02 and up ram owners (please answer)

[kenwood guy]

how do you like your trucks and would you buy another??? how much did you get yours for new or used how many miles???? im looking at buying a used one and it seems I could find one for 12k 13k(but with alot of miles) any advice would be great!!!!!....o and how many miles per gallon do you guys get????



thanx

[kenwood guy]

wow are there any out there??

[Hyginkz]

Well it sounds like everyone that has one likes them, but no one wants to claim ownership.

[dirty dan]

Originally Posted by Hyginkz

Well it sounds like everyone that has one likes them, but no one wants to claim ownership.

I've got a 2004 Quad-cab, short bed, SLT 5.7, 5-speed auto w/ 3.55 rear end.

Bought it new in May 2004, now has 43,000+ miles.

I'm not impressed with the electronic gas pedal. Seems like the truck sometimes hesitates for 1/2 second before it decides what it's going to do. Wish I had bought the limited slip rear end. Truck has too much HP with not enough traction. Dealer said I would have had to get the taller gears. I think I'll soon purchase a kit to change to limited slip. Right now, I wouldn't want to hit passing gear on a wet highway.

Other than those two items I really love the truck. Handles well with a comfortable ride. It really jumps when you hit passing gear. I still think this model Ram is the best looking truck on the road today. I go strictly by the "B" (Hard Service) maint schedule. I'm almost all highway miles and running @ 70-74 mph I'm getting 20.1-19.7 mpg with the AC on. If I run 60 mph it will get 22 mpg.

I know a few guys who added exhaust, K&N, etc and their gas mailage has suffered. I think a lot of the problem is the way they drive. The truck has plenty of power and I personally think that if a guy's trying to beef it up more, he's probably running the truck pretty hard. I'm 44 years old and pretty much drive like an old man. My GTO days were over long ago.

I would be careful buying a used hemi. Especially if it's covered with hemi stickers, performance add-ons, flo-masters etc... I would suspect that it's seen some pretty hard driving. I found that a new truck (in 2004) was only $1000-1500.00 more than one with 10,000 miles. I auctually started off looking at used trucks.
Just my 2 cents, hope it helps.

[fredjacksonsan]

2004 Quad Cab short bed, 3.7 V6 and 5speed, 3.92 rear end. Paid $17900 last October, apparently the truck had been on the lot for awhile and they were looking to get rid of it.

Ride quality is very good, I've had several comments from passengers and people I've let drive it (not many) that it rides much better than they'd expected. Truck handles very well.

At 15000 miles I'm getting 21.4 mpg highway, 20.5 if I'm doing 70+ (surprised the HEMI is doing as well, now I'm missing out on 140HP!). Just put in synthetic oil, so hoping for a bit of an increase there.

Unlike the HEMI, traction isn't a problem on the road, but have considered limited slip - last winter's snow caused some problems with an empty bed, although once moving the truck was fine.

-edit-
Great truck, would buy another one, but would want 4wd

[kenwood guy]

does anyone have the v8 engine non hemi??? how is that motor and does it compare to the truck you owned before?

[BleedDodge]

They did put the 360 in those new style trucks for what was it, one year? 2002? I don't know about 2003. 2004 was the first year for the Hemi I believe.

How about that 4.7? All the guys I talk to about them say they're good on fuel and good for power.

[kenwood guy]

are they as good as the gm 5.3 engines????

[BleedDodge]

I know two guys personally who had to do big motor work on their 5.3's. One had to put a new head on at 14000 km's due to a defective head gasket, on a 4 month old truck. The other spun the cam at 128000 km's and ended up doing the top end. I wouldn't buy those things. That's not very good, pretty frightening to me actually.

[kenwood guy]

what made you get a dodge??

[BleedDodge]

I like the way they look compared to the other trucks. The old style Dodge anyway. I just bought another one, a '99, in April of this year. So far so good. Next time I get a vehicle will probably be in about five more years, between the two trucks and two cars I already have. The new vehicle will probably be a GM or Ford, just from looking at the funny things that DC is putting out nowadays. That was probably my last newer Mopar.

Still trying to find a t-top Mirada or Cordoba though...