering for $42k, mind you my 2012 lonestar crew was a hair over $36k, and the only differences are the 8 speed and the premium group($600 option).

Now I do qualify for a decent discount being a dealership employee, but I'm still trying to find ways to cut costs. My main one is going to a quad cab, loved my regular cab as it was perfect size but I wanna keep a back seat just in case and my crew was way too big; however that still puts me around $38k for a lonestar 2wd hemi.

My second cost cutting option is sticking with the pentastar v6, but I just don't know if it's worth the reduced cost. Of course the 25 mpg EPA rating appeals to me as I drive 80 miles a day for work but I know I will never hit that as my commute is hilly and I feel the truck will struggle greatly. For reference, my mustang is rated at 25 highway but I average 21-22. Also, I do not like the lack of gear ratio options.

For those with the Pentastar V6, do you feel like it is an adequate motor for commuting and worth the window sticker savings over the hemi?

 

[csuder99]

Yes, and no.

Yes: My truck lives on the east side of the Cascades in OR and goes up the mountains almost daily. It's used as a glorified SUV, mostly just me and sometimes 4-5 people + bikes. The V6 (with 3.55 gears) is perfectly capable in this application.

No: If you want the Hemi, buy the Hemi. I could have gotten a Hemi for a few hundred more but didn't want it for its bad gas mileage and the six speed downgrade (8 speed Hemis were rare back then). The V8 and 8 speed transmission are $1650 which in the greater scheme of things is not that expensive, especially seeing 10k off right now.

 

[baum]

with the way they discount these trucks you should be able to get 10-14k off of sticker msrp. my new laramie was stickered at 49.9k i got it for about 35.2k.

that being said i had a '13 v6 with the 8sp. when i test drove it in '13 the hemi was still only a 6sp. drive wise i actually thought the v6 could keep up with the hemi 6sp. that being said i upgraded to a '15 hemi 8sp and its no comparison.

 

[spoon059]

$2600 for an extended warranty is too much money, but $36,000 for a new truck is your solution?

 

[SlowRoller]

Unless the Mustang has constantly been in the shop, I'd place less importance on a warranty.
If the Mustang has been trouble free, keep it and forgo any Warranty.

Once you clear 100,000 miles, then you might consider it being 'used',,, At 32k, it's far from being worn/old enough to be problematic.

 

[garner]

I don't like $2600 for warranty cause it only covers 6/125,000 from date of purchase which for me would mean it ends in July 2019. So basically it's only a 4 year/93,000 mile warranty meaning I would run out of miles by the end of 2018. I've only had it in for warranty work twice so far, but I'm just really worried about the Ac going out in a couple years especially since some days it seems to struggle.

 

[garner]

I really wish I knew how they calculated all these $10k plus offers. I'm looking at a quad cab and even after invoice+holdback+rebates($4175) it only comes to $7821 off of MSRP.

 

[Csanders1992]

I really wish I knew how they calculated all these $10k plus offers. I'm looking at a quad cab and even after invoice+holdback+rebates($4175) it only comes to $7821 off of MSRP.

The 10k off is generally the higher trim levels, likes sport and up it seems.


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[Casper]

I drove a 2015 Ram-1500 QC rental with V-6 a few weeks back. It's okay, and Texas can be pretty flat, but I really missed my Hemi at freeway merge time.

As far as best price, wait until late October--2016s will be stacking up and dealer will be marking down remaining 2015s ~$10K off of sticker; before you even start the negotiations.

 

[Mpgrimm2]

I really like my 2013 v6/8spd 4x4 CC. Had a 2013 v8/6spd 4x4 CC and traded it in. Bought both trucks b/w November 2013 & April 2014 at 10-12k off. I shopped around for about a year. You can see my post about it HERE.

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

 

[R/T_Fire]

Alot of variables in your situation to look at, do you want a truck IE RAM over having a mustang, what trim model is the mustang and are you in it just for a warranty, you'll loose more on your down payment on the ram then you will to just put out the $2600 in my opinion unless you get a 50% discount and have a zero interest loan.

Not knowing why you exactly want a ram its hard to say, but also are you more a v8 guy or is it about $$$$

all in all in the long run you's be better off to keep the mustang, get the warranty run it to 75k-100k sell it then go buy a RAM. if its paid off now then keep making your payment to yourself as your down payment to your ram and do it when you can comfortably get into the trim and model RAM you desire.

Bringing on more debt only makes it worse. and not knowing if your good on the mustang paid off or upsidedown on the value also plays alot into it.

 

[htwo]

Hey guys,

So I'm thinking about getting back into a Ram as my mustang is almost out of warranty(32,000 miles) and an extended warranty is going to cost me about $2600. However, I'm in sticker shock at how expensive these trucks have gotten in the 3 years since I bought my 2012. I'm seeing 2wd lonestar stickering for $42k, mind you my 2012 lonestar crew was a hair over $36k, and the only differences are the 8 speed and the premium group($600 option).

Now I do qualify for a decent discount being a dealership employee, but I'm still trying to find ways to cut costs. My main one is going to a quad cab, loved my regular cab as it was perfect size but I wanna keep a back seat just in case and my crew was way too big; however that still puts me around $38k for a lonestar 2wd hemi.

My second cost cutting option is sticking with the pentastar v6, but I just don't know if it's worth the reduced cost. Of course the 25 mpg EPA rating appeals to me as I drive 80 miles a day for work but I know I will never hit that as my commute is hilly and I feel the truck will struggle greatly. For reference, my mustang is rated at 25 highway but I average 21-22. Also, I do not like the lack of gear ratio options.

For those with the Pentastar V6, do you feel like it is an adequate motor for commuting and worth the window sticker savings over the hemi?

Don't just look at the reduced up front cost of the V8. I was unable to find a newer (slightly used) V6 truck in stock at the time and got a great deal on my 2011 Hemi.

Most of my driving is in town and I only drive 10K miles a year. However, the V6 will offer decent mileage all around, especially with the 3.55 gears and 8 speed auto.

Up front cost and fuel savings is one thing. The 3.6L is a strong engine and pulls great from 1500rpm up (I have it in a 3800lb 2012 Chrysler 200 6 speed), the V6 will also save in maintenance with it's lower cylinder count and longer life plugs over the HEMI. The HEMI should eat 89 octane, where the V6 can eat 87 all the time without complaint. I'm not sure if the 3.6 V6 in the RAM is flexfuel or not, but if it is, running E85 could be a low cost option as well depending on the cost of 87 octane in your area. The V6 is also lighter weight, so you should be able to get more miles out of a set of tires. 300hp is plenty for a truck this size as the torque, although not close to the V8, comes on strong down low and continues well through the midrange. The V6 can tow 7K pounds, so it is a capable engine.

 

[Mpgrimm2]

Pentastar v6 RAM is e85 rated

Sent from my LG G4 on Tapatalk.

 

[garner]

Drove a hemi crew with the 3.21 gears today, while it did have good pick up I still wanted more. We don't have any pentastar v6 on the lot so couldn't test drive one, but I'm worried the v6 may not be adequate for my desire after feeling the hemi 3.21 combo. Dodge dealer about 70 miles away from work has both v6 and hemi 3.92 so might go there on my day off just to get a feel for them both.


Equity wise, I'll end up decent OTD. I'll roll over $4k, then rebates will eat it up and then some. Quad cab I mentioned earlier had a sticker of about $38k so after everything I'll be at about $35k+tt&l so $37-38k OTD with $0 down.

 

[drittal]

Newer Ford AC struggles in hot weather, no just yours.

 

[DannyMK2]

Up front cost and fuel savings is one thing. The 3.6L is a strong engine and pulls great from 1500rpm up (I have it in a 3800lb 2012 Chrysler 200 6 speed), the V6 will also save in maintenance with it's lower cylinder count and longer life plugs over the HEMI. The HEMI should eat 89 octane, where the V6 can eat 87 all the time without complaint. I'm not sure if the 3.6 V6 in the RAM is flexfuel or not, but if it is, running E85 could be a low cost option as well depending on the cost of 87 octane in your area. The V6 is also lighter weight, so you should be able to get more miles out of a set of tires. 300hp is plenty for a truck this size as the torque, although not close to the V8, comes on strong down low and continues well through the midrange. The V6 can tow 7K pounds, so it is a capable engine.

1) new hemi's have long life plugs as well.
2) the hemi runs fine on 87 octane
3) running e85 wont save you much, if anything.
4) i dont know the actual weight difference but i cant imagine that the hemi is heavier to the fact that you could actually factor in additional tire wear.

also, with the higher initial cost of the hemi, you also get a higher resale value in the future. something to consider as well.

bottom line if you want the hemi you should probably get it, otherwise youll always have that regret. my thinking is that if the v6 didnt bother you, you wouldnt have made this thread.

 

[Zeak]

If your that concerned that the Mustang needs more warranty at 32k get rid of it. I do doubt that it would give you any troubles but if so I for sure wouldn't own one.

I'm sure the V6 would be plenty adequate but if your already saying the Hemi with 3.21s feels underpowered then it seems like you are looking for more than what the V6 has to offer.

 

[darthdzl]

Drove a hemi crew with the 3.21 gears today, while it did have good pick up I still wanted more. We don't have any pentastar v6 on the lot so couldn't test drive one, but I'm worried the v6 may not be adequate for my desire after feeling the hemi 3.21 combo. Dodge dealer about 70 miles away from work has both v6 and hemi 3.92 so might go there on my day off just to get a feel for them both.

Reality check: are you gonna race it or haul with it?

I can sympathize, as I went from a small sporty car that I loved to drive fast to my Ram. The tendency to keep driving in a (ahem) spirited fashion is strong, but if your primary motivation is the cargo capacity, or its ability to tow, or just more space overall, you may just need to get used to something a bit slower than one of the fastest cars available in the country (assuming your Mustang is a GT or V8 of some sort).

The V6 gets up and goes when you need it to and gets great mileage on the highway, but it's a bit short in the torque department. So if you're towing a lot or hauling a lot of passengers and/or cargo, you may need to look at the Ecodiesel (even better mileage and tons of torque) or the Hemi (okay mileage but tons of power and torque). Since the 3.21s felt a bit "slow", you might opt for the 3.92s if you go that route.

Either way, don't get a 6-speed Hemi just to save money, unless cheapest out-the-door price is a priority. It's going to go slower [EDIT: than an 8-speed Hemi] and get worse mileage than any 8-speed combo on the lot.

 

[garner]

Well this truck search is not going as I planned. Every truck I look for is non existent how I want it optioned, or is states away and we are unable to get due to dealership policy.

Lonestar- too many options, wrong color, or not enough options.
R/T- same as Lonestar. Found one exactly how I want it, but right on Mexico border so no go for safety reasons.
Sport qc- found 2 optioned how I want but are in Arizona and wrong color
Tradesman qc- found 3 mostly how I want but have carpet delete option and are in California/michigan

 

[darthdzl]

Pickins are starting to get slim on '15 trucks that aren't higj-end on lots. If you'd like me to help you look, just gimme your exact list of options and your zip code in a PM, along with a list of things you're willing to live without if necessary. I can make that inventory search my *****.