V6 or V8

[firechef996]

Hey all been searching around and can not seem to see anything to help me out here. I am trying to decide on a limited or a laramie V6 decked out with all the bells. I love the idea of the better gas milage but am worried for future towing. Not looking for a huge camper but maybe a 24 foot camper or a pontoon/boat in the future. I am not one of those guys who needs or wants a Hemi but I dont want to block myself from a responsive truck on the road and towing. I want to get up and around someone with the truck like my charger ha..

Thanks!

 

[Rick3478]

Unless you never go over 45 MPH, there isn't really that much better mileage with the V6. Forget the pie-in-the-sky EPA numbers, no one gets that anyway. In the real world, weight and aerodynamics are the main factors, and they are nearly the same with either engine. You CAN tow with either one, but the six is more likely to be pushed to its limits which may shorten its life. My $.02.

 

[Belvedere]

 

[Richard320]

Check weights on a 24 foot camper. Odds are, the tongue weight plus the hitch plus the passengers will put you well over the truck's GVW. And that's before you put anything at all in the bed! So the question of which engine is a moot point. If it's just a vague dream and you probably won't ever be pulling a trailer, then it's probably difficult to justify the V8. Unless you're like me..... The last V8 I drove regularly was my mom's wood-panelled station wagon in high school. Given how long I hang on to cars and my age, this pickup might be the last new car I ever buy for myself, and I wanted a V8.

 

[habu987]

My lifetime mpg is in my sig with about a 60/40 mix of city/highway miles. I had a V6 '19 Longhorn with everything but ORG for a bit over 3 years and drove with a light foot in a hilly area. I did not tow.

If I were to buy another Longhorn, I'd get the diesel.

 

[silver billet]

Fuelly reports show that the 5.7 gets about 16 to 17 mpg (avg) with the 3.6 getting about 19 to 20 (avg).

I had a smaller Jeep GC with the 3.6 and it got about 1 to 2 mpg more than my bigger/heavier 5.7 truck over the course of a year.

Not apples to apples, but the biggest gains are probably in the city. The more city driving you do, the bigger the gap between v6 and v8. On the highway with the 3.21, the v8 will hold 8th gear and basically "idle" down the road if you're careful with it, the v6 revs higher and works harder to pull the same load.

If you get the v6, I'd avoid the 3.21 with that engine (3.21 in the hemi is great) as many report that it can't hold 8th gear on the highway all that often.

If you're even thinking about towing > 20 feet all that often I'd get the v8 no question.

 

[boogielander]

v8 or bust my guy.
or if you're really worried about towing... diesel.

 

[Eighty]

Except that you can’t order an EcoDiesel anymore. At least, not in the 1500’s.

 

[Threesuns1]

I have the V6 and it fits my needs, but I don't really tow anything with it and would not recommend it for towing anything bigger than a utility trailer or small aluminum boat occasionally. (I have a 2000 F250 and 2001 Ram 2500 diesels to tow with) If I planned on towing and I didn't have the other trucks, I would have gone with the 3500 diesel. My average MPG over the first year was 20.36, hand calculated.

 

[User_3336]

The Fast Lane Truck channel compared a V6 with the Hemi on the Ike Gauntlet. The V6 struggled all the way with towing (test truck was a Crew Cab Tradesman with 3.21 Axle Ratio. these are real world tests and comparisons. For around town and commuting, V6 will probably be ample.
If you have the budget, go for the 5.7 Hemi with the 3.55 or 3.92 Axle Ratio. This config will handle anything without straining itself.

 

[Ramroo]

I personally think you need to be thinking about a HD Ram. I personally would go with a single rear wheel 3500. You are talking about wanting good gas mileage with V6 and tow up to a 24 ft camper. And you think moving up to hemi is enough and that maybe overkill. Nope. Thinking way too small in my opinion.

I think you need to think less about what an engine can tow with a 1500. Very deceiving numbers. Towing a 24 ft or even a 20 ft camper with hemi, 3.92 is going to be too much to do it comfortably. Again, my opinion and I would not do it.

Why would you want to have to constantly crunch the payload you are carrying, and limit what you can haul, and have a death grip on the wheel with 2 hands with winds. Nah.

Quit thinking about gas mileage. Start building HD trucks. Be comfortable while you tow.

 

[Davidbt]

If you think a travel trailer is in your future, definitely go with the 5.7. I tow a 26' travel trailer that weighs 5,500lbs loaded and my new to me 21' 1500 with the 3.92 gears does so much better than my 22' Gladiator max tow ever did.

 

[Brunzca]

In addition to what’s already been said - resale on the V8 is significantly better than the 6 cyl. not sure if that matters, but you’ll likely get a lot more back out of it than paying the $3k extra upfront now (or whatever it is)

 

[Rick3478]

If you think a travel trailer is in your future, definitely go with the 5.7. I tow a 26' travel trailer that weighs 5,500lbs loaded and my new to me 21' 1500 with the 3.92 gears does so much better than my 22' Gladiator max tow ever did.

FWIW my wish list said 4 ~ 5 litres when I was comparing brands. After settling on Ram for other reasons, was left with choice of bigger or smaller engine. The 5.2 (318) could have happened if it were still available, but the 3.6 just wouldn't have been adequate. Which is a bit ironic in itself because Ram's hype over the Pentastar was that it would be a versatile engine family in displacements from 3.0 to 4.0 and forced induction capable. Instead they decided to build only a 3.6 that is oversize for cars but undersize for serious trucks, and never put a turbo on it. Someone probably got paid good money for that decision, but it killed the engine's potential IMO. If they had made a 4.0 version, I might have one today. So anyway the 5.7 I settled on is a bit more engine than I needed, but I'm reasonably happy with it. And yeah I ramble a little bit once in awhile, thanks for putting up with me.

 

[User_3336]

The Pentastar V6 even underpowered for the Jeep Grand Cherokee I leased a while back. That's a HEAVY vehicle, and sometimes it struggled.

Now, the Pentastar V6 in a Charger, sufficient.

 

[User_3336]

Here is an example of a local dealer. They have about 6 of these at one dealer, 4 at another, 2 at one, and 3 at another dealer. All within 100 miles of each other.
These trucks have been sitting on the lot a while. A few as far back as 6/22. They literally can't sell them.
Look at the incentives now as of 2/23. Well, maybe price will sell them, but obviously no one wants a base Big Horn V6 Crew Cab with a 3.21 axle ratio. 2 at one dealer are 4x4's (about $3,000more).

I'm not a V6 hater, but they ain't moving 'round here. Even with almost $11,000 off.

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

The Fast Lane Truck channel compared a V6 with the Hemi on the Ike Gauntlet. The V6 struggled all the way with towing (test truck was a Crew Cab Tradesman with 3.21 Axle Ratio. these are real world tests and comparisons. For around town and commuting, V6 will probably be ample.
If you have the budget, go for the 5.7 Hemi with the 3.55 or 3.92 Axle Ratio. This config will handle anything without straining itself.

Well of course the little 6 struggled. It was stuck with anemic 3.21 gears (@Eighty see how my gear post radar picked up on that? ). Even the 5.7 struggles with those gears. By the way, you don't get 3.55 with 5.7 unless you get 3.92 and put 35s on it.

All gear bashing aside, I think @Rick3478 is right. For gas milage it is more about aerodynamics. The 300 I just got weighs over 4000 pounds. It has a 6.4 and still gets better milage than my lifted truck with a 5.7.

 

[Belvedere]

Yeah, there have been a couple V6 trucks sitting at my local dealer...

BTW, there was a 3.2L Pentastar as well. Decent motor, but would have preferred the 3.6L and definitely the 8-spd over the 9... Sorry, different topic.

 

[Rick3478]

Yeah, there have been a couple V6 trucks sitting at my local dealer...

BTW, there was a 3.2L Pentastar as well. Decent motor, but would have preferred the 3.6L and definitely the 8-spd over the 9... Sorry, different topic.

Didn't know they made a 3.2, obviously not offered in any vehicles I looked at. My wife had a 2.7 in a Concorde that was a pretty zippy little engine, but apples and oranges...

 

[Belvedere]

Didn't know they made a 3.2, obviously not offered in any vehicles I looked at. My wife had a 2.7 in a Concorde that was a pretty zippy little engine, but apples and oranges...

Only thing I'm aware of it being in is the 2014+ Cherokee. I loved mine till they recalled and reprogrammed my transmission. They bought it back and I got a 3.6L 300 AWD. Absolutely loved that car. Always wished it had the Hemi, but they quit doing Hemi AWD by that time, and I never really needed a V8 in that car. The interior of my Rebel reminds me so much of that car. One reason I chose Ram.