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TeamGreen
5/9/2014 5:10pm
5/9/2014 5:10pm
Edited Date/Time
5/11/2014 8:45pm
Over the last few days I've had an opportunity to drive a Ram Laramie Crew-Cab Diesel 4X4 w/ the short-bed that has the locked storage compartments in the bedsides. Also, drove a quad-cab SLT w/ a std bed & the Hemi.
The new 1/2 ton V6 diesel motor is torquey & gets awesome Mpg. I got 25 mpg in mixed driving on a brand new motor & I'm sure you can pull off the 28mpg that's claimed. The bed storage is pretty cool; but, it does make 2 bikes a bit of a squeeze. The Laramie interior is gorgeous & has plenty of storage/stash compartments & has a fold-out-flat-floor in the back. The truck had EVERYTHING available & was a hot-rod. The new diesel is more than enough motor & I'm guessing it tows like some 3/4 ton trucks. You can get all that info on the web. A local dealer said you can get fairly huge discounts on the loaded trucks.
The Hemi SLT Quad-cab 4X4 is one if those Value-Editions & for a $33K truck it's pretty damn nice! Nice controls & straight-forward info & entertainment systems. The Hemi gets surprisingly good mlg: I've been getting 17.5-18.5 while driving too fast w/ one bike and some gear...est. 700 # pay-load inc. me. Even with 46 psi in the tires the ride is as good...no. It's better than the new GM (I've got one of'em & I think this "Dodge" rides better).
Sticker on the loaded truck was $55K...pimp trucks cost money!
Dash on the SLT was pretty clean & functional
The Quad-Can ain't that big. Needed to run the passenger seat fwd to get a coupl'a gear bags to fit in the back-seat
The new 1/2 ton V6 diesel motor is torquey & gets awesome Mpg. I got 25 mpg in mixed driving on a brand new motor & I'm sure you can pull off the 28mpg that's claimed. The bed storage is pretty cool; but, it does make 2 bikes a bit of a squeeze. The Laramie interior is gorgeous & has plenty of storage/stash compartments & has a fold-out-flat-floor in the back. The truck had EVERYTHING available & was a hot-rod. The new diesel is more than enough motor & I'm guessing it tows like some 3/4 ton trucks. You can get all that info on the web. A local dealer said you can get fairly huge discounts on the loaded trucks.
The Hemi SLT Quad-cab 4X4 is one if those Value-Editions & for a $33K truck it's pretty damn nice! Nice controls & straight-forward info & entertainment systems. The Hemi gets surprisingly good mlg: I've been getting 17.5-18.5 while driving too fast w/ one bike and some gear...est. 700 # pay-load inc. me. Even with 46 psi in the tires the ride is as good...no. It's better than the new GM (I've got one of'em & I think this "Dodge" rides better).
Sticker on the loaded truck was $55K...pimp trucks cost money!
Dash on the SLT was pretty clean & functional
The Quad-Can ain't that big. Needed to run the passenger seat fwd to get a coupl'a gear bags to fit in the back-seat
The Shop
Since dropping the V8 cummins, Nissan has picked up that motor for their new Titan models, and Toyota is currently considering the cummins also for their Tundra. If this happens, Ford and Chevy will be forced to follow suit to compete.
Someone said they get over 20mpg in the Hemi? I believe it, the motor is a miser IF...IF you allow it to be.
Really impressed. I'll have the SLT at the Ranch this weekend if anyone wants to climb around & maybe take a test drive if we have time...look for the Silver Ram w/a AS29 replica in the back...the rider ain't no Andrew replica, tho...a lot shorter, older, fatter & waaaaaay SLOWER!
Also I wouldn't get too wrapped up in that diesel boys. One would think that because it's a diesel it'll tow better right? Nope. Check that before you buy boys because a loaded up crew cab diesel 4x4 is only rated to tow 7,650 lbs compared to 9,750lbs for the Hemi powered Dodge and 9,200 in the Ecoboost Ford. Now if all your hauling around is a bass boat it'll do fine but for people that think this thing is gonna tow better than their current Hemi powered Dodge or a 1500 or F150 think again. The diesel is cranking out 420 ft lbs of torque same as an Ecoboost but it's only got 240hp compared to 365hp in the Ecoboost. Hemi is 395hp and 410 on the torque. Not sure what the Chevy has. Also on the gas mileage check your local fuel prices because where I'm at diesel is 20% more expensive than gas so just to break even your gonna need 20% better fuel economy which it appears to do but whatever is left is gonna take you a long time to make up the $2,850 that Dodge is charging for the diesel. Plus you gotta handle cat piss
By the way I'm not hating on Dodge I was hell bent on getting one of these things a few months ago until I started running the numbers and then I saw Ford is coming out with a 2.7 Ecoboost and going on weight watchers so I'll wait to see what that's all about because the diesel just doesn't justify the cost with the current fuel prices.
If Kenny T is getting 22-23 in a Hemi and fuel is 60 cents a gallon cheaper that diesel is a bust cause that Hemi will blow the doors off the diesel.
I love the Ford Boost motors; but, the Ram diesel's mileage and real-world-torque are gonna be hard to match w/ the new lil' booster. The towing limitation may be the 4 (or 5?) link rear-suspension. The new Ford 3.5 booster is suppose to make even MORE torque in '15? Damn! & I think the 5.0 V8 7-lug F-150s tow 10 to 12k...?
I'm thinking the best bang for the buck might be a std V6 in any of the Big 3's trucks.
Now into the Moto side of this lol. I towed an 18 ft enclosed trailer, while the mileage was around 12-14 I could still tow at 80 with 5 bikes and everyone's gear and the truck had no idea it was there. Few months later I towed a 14ft trailer 3 bikes and all our stuff and still managed 18-20 mpg. With a tool box in the bed 2 bikes and has and tools and gear is a tight fit but take the toolbox out and I got three bikes, three gas cans, stands, mini tools box and gear bags no problem.
The Fords and GM trucks are great but ouch expensive! I waited till the end of 2012 and ran to boise and walked out with a brand new truck, 4 miles on the odometer for 36,000 and I love it!
Pit Row
Not sure where you are getting your info Michael. That's good stuff....
Also the Cummins V-8 is supposed to come out in the Nissan Titan but production has been pushed back.
I really really really wanted a red Laramie Crew 4x4 diesel. Those things look awesome. But the numbers just don't justify the diesel for me. At the end of the day it cost more with less performance than the Hemi and the better mpg doesn't cancel the up front money (also if your financing that 2,850), added cost of fuel, animal piss and more expensive maintenance. The Hemi is a powerful proven platform that's bulletproof while the diesel is new and unproven. If I go with the Dodge it'll be a Hemi.
The light weight towing doesn't bother me because I never tow any more than about 4,000lbs so that's not a show stopper I am looking for better economy over towing 10k. That new F150 3.5 booster is supposed to be nasty. Imagine more torque than it has now and it drops 700lbs.... What I'm interested in is the 2.7. I imagine it will be in the performance range of the 1500 Dodge diesel. It will probably tow about the same and they are speculating about 305 horsepower and maybe 320 or 340 on the torque. So it'll have 40 or so more horsepower than the Dodge diesel but about 100 less ft lbs of torque. But with a 700lbs weight reduction I think performance wise it'll be right there with the Dodge diesel. The difference will be it will probably be like the 3.5 boost and be a $1,000 option and with Ford claiming it's a "game changer" people are speculating it'll get the same economy as the Dodge diesel but it'll do it on fuel that is 60 cents a gallon cheaper. That will be the difference. I guess time will tell.
What we really need is a truck that runs on natural gas. Then we are in business
No 2 better options.
Lmfao.
COILS in the rear are hideous.
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