Ram 2500 Cummins Mega Cab Fuel Economy

I have a 05 2500 quad cab 4x4 with auto and 4:11's. I have yet to see 20mpg. City 15, highway 17maybe 18 if I drive very gently. I find it a little odd that you would be worrying about fuel mileage. It is a huge truck with the aero of a brick and will probably cost in excess of 40K. Imho, if fuel is a worry you probably shouldn't be buying a truck anyway.

Roy

He is absolutely flat-out lying to you. The ONLY way you're going to see

30MPG is to get up to 70MPH or so, going downhill, and reset the overhead computer.

Typical mileage ranges from 15-19 in mixed driving, 18-22 highway, and 13-16 towing.

Thank you Tom, for your response. In order for me to do a proper vehicle cost analysis, I need real world numbers. As well, it confirms my belief that the dealer was grossly exagerating the efficiency. Which in turn, makes me question his potential sale.

Much appreciated.

Mike C

right along with what tom said has been my personal experiance too. ive got a 05 6 speed i get 19 reliably to and from work. 55-60 mph on 2 lane highway. mileage seems to go down over 70 mph on interstate so i hang the right lane round 65 most of the time.

Thank you Roy for your input. It is nice to have some actual fuel consumption numbers, it makes a big difference in the overall operating cost.

The intial cost of the vehicle is not so much of a concern as it is to operate it (fuel, insurance, servicing, maintenance). Trucks are all I've driven the last 18 years, and I've noticed a drastic increase over the years to own and operate one. So the price of fuel, and the amount the truck consumes, is a factor. If the numbers warrant the extra initial cost of the Cummins, then I will be more than happy to make a sound purchase on both a financial and emotional level.

Thanks again for your help.

Mike C

You will find several threads on the TDR addressing this issue over and over again. Expect about 15-17 depending upon how you drive.

I think you have misunderstood what some of the posters are telling you...

You haven't stated your intended use for this pickup. If you really need the incredible power of the Cummins, you wouldn't ask what kind of mileage they get for the simple reason that it wouldn't make a difference.

Diesels are expensive to purchase, expensive to operate and expensive to repair. That's the minus side. On the plus side, if you need to pull something, it will pull the house off of a foundation (exageration).

If you aren't pulling a big 5th wheel trailer or a stock trailer, you probably shouldn't go the diesel route.

I've got to disagree there. Expensive to purchase? Yes - about a 10-12% premium on the purchase price. Expensive to operate? Compared to what? The only other choice is the 5.7L Hemi. It's been discussed here several times - the diesel is less money per mile to operate, and that's factoring in all maintenance as well. They're even less expensive to operate when towing than when running empty, because of the greater gap in fuel economy.

As for repair, I can see that... but remember that the diesel is warranted for 3x the mileage of the Hemi, so repair costs aren't even an issue until you hit 100,000 miles.

My 04.5 is getting 13-15 on the highway. It's a standard cab 4X4.

Al

Are you driving at 80MPH?

Sometimes:)

Al