I have been in the market for a 2 door Ram 1500 and right now I have 2 trucks that I am looking at. Im buying the truck to be my daily for work I just need something reliable I know if I get a Hemi i wont have the best mileage but ill have a nice fast truck to make up for it and ive heard the V6 is not too far apart in mpg's.. So here are the 2.

2007 Ram 1500 3.7L V6 SXT. I went to look at this truck it belongs to an old man used rarely it rides like new at just under 50k miles. Interior is spotless , engine is spotless, all stock no signs of abuse at all this truck is just gorgeous if it wasnt a V6 I would take it no questions asked but I hear bad things about the 3.7 on a full size truck. He wants $10500 for it.

http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/3859750423.html

2005 Ram 1500 5.7L Hemi. I will be looking at this truck on tuesday so I havent seen it in person but it has 107K miles and it has a few upgrades which make me think the owner must have had his fun with the truck. He wants $9800 but I think I can talk him down to 9 worst case.

http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/3793841831.html

 

Get the Hemi.

 

Yeah, Hemi. Same truck pretty much, but one goes much faster with only like a 1 mpg drop in mileage. lol

 

How reliable are 5.7 Hemi's in terms of maintanance? This will be my first financed vehicle I just dont want to be stuck with a truck thats gonna start needing mechanical attention, I know 100K miles is not too much I guess what im saying is I want at least 5 good years without having to do any major repairs to the truck.

 

Spark plugs are a b1tch to replace. But if it's been cared for it shouldn't be too bad. Something you have to look out for on any Ram you buy is the rack and pinion. They can go out any time between 75-100k miles and if they are replaced with a non-MOPAR unit, those explode rather quickly (don't ask. ).

 

I own one of each now, 2007 single cab with a 3.7 (Purchased a few months ago) and a 2008 QC 5.7.

What are you going to use the truck for?

I drive the 08 to and from work and the 07 is a Hot Shot truck. Both trucks have around 100K on them. Regular maintenance is a must on any vehicle

The 07 gets a lot better gas mileage on the hwy. City yea it is like a 1 mpg difference when driven the same

The best way to see which one is better is to test drive them both right after each other. Before I bought my 08 I test drove a few exact kinds but with a few differences ( rim\ tire sizes, engine )

 

If your financing then i would go with the 07 due to mileage and the history you are aware of. Personally i would keep on looking.

 

Thing is I cant find anything better for the price I have a $10k budget. I like the 07 but this will be my truck for the next 5+ years I dont want something that I will get tired of quick. I will be using the truck for work and any side usage I do like carrying furniture etc. And im not a speed demon but its a good feeling when you have a truck that has serious *****. Ive been driving my dads 5.4 V8 Ford F150 and I love the HP it pushes. Im gonna check it out tomorrow ill report back.

 

Hemi. Why?
1. Towing capacity
2. Heavy *** truck capable of getting out of its own way
3. Fun factor

 

4. Sounds a lot better.