Sold the HEMI, bought the Cummins today

[DPKetchum]

I own all three. A 93 Dodge Diesel/98 Dodge swb 1500 and a 85 caprice. Now a Caddy with fwd v8's get great gas mileage mid 20 and high 20.

 

[IdaH.O.Train]

Originally posted by Gary - KJ6Q

with the Camaro SS, I was good for 13. 5 in the quarter mile - and still got 37 mpg between Reno Nev. and Winnemucca on one run, doing 80+ mph with the A/C on...

Am I reading this right? 37 mpg @80 mph?

 

[MCummings]

Originally posted by NoCalH. O. PO

Am I reading this right? 37 mpg @80 mph?

Aerodynamics. Sweet spot,, Geared correctly,, low rolling resistance,, light weight. .



Dodge truck, Bad Aerodynamics,, Geared low (high?), high rolling resistance, heavy weight.



Yup. But, 37 does seem a bit high... . maybe 27 ?

 

[DPKetchum]

DO WHAT!!!!!:--)Well gotta go,Repair men are here to repair my roof. Can't believe the damage Santa and his reindeer did at Christmas!

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"Am I reading this right? 37 mpg @80 mph?"



Hey, I don't blame you, *I* could hardly believe it myself!



But I made that same trip several times, always topped off the tank at Reno, 160 miles to Winnemucca - good road, reasonably straight and level - the trip covered above took just slightly over 4 gallons to cover the 160 miles, a bit better than 37 mpg!



Other trips, same route, same technique were ALWAYS well over 30 MPG - usually around 33-34 mpg - and I was ALWAYS driving fairly fast on my way to my folks in Payette Idaho...



Pretty hard to beat the combo of great power AND great fuel mileage - like our trucks!



OH, the Camaro was also a 6-speed - basically a 4-speed with 2 levels of overdrive - you really didn't want to use 6th gear at much less than 75 mph or so, or you would be lugging the engine - top speed was around 160 mph...

 

[swexlin]

My 97 V10 got 10 mpg, and has WAY more torque than that Hemi. Why is DOdge pushing it so much? If you want a gasser, the V10 is the way to go.

 

[dnitzel]

Originally posted by Vaughn MacKenzie

My buddy is quite disappointed with his '01 GMC 2500 with the 6. 0L. His last tank was 10. 7. Best he has gotten highway is 14. It irks him he can't take it on a road trip without costing a fortune. Not only that, it has a serious case of piston slap, and pings bad. He can't get the dealer to do anything about it except they put a 100,000 mile engine warranty on for free since it's a known problem with the GM 6 liter gassers.



My brother's girlfriend drives a Kia Sportage. That tiny gutless wonder of a 4-banger can only do 21 on the highway at 65mph



Vaughn

I remember seeing an article on MSN Autos that listed the 10 worst mpg '03 vehciles. Chevy and GMC had 4, 5 or 6 trucks in the top 10! 1500 & 2500 pickups and Suburbans. Much to my surprise, I don't see a single Dodge listed. I think the milage on the Toy RAV4s is only about 24. My brothers "best vehicle made" Suburu only gets 22. He did not believe me that my CTD got close to 20, and get 22 - 24. The first tank on my '03 HO CTD 48RE 4x4 SB was 14. 8 calculated. 14 to 17. 8 on the overhead.

 

[DPKetchum]

My wife and i car pool 50 miles one way,100(total)in our 1985 Chevy caprice classic. 305 4 barrel,think 2. 89 or 2. 73 rear gear 700r4 trans. I drive,set cruise etc average 17/18 mpg. She drives and most always gets 20. 5 to 21 or so. Last tank she hit 22. 1. Has hit 22 several times. Around 188,000 miles. It is totally stock,air pump,computer carb. etc. Only drive it to and from work,never on weekends etc. As stated earlier our 1998 dodge 1500 slt with 318 as never hit a 17mpg. Its gotten close,but never has hit it with her or i. We bought the chevy with 82,000 miles 5 years ago for less then $3000. Just had it painted this year,a vinal top 3 years ago,one water pump,one radiator,water pump,heater core and 2 sets cooper lifeliner 70,000 mile rated tires. Point is when its done want a 89 or 90 classic etc with a 305 again. Would never buy a new econo box. Loose to much money too fast!

 

[turbojet]

One reason my mileage was poor is the weight of the dually probably. It's close to 7000 lbs, and has to spin the 4 tires in back. It's a great motor, but not for low down use. You have to rev it. With the overdrive and the way it shifted it always felt like something was dragging. Just no punch. Huge difference with the HO as you guys know. The HEMI transmission couldn't hold speed at all with the smallest grade. I originally skipped the diesel to save money, but it cost me more in gas. So now even with the higher payment I am saving total $ each month when you figure in fuel.



For all you guys claiming good mileage with the HEMI, great! I'm glad your luck is better than mine. My last two tanks were 8. 8 and 9. 3 (not computer-real math)



Just got back from a roadtrip and loving the HO!!