Gladiator vs 1500 MPG

[Jrap]

Why is it that a 3.6 4x4 Ram 1500 is rated 19/24 MPG and a 3.6 4x4 Gladiator is rated 17/22? The Gladiator weighs several hundred pounds less. Please don't say aerodynamics because that is negligible in city driving. Both have the same exact 8-speed auto transmission. This makes no sense whatsoever! I guess the cold water on all this is who the heck is even getting 17/22, because I'm not. No, I didn't buy my Gladiator for the MPGs, just wondering what the heck.

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[Stlrfan152]

I normally average 22 to 23, but its mostly highway. I think the big difference is probably gearing. I think the ram is geared for better mpgs.

 

[Deleted member 57233]

Being shaped like a brick hurts you even at 5mph. Different engine mappings, different tires, different gearing, even different drive shafts can have an effect. Who knows what setups they tested with.

 

[Sandevino]

3.21 gearing vs 3.73 gearing is where you’ll see the mpg difference.

 

[ZoMojave]

All I know is that my 2020 Ram 1500 crew averaged around 19 mpg with the 5.7 hemi. But I was lucky, and I mean lucky to best my JTM 3.6 at 17 mpg.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Why is it that a 3.6 4x4 Ram 1500 is rated 19/24 MPG and a 3.6 4x4 Gladiator is rated 17/22? The Gladiator weighs several hundred pounds less. Please don't say aerodynamics because that is negligible in city driving. Both have the same exact 8-speed auto transmission. This makes no sense whatsoever! I guess the cold water on all this is who the heck is even getting 17/22, because I'm not. No, I didn't buy my Gladiator for the MPGs, just wondering what the heck.

Gear ratios, tire sizes, and the RAM is more likely to have attention to air dams and other functional pieces to improve air flow/decrease drag.
You aren't talking a lot of difference so there's a lot of things that could be coming into play.
They maybe have tuned that transmission to different shift points.
Pick from a list of possibilities.

Grand Cherokee gets far better mpg than the JT and yet - same engine, same transmission.
They have different tires, there's a lot less air getting under a GC than a JT, the fenders on the Grand Cherokee don't act like big air scoops. The weights are similar - proving that shape and height does matter.

 

[Jrap]

Being shaped like a brick hurts you even at 5mph. Different engine mappings, different tires, different gearing, even different drive shafts can have an effect. Who knows what setups they tested with.

No, 5mph there is no effect of aerodynamics. The 1500 isn't exactly a tesla

 

[ShadowsPapa]

this says drag does impact city driving.

 

[Jrap]

this says drag does impact city driving.

Nope

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

This is what the EPA says about it.

https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe...ackDesc=Results page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=3

 

[Jrap]

This is what the EPA says about it.

https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/P100IENB.txt?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=2011 Thru 2015&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D:\ZYFILES\INDEX DATA\11THRU15\TXT\00000010\P100IENB.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h|-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=3

Not questioning the validity of EPA values

This is what the EPA says about it.

https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/P100IENB.txt?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=2011 Thru 2015&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D:\ZYFILES\INDEX DATA\11THRU15\TXT\00000010\P100IENB.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h|-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=3

I'm not asking about the BS methodology. These are 2 trucks from the same company with the same engines, and the heavier one gets better MPGs fromn the same BS methodology

 

[Ryan...]

Not questioning the validity of EPA values

I'm not asking about the BS methodology. These are 2 trucks from the same company with the same engines, and the heavier one gets better MPGs fromn the same BS methodology

The answers are here in this thread, it's a combination of many things from gearing, aerodynamics (and yes, it does make a difference, albeit a smaller one at lower speeds), tire size, etc.. It doesn't take much to make a 2mpg difference.

 

[Lunentucker]

It's the windshield angle

 

[Deleted member 57233]

No, 5mph there is no effect of aerodynamics. The 1500 isn't exactly a tesla

lol the laws of physics say otherwise.

 

[Jrap]

lol the laws of physics say otherwise.

Nope

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