Gears & 3.6 & 5.7 = Gas?

[TAJ45]

Looking for the right used 1500, crew 4x4, no towing or Order New. Need help.
I REALLY like to save at the pump....
I drive like the penny pincher I have evolved into.
What can I expect re mpg for the above combinations?
I prefer tall 18s or 20s, all season or quiet all terrain. I drive twixt 8 and 23 miles to get to a town, Indiana black top. Real world pen and pencil info is appreciated.
Newbie here......tia

 

[Rexx]

If your main concern is gas mileage are you sure you want to be driving a truck?

That said, get the 3.6L (v6) and 3.21 gears. Those will give you the best gas mileage.

 

[SD Rebel]

Some people have been able to get quite impressive mpg even with the Hemi, assuming 3.21 and 18" street tires. Also where you live, if you live in a place with a lot of flat roads, you will probably get over 20 mpg with either combination.

However, big A/T tires, 3.92 gears and Hemi (such as the Rebel) with hilly terrain and expect low teens.

You seriously want good mpg, you need the diesel, though it would take years to recoupe the cost difference over a Hemi and even more so the 3.6L in fuel savings. Literally spending thousands to save hundreds.

Best and most cost effective, as mentioned is the 3.6L, comes with Etorque and start/stop. Keep to standard street tires and 3.21 gears, you are looking low twenties mpg all day long. If you don't need heavy towing or best acceleration, this is a great option.

 

[TAJ45]

Some people have been able to get quite impressive mpg even with the Hemi, assuming 3.21 and 18" street tires. Also where you live, if you live in a place with a lot of flat roads, you will probably get over 20 mpg with either combination.

However, big A/T tires, 3.92 gears and Hemi (such as the Rebel) with hilly terrain and expect low teens.

You seriously want good mpg, you need the diesel, though it would take years to recoupe the cost difference over a Hemi and even more so the 3.6L in fuel savings. Literally spending thousands to save hundreds.

Best and most cost effective, as mentioned is the 3.6L, comes with Etorque and start/stop. Keep to standard street tires and 3.21 gears, you are looking low twenties mpg all day long. If you don't need heavy towing or best acceleration, this is a great option.

Some people have been able to get quite impressive mpg even with the Hemi, assuming 3.21 and 18" street tires. Also where you live, if you live in a place with a lot of flat roads, you will probably get over 20 mpg with either combination.

However, big A/T tires, 3.92 gears and Hemi (such as the Rebel) with hilly terrain and expect low teens.

You seriously want good mpg, you need the diesel, though it would take years to recoupe the cost difference over a Hemi and even more so the 3.6L in fuel savings. Literally spending thousands to save hundreds.

Best and most cost effective, as mentioned is the 3.6L, comes with Etorque and start/stop. Keep to standard street tires and 3.21 gears, you are looking low twenties mpg all day long. If you don't need heavy towing or best acceleration, this is a great option.

I need volume capacity for my hobby, 2k lbs would easily cover a bud and our gear for a NV trip. 3.21s, 70 aspect ratio on 18s was my thinking from a pure math/physics stand point.
I had checked around on other forums and older info leaned toward insignificant mpg increase for the 3.6. The 2k$ tariff for the Hemi will buy a bunch of extra gas.

Sometimes it is better to loaf a larger engine than push a smaller one.

My '18 Silverado 5.3, 3.2?s on factory 20s (I did not want'em) do not tach 2800 rpm when getting to speed for weeks on end. S. IN w a slight terrain roll, very occasional hill. I'm happy at 65 on the "I". 19+ to occasional 21.

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. W the 2k$ V8 charge, if I order, it looks like a 3.6.
Anyone running a late 3.6 with frequent pen n paper stats viewing?

 

[SD Rebel]

I need volume capacity for my hobby, 2k lbs would easily cover a bud and our gear for a NV trip. 3.21s, 70 aspect ratio on 18s was my thinking from a pure math/physics stand point.
I had checked around on other forums and older info leaned toward insignificant mpg increase for the 3.6. The 2k$ tariff for the Hemi will buy a bunch of extra gas.

Sometimes it is better to loaf a larger engine than push a smaller one.

My '18 Silverado 5.3, 3.2?s on factory 20s (I did not want'em) do not tach 2800 rpm when getting to speed for weeks on end. S. IN w a slight terrain roll, very occasional hill. I'm happy at 65 on the "I". 19+ to occasional 21.

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. W the 2k$ V8 charge, if I order, it looks like a 3.6.
Anyone running a late 3.6 with frequent pen n paper stats viewing?

Sounds like a good plan, also remember the 3.6L was recently choosen as one of Ward's 10 best engine winners. It's a solid choice for what you ned.

 

[taz2016]

I need volume capacity for my hobby, 2k lbs would easily cover a bud and our gear for a NV trip. 3.21s, 70 aspect ratio on 18s was my thinking from a pure math/physics stand point.
I had checked around on other forums and older info leaned toward insignificant mpg increase for the 3.6. The 2k$ tariff for the Hemi will buy a bunch of extra gas.

Sometimes it is better to loaf a larger engine than push a smaller one.

My '18 Silverado 5.3, 3.2?s on factory 20s (I did not want'em) do not tach 2800 rpm when getting to speed for weeks on end. S. IN w a slight terrain roll, very occasional hill. I'm happy at 65 on the "I". 19+ to occasional 21.

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. W the 2k$ V8 charge, if I order, it looks like a 3.6.
Anyone running a late 3.6 with frequent pen n paper stats viewing?

I'm not sure what you consider insignificant mpg increase for the 3.6 but my research seems to indicate a 3-5 mpg difference. Gas prices are way down now but they will go back up.

 

[duracell24]

If you get the 3.6, be sure not to "over build" the truck around it. IOW, lay off on all the options or you'll pay for it at the pump. I went 3.6 for the same mileage reasons you did a few years ago...but I did so with 4WD, Ramboxes, Moonroof, etc. With all that weight to lug around I never saw over 17-18 mph on the highway. Combined was around 16. Needless to say, I could have gotten the Hemi and saw the same mpg. That engine was just CONSTANTLY working to move around that weight. Not a pleasant drive.

It also suffered terribly from a resale perspective when I went to sell it. Nobody wanted a big truck like that with a NA V-6 so I had to trade it and every dealership hit me hard with the V-6 for the same reason. Personally, I will never buy a V-6 on a fully loaded truck like that again, but that's just my experience.

 

[PowerJrod]

If you get the 3.6, be sure not to "over build" the truck around it. IOW, lay off on all the options or you'll pay for it at the pump. I went 3.6 for the same mileage reasons you did a few years ago...but I did so with 4WD, Ramboxes, Moonroof, etc. With all that weight to lug around I never saw over 17-18 mph on the highway. Combined was around 16. Needless to say, I could have gotten the Hemi and saw the same mpg. That engine was just CONSTANTLY working to move around that weight. Not a pleasant drive.

It also suffered terribly from a resale perspective when I went to sell it. Nobody wanted a big truck like that with a NA V-6 so I had to trade it and every dealership hit me hard with the V-6 for the same reason. Personally, I will never buy a V-6 on a fully loaded truck like that again, but that's just my experience.

Very good points here. Expect it to drop even more if you're hauling weight in the bed.

 

[Jako]

If you get the 3.6, be sure not to "over build" the truck around it. IOW, lay off on all the options or you'll pay for it at the pump. I went 3.6 for the same mileage reasons you did a few years ago...but I did so with 4WD, Ramboxes, Moonroof, etc. With all that weight to lug around I never saw over 17-18 mph on the highway. Combined was around 16. Needless to say, I could have gotten the Hemi and saw the same mpg. That engine was just CONSTANTLY working to move around that weight. Not a pleasant drive.

It also suffered terribly from a resale perspective when I went to sell it. Nobody wanted a big truck like that with a NA V-6 so I had to trade it and every dealership hit me hard with the V-6 for the same reason. Personally, I will never buy a V-6 on a fully loaded truck like that again, but that's just my experience.

Engines, mpg, hp in perspective - it's all relative.
2001 Dodge SLT, 5.2 V8, 230 hp and sticker has 16mpg hwy.
You couldn't give that away in a new vehicle today.

 

[AmericanRebelution]

Not sure how long you plan to keep the truck, but another factor to consider with the 3.6 is resale value.