V8 or V6....need advice?!?!

Ram with a V6 or V8


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    117
  • Poll closed .

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TheEnder

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So I have the v6 penstar in my Pacifica and it is a very good engine, I am just not sure the point of buying a 1500 series truck with a v6. Go get a mid size truck if that is your need.

Many upsides with owning a 1500 with a V6, more reliability, less fuel consumption (i know, it’s a truck, don’t kill me) and so on.


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TheEnder

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I've had 3 Explorers with a V6 and my 98 Dakota was a V6 5speed manual.
None could hold a candle against V8 power.
An old saying still holds true for me:
There's no replacement for displacement.

The 3.7L V6 engine made 230 HP at the time IT WAS DISCONTINUED, so that’s why it was gutless. Ford is null and void imo, very bad car manu.

The Pentastar makes 300HP and it’s paired behind the best transmission ever made..


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TheEnder

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The V6 is a good choice. Remember...it replaced the 318 and the 360 as base engines. Most recently they completely dropped the 4.7 because the V6 got better power and fuel mileage.


So all the guys who used to own a 318...the V6 is more capable and costs less to run.

The HEMI makes great sense though as it is a great all around engine.

But the V6 works well as a light duty truck engine.

The V6 never made better power than the 4.7L did. Horsepower was the exact same, yes, but when it came down to torque, the 4.7L destroyed the 3.6L (70 ft-lbs more tq). I personally think it was a very stupid decision by Chrysler, and that they shouldn’t of done it. I also remember seeing articles come out from late 2012 and early 2013 saying that both the 4.7L and 5.7L engines would come with the 8 speed as an option, but i truly wonder why it never actually came to fruition. I would’ve killed to see what the 4.7L was capable behind such an amazing transmission, compared to the 65RFE which drags any hopes of performance down.


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392DevilDog

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The V6 never made better power than the 4.7L did. Horsepower was the exact same, yes, but when it came down to torque, the 4.7L destroyed the 3.6L (70 ft-lbs more tq). I personally think it was a very stupid decision by Chrysler, and that they shouldn’t of done it. I also remember seeing articles come out from late 2012 and early 2013 saying that both the 4.7L and 5.7L engines would come with the 8 speed as an option, but i truly wonder why it never actually came to fruition. I would’ve killed to see what the 4.7L was capable behind such an amazing transmission, compared to the 65RFE which drags any hopes of performance down.


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I disagree but that is okay. I never liked the 4.7 liter. But it sucks when Mopar does away with your favorite engine. My 8.0 l V10 would love to be mated to a new 8 speed and would eat the 6.4l Hemi lunch.

The 70 extra lb feet the 4.7 had over its 2 less cylinder replacement doesn't make up for the much less fuel efficiency

Just my thought.
 

TheEnder

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I disagree but that is okay. I never liked the 4.7 liter. But it sucks when Mopar does away with your favorite engine. My 8.0 l V10 would love to be mated to a new 8 speed and would eat the 6.4l Hemi lunch.

The 70 extra lb feet the 4.7 had over its 2 less cylinder replacement doesn't make up for the much less fuel efficiency

Just my thought.

It isn’t that much less on fuel efficiency, my 4.7L usually gets around 16 city and 21-25 highway, very good for me personally. It could use a tune up though.

Don’t get me wrong, i love the 3.6L and it’s one of my most favorite engines, incredibly reliable, quick, easy to change the oil on, etc. Very good engine.


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392DevilDog

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It isn’t that much less on fuel efficiency, my 4.7L usually gets around 16 city and 21-25 highway, very good for me personally. It could use a tune up though.

Don’t get me wrong, i love the 3.6L and it’s one of my most favorite engines, incredibly reliable, quick, easy to change the oil on, etc. Very good engine.


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Well, that is much better fuel economy than I remeber.

My friend had the 4.7 in his truck when I still had my 360 powered 2nd Gen...my 360 was faster more powerful and guzzled less gas everytime we went somewhere.

Guess he didnt know how to appreciate it.

Glad the 4.7 was a good motor for you. My other friend really liked his in his Dakota...but that is a much different experience than a full size.
 

TheEnder

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Well, that is much better fuel economy than I remeber.

My friend had the 4.7 in his truck when I still had my 360 powered 2nd Gen...my 360 was faster more powerful and guzzled less gas everytime we went somewhere.

Guess he didnt know how to appreciate it.

Glad the 4.7 was a good motor for you. My other friend really liked his in his Dakota...but that is a much different experience than a full size.

The first gen was a notoriously ****** engine, dropped valves, blew head gaskets every week, and was overall a horrible engine in every way shape and form, not to mention they made as much power as the 3.7L and as much torque with absolutely 0 benefits over the 3.7L. Maybe it sounded better?

The 3rd gen is great. And yes, i agree.


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392DevilDog

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One of the reasons why I think RAM went to the Hemi offering and the V6 offering is that it is easier to know what you are getting.

Remeber in 1992...the 318 Magnum was more powerful than the 360 LA...imagine the complaints if the internet was a thing then...lol
 

TheEnder

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One of the reasons why I think RAM went to the Hemi offering and the V6 offering is that it is easier to know what you are getting.

Remeber in 1992...the 318 Magnum was more powerful than the 360 LA...imagine the complaints if the internet was a thing then...lol

6.4L PowerStroke moment...


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GsRAM

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I was given a cc, 4x4 V6 powered truck as a loaner once by the dealer. I was really impressed with the power for a v6 with that 8 speed. For light loads and/or small trailers I think it's a great option
 

GsRAM

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6.4L PowerStroke moment...


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Lol! Yes, the 6.4 and especially the 6.0 power strokes were total junk. An embarrassment for FoMoCo.
 

PoMansRam

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I was given a cc, 4x4 V6 powered truck as a loaner once by the dealer. I was really impressed with the power for a v6 with that 8 speed. For light loads and/or small trailers I think it's a great option

3-4yrs back, a co-worker of mine was given a pentastar powered Ram 1500 as a loaner. He had just assumed it had a V8 in it. He's owned nothing but F150s. His most recent ones have been ecoboost 3.5's.
 

FL-RAM

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V8
3-4yrs back, a co-worker of mine was given a pentastar powered Ram 1500 as a loaner. He had just assumed it had a V8 in it. He's owned nothing but F150s. His most recent ones have been ecoboost 3.5's.

I had a 2018 F150 Ecoboost As a work truck at my last job. The only real difference in perceived power is that the Ecoboost has a Sport mode. Made the truck acceleration quite quick, but also way too twitchy. Fishtailed that thing almost every time...once almost caused an accident. I rarely used it in Sport mode.
 

Ignacio Rodriguez

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The 6 has been great for me since all I do is in-town driving and no towing or hauling. Once I get on the highways I do notice the lack of power.
 

INNATRUCK

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I've got the 3.6 in my 19' classic, and it does just fine. I don't have a huge camper or anything to pull, so I didn't *need* a 5.7
She still does truck things just fine.
Couple weeks ago I hauled two 3/4 yard loads of gravel.

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Oilfieldman

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Horsepower rating can be deceiving. The torque is what you feel pulling a hill. Also the rpm where peak horsepower is made can be a big factor. The v6 might make similar horsepower but it might be at double the rpm’s. Say if my old half ton dodge with a 360 magnum has a little over 200 horsepower, my wife’s new Subaru has similar horsepower but by no means would I hook my car trailer to the Subaru, this is where the cubic inches helps with torque. And some of the newer small displacement ecoboost motors might make the same horsepower and even the same torque in some cases but the engine is working itself to death to produce that power where a bigger engine can make the same power without having to work as hard so they’ll last longer.
 

Gixxer750

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also here, have the hemi crew cab long bed with the 3.92 rear end, a little pressure on the throttle will easily break traction on wet road, also have been able to get near 21mpg on a trip. love having that power available if needed.
I used alpha to run a diagnostic on a few things in the engine section and now get 27mpg at 35-55 mph. Hemi 4x4 CC w/ 6'4" bed and 63 lbs each wheels. ( heaviest damn things I've ever tried putting on a vehicle lol, especially with rubber and air on top of that. Fuel called them "BEAST" for a reason apparently. Also its a limited. Plus aftermarket junk. Do its bogged down with extra weight everywhere. HEMI fan since 04' ! (All 3.92 rear ends, all 4x4, all loaded...first long full length bed though) #ramslut

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Oilfieldman

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We’ve got a v6 short bed cc where I work that’s used as a parts getter. I drove it home one night and I thought it ran pretty good for a gasoline engine. I was shocked when I realized there were no hemi badges on it. A modern v6 is nothing like a v6 from the 90’s! But as I mentioned earlier the torque is where you’ll notice the difference and the amount of rpm’s the v6 requires to make its peak horsepower. As far as just driving down the road the v6 is plenty for a truck with factory sized tires.
 
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