Ok, I have been lurking on here and on TDR for awhile. I have finally decided I am going to buy a new 05' 2500 Ram when they come out. (Looking to get a 2500 Sport SLT CTD QC 4X4)

I have noticed that alot of people love the manual tranny while some have had problems with the 48re, I have always planned on getting the auto, but not sure now. First off I have two major factors which may help some of you tell me whcih direction to go.

1. I have never owned a manual tranny anything, I have driven a few, but I am no pro by no means.

2. I will hardley ever be towing anything, maybe a 6000lbs. trailor/Jeep once a month, maybe.

I really want an auto, but I am a big fan of reliability over comfort. I am 22 and this is a huge huge perchase for me and since I will be getting a great deal its the only reason I go ahead and get one. I am getting one of these trucks pretty much based on the fact they will last a loooooong time, so unlike most cars its kinda an investment when you get a truck like this for less than $30k new.

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Ok, anyone know if the 05s will be getting better MPG thn the 04.5s? My buddy gets 24mpg in his 4x4 Duramax and wasn't to prepared to be getting 14.

 

Well I polished my crystal ball and consulted my physic (Fiverbob) and we cannot tell you if the '05 will get better fuel economy.
If you want the auto get the auto. It will last you forever if you don't tow. Now if you wanna have fun get the 6 spd. Just remember to strait pipe it and pitch the airbox. Later

 

Go with the auto.

I've had 4 previous trucks that were standard.
Even hunted high and low for a mid 80's full size Blazer with a standard,
any idea how rare those are?
(wised up and went back to Toyota though)

Now that I'm older, and my knees don't like shifting so much, I went with the auto.

After doing so, I joined up here, and lurked over on TDR and read the horror stories about the 47RE, cost to upgrade them etc.

I still stand by my original decision, especially after getting caught in a couple traffic jams.

I don't have anything to tow, and even if I did, this is still my daily driver.

The 48RE, even with it's few problems, is still leaps and bounds ahead of the 47RE.

As far as the mileage question, the 2004 complaints (IMHO) are premature.
Very few of those trucks can actually be fully broken in yet,
heck, my 2002 is just barely getting there, 2 years later.
So, the 2005 will probably be about the same, maybe slightly better,
if the Dodge engineers are hearing the complaints and tweaking things a little.


I wish I could have gotten my first Cummins at 22, I can barely afford it 10 years later (plus a couple more ).


phox

 

LOL, yeah I should have umm rephrased that last question or yeah thats it.

 

Thanks,

Well I do live in an apartment and my parents *think* its better to save the cash for a house, but heck I've worked hard in school and got a decent job, and should be making close to double what I make in 2-3 years. Plus my Jeep is already paid off so whatever I sell it for is a down payment, $400 payments on a brand new 4x4 CTD isn't too bad for a working 22 year old is it? Plus I might put 12k miles on the truck yearly, that leaves a ton of life when the payments stop.

 

I know what you are going through, although I will end up with a 2nd Gen cummins for around 16k or so... mostly becuase I don't want the 600/month payments... Im looking for a manual, but if I end up with an auto, that will be fine too. Im looking at a 99 qc 4x4 dually for 16,500.. or a qc 4x4 SRW 97 model year, for 12k.. debating on which one...
Scott

 

Where do you live there is a few 2nd gen. manuals in my area for good prices. Ever look on AutoTrader?

I really wouldn't mind a 2nd. gen., but I can't ever get too serious about it when I can get a solid $12k off sticker on a new truck. I really really want an 03', but heck everyone I've seen are still selling for $28k++, thats with 70k miles and a manual.

 

I'm happy with my 6spd. Keeps me awake and its fun to drive. On the other hand, automatics are smoother and more conveinent. If your worried about learning to drive a 6spd, don't. They are smooth shifting and almost impossible to stall. Test both of them before you buy. Remember, you will own it for a lonnnng time.

 

If I was in your position and considering a 2005 the one thing I would do for sure is delay my purchase until the first owners of the 2005 report their ownership experiences on this forum.

As you know many 2004.5 owners have been surprised by lower than expected MPG which many now suspect to be associated with air pollution control requirements. There is reason to believe that none of the diesel engine manufacturers have completely sorted out the best way to comply with the phase in of lower air pollution emission requirements which culminate in the 2007 model year. For the next few years there are likely to be more surprises in store with each new model year. I hope I'm wrong about that.

 

Jonesboro,

Thats my plan, but I may still get an 04.5 if Dodge offers some major cashback say $4k-$6k, instead of $2k. By the time they do that the 05s will be on the same lot I bet and I will know if any changes were made.

If nothing like that happens then yes I will definately be waiting to hear from early 05 buyers to hear what they say, especially MPG.


I was thinking I want a diesel besides all the other great thing that come with them because of the great MPG, but even if its not great diesel is $1.65 while regualar if $1.95 here, so I still save some.

 

Don't find yourself chasing rebates at the expense of things important to you such as MPG. If MPG is high on your list and you want to eliminate the MPG uncertainties that others have reported on the 600 then you should be looking for a 555. Other members report still seeing new 555s on some dealer lots. I would also expect to see some good used 555s starting to show-up in the market.

 

Sure, there are cases of trucks getting 12mpg unloaded on flat ground at 65... but they're not that common, and there's 555's with the same mileage out there. I think it's pretty much hit-or-miss. There's quite a few people who have reported their 600's as getting near the 20mpg barrier, which is plenty good for me. Sure my '99 got 24mpg at it's best, but let's be realistic here, in normal driving conditions mileage was closer to 15-16mpg for the '99 and I'd be happy with that in the '05. I will, however, probably wait to order until I hear confirmation that the EB is certified for the '05+ 48RE's... unless that doesn't happen reasonably quick, then I'll just go for it... going without a truck sucks! I've seriously looked at used 03-04 HO's, but I haven't found one that's EXACTLY what I want, and since I plan to keep the truck for a loong time, having EXACTLY what I want is more important to me than 2mpg.