First time here - question about 3.6 vs 5.7 on Limited

[Pirate_Ryan]

Looking for advice.
Located in North Carolina. Looking at ordering a 2020 Ram Limited. Reason I have to order is no has the 3.6 engine. All dealers have Limited with the 5.7 hemi.

Main reason I am thinking of getting the 3.6 is because one of price and two I dont plan on towing anything other than maybe a small utility trailer for mulch or something.

i am also thinking of getting 4x2 instead of 4x4.
Again located in NC and weather not really an issue and dont plan to drive on off road.

main things I want is equip group 1 with premium speakers. 22 in chrome wheels. Sunroof.

i am being quoted at $57,500 out the door price. This is those options with 3.6 engine and 4x2

would love some opinions on engine and if I am getting a good deal or not before I order.

 

[Firebird]

Our dealership here has one, and they have been unable to sell it. 3.6 is a good motor, but it will hurt resale

 

[HeliPilot]

Sounds high to me, I paid $53k for a Loaded Limited 4x4 with the 5.7 last year.

 

[Rob5589]

The 3.6 will net you a few more mpg but will decrease resale interest and price. Plus you are limiting yourself in towing capacity if you ever change your interests.

 

[BadAspSVT]

That’s high. I paid about 56 for an almost fully loaded 4x4 hemi. You should be closer to 50


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[ddharris]

5.7

 

[Richard320]

That sounds like full MSRP. I'd shop around some more.

 

[kapinallinen2]

You are looking at getting a full size pick-up, get one with a real motor.

 

[mike12193]

Think about resale, if they can’t sell new 3.6 limited’s imagine what the resale value would be.


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[Rick J]

It would be great to know what you are paying for the truck before giving an opinion on price. OTD price doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. In North Carolina (where you are) there is an average 7% sales tax which means $3500 plus of your price. Don't know what license tabs and fees are. You are ordering early in the cycle so you won't get the discounts people got in July on the 2019's. What's the MSRP on the truck you want to order and what are you paying before any add ons?

 

[Willwork4truck]

Our dealership here has one, and they have been unable to sell it. 3.6 is a good motor, but it will hurt resale

X2. Resale would be, difficult. Better get that truck for June prices, ie. 25-30% off.
I'm in NC as well and drove a Laramie V6 back to back with a Laramie Hemi, absolutely no comparison. If gas mileage is that important, get a Pacifica.

 

[snj1013]

Get the Hemi. Real world mileage is very similar from what I've read. I get 18-19mpg in mixed driving with the 3.21 rear axle.

 

[SpikeMike]

I have a Lone Star with 3.6 and the equipment 2 package. I love the truck. Like you, I wanted the 3.6 for the better gas mileage. I drive a lot of miles. I already have 20k miles on this truck. And, it tows our boat and camper fine.

I have never seen this truck get the mpg that the sticker says it should. Not even close. On the highway, I get about 20mpg. On a trip to west Texas, I intentionally kept the speed down to try to get the rated economy. After many miles, it got close, but no cigar.

I love the truck and am planning on keeping it for a long time. But, if I had it to do over again, I would look for the same truck with the 5.7 instead. If gas mileage is going to be the same anyway, then get the power for when you want it.

 

[rlc2020]

I have a Lone Star with 3.6 and the equipment 2 package. I love the truck. Like you, I wanted the 3.6 for the better gas mileage. I drive a lot of miles. I already have 20k miles on this truck. And, it tows our boat and camper fine.

I have never seen this truck get the mpg that the sticker says it should. Not even close. On the highway, I get about 20mpg. On a trip to west Texas, I intentionally kept the speed down to try to get the rated economy. After many miles, it got close, but no cigar.

I love the truck and am planning on keeping it for a long time. But, if I had it to do over again, I would look for the same truck with the 5.7 instead. If gas mileage is going to be the same anyway, then get the power for when you want it.

Only getting 20mph with the 3.6? Glad I got the 5.7, I averaged 24mph over a 1200 mile highway run at 72mph. The only reason I would consider a 3.6 is if they were practically giving it away, because that's what you'll have to do when you want to trade or sell it. The resale is horrible on V6 trucks in my neck of the woods

 

[brian42]

Get the Hemi. Real world mileage is very similar from what I've read. I get 18-19mpg in mixed driving with the 3.21 rear axle.

I am getting 20 mpg with my loaded limited hemi. Loaded meaning every option and a 3:21.

Glad I got the 5.7, I averaged 24mph over a 1200 mile highway run at 72mph.

Sure I can get 22+ MPG on the freeway but in day-to-day driving I get mid-15s MPG overall mixed driving (5.7L, 3.21 rear end, no eTorque) and that's a conscious effort to be somewhat efficient. If I drive it like an old man I can get into the 16s but I can easily dip into the 14s if I don't manage the gas pedal. There are so many variables that it's difficult to compare mileage efficiency without a grain of salt IMO.

At these prices you should get the truck you want IMO. There's nothing wrong with the 3.6L with eTorque (all of them have it now) if that makes you happy. Nothing wrong with stretching your dollar at the pump a little.

Just my .02

 

[jkm312]

I drove a full size truck with a V6 in it for 100,00 miles. A 1990 Silverado 4x2. It moved the truck around and it will do what you are describing without fail. Out on the highway it will get up to speed and hold it, most of the time, but it will not get up and move when you want it to. When you put your foot in it, it will move a little faster eventually. In the mountains you will regret it. As far as mileage it won't be that much better than a 5.7 to justify what you are giving up in my experience. The V6 is working harder than the 5.7 Hemi to do the same job. As others have said the resale value will hurt when the time comes. On the rare occasions when it gets really dicey on the roads in NC with the snow and ice, a 4x4 will help keep you straighter on the road and not fish tail as much.

I can't make your decision for you, nor would I. You should get the truck you want. However I would urge you to give some more consideration to a 5.7 with a 3.21 rear end in it.

I could not be more happier with the Ram that I have. Nor would I change anything about it for my purposes.

 

[Biga]

I would get the 5.7. No big differance in mileage so in a limited I would not get the 3.6. I can see in a lower trim where you are trying to keep MSRP as low as possible.

 

[taz2016]

Buy the truck that you want and need. Nobody else can know better than you what you need. Test drive both and then make a decision. When I bought my 2019 mileage was an important consideration. I was determined to improve upon the 17 mpg overall I was getting in the truck I replaced.
After driving the Pentastar I knew it was capable enough and fast enough to handle what I would use it for. I will never tow more than a few thousand pounds even though with 3.55 gears I can tow almost 7500. If I want to go fast I'll do that in my Corvette not a 2 and a half + ton 4wd truck. I buy my vehicles for me, resale value is not a consideration. That being said, I bought my Ram for 31 % below MSRP and always private sell my vehicles for well above retail.
Even though I am getting around 19.5 mpg as I break in my Ram I was hoping for more. I would be surprised if I could get better than 16 mpg with the Hemi the way I drive in my location.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Well there you have it OP, a general dislike of the V6, concerns over power and resale. 4x4 is not quite as big a detraction especially the further south you go.

It’s quite true that you should buy what you want, just dont be “penny wise and pound foolish” so to speak.

Maybe rent a v6 truck (not an ecoboost) and see what its like over a longer period than a test drive. As long as the weight, gearing and hp are close to the Pentstar, it could give you a better idea of how a heavy truck will respond to differing conditions.

Hope you can find one cheap if you go that route. The dealer likely will be very happy to get rid of it.

 

[J-Cooz]

The limited is a heavy *** truck (almost 6k lbs in 4x4). It's about 600lbs heavier than some members trucks (based off payload). There's no chance I would get a V6. Your real world mileage won't be any better since you'll be working that engine so hard.

Example. I had two SRT Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 6.4l Hemi. My mom had multiple Jeep GC's with the 3.6. Our highway mileage was almost the exact same and mine had 200hp more. Mine would barely be working on the highway (spent most time in 4cyl) and her car was affected by wind and hills drastically. We both got around 22mpg.