Originally Posted By: cryption
Hemi - you give me a lot to think about. I'm looking at this truck - and it's in the price range I want to spend. I just don't think I can afford a Hemi
Does the price of the truck I'm about to post offset the underpowered 4.7?
2007 Big Horn with just under 50k miles. I talked him down to $13,500 out the door.
Truth be told it's near the top of what I can spend. I'm doing this on a whim - and the only way I could convince the wife to trade the current car is if I have a lower payment. I am NOT upside down on my current car. I will have a small down payment after trading my Jetta.
It is your call but I would never buy any vehicle on a whim. Be sure before buying you will be happy with the purchase and understand it is expensive owning a truck. Gas, insurance, registration, and simple things like oil changes, tires, brakes, etc... cost a lot more - A LOT MORE - than they do on cars. Also be sure you will be ok with a vehicle that has an underpowered engine if you buy a 2007 4.7L Quad Cab or even worse the V6. It is a big deal when that happens and it makes you hate the vehicle real fast. It can end up costing you more in the long run if you have to sell it to go get what you should have in the 1st place even if that would have cost a little more initially.
I say go find and drive a QC 4.7L 07 & 08 Ram( even if it isn't the truck you want say it is and test drive it )and see the difference between the old 4.7L and the new 4.7L. Then to really see the difference a properly powered vehicle makes over one underpowered go drive an 07 or 08 HEMI Ram and then decide. I can already tell you what you will "want" to do after that even if you end up not doing it due to $$$ reasons.
I can only say I would not buy an 07 4.7L powered Ram. I had my 03 4.7L QC( think I said I had an 04 4.7L at one point above - sorry it was a typo - the 04 had the HEMI )which is going to be the same basic truck( a few cosmetic differences and 17's vs the 20's on that 07 ). It just didn't cut it for me as a DD, some work use( finish carpenter at the time ), and light towing( duck boat ). It just didn't have the stones even as a simple DD. The engine had to work too hard to get it up to speed and I drive very conservatively. I am no longer a hot rodder( now or then - I just like my stuff to look that way now ).
That 07 4.7L BH looks like a clean truck. $13,500 is an ok deal for it I would say. Not unreasonable as long as it doesn't need any work. I would be sure proper maintenance was done due to the sludge issues I talked of earlier and make sure the tires are in good shape though( it is $800-$1000 to replace the 20's with just halfway decent tires ). I would not personally buy an 07 Ram with the 4.7L and the 20" tire option however. That is going to make your power issues even more noticebale. It will have 3.92's which help some but that extra weight and increased rolling mass is a killer over the 17's even though they only come with 3.55's. My 08 is actually a BigHorn as well( nothing special about the BH package really - mostly trim items other than 20's and 3.92's )and came with the 3.92's and 20's and I hate it. I tried to find one with 17's but couldn't so I settled. My 04 Ram w/ 5.7L with 17's and 3.55's got better MPG and had more oomph with no MDS to boot.
In the end it is your call. I can only say once again that the 5.7L is the best option for the Ram 1500. Fuel economy is as good or better than the other offerings and you will want the extra power. Lots of guys settle for the 4.7L and say I can modify it to equal the HEMI for less. That is untrue as well. By the time they do their CAI, exhuast upgrades, buy a tuner, add a cam, and all the other goodies they do they have spent way more than just buying a HEMI to begin with.
Do yourself a favor and as I said above test drive an 07 and 08 4.7L Ram. Then drive an 07 or 08 Ram w/ 5.7L before deciding. If you decide that the 07 4.7L is enough then go for it. I know it is not for me based on owning 3 of these trucks with both engines.
Good luck and let us know what you go with.