Why did you choose the V6 over the hemi?

[Cool Dad]

I chose the six because my driving is 1% towing, 9% camping (scouts), 90% commuting or driving around my side of Houston. It's a pavement princess and I will never use the extra V8 power. The majority of time I'm lugging it under 2200 RPM. In my first month of ownership I had the econ gauge displayed to see how it behaved. You can see the eTorque give it a small boost below 1500 RPM but it takes some finesse. I am getting nearly 22 mpg commuting & driving around town, like my old V6 sedans so I'm very happy with that. Unladed it runs like a small V8 if you wind it out, but you'll definitely get V8 mileage.

 

[User_3336]

I chose the six because my driving is 1% towing, 9% camping (scouts), 90% commuting or driving around my side of Houston. It's a pavement princess and I will never use the extra V8 power. The majority of time I'm lugging it under 2200 RPM. In my first month of ownership I had the econ gauge displayed to see how it behaved. You can see the eTorque give it a small boost below 1500 RPM but it takes some finesse. I am getting nearly 22 mpg commuting & driving around town, like my old V6 sedans so I'm very happy with that. Unladed it runs like a small V8 if you wind it out, but you'll definitely get V8 mileage.

you mean you'll get v6 mileage . . . if you are talking about mpg.

 

[theblet]

I chose the six because my driving is 1% towing, 9% camping (scouts), 90% commuting or driving around my side of Houston. It's a pavement princess and I will never use the extra V8 power. The majority of time I'm lugging it under 2200 RPM. In my first month of ownership I had the econ gauge displayed to see how it behaved. You can see the eTorque give it a small boost below 1500 RPM but it takes some finesse. I am getting nearly 22 mpg commuting & driving around town, like my old V6 sedans so I'm very happy with that. Unladed it runs like a small V8 if you wind it out, but you'll definitely get V8 mileage.

How does etorque give you a boost under 1500 rpm?

 

[Cool Dad]

How does etorque give you a boost under 1500 rpm?

For example I watched the econ gauge cruising ~37 mph, 7th gear, ~1200 rpm. When you *barely* push the gas pedal there is immediate acceleration but about a 1 sec delay for the MPG #s to drop. I know that gauge is programmed but from articles & a Tube video w/ a Mopar spokesman explaining how it works, I'm assuming the electric motor boosts-- or rather "fills in" at a very low RPM. It is very small... assuming this is where the extra 1 mpg rating comes from.

you mean you'll get v6 mileage . . . if you are talking about mpg.

I meant if you "misbehave" like I did when I was 25-- you'll get V8 mileage. I get the feeling if you drive through steep hills or tow lot, there is less benefit of having a V6 vs. V8... maybe almost none. But tooling around town, flat terrain, heavy traffic it is surprisingly efficient.

 

[theblet]

For example I watched the econ gauge cruising ~37 mph, 7th gear, ~1200 rpm. When you *barely* push the gas pedal there is immediate acceleration but about a 1 sec delay for the MPG #s to drop. I know that gauge is programmed but from articles & a Tube video w/ a Mopar spokesman explaining how it works, I'm assuming the electric motor boosts-- or rather "fills in" at a very low RPM. It is very small... assuming this is where the extra 1 mpg rating comes from.

Etorque gives you start/stop, and a small assist in accelerating from a dead stop. The electric motor doesn't assist at speed like a regular hybrid does. What you're seeing is just real time mpg going up and down as you accelerate and decelerate, as it should. I want to say the "eco" light will come on if your're making ~20mpg or better, but not sure about this.

 

[Cool Dad]

Etorque gives you start/stop, and a small assist in accelerating from a dead stop. The electric motor doesn't assist at speed like a regular hybrid does. What you're seeing is just real time mpg going up and down as you accelerate and decelerate, as it should. I want to say the "eco" light will come on if your're making ~20mpg or better, but not sure about this.

Never seen an "eco" light on mine. But I've only had it 3 mos, bought it w/ 5k and now it has 8k. Really just learned it and still need to crawl under and study it completely front to back. (Used to work in shops 20 yrs ago) And I'll have to study up on how that eTorque really works. There are a lot of different stories out there.

BTW I had a '22 Ridgeline for 11 mos and traded it for this. This Pentastar is handily getting 3 mpg more than the Honda 3.5 in the city and 2 more mpg on the highway.

 

[Vern76]

Never seen an "eco" light on mine. But I've only had it 3 mos, bought it w/ 5k and now it has 8k. Really just learned it and still need to crawl under and study it completely front to back. (Used to work in shops 20 yrs ago) And I'll have to study up on how that eTorque really works. There are a lot of different stories out there.

BTW I had a '22 Ridgeline for 11 mos and traded it for this. This Pentastar is handily getting 3 mpg more than the Honda 3.5 in the city and 2 more mpg on the highway.

'Eco' and 'etorque' are two different things. My 2017 V6 will have an 'eco light' come on when it's at optimal fuel efficiency. Nothing to do with etorque.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

 

[OKCBamaEngr]

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.

I just traded a 2018 RAM 1500 3.6L V6 Express Crew Cab 4x4 for a similar 2023 Bighorn with the eTorque version of the V6. Both tow my 3800 lb travel trailer with family, dogs, and gear well. Two reasons for going with the V6: 1) reported reliability is better, lots of reports of 200-300k miles on this power train, 2) ability to run 87 octane gasoline instead of 89 coupled with slightly better fuel economy. I believe that a buyer should match the truck configuration to their needs and wants , this matches mine, and the Hemi matches others.

 

[silver billet]

I just traded a 2018 RAM 1500 3.6L V6 Express Crew Cab 4x4 for a similar 2023 Bighorn with the eTorque version of the V6. Both tow my 3800 lb travel trailer with family, dogs, and gear well. Two reasons for going with the V6: 1) reported reliability is better, lots of reports of 200-300k miles on this power train, 2) ability to run 87 octane gasoline instead of 89 coupled with slightly better fuel economy. I believe that a buyer should match the truck configuration to their needs and wants , this matches mine, and the Hemi matches others.

I had the 3.6 (in my jeep) and put 91 in it just like I do with my 5.7. Both engines "can run" on 87 but it's obvious they do better on higher octanes especially while towing.

The 3.6 has reliability issues as well. Plastic oil filter housing, the head gasket still has issues, and they also get lifter failures. At this point I'd put it above the hemi still, but only if you're talking "probability" - what is the probability that the 3.6 will develop issues over the 5.7.

If you get a good 5.7 (and there are many out there) which does not have bad lifters, I'd say it still lasts longer than the 3.6 on average, it's a big NA engine that produces more power easily than the 3.6 does. Many live their life without any issues whatsoever. It's also the only half ton engine ever used in a 3/4 ton which says a lot about them, a base engine in a work truck is not an easy life.

Then their is the ETorque. Many here have no issues with it, but I'm going to take my 5.7 without ET everytime over a 3.6 with ET.

 

[User_3336]

I had the 3.6 (in my jeep) and put 91 in it just like I do with my 5.7. Both engines "can run" on 87 but it's obvious they do better on higher octanes especially while towing.

The 3.6 has reliability issues as well. Plastic oil filter housing, the head gasket still has issues, and they also get lifter failures. At this point I'd put it above the hemi still, but only if you're talking "probability" - what is the probability that the 3.6 will develop issues over the 5.7.

If you get a good 5.7 (and there are many out there) which does not have bad lifters, I'd say it still lasts longer than the 3.6 on average, it's a big NA engine that produces more power easily than the 3.6 does. Many live their life without any issues whatsoever. It's also the only half ton engine ever used in a 3/4 ton which says a lot about them, a base engine in a work truck is not an easy life.

Then their is the ETorque. Many here have no issues with it, but I'm going to take my 5.7 without ET everytime over a 3.6 with ET.

the HEMI is not without its issues as well . . . . .

Well, yea, the HEMI produces more power "easily" because its a 5.7 V8

 

[silver billet]

the HEMI is not without its issues as well . . . . .

Well, yea, the HEMI produces more power "easily" because its a 5.7 V8

Not sure what you're trying to say but I literally said both those things in my post.

 

[andrew_fineman]

I purchased a 2019 1500 Rebel late May 2023. After ample research ranging from testimonials from both owners to watching full tear down videos of countless 3.6 pentastars that made it 500,000+ miles it became clear that it was a very reliable engine. Only the chain tensioner guides seem worn down after half a million miles, which is exceptional for any plastic part. Occasionally I came across a lifter issue but I have tons of experience tearing apart engines (my car is a WRX so I’m on engine #4 in 93k miles….) so that did not deter me, especially given how rare it seems.

I forget the actual number but I recall learning that a much higher percentage of Hemi’s have issues down the line than Pentastars, which is also very important given the shear number of vehicles that Chrysler put the pentastar into (very large sample size). The Hemi is a great engine as far as V8s go, but the pentastar seems to be better if you don’t tow more than 7300lbs, which frankly is quite heavy

I live in Southern California and ski every weekend so there’s a lot of driving on a weekly basis. I put about 50,000 miles on my last car in 2.5 years. According to Fuelly V6 owners were seeing about 19MPG vs the Hemi’s 14. That is a 26% difference, and exceptional given the Rebel comes on very knobby 33”s, has a 1” lift, weighs 5049lbs dry, and has the aerodynamic profile of a sexy brick.

I do not tow anything besides motorcycles so frankly I could have gotten by with anything that could tow 3-4 dirt bikes on a trailer but being able to fit 3 bikes in the 6’4 box without needing to screw around with a trailer is a massive perk. The V6 rebel 4wd (3.92 diff) payload capacity is still 1710lbs which is plenty for my lifestyle.

Overall I see about 19-20 MPG average in my Rebel driving it reasonably and going 55-65 on the highway. I got 23mpg with 3 bikes and camping gear coming back from the desert once but congestion limited our speed to 55.

 

[JimD007]

I bought my 2019 classic with the V6 because it was pretty inexpensive for a truck with over 4 feet between the wheel wells so I can easily carry sheet goods and also a good sized back seat my daughter and her two kids in car seats can fit into. So price was the big factor but I was also pretty sure 300 hp would be enough. I just changed the oil at 35,000 miles and am still happy with the purchase. Classic means no etorque and I am good with that. I get about 21 mpg around town and 24-25 pretty consistently traveling. I towed U-hauls biggest covered trailer a couple weeks ago about 200 miles and got an indicated 19 mpg. It only had a couple couches and a recliner in it but I still think that's quite good. The truck never feels like it is working hard when I hook up the trailers I've used it with. Probably only a couple thousand pounds or less but that same U-haul trailer definitely felt bigger behing a small SUV I used to drive. It also sounds neat in the rare event I get on it.

 

[PistolPeteSTL]

I chose the V6 because it seems like enough power for my purpose, seems to be reliable or easy to fix known issues, gets better mileage and they are discounting the heck out of them right now, making the out the door difference in price a lot more than the sticker price difference.

 

[Threesuns1]

I use the truck for running to the eastern shore each week or so. The only towing I do is a landscape or small boat trailer on short trips. If I was doing any real towing, I would have got a 3/4 or 1-ton diesel. My trip to shore this week I got 25.8 mpg, I couldn't believe it. The best I've gotten before that was 24mpg, and that was only once. I guess the new power running boards help.

 

[quad cab]

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.

I drove a company hemi for 10 years , nice I got the v6 because of gas mileage!