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2019 V6 Pentastar Reviews?

BigCountry_

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Hey all. I'm strongly considering getting the 2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn with the V6. I'm tired or reading what the EPA says the mpg "should" be or how much the truck "should" be able to tow. What's it like in the real world? (MPG, towing, overall utility, etc.) Thanks!
 

silver billet

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Hey all. I'm strongly considering getting the 2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn with the V6. I'm tired or reading what the EPA says the mpg "should" be or how much the truck "should" be able to tow. What's it like in the real world? (MPG, towing, overall utility, etc.) Thanks!

I had the v6 in my Jeep GC. It's a great motor in terms of NVH, runs smooth, never gave me a single issue and sold it at 150,000 Km. However, matched with the 5 speed transmission, it was a pure and utter dog. It needs to rev to about 2700 RPM before the power finally came on in a noticeable way.

If you're just moving kids back and forth in the city, it's an OK option.

If you're going to work the truck, you will probably regret the v6, even with the much better 8 speed transmission.

As for MPG, I think the difference is minimal, if any. My jeep got the same mpg in winter driving that I'm getting in a heavier truck with the hemi. My truck with the hemi is hanging around 13.1 L/100KM, and my jeep was the same. On a recent 3 hour freeway trip unloaded, my truck got 9.7 L/100KM, my Jeep on the same run did a little better at 9.3 L/100KM.

I'll take the penny hit on gas every time, already I'm kind of wondering what the 3.92 axle would do instead of the 3.21. You'll never say: "gee, what was I thinking, this truck has way too much power for me". You will only think "I wish I paid less in gas", but, that difference in gas is objectively minimal. Maybe couple hundred bucks a year difference, if that.

For the price of an oil change or two per year, you get a much nicer driving experience with the hemi.
 

JustMe

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Hate to beat a dead horse. or be repeating myself . . . but I have to agree ! Wanderer, you've been "around the block" and should know that most of these questions are subjective to ones own Requirements for a truck .
I've also experienced the "new rebirth-ed Hemi" per 2003 Dodge (RAM) 2 door 4x2 1500 for 13 years. That too was the old 5 speed, but boy up till the day I sold it . . . that truck could "haul -a**" when putting the pedal to the metal !
Plus now, I've experienced the Pentastar with the new 8-speed in my 2016 G. Cherokee ! I'm just a bit disappointed, but coming from the Hemi, I suppose that was to be expected. The V6 is more "refined" and not responsive enough for my tastes, in the Passing dept. when it is needed most . . . getting out of sticky situations in a hurry . . . !
It too has been Very Reliable and also with NO Issues, other than the occasional TSB, more to do with the Electronics end of how the motor or tranny functions . Then of course the NEW-ist "refined" Hemi paired with the 8-speed and its ability to go to 4 cylinders . . . that must be NICE . . . pair it with the AIR Cooled eTorque version and I could be persuaded to go that route versus the V6 Water cooled eTorque ! ?? With start / stop being the annoying thing that it is, the eTorque REALLY Smooths those Issues out . . . I REALLY appreciated those test drives I've taken in RAMs this past year - V6 & V8 ! But in the end it's ALL UP TO THE BUYERS CHOICE -- GOTTA GO DO YOUR OWN TESTING, MORE THAN ONCE OR TWICE . . . in my humble opinion, of course .
 

taz2016

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Since no one with a 2019 V6 Ram replied I will. I own a 2019 1500 which has a 305 hp Pentastar. I believe that is more than either of the Jeeps mentioned. With the added torque of the motor/generator and the 8 speed transmission it is perfectly adequate for all of my uses. When I want to have fun I jump into my 460 hp Corvette, so yes I know performance.
So far I have only towed light loads which were unnoticeable. My Pentastar is rated for towing almost 7500 lbs with its 3.55 gears. If I planned to tow much heavier loads I probably would have bought a Hemi.
It's hard to determine real mpg but from what I can tell a V6 is good for 2-4 better mpg than a comparable V8. I personally get 19-19.5 actual mpg overall on the somewhat hilly roads around me.
 

sonny1

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Just turned 6k miles on my 2019 ram classic 1500 warlock edition. I live at 8500 ft in the mountains of Colorado and the truck has been flawless. It has all the power i need, gets Between 19.5 and 23.5 mpg . Up here in the mountains at 45-60 mph i get between 23.5 and 24 mpg. On the highway on a recent trip to Missouri i got between 19.5 in windy conditions to 22.5 with light winds driving 65-70 mph. I dont tow any thing so cant comment on that but i haul alot of firewood and its handled it fine. Goes good in the snow also. The Warlock edition adds a factory 1" lift so im not sure if that affects mpg but could possibly be a little better without the lift? The only minor thing i would mention is that the tranny does downshift on the slightest of hills while driving on the highway. Not a big deal as every Dodge ive owned whether a 6 or 8 cylinder has done it. One last thing is i do drive conservatively so if your a lead foot i envision much worse mpg figures than i posted.
 

BigCountry_

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Thanks for the responses y’all! It’s very helpful to get different perspectives like this! I currently drive an ailing 2007 Dodge Caliber, and have had to drive more conservatively as the car gets older. I think the V6 will have plenty of power for my needs while still being an economic option. I ran the numbers, and getting the V6 over the V8 eTorque saves me a whopping $5K over at 15 year period. That’s if gas prices remain at $2.5/gallon the whole time. Probably over thinking it but it still helped to make the decision.

Ram should really consider making a V6 turbo like Ford.
 

cbadge

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Overall no complaints at 5300 miles. Mpg at 18 but a lot of steep grade driving.
 

J-Cooz

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I don't think the mpg will be anywhere near what the EPA rates it in the Ram.
I had a grand Cherokee SRT with the 6.4L Hemi (475hp). On the highway I would get 21-22mpg. My mom has had several Jeep GC summits with the V6 and they all get very similar mileage. The V6 just has to work so much harder around town and on the highway to maintain speed.
 

Billy James

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Here is my two cents. I had a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with 3.73 gears and the Pentastar V-6: it was a great engine. I never had a problem with it in everyday driving to and from work, etc... I really didn't notice any inadequacies with the V6 until I was on a highway with some hills. That V6 had to work hard going up hill at highway speeds. If you get the V6, then be prepared because you will need to get the RPMS up pretty high to maintain highway speeds on hills or when pulling a trailer. My Jeep weighed significantly less than these RAMS do. Both the Jeep and the RAM are like bricks in the wind; so it isn't until you get up to speed that the engine needs to work harder to overcome wind resistance. Personally, I would not buy a V6 ram because the ruck is so large and heavy. In addition, I have an 18 foot bass boat that I tow around often. I don't need the power all of the time, but its better to have power and not need it than to not have power when you need it.
You have to do what is right for you. I would not rely upon your fuel cost calculations to make the decision because if you drive fast or if you drive on a lot of hills that V6 will be hitting high RPMS and sucking down gas like nobody's business. For the record, my V-6 Wrangler got better everyday MPG than my Hemi RAM by about 1.5 MPG; my Hemi Ram gets better highway mileage than the V-6 Wrangler by about 2 MPG.
Good luck with your decision; just make sure that you really get what you want so you won't be disappointed. Its a lot cheaper to buy what you want now rather than to eat a lot of depreciation in a year or two.
 

habu987

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If you look through my post history, I've got several threads on my experiences with my truck; you can also see my mpg in my sig.
 

jlau76

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Here's my thoughts on the V6.

Fuel Economy: It's great. It's way better then my 2010 JK and 2011 JKU but for comparison against the 5.7, for me it was a big difference. I was unfortunate enough to have someone back into my truck three weeks ago and my rental was a Big Horn 5.7L. The only difference between my rental and my truck was the engine, everything else was the same. I didn't change my driving routine (same path, same gas, etc...). I was getting ~550Km out of one tank vs. my truck i was able to get ~800km consistently. The 5.7L i was getting roughly 16L/100km whereas the 3.6L I was getting 11L/100 with 50% hwy. I tried getting the 5.7L down to below 16L/100KM but it was tough - please note that the recommended fuel for 5.7L is 91 vs. 3.6L it's anything above 87, therefore that's probably one of the reasons why fuel consumption was really high on the 5.7L.

Power: The power in the 5.7L was nice and made it through highway sections with a slight slope effortlessly, however consumed a lot more fuel. With the 3.6L it does down shift on those same sections with an increase in fuel consumption, but not as nearly as much as the 5.7L. I find the sweet spot on the 3.6L is at 4K-5K and it's very smooth. It's a high reving engine. Very peppy compared to the 5.7L

Overall: like others have pointed out, you have to try them both. I no longer have buyers remorse because I am not hauling anything that my 3.6L can't handle and saving on fuel (and initial capital outlay). I am basically using my truck as a cool minivan.

Hope this helps.
 

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