Poor gas mileage

[dferdig25]

Just picked mine up yesterday. Laramie with e torque. I didn't search out the e torque, it coincided with the other options I wanted.

This is my 6th Ram. I've never gotten anywhere close to sticker estimated mpg in any of mine, no matter how hard I've tried. Best I have ever seen on any of mine was 17. I've always seen guys talking about 18 up to 20 plus. That's never happened for me.

I hope I don't find that this truck ends up even less that all my other RAMs, but I never expected to get the EPA est numbers eitner.

I have about 2,000 miles on my 2020 Rebel now. I can't believe how bad the mileage is (though I have not done the math my self yet, but that is coming just to verify). I am averaging 12-14 MPG. I rented a Ram 1500 4x4 (not sure if it is a 2019 or 2020) with a 5.7 Hemi and got 19-20 everywhere I go (yes mostly highway). I do have the etorque but the biggest factor I can find is I have a 3.92 Rear End and all others basic 1500s have the 3.21 rear end. Has anyone changed from the 3.92 to the 3.21 and seen an improvement? I'm sure the motor has plenty of power to do just fine without the gearing

 

[Sonnie]

Recently traded my 2019 2WD Laramie Crew Cab with 5.7 Hemi 3.21 and stock 20" wheels/tires... that was averaging overall 21-22 mpg thru 15,000 miles.

I now have the 2020 4WD Laramie Crew Cab with 5.7 Hemi eTorque 3.92 and 1" taller than stock tire on 20" wheels (speedometer re-calibrated) and now averaging 19-20. I was hitting close to 21, but the last couple of days I've taken it to the shop to install front spacers and then once again to install rear spacers, and they drive it like Batman in the Batmobile. They knock it down into the high 18's and by the time I get back home I'm in the mid to high 19's... but with 3,000 miles, typically keeping it in the low 20's. I did change out the AT Falken's to Michelin Defenders, since most of my driving is highway... running about 38 PSI in the Michelins.

I drive like grandpa, but we live down a 1250ft driveway, 3/4 mile down a dirt/gravel road, 11 miles down a very rough country back road, then 11 more miles of hilly road to my work... about 45 miles round trip daily. I hope I can consistently stay at around the 20 mark. If we take a bit longer trip anywhere with more highway miles, it will jump up close to 22 for a while, but after getting back home and running here and there in town, it will drop back down.

I have NOT been getting on up to speed quickly... I do gradual take offs, but I may try getting up to speed quicker to see what happens.

 

[Timeless]

I'm lucky to get 14...so awesome job @Sonnie

 

[skidmarc]

First tank in my new to me 2020 non-eTorque Rebel - 16.5mpg. 89 octane. Probably 60/40, backroads/highway. That's cruising at 60-65, 70 tops on the highway and being mindful of MDS around town. Truck has about 8,000 miles on it. I'm one who's always been able to squeak out better fuel mileage than EPA ratings, so this is a bummer. Knew it going in, though. I'll have to experiment with some of the driving suggestions I've heard in these mpg threads.

On the positive side, the Ram has taught me some good throttle habits, and now my little 3.6 Grand Cherokee is getting some killer fuel mileage.

 

[drak1071]

I just passed 10.5k miles and am getting 14 in the city, 17 on the freeway and thats driving pretty slowly and unloaded. I knew it was going to be bad going into it but didn't realize it was going to be this bad.

Still love the truck though.

 

[SD Rebel]

I just passed 10.5k miles and am getting 14 in the city, 17 on the freeway and thats driving pretty slowly and unloaded. I knew it was going to be bad going into it but didn't realize it was going to be this bad.

Still love the truck though.

You have the 22" wheels as well besides the 3.92? The mpg rating RAM used for your truck was pretty much the blanket one they did for all of them, apparently with a 3.21 and 18" street tires.

 

[PowerJrod]

I've seen reports of others getting poor gas mileage in their 5th Generation Rams. Mine is horrible. Has anyone else gotten a dealer to figure out what's wrong with this truck?
I've had my truck in the shop twice now for this issue. The Ram technicians are not able to find anything wrong with the truck.

It is a 2019 ram 1500 limited 4x4 crew cab with eTorque engine. Fuel economy is supposed to be 17 city, 22 highway.
I have the active suspension, and every option imaginable. 12" touch screen (which I would not recommend after living with it).
I only get 12-13 mpg city and 15-16mpg highway.
I have the 3.92 rear axle with anti-spin diff.
Eco mode almost never turns on in this new truck.
I have no performance options other than what the truck came with.
I have 12,500 miles on it now.

My 2016 ram quad cab with 5.7 hemi 4x4 got 20mpg or better consistently on the highway thanks to the eco mode.
I should be getting at least within 1 to 2 mpg of what is stated. My 2016 truck promised 20mpg and I got better.
I drive conservatively. I drive mostly highway. I don't idle the truck.
I thought the eTorque would be the way to go. I would not recommend it.
I've owned 4 of these trucks, each one better than the last, until this latest one.

I was given a loaner 2019 Ram 1500 with the Hemi, crew cab, same as my truck, but no eTorque option. I towed a trailer with that loaner truck for 250 miles and averaged 19.5mpg in tow/haul mode. It was the same year as mine 4x4 with the crew cab and hemi, and it got much better gas mileage. The only difference is mine has the eTorque, and this loaner did not. I can't get gas mileage that good in my truck, when it's empty and riding steady at 65mph on the highway. When I tow, I get 12 on the highway.

Something is wrong with my truck that is not wrong with all of them. Has anyone else experienced this and have you gotten it properly fixed? I'm at the point where I'm fighting with my dealer and I need to tell him what it is. He has put the OBD tester on it and says it has no codes.

Damn, that's strange. I know that the 3.92 ratio, 4x4 and all other options will not help the mpgs but still... Etorque should be giving you a little better. I have the Etorque 4x4 big horn and I'm getting 25 mpg easy on highway (65mph). But I also have 3.21 ratio...

 

[Runagun]

change my tires from the stock 22s to stock 20s. MPG jumped up from 17mpg to 19mpg. happier about that. This is on 5.7 etorque limited.

 

[SD Rebel]

Damn, that's strange. I know that the 3.92 ratio, 4x4 and all other options will not help the mpgs but still... Etorque should be giving you a little better. I have the Etorque 4x4 big horn and I'm getting 25 mpg easy on highway (65mph). But I also have 3.21 ratio...

Big wheels/tires and axle ratio will absolutely obliterate your mpg, Etorque won't be enough. You have the best combo, Etorque, 3.21 axle and 18" tires.

Also, who knows what conditions his roads have, elevation changes for example will effect mpg big time. I live in San Diego, full of hills and elevation changes, my mpg goes up big time when I travel in states with flat roads.

 

[Tazithman]

Sucks for those having milage issues but I may have some insight based on personal experience.

1. Verify speedometer with GPS for accurate cluster readings. Tire size is programed from factory based on the size of the rubber, but this is inaccurate when they are mounted with the weight of the truck. My speedometer was 7% off from the factory because of this which means milage was skewed by 7% as well. I used a GPS speedometer app to calibrate and program new tire size, now cluster mpg is right on with manual pump math.

2. Idling KILLS your "average" mpg. FCA said the 5.7L uses like 2oz of fuel every minute of idle time so if you let your truck warm up for 10 min, you just ate through 1/8 gallon of gas. Doesnt seem like much but it adds up.

3. The 5.7 is not efficient with slow acceleration. When you start to go, don't be scared of that gas pedal. The power band = efficiency and letting that RPM gauge reach out and touch 3k before shifting will help mpg.

4. These trucks are heavy so trying to maintain or accelerate up hills sucks the gas. The most efficient thing to do is allow truck to slow a bit while going up hill and accelerate while going downhill. Doing this also allows for eco mode for duration.

5. Give it a pump to put it in eco/OD. If you notice your engine seems to be working a little harder than need be. Bump the accelerator for a second then feather the throttle. This is how you can force the ECO/MDS thing to kick in if it's "on the verge".

I'm currently averaging 19mpg combined with my 5.7 1500 etorque with 2" lift and 35" grapplers. Also have close to 400lbs worth of gear always stored in the truck.

Full disclosure, I also have diablo tuner with hemifever tune, cai, and borla catback but don't know how much that would affect fuel efficiency.

 

[Scram1500]

These trucks can be "heavily" optioned, to the point where the payload is 1,000 lbs or lower. Moving all that weight around is the real issue

 

[Sonnie]

Been running in the mid 20's last few days.

 

[PowerJrod]

Sucks for those having milage issues but I may have some insight based on personal experience.

1. Verify speedometer with GPS for accurate cluster readings. Tire size is programed from factory based on the size of the rubber, but this is inaccurate when they are mounted with the weight of the truck. My speedometer was 7% off from the factory because of this which means milage was skewed by 7% as well. I used a GPS speedometer app to calibrate and program new tire size, now cluster mpg is right on with manual pump math.

2. Idling KILLS your "average" mpg. FCA said the 5.7L uses like 2oz of fuel every minute of idle time so if you let your truck warm up for 10 min, you just ate through 1/8 gallon of gas. Doesnt seem like much but it adds up.

3. The 5.7 is not efficient with slow acceleration. When you start to go, don't be scared of that gas pedal. The power band = efficiency and letting that RPM gauge reach out and touch 3k before shifting will help mpg.

4. These trucks are heavy so trying to maintain or accelerate up hills sucks the gas. The most efficient thing to do is allow truck to slow a bit while going up hill and accelerate while going downhill. Doing this also allows for eco mode for duration.

5. Give it a pump to put it in eco/OD. If you notice your engine seems to be working a little harder than need be. Bump the accelerator for a second then feather the throttle. This is how you can force the ECO/MDS thing to kick in if it's "on the verge".

I'm currently averaging 19mpg combined with my 5.7 1500 etorque with 2" lift and 35" grapplers. Also have close to 400lbs worth of gear always stored in the truck.

Full disclosure, I also have diablo tuner with hemifever tune, cai, and borla catback but don't know how much that would affect fuel efficiency.

No offense man....but there's so many flaws in this response. For one...idling for 10 minutes uses no where NEAR 1/8th of a gallon. I have to idle my truck all of the time and only see the estimated miles drop by maybe 3. Secondly...slow acceleration is Always the best idea...anyone who says stomp on the gas for better gas mileage has no idea how engines work. 35" inch tires, 400lbs of gear in the truck with 19mpg average???? Yea ok....thread troll spotted.

 

[PowerJrod]

Big wheels/tires and axle ratio will absolutely obliterate your mpg, Etorque won't be enough. You have the best combo, Etorque, 3.21 axle and 18" tires.

Also, who knows what conditions his roads have, elevation changes for example will effect mpg big time. I live in San Diego, full of hills and elevation changes, my mpg goes up big time when I travel in states with flat roads.

Very true! Although I'd gladly give up an option for an E-locker lol

 

[Sonnie]

Well my mileage could very well be inaccurate at least a little. I download the GPS speedometer and my truck is reading 2 mph faster than the GPS. I have 33" tires, but apparently I need to lower that setting a bit and try again. I suppose if I go back to 32" it will read correctly, although I understand a lot of manufacturers set it to read 2 mph faster? Maybe I should set them to 32.5" and retest.

 

[PorBoy]

Shoot I started my Ram today and it shows I’m getting 9.5 miles to the gallon. At this rate I’ll crack 10 before the end of summer ha ha ha .

 

[Tazithman]

No offense man....but there's so many flaws in this response. For one...idling for 10 minutes uses no where NEAR 1/8th of a gallon. I have to idle my truck all of the time and only see the estimated miles drop by maybe 3. Secondly...slow acceleration is Always the best idea...anyone who says stomp on the gas for better gas mileage has no idea how engines work. 35" inch tires, 400lbs of gear in the truck with 19mpg average???? Yea ok....thread troll spotted.

Per FCA etorque literature, the hemi 5.7 will use 3 oz of fuel at idle in 90 seconds, which is 2oz/min. 10 min is 20 oz of gas. A gallon is 128 oz so its closer to 1/5 or 1/6 gallon for every 10 min of idle time. If your average mpg drops by 3 when you were averaging 15, that's a 20% drop and seems pretty significant to me.

Second, nobody said stomp on the gas. Firm acceleration will use more gas initially but accomplishes 2 things that outweigh it. 1. As I stated, the engine is more efficient, power delivery vs fuel use, in the power band. 2. Quicker acceleration allows for the truck to enter fuel saving gear quicker. I dont care if you believe me or not but don't knock it till u try it. Here is my dash after 1/2 tank of gas of combined driving and my 35" grapplers for reference

 

[PowerJrod]

Per FCA etorque literature, the hemi 5.7 will use 3 oz of fuel at idle in 90 seconds, which is 2oz/min. 10 min is 20 oz of gas. A gallon is 128 oz so its closer to 1/5 or 1/6 gallon for every 10 min of idle time. If your average mpg drops by 3 when you were averaging 15, that's a 20% drop and seems pretty significant to me.

Second, nobody said stomp on the gas. Firm acceleration will use more gas initially but accomplishes 2 things that outweigh it. 1. As I stated, the engine is more efficient, power delivery vs fuel use, in the power band. 2. Quicker acceleration allows for the truck to enter fuel saving gear quicker. I dont care if you believe me or not but don't knock it till u try it. Here is my dash after 1/2 tank of gas of combined driving and my 35" grapplers for reference

Ok, so two things...you need to re-read my post because I didn't say anything about my mpg dropping. Second....I have no doubt you're getting 18/19 average if you live in a place that's all flat with very few stops/stop lights. But regardless...slow acceleration will always use less gas, no matter what engine is used. ALWAYS. It's physics. So unless you somehow changed the laws of physics....

 

[Tazithman]

Ok, so two things...you need to re-read my post because I didn't say anything about my mpg dropping. Second....I have no doubt you're getting 18/19 average if you live in a place that's all flat with very few stops/stop lights. But regardless...slow acceleration will always use less gas, no matter what engine is used. ALWAYS. It's physics. So unless you somehow changed the laws of physics....

I have to idle my truck all of the time and only see the estimated miles drop by maybe 3
^ your quote, not mine


It is physics. Efficiency of energy transfer is very important in physics, just look at a puley when lifting an engine. Or the fact a shaft drive is less efficient than a chain drive. Or why gearing ratios affect mpg.

I do want to appologize because my quote of fuel use at idle was wrong. Its 1.2oz/min. So 20 min of idle time is 1/7 gallon give or take.

Just because you don't agree with me doesn't make me a thread troll

 

[PowerJrod]

I have to idle my truck all of the time and only see the estimated miles drop by maybe 3
^ your quote, not mine


It is physics. Efficiency of energy transfer is very important in physics, just look at a puley when lifting an engine. Or the fact a shaft drive is less efficient than a chain drive. Or why gearing ratios affect mpg.

I do want to appologize because my quote of fuel use at idle was wrong. Its 1.2oz/min. So 20 min of idle time is 1/7 gallon give or take.

Yes...estimated miles...not MPG...big difference there man.
.physics...more energy required to move an object with more mass at a faster speed. That's the part of physics we're talking about...not pullys.

And yes...20 minutes will use closer to 1/8th a gallon as opposed to the 10 Minutes you previously stated. Slow down before you post your comments.