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The family utility (Honda Ridgeline) is in for service so the dealer got us hooked up with a rental. For whatever reason, the rental place only had sub-compacts and large trucks on Saturday and we need the room for the kids, stuff, and other things to haul about, so the sub-compact was not going to do.

They gave us a '09 RAM 1500 4X4 Laramie Quad cab., 20" wheels, the 5.7L Hemi...you get the picture.

What a beast. With mild HM techniques the best I've been able to squeeze out of it around town has been 12.9MPG. The freeway allows over 20, sustained, but our chores and errands don't really allow for use of the pitiful excuse for a freeway that Vegas has.

Admittedly, it is nicer inside than my '99 F350 SuperDuty, but that is to be expected given it is 'newer'. The big 7.3L diesel in the F350 can easily squeeze out over 16mpg in city driving and it has a 6" skyjacker lift and a Banks power kit.

The 1500 is supposed to have cylinder deactivation as well, but no dash indicator (at least that I can see) to tell me when it is engaged). Anyone with a 5.7L Ram 1500 have any commentary?

I've sat in one last year when the autoshow rolled in (last generation obviously)

Seated I felt I could have closed my eyes and reached out and just grabbed empty space. The interior is like a cavern. I guess these trucks need to haul more than just heavy weight in the back.

The indicator is not inside, but outside. When the cylinders de-activate, the trucknutz on the back shrink to half size.





jk, i have no idea honestly

The indicator is not inside, but outside. When the cylinders de-activate, the trucknutz on the back shrink to half size.





jk, i have no idea honestly

lollercopter

Not sure about the 09's FE capabilities. I had a 05' with similar attributes and was able to get 23 mpg once and it didn't have cylinder deactivation. But when I had that truck I had just joined this site and knew very little about hypermiling. I'd like to see what I could do now but that would just be a waste of gas.
that HEMI was never designed for fuel economy so anyting north of 20 mpg and your doing a great job.

We gave it back last night as our RL was finally done (waiting on a part).

Calculated a final 13.2 MPG at 90% city. Ouch. It was willing to stretch its legs and get decent MPG on the freeway, but stoplights are just murder on that big engine/heavy truck.