Here’s a significant advance in light trucks: The Ram 1500 is the first in its class to offer an eight-speed automatic transmission—the famed TorqueFlite™ 8. The eight-speed units are standard with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6, and are available with the 5.7-liter HEMI® engine.
If you’re a pickup traditionalist, the kind of driver who likes to keep things simple, you may be asking: Why eight speeds? Are more gears better? In a word: definitely.
Multiple gear ratios allow the engine to maintain a narrower rpm range as the vehicle accelerates up to cruising speed. The engine runs nearer to its rpm of peak efficiency at all times, producing both optimum performance and economy.
The basic physics at work are not so different than in a big 18-wheeler, which can employ up to 20 forward gears in its transmission. You won’t be pulling 40-ton loads over the Rockies with your Ram 1500, obviously, but you can take advantage of the same engineering principle. The key difference: The TorqueFlite 8 is fully automatic with advanced electronic control—no manual shifting required.
Also, the top two gears in the TorqueFlite 8 employ overdrive ratios to minimize engine rpm at cruising speed, which maximizes engine life, reduces interior noise and minimizes fuel consumption. With the Pentastar V6 and TorqueFlite 8 transmission, the 2014 Ram 1500 boasts an EPA-estimated 25 miles per gallon on the highway and 18 mpg in the city. That’s stellar fuel economy for a fully equipped, full-size pickup with a powerful 305-horsepower engine—and one more way in which the Ram 1500 leads the field.
Experience the TorqueFlite 8 eight-speed transmission for yourself. Find your closest dealer and schedule a test drive today!
