I'm new to this forum so forgive me if this question has beeen posted before but...

We just purchased a new Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi quad cab about a week ago. We are so disappointed in the gas mileage on this truck. The truck has 400 miles on it. We love the way it drives and looks, little rough riding but that's to be expected with the 20" wheels. But we've already filled up once and checked our mileage and it was 9.15 mpg. And my husband does not have a lead foot either. This will be a work truck, so much of the driving will be city. We can drive an RV for that! [:@]

Before we bought it, we told the salesman we figured the Hemi would be bad on gas mileage but he said it's actually better becausesome of the cylinders shut down when you get to a certain speed. The sticker said 13 city and I think 17 highway. Well 13 is not good but we could live with that, but not 9! We went 44 miles and used 1/8 of a tank of gas!

What are your comments or suggestion on this matter? We are ready to take this truck back! Don't even know if that is an option.

Thanks in advance!

 

give it time to break in....i didn't see better mileage in my truck until i got around around 10K miles....gotta give engines time to break in and really get in their "groove"....it'll get better

 

I bought mine new and got six to 10 the first few tanks. it has evened out now, i get 12-15 in town and 15-18/19 on the hwy.

Oh yeah, make sure you use midgrade fuel, good fuel.

 

The rough ride isn't from the wheels..lemme tell ya. I have the factory17" wheels on my RCSB and it rides like *** over mulitple small bumps....it takes big bumps pretty good though.


Speed is only one requirement for the MDS to activate...throttle position and engine load have to be under a certain percent also. I'm not sure if it has to be in closed loop or not...that would make sense though.

 

9 MPG that just sounds to bad to be true. I usually average 15-16 and I don't have the MDS. The worst I ever got was 10 and that was pulling a trailer with four atv's and one it the back with four two hundred pounders in the cab. I can't really comment about the break in period with bad mileage, I am nota mechanic andI never noticed that with mine.

 

hey thats my gas mileage


You just gotta let yours break in....

 

Let it get about 3000 miles and it's first oil change under your belt before you hit the panic button. I've got an '04 QC 4x4 with big 35" tires, a 4" suspension lift with a heavy sub frame and tons of extra heavy mods. I weigh in at almost 7000 lbs. with me and a full toolbox in it. As mine is an '04, I don't have the luxury of MDS for better gas mileage and I still manage upper 13's to 14 mpg in combination driving, and with a cat back exhaust, cold air intakeand long tube headers, I CAN'T KEEP MY FOOT OFF IT!!!

BTW - Those 20" wheels may look really nice, but they are gonna cost you about 2 mpg just by themselves. Look into a set of 17's, if not feasable now, then at least make the change to 17" when it's time for tires...