Ram's new EcoDiesel

[farmerbyron]

Pretty pumped for this new offering by RAM. 28 MPG plus towing ability, yes please! Just looks like a much more sound theory to have a turbo v-6 diesel than the hopped up, high revving turbo v-6 gas that is the ecoboost. Plus when the ecoboost has to do any pulling the MPGs get horrific real fast. Really think this is going to be a game changer for the half ton truck segment.


First back to back truck of the year winner.

http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/truck/1402_2014_ram_1500_is_motor_trend_2014_truck_of_the_year/

We've been awarding Truck of the Year since 1979 and have never given the award to the same truck two years in a row. The Ram 1500 makes history as the first back-to-back Truck of the Year winner because it offers all the things truck buyers want in a rig: choice, value, great design, and more than enough power and torque. And with the EcoDiesel, you can add efficiency and guts to that list. Ram has made a game-changing decision by bringing diesel to the full-size market. It's a bold move truck lovers have been begging for, which is why the Ram 1500 is our 2014 Truck of the Year.

These guys pulled the piss out of one and got the mpgs down to 13.8.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/vehicle-reviews/2014-ram-1500-ecodiesel-review-towing-and-mpg-fuel-economy/

During our harsh max-capacity towing lap we were able to drag the 3.0L’s fuel economy down to a respectable 13.8 mpg. We say respectable because many 1/2- and 3/4-ton gas trucks have trouble mustering even double digit mpg on this section of highway at full towing load.
With the trailer unhitched, it’s easy to take the EcoDiesel’s fuel economy into the the high 20s. The 3.0L diesel in our Ram purred at 1,900 rpm at 75 mph. On a 440-mile highway, mountain, desert, and Los Angeles traffic infused trip we managed to reach 26.1 mpg without much effort. This kind of mpg performance gives our EcoDiesel Ram about a 700-mile range between fuel stops when unloaded. We're sure that frugal hypermilers could do far better than us and easily reach 30 mpg or better with an unloaded truck on mostly flat highway commutes.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20131227/BLOG06/131229937?template=mobile

The Ram EcoDiesel has not been rated yet by the EPA, but the early indications are that it will pummel the F-150 EcoBoost in fuel economy. First, Chrysler provided an early build truck for testing. One Automotive News staff member piled 1,100 miles on it in a week and got more than 23 mpg in hard driving, which means fast takeoffs from stoplights and blasting onto the highway to get up to speed quickly. Driven normally, the truck returned 28 mpg.

I took that truck for a run from downtown Detroit to the Wayne County Metropolitan Airport, around Dearborn, Mich., and back to Automotive News in downtown Detroit, a trip of about 60 miles. Setting the cruise control at 63 mph on the highway, the truck twice pegged the fuel economy meter at a carlike 29.9 mpg. But that number declined quickly when I drove in town, and my overall fuel economy was 25.8 in combined city/highway -- still respectable.

 

[Peace_Maker]

Too bad the rest of the truck is made by dodge

 

[mksmth]

I would say 95% of truck owners never tow anything anyways so to get that kind of MPG out of a full size truck is fantastic. Now if they can get diesel prices back in line with gas.

 

[farmerbyron]

Too bad the rest of the truck is made by dodge

 

[ASP785]

I gotta admit I don't like the Dodge pickup brand, but I do think this is a huge game changer in the category. A V6 diesel engine and the ZF8 is a heck of a combination.

 

[crrcboatz]

I have owned 9 Dodge products in my 60+ yrs. Not a single lemon in any of them. I put at least 140,000 and in 2 cases 190,000 on them with not mechanical failures. Im on my 3rd Dodge truck now and will surely get 150-200,000 out of it. That said those who are haters of a Ram have probably either been eating their dust for years, been pulled out of mud bog by one or have never owned one. LOVE my Dodge products.

 

[doctorjj]

Too bad diesel costs 15-20% more than gas.

 

[farmerbyron]

Too bad diesel costs 15-20% more than gas.

Diesel also has 15% more energy than gasoline. The MPG savings more than make up the difference than the closest gas motor. 700 miles in between fill ups is going to save money despite the price premium over gas.

 

[Old Fart]

2 things

First I never understood why this didn't happen 35-40 years when the gas first started skyrocketing.

Second now we'll have guys treating half tons like 3/4 & 1 ton trucks. I hope dodge and anyone else who drops these in a half ton beef up the brakes.

 

[Chard]

What is this option going to run? Who is making this motor?