Bad fuel mileage 5.7 hemi

[Gman]

Why 4WD Auto? What had you concerned about losing traction on your drive, especially at 75mph?

 

[JordanHRP]

We are looking at getting a 1500, definitely will be 4wd. But not sure what engine might be a good fit for us. We do want the Hemi, our driving is maybe 70%+ highway driving at speeds of 70-80mph. From what I'm reading it doesn't sound like the Etorque engine will do us any good with mileage...and it's directed more for only city driving is this correct?

 

[Willwork4truck]

We are looking at getting a 1500, definitely will be 4wd. But not sure what engine might be a good fit for us. We do want the Hemi, our driving is maybe 70%+ highway driving at speeds of 70-80mph. From what I'm reading it doesn't sound like the Etorque engine will do us any good with mileage...and it's directed more for only city driving is this correct?

It is better for city however that 30% you spoke of would benefit you, as well as any times you are just tooling around town.
This coming from a non etorque owner who has about the same % as you.

 

[Gman]

Learn about the 6 functions of eTorque and then make your decision. There are quite a few threads on the subject including links to videos.

 

[‘19ramlveryeha]

We are looking at getting a 1500, definitely will be 4wd. But not sure what engine might be a good fit for us. We do want the Hemi, our driving is maybe 70%+ highway driving at speeds of 70-80mph. From what I'm reading it doesn't sound like the Etorque engine will do us any good with mileage...and it's directed more for only city driving is this correct?

I wish I had got the e torque. My avg mpg has been hovering between 14-1.5 mpg. My morning commute is 22 miles. I hit 4 stops once I’m out on the longest part and my speed in that part ranges from 35-55 mpg. Then city. When I do manage to get on the freeway the avg bumps up to about 20-21 mpg. Pretty good In my opinion. I do about 70% city right now and it is killing my mpg. I wish I had got the etorque.


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[rrbhokies]

I wish I had got the e torque. My avg mpg has been hovering between 14-1.5 mpg. My morning commute is 22 miles. I hit 4 stops once I’m out on the longest part and my speed in that part ranges from 35-55 mpg. Then city. When I do manage to get on the freeway the avg bumps up to about 20-21 mpg. Pretty good In my opinion. I do about 70% city right now and it is killing my mpg. I wish I had got the etorque.


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I hear you brother. I'm about 80% city with a 15 minute radius for all my local driving needs for commuting and shopping. There are stop lights everywhere and I rarely get above 45 or 50 mph. It's only that 20% when I hit the limited access roads where I can get above 55mph. As you can see, my average mpg is only 11.8 and that's actually generous because recently I did a short trip on the highway which boosted it. Normally, it's closer to 10.5 and I don't have the eTorque either. I feel your pain. The good news for me is that I barely put 8k miles on my cars per year, so it isn't going to put a significant dent in my wallet. What IS killing me are all these mods that I'm doing by following this forum! A new exhaust here, a sway bar there, plasti dip here, tow hooks there, etc. etc. the list goes on and on. Now THAT has put a giant HOLE in my wallet!

 

[‘19ramlveryeha]

I hear you brother. I'm about 80% city with a 15 minute radius for all my local driving needs for commuting and shopping. There are stop lights everywhere and I rarely get above 45 or 50 mph. It's only that 20% when I hit the limited access roads where I can get above 55mph. As you can see, my average mpg is only 11.8 and that's actually generous because recently I did a short trip on the highway which boosted it. Normally, it's closer to 10.5 and I don't have the eTorque either. I feel your pain. The good news for me is that I barely put 8k miles on my cars per year, so it isn't going to put a significant dent in my wallet.

Yeah man. Freaking city driving. It’s interesting though because at times my instant mpg is always really good 20+ even when I’ve done 70 it’s like 19-21. That’s still super good. Just need to take longer road trips. What drives the avg down is when I’m leaving a stop and the instant drops to 2-9 depending on how heavy I get on the gas. If I’m super light and give it time to get to speed it’ll only dip down till like 8-9. When I get on it it’ll get all the way down to 2.


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[Gman]

If you're in the single digits anyway, get it to speed and get off the gas. Keeping it 8-9 for longer won't help your mileage. I also choose routes for my commute that may cover a bit more distance, but have fewer stops. Boosts the mpg and there was really no difference in commute time.

 

[rrbhokies]

If you're in the single digits anyway, get it to speed and get off the gas. Keeping it 8-9 for longer won't help your mileage. I also choose routes for my commute that may cover a bit more distance, but have fewer stops. Boosts the mpg and there was really no difference in commute time.

Wife hates me for that, but I always say I will drive a few minutes further to avoid traffic and lights, and while the perception may be that it takes longer, the reality ends up being that it takes about the same amount of time.

 

[Billy James]

My daily average is 16.5 driving to and from work. In hot weather and heavier traffic it will drop as low as 15.3. This weekend I took a 400 mile all highway trip and the truck did pretty well. On the trip out (about 200 miles) I averaged 18.3 MPG with a fully loaded bed and cab (about 1,000 pounds) in a driving rain storm; although having to slow to 50 MPH at times may have helped. On the way home it was smooth sailing (unloaded) at 70 MPH with no wind and at night (so a little cooler); I averaged 19.7.
While my RAM has caused a significant increase in the amount I pay for gas every month; for a truck this large I think it does pretty well insofar as mileage is concerned. I will say though that I drive pretty easy usually (no hard acceleration, keep an even speed so MDS is engaged, take advantage of coasting to slow). The few times that I put the accelerator to the floor, I can see the MPG instantly drop. Sitting in traffic is even worse in this truck...you can almost watch the gas gauge dropping.

 

[Gman]

Sitting in traffic is even worse in this truck...you can almost watch the gas gauge dropping.

Advantage, eTorque.

 

[cotonymopar]

I stopped watching the gas gauge in my 03 ram 1500 hemi... my truck will never be a prius, and I do not want it to be. It is a truck, not a race car, or a prius. It is a blast to drive, hauls what I need easily, is avail to switch from family hauler to work hauler, looks great, rides great, run great. I did not want etorque, did not need it, wanted 3.92 gears, wanted 4x4, wanted crew, wanted black appearance, and drove over 100 miles away to get what I wanted. Been driving a mopar truck since 97, and have not looked back. Not meaning to sound harsh, but again, this is not set up as a 30 mpg vehicle... it gets what it suggests if you do not treat it as a muscle car. There is a sweet spot, and if you are really concerned, drive with the cruise control on.

 

[‘19ramlveryeha]

I stopped watching the gas gauge in my 03 ram 1500 hemi... my truck will never be a prius, and I do not want it to be. It is a truck, not a race car, or a prius. It is a blast to drive, hauls what I need easily, is avail to switch from family hauler to work hauler, looks great, rides great, run great. I did not want etorque, did not need it, wanted 3.92 gears, wanted 4x4, wanted crew, wanted black appearance, and drove over 100 miles away to get what I wanted. Been driving a mopar truck since 97, and have not looked back. Not meaning to sound harsh, but again, this is not set up as a 30 mpg vehicle... it gets what it suggests if you do not treat it as a muscle car. There is a sweet spot, and if you are really concerned, drive with the cruise control on.

Cruise control is actually not good for mpg. I don’t think anyone doesn’t enjoy everything about the truck. But if a certain avg is advertised I hope some of us see the advertised avg. I drove the same distance for the same reason to get what i wanted. Here’s a photo of my drive today. The e torque would have been nice to have especially in the city. Especially to pump this avg numbers up.

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[FlyNavy]

26 MPG! I couldn't believe it. 1500 5.7 Was averaging about 55 MPH.

 

[Billy James]

View attachment 33945
26 MPG! I couldn't believe it. 1500 5.7 Was averaging about 55 MPH.

2WD? 4WD? 3.21? 3.92? Either way, I think a steady 55 MPH is probably the sweet spot for good MPG in these trucks. That number really doesn't surprise me for 55 MPH. Unfortunately, if you go 55 on most highways you will be run into or run over.

 

[rrbhokies]

Just tonight, I've decided to throw in the towel of monitoring my mpg on a minute by minute basis. I removed the mpg indicators from my dashboard display. I will simply drive the way I want and then with each fill-up, I will use Fuelly to calculate my average from tank to tank and overall from the start of time, just like the good old days when I used to keep a mileage book and a pencil in my glove box. Besides, the lie-o-meter isn't accurate anyways, so why pay so much attention to it anyways. Enjoy the truck for what it is, a truck. Enjoy your Hemi. Enjoy your modded exhausts, enjoy your tunes, enjoy your pedal commanders. MPGs be damnned!!!

 

[silver billet]

I think the jury is still out on etorque. I like the idea, but for a start it adds cost to the initial price of the truck, and if you keep your truck past the warranty period (like I hope to) then future repairs of a thousand or two here and there doesn't seem that unrealisitic. I wonder if it has any cost savings at all over a 10 year period, especially to guys like me who do mainly rural and highway driving. City driving I can see more of a case being made for it.

Nothing against you guys who have it, y'all can work out the bugs for me

 

[FlyNavy]

2WD? 4WD? 3.21? 3.92? Either way, I think a steady 55 MPH is probably the sweet spot for good MPG in these trucks. That number really doesn't surprise me for 55 MPH. Unfortunately, if you go 55 on most highways you will be run into or run over.

4x4 3.92 I was on a small two lane highway on the Florida coast. I haven't taken a substantial enough trip on the freeway where I usually drive 80MPH. I'll post it when I do.

 

[kevinssaco]

i have a laramie quad cab 5.7 4x4 and originally (1st 1000 miles) was getting between 12-14 city, 17-18 highway in 2WD but now am getting 16-17 city and 19-20 highway at 1500 miles.

About the same for me after break in. Ave around 18MPG in Summer mostly back roads. Even with the Crew Cab 6'4" bed! Impressive compared to my old 2015 Silverado! Never did much better than 16MPG combined in that

 

[KSOTI]

Eastern NC to DC today. Rural highway and I95. Not too much time sittig still in traffic.Averaged 20.3 with a 3:92 rear. That's ok i guess for a big ole 4 wheel drive pickup.