Hey everybody, its been a long time since I've posted on this site. Had an '07 Dakota, loved it! Circumstances have placed me in sedans for the last 3 years or so and I'm ready to get back behind the wheel of a vehicle worth driving lol.

I am in a lease that doesn't end for another year but the itch has struck me and I'm looking for input from everyone that owns a 4th Gen RAM. I am a little tempted to look at the new Colorado/Canyon coming out primarily because I have GM Points on my card. Right now I'm driving a Malibu and not totally thrilled with it.

So for the questions: V6 vs HEMI? I'm thinking 3.55 rear end, but please give me input on the other options. Creature comforts/features i should look out for in the new RAMs. What is everybody getting for mileage?

I need 4x4. Will mostly be a commuting vehicle with 80% Highway 20% city. I did however just buy a new house where I have found plenty of uses for a truck and have had to borrow friends trucks (which is getting old). If I buy a truck I may buy a trailer for some light towing. I'm looking at quad cab over crew cab. I feel that fits my needs better. How is the leg room in the back of the quad cab?

Thanks as always for anyone's input. I really enjoyed being a part of this forum before and look forward to it possibly again in the future! :-)

 

I recently went from an 05 Dakota quad cab to a 12 Ram quad cab. The Ram seemed huge at first but tows a 6,000lb trailer very easily. The back seat and leg room are huge. My only complaint is that it doesn't fit as well in the garage.
BTW - the fuel mileage between my 4.7 Dak and the Hemi Ram is negligable.

 

OK, thanks. That gives me a some idea how they compare. I noticed in researching on fueleconomy.gov that the HEMI requires mid grade gas? Is this true or can you use regular gas?

Any flaws that have been noticed commonly? I know as much as I loved my Dak it seemed like it was always in the shop getting front end suspension and steering parts replaced. Does this seem to be common on the ram too?

Thanks for your help

 

You can use regular grade gas but you only get full power if you run on the 89 octane. I used to put nothing but 87 in it and really only noticed a difference a couple times when towing.

 

Mine runs well with 87. It wasn't until I read the Owners Manual that I saw that 89 is recommended. I'll try 89 on my next fill up. Can't wait to find out how much more power it makes.

 

...BTW...my comments above about my 2012 Ram quad cab...I must have had a brain-fart. My Ram is a crew cab. Huge rear seat and leg room.

 

I thought thats what you meant. It looks huge in pics. Does anyone have a comparison between the quad cab RAM and a quad cab Dak like the one in my sig picture? I'm thinking about going with a quad cab over the crew for a few different reasons, but I do have a growing 5 year old and would like to know if he is going to have any growing room back there.

Thank you for the great feedback thus far!

 

The best way to determine what you need is, do you use your truck to haul people most of the time or due you use it to always load the box , I have a CC and very seldom haul anything in the box but always have room for passengers even if there is something back there , your 5 year old will grow don't confine him to a small area.

 

I own two 14 ram 1500's. Both 4x4, Both 8 Speeds. One is a Crew Cab 6'4'' RamBox Outdoorsman with the 5.7 Hemi and 3.92. The other truck is a Regular Cab 8' Box Tradesman with the 3.6 Pentastar and 3.21. The Tradesman has a contractors service cap on it. The hemi powered truck goes like hell, with mileage usually averaging in the mid to high teens. The 3.6 before the service top average mileage was low to mid 20's. With the Service cap on it high teens to low 20's are what it averages now. The 3.6 is no slouch either, it moves....just not as quickly as the hemi.

 

Sounds like you have the two extremes when it come to gas engines and their rear gears. For all around capability should I opt for a 3.55 rear gear if I were to get a 6 cyl.? How much difference do the rear gears actually make in the performance (towing) and mileage areas? Is it noticeable to a regular guy that doesn't use his truck commercially?

Side note, have their been any widespread suspension/steering component issues like what plagued the Dakotas? Both my '97 and '07 Daks had bad front ends. Someone on here told me I had a "Monday truck" after I posted everything that I had go bad. Please advise.