Dealer gave me a V6 Quad Qab Loaner....and I kinda like it

[doolin64]

Call me crazy, but there's something refreshing driving a basic truck. Maybe it was relief of bringing my truck back in for a 3rd time for the same repair in 2800 miles of ownership.

Granted the V6 is not sonorous and at times seems louder and more intrusive than the Hemi. It's certainly not as luxurious, but that's the beauty of it's simplicity. I'd argue the ride was smoother. I mean this is as basic as 4wd Quad Cabs can get. It's got the itty bitty radio and all. The best part, driving slightly aggressive to get home for a meeting and I was still getting 20mpg. Driving this way in my Laramie would have netted me mileage in the low teens. Maybe that's what was refreshing...hitting the window sticker epa ratings for once.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trading my current truck in after this, but I may go back to a more basic truck the next time I upgrade.

 

[Fatherof3]

Call me crazy, but there's something refreshing driving a basic truck. Maybe it was relief of bringing my truck back in for a 3rd time for the same repair in 2800 miles of ownership.

Granted the V6 is not sonorous and at times seems louder and more intrusive than the Hemi. It's certainly not as luxurious, but that's the beauty of it's simplicity. I'd argue the ride was smoother. I mean this is as basic as 4wd Quad Cabs can get. It's got the itty bitty radio and all. The best part, driving slightly aggressive to get home for a meeting and I was still getting 20mpg. Driving this way in my Laramie would have netted me mileage in the low teens. Maybe that's what was refreshing...hitting the window sticker epa ratings for once.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trading my current truck in after this, but I may go back to a more basic truck the next time I upgrade.

They have a surprisingly amount of power too . My bil had one and when I drove it I thought it was going to be way under powered but it surprised me .

 

[habu987]

Sounds like the V6 is a very different animal in a lower trim than in a fully loaded Longhorn! I've been less than impressed with mine, though it works as a leisurely daily driver.

 

[millerbjm]

I loved the pentastar in my 2014 bighorn and towed with it up to the rated limit fairly often. I was hoping to get the V6 again in my 2019 but ended up with the hemi because of a deal I couldn't pass up. The hemi is more 'fun' and better for regular heavy towing for sure but that pentastar is a great engine for reliability and MPG and has plenty of giddy-up for a normal driver.

 

[Willwork4truck]

As long as its a more basic Tradesman or BigHorn quad with at least the 3.55’s it should perform well.

My dealer had a Limited CC 3.55 V6 that I test drove and it was too slow, downshifted all the time. But then it was a heavy truck!

I think they finally got it sold but it took a while. Haven't seen one on their lot since!

 

[cj7]

I came from a 2015 Nissan Frontier V6 6 speed. Loved that truck for the same reason - simple, basic, surprising tough, understated, perfectly reliable.

My first job included driving a Chevy pickup with three-on-the-tree. I don’t thing that had a radio, ac, working defrost, etc. Was sprung for heavy loads, and steered like a boat and rode like it had wooden wheels...but was great!

 

[brian42]

I've had a few Classic Tradesman loaners. Basic 4x4s with 3.92 rear and one of them was the V-6. All of them had more pep and got better than 20 mpg (even the HEMIs) even though I definitely drove them harder than mine.

That being said I was always happy to turn in the loaner and get my truck back. After a few days in a Tradesman my Big Horn feels like a Laramie.

 

[User_3336]

In previous years, I had the Pentastar V6 in a Regular Cab Pickup. It was sufficient for the regular cab, but I can't see one of these in a quad or crew cab, especially with a 3.21 rear end.

Sister had a Dodge Journey with the Pentastar, and it was actually quite nice.

I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee as well now, and the Pentastar V6 in this vehicle is a pure dog. It has no power, revs extremely high, and never decide what gear to stay in (well, that's a tranny issue, but its paired with the V6).
I am glad I am leasing this, I would never buy one.

 

[User_3336]

I've had a few Classic Tradesman loaners. Basic 4x4s with 3.92 rear and one of them was the V-6. All of them had more pep and got better than 20 mpg (even the HEMIs) even though I definitely drove them harder than mine.

That being said I was always happy to turn in the loaner and get my truck back. After a few days in a Tradesman my Big Horn feels like a Laramie.

V6 with a 3.92? that's unusual.

V6 more "pep" than the Hemi? NOT!

 

[brian42]

V6 with a 3.92? that's unusual.

V6 more "pep" than the Hemi? NOT!

Good catch, I lumped them all together. 3.92 was a general statement since I've only had one V6 and the rest V8s. I'm not sure what the V6 had.

These were also Classics (4th gens) and quad cabs. A stripped down last generation work truck with a V6 felt peppier than my loaded new generation Big Horn with a HEMI (and 3.21 gears), if for nothing but the throttle lag. Once the revs come up and I start gaining speed it's another story...

 

[doolin64]

In previous years, I had the Pentastar V6 in a Regular Cab Pickup. It was sufficient for the regular cab, but I can't see one of these in a quad or crew cab, especially with a 3.21 rear end.

Sister had a Dodge Journey with the Pentastar, and it was actually quite nice.

I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee as well now, and the Pentastar V6 in this vehicle is a pure dog. It has no power, revs extremely high, and never decide what gear to stay in (well, that's a tranny issue, but its paired with the V6).
I am glad I am leasing this, I would never buy one.

I didn't stress this V6 at all. Just drove home on the highway at brisker pace than my normal 70mpg. The engine is no powerhouse, it moved my Gladiator along just fine, but once I hitched a trailer to it and towed around 2500lbs it was unhappy.

 

[SkittleRam]

I owned a 2014 BigHorn CC 2WD w/ 3.55 and the 3.6, I really enjoyed that truck! For everyday driving, it was just fine and it could get off the line in a hurry, then FCS did a software update to the Transmission software and it became a dog! I was so pissed! That update almost kept me from ever wanting to deal with FCA ever again, hence the switch to the 2016 GMC.

I could go on and on about FCA and their software updates that can make life rather miserable...like the update they did in our 2016 Town n County that left my van disabled in 110-degree weather because it would not recognize the keys.....

Anyhow, back to the topic, the v6 Ram 1500 is a really good everyday driver and has enough power for most duties, provide the transmission software is sorted. I towed a 1964 Chrysler New Yorker home with mine and it had to work hard going up the hills, but I never dropped below the speed limit(65mph) and never overheated, so that's a win in my book.

 

[millerbjm]

I honestly think many folks expectations for acceleration are funny, it is a truck not a sports car! My 2014 Big Horn quad cab 4x4 with 3.21 gears was plenty fast and powerful and was able to tow 5,000 lbs without an issue. That truck performed everything I asked it to do and was faster and more powerful than virtually every V8 truck made in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Obviously the HEMI is more fun to do burnouts and tows more etc. But it is also more expensive to buy and to feed fuel to.

 

[silver billet]

I honestly think many folks expectations for acceleration are funny, it is a truck not a sports car! My 2014 Big Horn quad cab 4x4 with 3.21 gears was plenty fast and powerful and was able to tow 5,000 lbs without an issue. That truck performed everything I asked it to do and was faster and more powerful than virtually every V8 truck made in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Obviously the HEMI is more fun to do burnouts and tows more etc. But it is also more expensive to buy and to feed fuel to.

It's that torque curve combined with a heavier truck. V8's from the past made less HP, but they made more torque lower down, off the line. The V6 has to rev and that makes it feel lethargic.

Same reason why the ED feels much stronger than the V6. It has less HP, but far more torque, and it hits fast and low.

 

[yankeefan31569]

i got 2021 grand cherokee as a loaner also w that v6 it rides nice has some nice pick up and passing power, got the wife driving it she loves it..

 

[moosem]

Call me crazy, but there's something refreshing driving a basic truck. Maybe it was relief of bringing my truck back in for a 3rd time for the same repair in 2800 miles of ownership.

Granted the V6 is not sonorous and at times seems louder and more intrusive than the Hemi. It's certainly not as luxurious, but that's the beauty of it's simplicity. I'd argue the ride was smoother. I mean this is as basic as 4wd Quad Cabs can get. It's got the itty bitty radio and all. The best part, driving slightly aggressive to get home for a meeting and I was still getting 20mpg. Driving this way in my Laramie would have netted me mileage in the low teens. Maybe that's what was refreshing...hitting the window sticker epa ratings for once.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trading my current truck in after this, but I may go back to a more basic truck the next time I upgrade.

You’re crazy!