Just put my first tank full back in my new 05 Ram 1500. Manual calculation showed I got 14mpg on the first tank. I had a 50/50 mix on the city vs hwy and ran the air constantly. Wasnt hard on the truck either. Was this normal? Was hoping for about 16 out of it. Truck has the 17' wheels and 355 gearing. First tank full was put in by the dealer, showed full but I dont know how much he rang in it. I put all it would hold on the refill plus those few extra squirts we all try to force in. I would appreciate some info on what the other 4.7 owners are getting and if I can expect to get a 1 or 2 mpg increase over time. Despite the 14, I LOVE THIS TRUCK!

 

I have had my truck for about 3 weeks and it is 4WD. So far the computer in the truck is telling me I am averaging just over 12 mpg. I use it mostly for city driving. I thought I would see much better gas mileage than this. It appears to me the Hemi engine owners are getting about the same gas mileage. If that is the case, it would have made sense to just buy the Hemi.

 

I have the 5.7 Hemi. I drive on the Interstate to work everyday and get about 16 mpg. At first it wasn't as good but as your engine wears in a little, the mileage will increase.

 

those of you that bought the 4.7 instead of the hemi to save on gas.....your thinking process was wrong...esp if you drive around the city.

the ram weigh between 4700 and 5500 pounds depending on your application.....getting it moving takes a lot of grunt.
the 4.7 has to work harder than the 5.7 on starts and at highway speeds.

Im not sure what the 4.7 rpm is at at 70mph but in my hemi...i turn over just under 2000rpms at 70mph. the engine is barely working. same thing with starting out from 0 mph...there is more grunt in the hemi engine to get moving then there is in the 4.7. truck weighs too much to be powered by 230-240hp and only 300lb tq.

if you baby the throttle over time....the 4.7 may see 1-2 mpg better TOPS than a hemi....but under normal conditions....you wouldve been better off spending the extra 1 grand on a much nicer motor.

 

My 4.7 tachs 1900 RPM at 70. Truck seems to have a really good OD with the auto 5 speed. While I have no doubt a Hemi will move the trucks weight better, being a larger motor, the 4.7 does not seem to be working to hard to me. My truck is probably the lightest Ram they make. It is just a reg cab, 2wd short bed with 17' wheels on it. It seems that while some are getting the 14 or so I got on my first tank, most Hemi posts on here I have seen are still in the 12-low 13 range on average. For me every dollar counts. Still hoping to get the truck closer to 16 average. We will see how it goes. Nevertheless, this is a huge step up from the 2000 S-10 4 banger with a 5 speed I traded in. LOL!

 

My mileage increased as the motor had a chance to wear-in. It is not just the motor but everything that is moving to get it moving such as the engine, tranny, rear-end, wheel bearings, etc. All of that friction adds up.

 

I have an 04 quad cab ,4x4 with a lid and it's a Hemi. locally I get 12 to 13 mph. but that's very local,lots of stop signs and lights ,usually can't get over 35 mph. But once I get in to the rural area where I can travel 55 to 60 ,I get around 15, to 16..On a 40 miles rural trip I get around 16.0 mpg. I haven't made a real long trips on an Interstate, but once We drove 150 miles on 95 and we got 17.1 and we didn't use cruise control.It only has 8500 on it so when I get around 10,000 miles on it i'm switching over to synthetic oil.I know this will improve my mileage,I tried it in my PT Cruiser and it worked for it. I also have 17 in tires with the 3.55 rear.

 

I can read and know that this thread is to sample 4.7 mileage, but... Here are some comparison data from the "gas mileage thread" I just posted...

I just returned from a 1600+ mile trip in my new truck. It had just over 300 miles on the odo when I started out. The truck is an '05 hemi 1500 ST, regular cab with tow package, and 3.92 limited-slip... basically no other options to add weight and complexity. For the last 600 miles of the trip I was towing a new aluminum 16' car hauler (empty) that weighs about 1500 pounds using regular mode (not tow/haul). I consistently (except for occasional construction) drove 72mph with cruise control. Also, one passenger.

I got between 15 and 17 miles/gallon. Interestingly (and surprisingly, at least to me), it didn't appear to matter what the terrain, altitude, or if I had the trailer attached. The best mileage seemed to be under the least likely conditions and vice-versa. Inconsistencies in different pump fill-up "kick-offs" might have accounted for some differences since I never "top off."

Also, I always used middle grade octane gas from "name brand" stations.

All the best.

Oh, forgot to add that it has a Peragon bed-cover that would affect results to some degree. Sorry, about that.






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I have an '02 rc/sb 2wd ST with 4.7/a/t and 3.55 gears. It's as plain as you can get, it as a/c, tilt, the opening console and cd player, that's about it. It weighs 4570 lbs with 1/4 tank of gas. I get 15.5 avg around town and up to about 20 mpg in strictly highway driving. I have a bed cover and the rear is lowered 2.75". I attribute a lot of my MPG and performance,(I've run 15.4 at the drag strip this spring in 75 degree weather), to the light weight of my truck.

PS; in the stoplight drags, I've outrun 2 different QC/ Hemi trucks, (I'm not stupid enough to race a rc Hemi). I don't post about racing much, there just isn't any way to prove who did what unless we're all there to see it.

 

I get about 12.5 around town and about 18 hwy. I love the comments that 235 hp isn't enough. 10 years or so ago you would be lucky to find trucks that made 200 hp ..... I think most of the problem is the gears and the trans. My truck jumps to overdrive way too quick and makes it lug around town. There is plenty of power...its just not used well.