Comparing the MPG of both Ram 1500 engine options to determine which one nets you superior mileage — and find out if it affects performance.
Put three truck guys around a Ram 1500 and it’s just about guaranteed you’ll hear this question within five minutes: “What does it get for mileage?” Now that Ram has brought back the classic Hemi 5.7-liter V8 alongside their Hurricane twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, that conversation just got a lot more interesting. Let’s dig into the numbers on these Ram 1500 engines to see which one wins out.
Horsepower
Ram kept the Hemi’s legendary 395 horsepower and 410 lbs-ft of torque. The Hurricane brings 420 horsepower/469 lbs-ft in the standard output and a head-turning 540 horsepower/521 lbs-ft in high output. That’s enough to make any Hemi loyalist pause. The Hurricane is quicker to 60 mph, reaching it in 4.2 seconds, while the Hemi takes closer to 7 seconds. While you’d never call the Hemi “slow” in comparison, the Hurricane wins out.
Real-World MPG
EPA estimates put the Hurricane standard output at 21 mpg combined and the Hemi V8 at 19 mpg combined. In everyday use, reviewers from Car and Driver and Edmunds report the Hurricane averaging between 15-17 mpg on the highway, with careful drivers sometimes reaching over 21 mpg on long stretches. City driving is where both engines drop into the low teens, which is what you would traditionally expect for trucks with this much horsepower. The Fuelly site, which allows users to track real-world mileage data, unfortunately shows no usable data for 2026 models (too new, one presumes) but the 2024 numbers, while limited, show a clear advantage for the six-cylinder, with it getting around 20 MPG by user reports. The big Hemi V8? Closer to 15 MPG (albeit based on extremely limited data).
As always, there’s a catch. Truck owners hate being nickel-and-dimed. The Hemi V8 is happy to run on regular fuel. The Hurricane, especially the high-output engine, wants premium fuel. It’s a minor budget item, and it won’t matter to everyone, but owners in some states will want to do the math.
Towing
Ram truck owners care about “What’ll it tow?” and the numbers aren’t wildly different here. The Hurricane standard output engine is rated to tow up to 11,610 pounds, while the Hemi clocks in at 11,320 pounds. The Hurricane’s high output drops to 10,000 pounds. Payloads are similar; nothing to get overly excited about, no matter which engine you get. For towing toys, hauling your stuff, and getting work done, it’s close enough to call it a tie.
Which 2026 Ram 1500 Belongs in Your Driveway?
For those who want the sound, feel, and classic street cred of a V8, the Hemi is for you. It’s only a $1,200 upgrade on most trims and even comes at no cost on select models. The Hurricane is the modern choice, bringing speed, performance, and a slight edge in when it comes to MPG. Judging the two strictly by the numbers, the Hurricane wins, but the numbers rarely give us the whole story! The truth is, if the heart wants a Hemi, well, the heart wants a Hemi. Either way you go, you’re getting a comfortable, capable truck made for real work, with both engines delivering more similar MPG than you might have thought.
