Why did you choose the V6 over the hemi?

[Grape_Ape]

No experience with the 3.6 in the trucks but I know in the wife's Pacifica is does really well! It hauls us and the kids around with no complaints. I was very surprised the first time I really had to get on the throttle. I could see it being more than serviceable in a truck configuration.

 

[Kevinch]

And the argument regarding resale is not a valid one if you are trading a V6 to buy another V6.

I'm not stepping into the 6cyl / 8cyl discussion - I'm new to truck ownership & only have a few hundred miles on my RAM - but this statement & others that are similar just don't make sense to me. A low resale value is low no matter what the new purchase is. Whether or not it matters to you is another discussion.

 

[silver billet]

I'm not stepping into the 6cyl / 8cyl discussion - I'm new to truck ownership & only have a few hundred miles on my RAM - but this statement & others that are similar just don't make sense to me. A low resale value is low no matter what the new purchase is. Whether or not it matters to you is another discussion.

The point of that argument is that you pay less initially, and therefore it's natural that you get less back. And if your next truck is also a v6 then there is never a noticable hit.

It's a perfectly valid argument, and is no different than saying "I paid less for a 1500 hemi (vs 3500 diesel), but when I sell it I will also get back less in resale than if I had purchased the 3500 dually diesel".

 

[Bluesurf]

Here is a long term review for the natural Hemi.

Over the ownership the Hemi mileage was 14.7 MPG with 35K on the odo.
My V-6 with 6600 miles is 23 on the Highway drive. City is 16.4-17.8 mpg at 6600 miles on my clock. I love my eTorque V6. I have the natural V6 on my Grand Cherokee Summit. I've never had a complaint on power or speed. My eTorque V6 on my Ram has been fantastic. The 33 gal. tank is the perfect option and should be standard on all trucks.

2019 Winner: Ram 1500 3.6L Pentastar eTorque V-6

Wards 10 Best Engines 2019 Winner: Ram 1500 3.6L Pentastar eTorque V-6

www.wardsauto.com

 

[Kevinch]

The point of that argument is that you pay less initially, and therefore it's natural that you get less back. And if your next truck is also a v6 then there is never a noticable hit.

It's a perfectly valid argument, and is no different than saying "I paid less for a 1500 hemi (vs 3500 diesel), but when I sell it I will also get back less in resale than if I had purchased the 3500 dually diesel".

That's a different way of looking at resale value than I ever have. Whether or not a vehicle holds its value on resale is generally considered on a percentage basis. If I pay $50,000 for a vehicle & when I decide to sell get $35,000, I've lost 30% of the value. If I pay $38,000 for a vehicle & when I decide to sell get $23,000, I've lost over 39% of the value.

 

[5thGenRebel_AMK]

i think a lot of the guys and gals who buy trucks just because they're the "new thing" and have become such luxury cars certainly would be fine with the V6 option. A lot of people don't use their trucks for trucks. I don't haul or tow much, but i am always finding ways to use my truck and really enjoy the convenience of having a bed. I use the off road capabilities, but trucks really aren't the best vehicle for that anyway. I got a hemi simply because i like it and im a car guy and its my compromise of not being able to justify driving a muscle car everyday. This truck checks a lot of boxes for my "wants" even tho its more truck than i'll ever need and i don't regret my purchase one bit

 

[Willwork4truck]

X2 with us. We don’t use it as a truck, gasp, that might get the bed dirty...
it’s a luxo cruiser without the bling factor or snottiness of my neighbors Mercedes 550. I am sure that we paid wayyy less to buy (his retailed at $114K) than his and don’t choke on routine service either. But we don’t have the 3 pointed star emblem on the hood.

 

[5thGenRebel_AMK]

X2 with us. We don’t use it as a truck, gasp, that might get the bed dirty...
it’s a luxo cruiser without the bling factor or snottiness of my neighbors Mercedes 550. I am sure that we paid wayyy less to buy (his retailed at $114K) than his and don’t choke on routine service either. But we don’t have the 3 pointed star emblem on the hood.

I’ll take your truck over that Mercedes any day!

 

[Willwork4truck]

He got the drivers door keyed last week (not nice but when you park a 550 in some areas, you may be rolling the proverbial dice) and just got it back from the shop. I’m not saying that a vandal wouldn’t key a white truck but a jet black sleek Mercedes... too tempting I guess.

And as far as the service costs: (taken from a Benz website but I’ll bet they serve crumpets and tea from a white-gloved butler in the customer lounge)
(The bolding of certain items I found interesting was mine)

Service "A" - Starting From Replace oil filter with Genuine Mercedes-Benz filter. Drain and refill motor oil with full synthetic Mobil 1, (if applicable). Check fluid levels for radiator, power steering and brake. Inspect windshield wipers and add Mercedes-Benz recommended windshield washer concentrate, as needed. Visual inspection for obvious leaks and wear items while performing oil service. Function check of warning/indicator lamps, illumination and interior lighting. Function check of windshield wiper and windshield washer system. Function check of headlight washing system, (if applicable). Reset FSS counter in the instrument cluster. Check thickness of brake linings and rotors front /rear. Inspect tires for damage and condition, measure tread depth and correct tire inflation pressure, including the spare, (if applicable). Rotate tires (cars without staggered wheels). Balance tires only (additional fee applies $55.00). Check catch and safety catch and hinges on engine hood for proper operation. Lubricate hinges and linkages. Check condition of belts. Road test.

$257.95

Service "B" - Starting From Services 1 thru 11 from Service "A" plus: Rotate and balance tires (cars without staggered wheels). Balance Tires (cars with staggered wheels). Check catch, safety catch and hinges on engine hood for proper operation. Check seatbelts for damage and proper function. Check condition of steering's mechanical components and rubber boots. Check condition of front axle ball joints and rubber boots. Check condition of belts. Replace dust filter. Lubricate throttle linkage, check function and condition. Check engine air filter. Road Test. Lube sunroof tracks. Lubricate hinges and linkages. Check rear differential for leaks. Check wheel bearings for play and noise. Visually check fuel tank, lines, and connections for leaks. Check condition, position and mounting of exhaust system. Examine for leaks. Check for free movement of the parking brake cables.

$469.37

 

[Patamaran]

I have a 21' bighorn on order, i chose the V6 because I drove a 2016 v6 Pentastar for the past 5 years, and it has been fantastic. I've gotten excellent fuel economy, it has had plenty of power for light towing (fishing boats, small camper, utility trailer...etc).

305 hp is nothing to scoff at, and 270ft-lbs torque was plenty for my needs. My 2016 had 3.21 gears, I got the new one in 3.55. The motor i've enjoyed for the past 5 years, in a newer, lighter body style, with a lower gear ratio, seemed perfectly reasonable.

At the end of the day, not everyone needs a Hemi, and I'd much rather put the extra couple thousand dollars towards other options i will actually use.

 

[Patamaran]

Hahaha. I watched it too, and it was NOT an exciting video to watch. The 2.7L F150 pulled the same trailer no problem. The 3.6L definitely can't pull 7,500 pounds uphill consistently, but for 5,000-6,000 it's got plenty of power.

yeah... but they were doing the Ike Gauntlet lol. If you know you tow heavy, and have to go up THAT hill, then you buy the hemi, or the diesel, because that's not just a hill, its a MOUNTAIN.

a 7% grade 11,000 feet above sea level is not exactly a performance test representative of the use case for most people buying a V6 in the first place.

 

[Dave L]

I bought a V6 because it was a used 2019 1500 Bighorn I purchased in January this year with 16k for 34k. I was looking into 5.7 as well. I couldn't find anything in my price range due to some unstellar credit so I was shown this truck. I didn't know they even had a V6 option. After telling dealer what I wanted a truck for mostly running errands in city some highway travel and vacationing. Towing small boat, or jet skis, or light camper. I use my work issued truck all week and have wife's car to use also so I only just it on weekends primarily. What I have used it for has been great truck. I like the features albeit I'd love to have LED lights and heated seats, it was a good deal I couldn't pass up. The V6 seemed adequate for my uses saved me thousands and it is good on MPG.

 

[Scotty74]

I know nothing about Mopars V6 engines, I was a Ford guy. That said Fords 2.7 and 3.5 litre turbo's are great little engines. To be honest there not "little engines". They do everything that the 5.0 can do, minus the sound that the V8 has and do much better mpg's.

Ram has a great power plant in the Pentastar. I own a business that has 9 of these engines in several makes & trim levels. My very first one from 2014 was just sold and had 280,000 miles, still running like a top. we replaced a transmission at 160,000 that cost about $5k. the others have various miles with no issues. FCA got this V6 right and I am sold on this one. Plenty of power and cheaper than the Hemi. no tick that comes with both V8 FCA motors. The Pentastar can be modified with several aftermarket things and test with most vehicles in the US and world vehicles. You can't go wrong with this power plant. Very impressed in my opinion.

 

[Scotty74]

I noticed this v6 board is not very active. I’m not sure what kind of traction this post will get but I’m curious as to why everyone who bought the v6, did so. What do you use your truck for primarily? And do you regret not going with the hemi?

I did basically because i don’t need a v8 and this specific truck had some really good incentives. I noticed a lot of people on these forums seem to trash the v6 or don’t see a purpose to having it, but I like it. I needed something that had 6 seats for my family, has a bed, and can pull my flatbed trailer. I could have potentially gotten an SUV but there aren’t any incentives near what these trucks have, and i like having a truck. MPG wasn’t an issue because i know full size trucks get bad gas mileage regardless, so i didn’t care personally about that. I also live and work in a very rural area so i don’t have to deal with traffic in my commute to work, and on the highway i take to work this truck rides great and handles 70+ mph perfectly.

This is a great post. I believe that these manufactures give rebates to buy the V6 to help their requirements to comply with government green initiatives. The Pentastar by FCA is that motor that brings them in to the mold. However, the V8 has much more power, most people don't need that. The proper setup in a Ram 1500 V6 will suffice most folks need to commute, tow and haul. A light load will have no problem with most configurations. If you need to tow/haul more than 6K lbs I would suggest moving to the Hemi or Ecodiesel, a HD with any power plant if under 15k lbs will set you back a few thousand more. I run a V6 for a travel trailer at 18ft and a 2500 HD 6.4 Hemi for pulling asphalt equipment

 

[WXman]

Ram has a great power plant in the Pentastar. I own a business that has 9 of these engines in several makes & trim levels. My very first one from 2014 was just sold and had 280,000 miles, still running like a top. we replaced a transmission at 160,000 that cost about $5k. the others have various miles with no issues. FCA got this V6 right and I am sold on this one. Plenty of power and cheaper than the Hemi. no tick that comes with both V8 FCA motors. The Pentastar can be modified with several aftermarket things and test with most vehicles in the US and world vehicles. You can't go wrong with this power plant. Very impressed in my opinion.

And one of the huge reasons the P-star is so great is that FCA kept it simple. No direct injection, no cylinder deactivation, no fancy EGR setup, it's just a lot more simple than the competitors' engines.

 

[theblet]

Was looking for a used truck. I originally went to buy the v6. However, they had my truck for almost the same price with the color I wanted, more features, and less mileage so I went with the hemi

 

[burley223]

After driving GMC Sierras since 2009, and paying more and more for what I consider basic features for my needs, I bought a 2021 Bighorn with a 3.6 etorque engine.
It has power folding mirrors, power rear window, Android Auto; features not avaiable in lower priced GMC pickups. I don't haul often so the 6 cyl. engine is fine for my needs.
Ram's seats are more comfortable than GMC's now. 4x4 low is also not available in lower priced GMC models anymore. My biggest concern with GMC engines was direct injection.
The Pentastar 6 still has port injection. I am happy with the mileage gain from a V6. In my opinion Ram's 8 speed trans beats GMC's transmissions for smooth operation.
Even the universal remote works better in my ram than did that in the GMC pickups.

 

[mmcbeat]

I had what I think is the same 3.6 V6 in a Jeep Wrangler. Other than the ESS, I liked the engine. For my Ram I went with the 5.7 Hemi, 3.92 RE. I don’t drive a huge amount of miles so I am not too concerned about gas mileage, and the 5.7 is shoot to drive.

…and yeah, the Hemi emblem on the hood is cool.

 

[RoanokeRam1500]

I have a 2019 V6. I wanted a truck for mountain property 30 minutes away where I would use it for hauling stuff for projects. I also have beach property 6 1/2 hours away that can only be accessed by 4WD, so I needed the truck for that. I had no plans to pull anything bigger than a large utility trailer. I get 22.5 mpg on my trips to the beach (maybe a little less now that my active air dam quick working ... lol). I get the cool factor with the Hemi, but I'm pretty practical and had no need for it. Absolutely no regrets here.

 

[User_3336]

After driving GMC Sierras since 2009, and paying more and more for what I consider basic features for my needs, I bought a 2021 Bighorn with a 3.6 etorque engine.
It has power folding mirrors, power rear window, Android Auto; features not avaiable in lower priced GMC pickups. I don't haul often so the 6 cyl. engine is fine for my needs.
Ram's seats are more comfortable than GMC's now. 4x4 low is also not available in lower priced GMC models anymore. My biggest concern with GMC engines was direct injection.
The Pentastar 6 still has port injection. I am happy with the mileage gain from a V6. In my opinion Ram's 8 speed trans beats GMC's transmissions for smooth operation.
Even the universal remote works better in my ram than did that in the GMC pickups.

Biggest concern with GM engines was cylinder deactivation, not direct injection IMO.
can't turn if off in the GM's.

Hemi has it, but you can easily turn it off with the +/- buttons.