hey yall, im lookin for some help on buying a truck. im gonna be looking at 2 quad cab rams with hemi's and all. 1 is a an 04 with 52k on it 2wd and the other is an 05 with 66k on it 2wd. both are for the same price of 11999. Now this is gonna be mainly a ride for my wife so how is the mpg lookin for a stock hemi with the stock 20's? she doesnt drive like a bat out of hell but pretty conservative. Also what type of thing like problems and other stuff should i look for in the trucks? anythign major wrong with those year model rams?? Im liking the 05 even though it has higher miles, cause it has nerf bars on the side and the folding out piece under the rear seat. The 04 has the same stuff minus the bars and folding piece but has a cover over the bed. Me and her are both kinda short so the bars are a must for me and her lol. Anywayz any help would be great. thanks all.

 

The '04 & '05 mechanically are the same truck and neither has MDS (not available until '06). Mileage ain't gonna be pretty, especially with the significantly heavier 20" wheels. Stock, I was getting about 13/17 with my QC 4x4. Although I'm not getting much worse than that with about 2000 lbs. in mods and 35" tires now.

As far as problems, I've got an '04 that virtually has been flawless, but most report the traditional Chrysler crap like rotors, tranny issues, paint, dash cracks, & exploding lsd's.

Although the prices seem high, I made a post, where someone asked for pricing on used Hemi's and I typed in from last friday's local paper (these were all from dealer ads) and typed the following in for him from one dealers' ad:

'06 QC V8 4x2, loaded w/leather, very low miles $ 9995
'04 QC V8 4x4 SLT, loaded, low miles $11,995
'05 QC Hemi V8 4x4 Loaded, Laramie, Leather $12,995
'07 QC 20" Wheels, 30k, loaded $17,995

For comparison purposes, my neighbor just bought a fairly loaded (everything but DVD & Nav system, new '08 Hemi QC 4x2 over July 4th weekend for $17k, new '08 regular cab 4.7 V8's can be had in the $13k range. So I think you can beat those prices down a bit...

 

Yep, gas prices pretty much ruined any equity I would have had in my truck. I still don't regret it though - I don't plan to sell it anyway. I do drive like a bat out of hell and I don't complain about the resulting 9 mpg. I knew what I was getting into, complete with the 20s and larger tires.

At least I get the "good" 20s that are polished aluminum rather than the plasti-chrome!

 

Expect 15MPG on average (50% city/highway). If you are concerned about MPG do not buy it is the most straight forward answer I can give.

 

I have an 05 HEMI and love it. The folding platform under the rear seat is awesome because it creates a flat surface to load things on. Also, i think they are pretty expensive to put in aftermarket.

As for MPG, mine is a 4x4, and i get 17.5 on the highway (fairly flat) going right around 65-70 mph. I have had no mechanical problems or elecrical problems.

I agree with Hammer, you can get the price down. I payed 11,800 for mine with 38K miles in perfect condition. Good luck with which ever you pick. I think you will be very happy with either one.

 

Where do you live? It's always a good idea to check out new Rams to see the prices. as far as problems, i have replaced the rotors, but no dash, paint, tranny issues, exploding lsd's. are not a problem i have had, KNOCK ON WOOD!
I'd get the 05'.