hi everyone!!! I have been trying to decide what to get for a new dd once the wife gets back to work. I currently switch off between a 74 Corvette and a beat up 88 Ranger. I think i have finally decided on a 2000-2003 Dak quad cab 4x4. I took a 2001 with the 4.7 out the other day and loved it. perfect fit for the family if needed, not to big to drive and park, can haul my quad, tow a trailer, and it got out of iyts way very nicely. My question is 5.9 or 4.7....now first off i love having something quick(Ranger is killing me slowest thing i have ever owned and first dd not to have an 8 in my life) to drive. My last truck was a special ordered 1996 Chevy Silverado with a 350 5spd and 3.42 rear. With basic mods she was turning 14.4's and was a blast to drive!!!! I am basically looking for the same kind of performace plus, my buddy has a Titan and i would like to be able to whoop him if need be. Now i plan on some basic mods to whichever i get, exhaust, air filter, computer....yada yada yada. I would also like to get decent mileage if possible average of 14-15 would be fine with me. Later on in life i plan on picking up an enclosed trailer to haul 4 sport quads in when family and i go out......so with all that said what is everyones opinions on this.....i was originally pushing for 5.9 as it would make a good tower and the whole no replacement for displacement rule.....however from what i have read the 5.9 is good for towing but the 4.7 is actually a quicker truck....how does the 4.7 do towing wise??? does it respond as well to mods as the 5.9??? Would love to hear everyones thoughts on this to point me in the right direction thanks all

 

The 4.7 has almost as much horsepower, and it's higher up in the power band, so it wouldn't surprise me if it's about as fast in a drag race. The 5.9 though has a fair amount more torque AND a lot more aftermarket for the engine since that basic engine has been around since the what, 60s?

With the 5.9 you can yank the engine out for a rebuild, put a 4" stroker crank and clean up the bores a little and wind up with 408+ cubic inches. Go with forged internals and slap a blower on it if you want. Either way, you're looking at a lot more power than the 4.7 is capable of.

I tow a ~4000 lb rally car on a ~2500 lb flatbed trailer sometimes and it tows just fine. With the exception of moderately steep hills it actually doesn't struggle at all with the load in overdrive (3.90 ring). Towing I get about 10mpg, straight freeway I get about 15mpg, and mostly city or mixed I tend to get about 12mpg (I've got a heavy foot).

The QC itself is a heavy truck, mine weighs as much if not a little more than my lifted 86 Ram. I do know that even with the 5.9 I wish for more power sometimes. It's just a matter of time though until I get it.

 

5.9 only has a few more ponies and not near as good on the gas milage the 4.7 is by far the better motor....I had a 2003 ext cab 3.9L it was ok but traded it in for a low mileage 2004 quad cab 4.7L.....take Dodge's lead on this....notice you can only get a few versions of the 4.7 on the Dakota now days if you are going V8.....tons of aftermarket stuff and with a quick change of the muffler (Flowmaster 40 series) it sounds just as good as a full size Dodge RAM with a Hemi but you get double the gas milage.

 

The 4.7 is a far better motor if you use your truck like a car. The 5.9 is superior for truck duties though.

My 99 grand cherokee got the same, if not a little worse fuel economy as my Dakota while towing. The trailer I pulled in the 4.7-powered Grand was a Wells Cargo box with a motorcycle (CR250) and some tools in it. The trailer I tow with my 5.9 Dakota is a tandem axle flatbed with a ~3500 pound racecar on it.

And the 4.7 is still an infant in the aftermarket, there's way more you can do with a 5.9.

 

I'd go with Horatio on this one.
Start with a bigger, older engine and you can end up with waay too much power
I hope to one day drive a 5.9 twin turbo Dak
there is a lot more options with the 5.9 and I would rather have it in the supersized QC
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