RAM 2500 6.4 HEMI Pros Vs Cons | Is It A GOOD Engine?

Today I review my 6.4 Hemi engine in my 2022 RAM 2500 pick up truck. I go over 5 pros and 5 cons of the 6.4 Hemi and try and give you guys an honest review of the engine. I also talk about how this 6.4 hemi compares to the 6.7 Cummins diesel option. I talk about why I think this engine is a good choice for you!

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Pros for 6.4 Hemi
- No after treatment system to deal with. with modern diesel engines aftertreatment system are getting very complex and expensive to repair. I know personally all the sensors that can fail and see alot of trucks come in just because of aftertreatment issues. so with a gas engine you don't have to worry about that. the other thing is if you are not driving long distances I would stay away from a diesel option. the aftertreatment systems need to get up to temp in order to function properly and if they don't you'll have nothing but problems

- Hemi has low cost of buying and maintenance in comparison to the 6.7 cummins

- 6.4 Hemi has the ability to give you more payload in a ram 2500, give you an extra thousand pounds in comparison to the cummins

- ride quality is better due to less weight in the front of the truck

- and lastly sound. you can't take off the aftreatment system on a Cummins without voiding your warranty but on a gas 6.4 hemi you can install any custom exhaust system you want to make an awesome sounding engine!

Con's for the 6.4 HEMI
- fuel economy on these engines are pretty bad. a Cummins will run about 50-80% more efficient then these engines will. especially when the price of fuel is so high

- 6.4 hemi towing capacity is not as high as the Cummins towing capacity

- resale value of the 6.4 is not as high as the cummins

- lifespan of the 6.4 hemi will not be as long as the 6.7 Cummins. therefore making the cummins engine a longer lasting investment if you so chose to pay up front for it!

thanks for watching guys!

[KeithStarr]

I traded my 2018 6.7 2500 for a 2021 Power Wagon. I loved the torque of the Cummins when towing my 7, 000lb trailer but I wasn’t ever going to work the truck hard enough to justify it. The 6.4 surprised me when towing the same trailer. Fuel mileage suffers and it does have to shift more on grades, but with the 4.10 gears it really does a great job. Cheaper maintenance and no concerns over DEF issues. Hopefully the lifters/cams are nice to me! I really have no complaints. Payload on the Power Wagon is always a concern, but ya can’t have everything. Great video!

[pauldiesel]

I enjoyed your video! I own a 2006 dodge 2500 diesel. This engine is easy to maintain and I get 19-24 mpg empty. My dream truck would be a Power Wagon with the RAM boxes. I would not get a new diesel with all the emissions nonsense! When I bought my truck new the diesel option was $4K. I figured if I drove it at least 100k it would be worth it over the gas 5.7 option in fuel economy. I have 240k on it now. Back then diesel was cheaper too. Now gas is $4 a gallon and diesel is $6+ a gallon and climbing. A new diesel is a $10K+ option! I could buy a lot of gas with $10K! There is a worldwide shortage of diesel fuel, so it isn’t going away anytime soon. So the simplicity, maintenance costs, and cheaper fuel I think offset the gas mileage difference of the gas engine. Besides the Power Wagon is so bad ass!

[johnbrereton]

I've gotten 20 mpg out of my 6.4 Hemi on a long trip. Got over 400 miles out of that tank. Surprised the hell out of me. Kept my foot off the skinny pedal and set the cruise for the speed limit

[bakerblue]

I love my 2021, Ram 2500, with my 6.4 Hemi and 4.10 rear gears. I pull a 10K Travel trailer and it does a great job. I average 15 MPG and pulling I get 10 MPG... Great video... I stepped up from a 2015 Ram 1500 with the 5.7 Hemi and loved it...

[mattdavis]

I have 162k miles on my 14 6.4. Most of those miles came from towing a fifth wheel camper. It’s been a super reliable truck/engine

[aljones]

I love my 6.4 hemi. It's a 2016 2500 with 3.73 gears. I pull my 27' and 30' campers with no issues. Yes, it likes fuel, but I only drive it when pulling campers or going 4 wheeler riding in WV. It wasn't a problem a few years ago but now diesel is almost 2 dollars more a gallon than gas. That is a big difference. Enjoyed the video. Have a Happy and safe Holidays.

[toofastnobrakes]

I have a 2019 2500 with the hemi, and I had a 2016 before that. Great motor! I tow with it 5-6 days a week running my landscaping business. I pull a 6500lbs box trailer like it’s not even there, and I pull a 14ft dump trailer loaded anywhere from 10k to 15klbs, pulls it just fine. Especially with the new 8 speed. The zf8 speed in the 19 and up make a big difference. My only suggestion is put a cold air intake “I went S&B” and a free flowing exhaust. When you let this hemi breath it really wakes up

[johnnicpon]

I have the 6.4 Hemi in my 2020 Ram 2500 Limited MegaCab with the 4.10 rear end. I tow a 31' 9000 pound travel trailer and find the Hemi to be a beast, a wonderful beast. I have towed through the Smokies Mountains out east and the Rockies out west. Plenty of power! Now, as you pointed out it is a thirsty beast. One other. point is that for my model year the owners manual recommends 89 octane. It does say 87 is acceptable. I have chosen to feed it a steady diet of 89 octane. Living in Northern Illinois that is another 40 to 50 cents a gallon over 87 octane. On the flip side, my truck is for the purpose of towing the trailer so it will just sit unused for periods of time. I do make sure to run it at least once every couple of weeks. And as I had read horror stories about DEF and regen issues, choosing to order my truck with the Hemi was an easy one. Great video, keep them coming!

[coachvonyo]

Just sold my 6.4 with 6 speed. Loved it so much I bought another 6.4 only with the ZF 8 speed. I e owned a 6.7 Cummins too. It was a tough decision but I prefer the gas engine 90% of the miles I drive.

[cgindustrial]

I'm in Simcoe County, I have had my 2022 Ram 2500 Laramie for 3 months....it's an incredibly beautiful machine, coming from a truck fanatic who has owned everything under the sun. I chose it and paid almost 100k because my 2003 Ram 1500 with a 5.7 Hemi had 500, 000 km on it. It purred like a kitten when I sold it to my buddy just 3 months ago...yes he loves it and it is still trouble free.

[williammodlin]

This is a really good and well thought out analysis. My 2021 Tradesman has the Hemi and 4.10 gearing; I tow a 12, 000 # 5th wheel with it and I’m extremely happy that I DON’T have the Cummins. BTW, I get around 14-15 mpg in daily driving (~8-9 towing). Thanks for the video.

[scottdasilva]

I really appreciate the straightforward comparison. Helpful when buying a "new" truck.

[Remi]

I just went up from a 5.7 hemi 1500 to a 6.7 cummins 2500 and I love it. The 5.7 was lifted, chipped and had exhaust work done to it and could pass anything but a gas station. I'm not gonna delete the 6.7 until the warranty expires but it's already nicer being able to make 1 trip and not stop for fuel all the time.

[alsims]

Good fair video. I love my 6.4 for all the economic reasons you listed. Most trucks are falling apart by the time the diesel reaches the end of its lifespan. Only hard pulling all the time justifies it, or too much testosterone.

[unclebob]

good comparison, you have to do allot of towing to pay for the 6.7 and the service costs are crazy and you can drive a 6.4 along time and some guys here in Manitoba have gotten 250-275k and still not ever been apart and no issues cold starting them, i would take a 6.4 over the 6.7 Cummins anytime.

[stephen]

Just bought a 2022 2500 6.4 Laramie thanks to your helpful advice. LOVE the truck. Can’t wait to add the miles! Also followed your break-in advice.

[karlabird]

Our 2020 2500 Ram Cummins Diesel has had two DEF warnings within 1000 mikes. The first(after two dealerships and four weeks) resulted in a new DEF heater and DEF pump. The second DEF warning still has not been resolved after 10 days . There are dozens of other pickups on the lot needing repairs.

Our 2011 Ford 350 needed a new DEF heater after 100k miles. Wish we hadn’t traded the Ford in after 250K miles of towing our travel trailer.

Probably going to get a gasoline HEMI next and weep for lost mileage.

[patriot]

There is definitely a big difference in the life span of these engines, but consider this, as a building contractor who is always on the road driving long distances, it took me a little over 10 years to get 220, 000 on my last Hemi. By that time, although the engine was still running fine, the rest of the truck was falling apart. So if your Cummins could go over 300, 000 miles, for most drivers, that might be over 15 years or more. Truck bodies just don’t always last that long.

[trickmytrailer]

Currently 68 6.4’s in 2500 and 3500 trucks with over 200, 000 miles on them. I saw several with 340, 000+ miles so they appear to be relatively reliable beyond 200, 000 miles with good maintenance.

[Lopez]

So far I absolutely love my 2024 6.4 Rebel/Power Wagon