3.6, 1500, expected real mpg

[TAJ45]

I drive like an Old man, cuz l iz. Anticipating stop, cruise, smooth gentle foot. Going for mpg.
Wife's '20 Pacifica w me drivong will post 26-27 trip and 24-5 as we live in the stix.
Looking to go 1500 used and V6. Really not warming to the 48V etorque. We shut it off on the Pac. when we remember. RAM Svc tech at church said it was in the range of $700 if new battery needed.
Main question is what year/trims can l get w no ETorq? Chiming in w mpg, 3.21 or 3.55s, paper calc is a plus.

 

[IvoryHemi]

Main question is what year/trims can l get w no ETorq?

3.6L V6 was not offered without 48v eTorque in the 5th Gen

 

[Belvedere]

3.6L V6 was not offered without 48v eTorque in the 5th Gen

And only 3.55 gears.

 

[millerbjm]

My 2014 1500 quad cab with the 3.6 and 3.21 gears averaged 19-20 mpg in mixed driving and as much as 23-24 on 60mph level cruising.

 

[barrak]

I drive like an Old man, cuz l iz. Anticipating stop, cruise, smooth gentle foot. Going for mpg.
Wife's '20 Pacifica w me drivong will post 26-27 trip and 24-5 as we live in the stix.
Looking to go 1500 used and V6. Really not warming to the 48V etorque. We shut it off on the Pac. when we remember. RAM Svc tech at church said it was in the range of $700 if new battery needed.
Main question is what year/trims can l get w no ETorq? Chiming in w mpg, 3.21 or 3.55s, paper calc is a plus.

On the RAM at least, e-torque has six different functions. Shutting it off will only disable the start/stop cycles. e-torque battery will always be needed, and it would cost over $2,000 to replace, I think. Edit: Good news is, I'm yet to see a thread here discussing a faulty e-torque battery. Just came across a thread which discussed early e-torque battery issues: e-Torque Battery Pack replacement .

The $700 figure above probably refers to the MGU (e-torque's "alternator"). Disabling the Start/Stop might prolong its life and that of the belt. If the e-torque comes with your chosen truck, I would still use it if MPG is of import, especially since it is covered by the longer 8y/80k drivetrain warranty.

 

[ben b]

I have the 3.6L eTorque and tend to drive at speed limit in town and on highway, seldom above. Get around 19mpg typical. Might get 22-23 at constant 60mph, but that isn't a common driving condition for me. My truck is pretty heavy with a bunch of options; maybe a simpler RAM 1500 would do a little better.

 

[Darksteel165]

On the RAM at least, e-torque has six different functions. Shutting it off will only disable the start/stop cycles. e-torque battery will always be needed, and it would cost over $2,000 to replace, I think. Edit: Good news is, I'm yet to see a thread here discussing a faulty e-torque battery. Just came across a thread which discussed early e-torque battery issues: e-Torque Battery Pack replacement .

The $700 figure above probably refers to the MGU (e-torque's "alternator"). Disabling the Start/Stop might prolong its life and that of the belt. If the e-torque comes with your chosen truck, I would still use it if MPG is of import, especially since it is covered by the longer 8y/80k drivetrain warranty.

There is no 8 year/80k drivetrain warranty.
It's the federal emissions warranty in the USA.
It covers the generator around $700, and the battery pack $1500+
Problems with etorque are common, but doesn't seem to be massively widespread, just defective parts from the factory it would seem (sometimes it waits to rear it's ugly head)
I would expect by 10 years the battery needs to be replaced if nothing else has failed. Without the eTorque battery the truck will not run whatsoever.

 

[TAJ45]

Battery co$t - Hmmm, makes me thinking l may want to consider dealing w potential
"hemi tick, flattened cam lobes plus the 10% minimal real hit on mpg rating.....
Doggone it, l don't want to start looking at a Ridgeline/Hyundai trucklet. No twin scroll turbo Fords either. :/

 

[Darksteel165]

Battery co$t - Hmmm, makes me thinking l may want to consider dealing w potential
"hemi tick, flattened cam lobes plus the 10% minimal real hit on mpg rating.....
Doggone it, l don't want to start looking at a Ridgeline/Hyundai trucklet. No twin scroll turbo Fords either. :/

Well the 3.6 is a Pentastar not a hemi, so no "hemi tick".

If you think you can get a Hyundai truck then you likely don't need a Ram, and you should consider what you want.

Might want to look into an Maverik if you are concerned about MPG.

 

[TAJ45]

I am well aware of the non hemi design status of the 3.6. Also the lack of complaints about premature cam wear in the 3.6. It is the trade off of potential repairs l am balancing for my next purchase. Wife has had several T&C plus her Pacifica. With my light duty, occasional bed use, l consider the hp adequate for my needs. Love the ride as do 99% of the vehicle test writers.
One thing that has stood out is that there seems to be a preponderance of 3.6 ET battery probs compared to the Hemis. Or have l not read enough posts here?

 

[barrak]

Battery co$t - Hmmm, makes me thinking l may want to consider dealing w potential
"hemi tick, flattened cam lobes plus the 10% minimal real hit on mpg rating.....
Doggone it, l don't want to start looking at a Ridgeline/Hyundai trucklet. No twin scroll turbo Fords either. :/

What scares me about battery packs in general is their replacement cost AND labor. Still, that didn't stop me from getting an e-torque. It's battery is covered by the 8y/80k warranty (might be shorter for earlier models), and beyond that, it's not terribly expensive, and I can swap it myself... seemingly (e-Torque Battery Pack replacement).

Would be great if someone would post factory pages for the battery pack/control module swap.

 

[theblet]

My 2014 1500 quad cab with the 3.6 and 3.21 gears averaged 19-20 mpg in mixed driving and as much as 23-24 on 60mph level cruising.

Sounds about the same as my 5.7

 

[irishwake63]

Sounds about the same as my 5.7

Ive got 24 on the hwy not towing with my 5.7 my wifes Lifted Jeep Wrangler with the 3.6 gets about 18 but then again its a wrangler not about aero dynamics there lol

 

[slimchance]

my 2023 RAM Laramie Crew Cab, 5.7 eTorque, 3.92, 5'7" bed with only about 850 miles on it is (hand calculated) getting 20.7 mpg combined driving (last tank today) .. check my Fulley link in signature ... i iz 74 yrs old but i drive around 5 mph over .... no over 65 yet .. we also have Jeep JTs (2) w/3.6 and they only match this mpg

 

[Threesuns1]

I've gotten as high 24 mpg heading 180 miles down the eastern shore of Maryland, lifetime average so for 20.53. Towing a 4000# boat/tailer 180 miles to shore I got 18.1.

 

[habu987]

You can see my specs in my sig. I live in a hilly area and drive with a light foot. My best tank was ~20mpg on a mostly flat road trip to NY and OH with several hundred pounds of gear in the bed and a cab full of passengers.

My truck had a ~1100 lb payload pre-tonneau cover.