...they may sell a few thousand of these 400 hp pickups to the real power freaks, but the bottom line is that all of the big three have the wrong product and the wrong focus in today's market. Big trucks, regardless of horsepower, are *gone* as cash cows.
The true truck market will continue to exist. Better mileage and more power will still sell trucks. They may not be the 30% profit margin they have been recently but people still need to pull trailers, run to home depot and go hit the ATV trails.
a regular cab, short bed, 4×2 model equipped with a 3.7L V6 and a four-speed automatic transmission – will only hit 20 mpg on the highway.
Quote:
the new HEMI is expected to return just a hair under 20 mpg (13 mpg city).
from the original poster's article:
in regards to the hemi:
Quote:
4 percent greater efficiency should give a comparable 2009 Dodge Ram 15.6 mpg combined (13.5/19.8 mpg city/hwy, estimated)
in regards to the 3.7 v6:
Quote:
the most fuel efficient model is expected to be a regular cab 4x2 with a 3.7-liter V-6, 4-speed automatic transmission, short box (120-inch wheelbase) and 3.55:1 rear axle. The latest engineering estimates (not EPA certified) are 14/20 mpg city/highway for this configuration.
hrm... 0.2 mpg difference hwy, and 0.5 in the city. now to put those into perspective, at 12000 miles per year, all city (biggest difference possible), and $5/gal (even though we're still $1 away), the V6 would eat 857.14 gallons of gas or $4285.71 in fuel. The hemi, would eat 888.89 gallons of gas, or $4444.44 in fuel. That's 159 dollars worth of extra fuel per year. or roughly 13 dollars per month.
Damn those gas hog HP freaks who want 400hp in a truck! I'll gladly pay my 13 dollars a month knowing that my truck can actually still do truck like things, you know, like pulling a car on a trailer or a travel trailer or I guess, since I'm so rich, my heavy duty wallet.
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2000 Excursion Limited 4x4 V10 - soon to not be stock anymore.
2004 F150 XLT screw 4x4 5.4 - 2.5 leveling kit, 34.5" BFGs - Gone
2004 mach1 mustang, holding the garage floor in place.
Ford has always been a little down on power(Except SD) but they still continue to outsell others in truck sales. Theres more to trucks than just an engine, its the whole package. I do beleive though ford will be forced to up there horsepower a bit to at least look competitive on paper powerwise.
this new dodge sounds pretty nice with the 400 HP. if i was in the market, i would probly get it anyway. but for me, it just looks ugly.
too much like a dakota in the front with thet aerodynamics. For trucks, i want a big gas hog that looks bad ass.
but ford is still the best in the looks department and more than likey will outsell all the big 3 just because dodge is soooooo over priced,
I didn't go to this link but last month or so I went to the Dodge website and checked out the new Ram. is it just me or does it look like a Toyota Tundra?
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Kevin
1979 F100 4x2,
300 Inline 6,
3 speed manual,
9 inch rearend,
10 series Flowmaster,
Grant steering wheel,
JVC stereo in the glove box-the previous owner did that,
and some other stuff
"You got to drive that Ford like it's a stallion."-Jack Ingram & the Beat Up Ford Band
From the article; "shortening the intakes at low RPMs for low-end torque and lengthening the intakes at high RPMs for high-RPM power;"... I thought it was the other way around.
Sick and tired of you guys whinin about gas mileage, its how you drive em that counts. I get 24 or so mpg out of my 98 expo and you ask how..............I drive it around sensible and still have the money to tow my boat on the weekend. I say huray for dodge and anyone else who can build a truck with 400hp and still get decent gas mileage.
I didn't go to this link but last month or so I went to the Dodge website and checked out the new Ram. is it just me or does it look like a Toyota Tundra?
I personally think it looks *SLIGHTLY* like a tundra from the side, but the front end, rear end, and basically everything else is completely different. Honestly I think it almost looks like a cross between the old 94-01 RAMs and a Mustang. :-/
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- Ian
1987 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 2.9
Needs a lot of work, including some rot on the body, but shes getting there.
From the article; "shortening the intakes at low RPMs for low-end torque and lengthening the intakes at high RPMs for high-RPM power;"... I thought it was the other way around.
haha, it is... I did miss that
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2000 Excursion Limited 4x4 V10 - soon to not be stock anymore.
2004 F150 XLT screw 4x4 5.4 - 2.5 leveling kit, 34.5" BFGs - Gone
2004 mach1 mustang, holding the garage floor in place.
ive never seen a hemi that got better than 16 of the hwy even if my grandpa was driving it...... i dunno where those numbers came from.... they must test a truck with 235s and 3.08 gearing..... ford doesnt have a choice, they need to hit atleast 375 OR plan on being eliminated.... the guys who have trucks at this point in time yet obviously dont care as much about mileage... my truck only gets driven on weekends so i dont care if it gets 10..... as long as it gives me a thrill while it does it
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2003 F-150.... Airaid, edge evo, piaa's, exhaust and just about all the chrome u can buy...
Some of us still have a truck because we need one. When you do heavy towing or hauling, cars or baby trucks won't work. With heavy loads, there is no replacement for displacement.
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2004 XLT Regular Cab, Short Bed, 4X4 with 5.4 and 3.73.
