Ram is now claiming to have the best in class MPG's of any half ton truck. That is true if you're willing to settle for a regular cab truck with a short bed and a 4x2 drive train.

The truck is equipped with the auto start / stop feature.

3.6L V-6, 8 speed tranny and the 3.55 axle.

This drive train is not available in all cab configurations.

Ford's 3.7L is also somewhat limited but only in trim levels not cab configurations.

The 3.5L is available in all cabs and mostly across the trim levels and in all drive trains configs.

It looks like Ram is setting the bar pretty high. Unless the car makers can figure out how improve efficiency on the mid sized and compact trucks, they may well have met their match with Ford and Ram offering full sized trucks with more power and the same MPG's.

 

i'm sure the 8-sp transmission has something to do with their MPG ratings.

with their track record of transmission performance, you have to ask your self the question:

"do I really want a dodge with 8 gears?"

i've always found it funny that ford, dodge and GM all claim "best in class" fuel economy. I suppose if you figgure out that a class is a purple, 2wd, extra cab, with 15" tires and 2.73 gears ... and you're the only one with that configuration .. guess what, you're the winner.

 

All the manufacturers have little tricks they use to claim "best this" or "better than that." You really can't take any of their advertising at face value.

I know another little trick that Ram does is claiming their Hemi's hp/tq and fuel economy numbers on mid-grade gasoline (89 octane), rather than regular 87 octane like Ford does. Therefore, if you use regular gas in your Hemi Ram you likely aren't getting the full hp/tq and fuel economy that you think you are.

 

Exactly what I was thinking... They seemed to have trouble buiding a decent 4 speed, and now twice the shifting? With FIAT technology? Ugh! LOL

 

It didn't sway me from buying a new F150. Dodge also has a higher trim level to get the V6, which starts at $28K+.

 

Guys -
It's a Chrysler product.
'Nuff said.

 

This is true for any truck or vehicle.
Only the higher trim HFE trim has the start/stop rated at 18/25. The standard 3.6/8spd is rated at 17/25.
The 3.6L/8spd is available in every cab and bed configuration, including 4x4. The HFE Trim model (which includes start/stop) is only available in RCSB.
I'd hope you'd have more faith then that, since their 8 speed is a ZF design, just like the 6 speed in current F-150s.
Incorrect. Fuel economy, horsepower and torque are all rated at 87 Octane. They recommend 89 Octane for optimal performance however.
The V6 starts at $24,000. The base $23,000 engine is a 4.7L V8.

 

I wanna know how many people that have commented in this thread about dodges terrible transmission, have actually rebuilt a dodge transmission?!?!?

 

The 8 speed transmission is designed by zf, just as the 6 speed the f150 current used is also designed by zf. But both manufacture them themselves.

 

You have to rebuild transmissions to know that Dodge has had a terrible track record with transmissions?

 

AOD, E4OD, 4R100, A4XN/A4XS/AXOD, A4LD, 4R55E/5R55E are just some of Ford's lemons. Let's not even bring up the 6F and 6R teething issues.

Everyone's transmissions had issues at some point or another. Chrysler went through a real bad patch starting with the early 90s to early 2000s, but all of those old designs have pretty much been eliminated.

 

This is true ^^ The 5-speed automatic 545RFE is light years ahead of the 4-speed 45RE used two generations of Rams ago. Very low failure rate. The ZF 8-speed will be just as good as the 6-speed used in the current F150.

 

I went through every trim level and cab configuration in the 2013 Ram Build and Price site and the only truck that offers the 3.6L with 8 speed is the Tradesman 4x2 and 4x4.

Perhaps the site needs to be updated as the other trim levels didn't offer or mention a variety of engines / transmissions.

The 3.6L with 8 speed is considered as an upgrade from the 4.7L V-8.

I have no problem with being wrong but you'll have to prove it.

 

How can you even call it a track record. Dodge had problems with the 47rh/re holding down power with the V10 and the cummins. The 48re had its problems too, but it gets easier to understand when you've had a cummins that made ~900ftlbs to the wheels.

 

In my part of the world (rust belt), Dodge Ram has a very poor reputation for bodies that don't last. I will say that for the money you can get a lot nicer interior with cool features. I found the Dodge quite a nice driver - better than Chevy. But at the end of the day the crew cab had a truck bed that was way too short to be useful, the rear floor wasn't flat, and it had the sorriest excuse for 390 HP I've ever felt in my life. For whatever reason the power just isn't getting to the ground the way it should. Not to mention that I'm just not in to the boy racer styling.