Diesel 1500 Trucks: Win, Lose or Draw?

[Jeff]

So we ordered our first Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel engine. Looking at 28MPG in a 4x4 crew cab. :thumbup: Do you guys think this light duty diesel thing will take off? I am thinking and hoping it will. Nissan and Toyota have both announced they will be using the 5.0L Cummins V8 in their trucks and I am sure Chevy and Ford will have something coming down the pike soon.



The 3.0L V6 engine is pretty sweet, built by VM in Italy (same company that made the diesel for the Liberty) and common rail injected by Bosch. Turbo is a single variable vane Garrett. Produces 230hp at 3600 rpm and 405 lbs/ft at 1800-2600 rpm. Currently slated for use in the 1500 RAM and Jeep Grand Cherokee. I hope to see it in the Chrysler Town & Country and Jeep Wrangler. I think not having the Cummins name on the RAM could have been a mistake but when you consider what they were going for it makes more sense. People who want a Cummins RAM will buy a 2500-3500 for the 6.7, the people buying the 1500 diesel want MPG. The 5.0 Cummins will not be a fuel economy leader in the half ton segment. It will give Toyota and Nissan much needed power and towing capacity for their half tons, something RAM doesn't have an issue with. Diesel Power Magazine said in testing they got 28.8mpg out of the EcoDiesel 1500. So, what do you guys think? Diesel is a $2350 option and obviously the fuel costs more, think people will go for it? :dunno:

[JPolen01]

I think these are going to take off. I've been following them for a while and it's good to see it finally happening. I think this truck is for people who want mpg, like you said, and towing once in a while. The buy in might be more than a gas truck but when you're getting nearly 30mpg, why would you not go diesel?

I can see a lot of construction workers buying this truck. Guys that aren't towing equipment everyday but need the use of a truck and want the added benefit of good gas mileage as well. Let us know what you think about it!

[Senor_Taylor]

This fills the gap nicely between "I tow so I need power" and "I don't tow enough to warrant a 3/4 ton"

[Evan]

Im not a diesel fan by any stretch, but Im very much looking forward to the diesel Colorado. Its 2 years away, and if its not stupid $, Ill probably get rid of my titan for one.
The 6cyl diesel in a 1500 series truck doesnt make as much sense *to me*, but I know they had to do it to one-up ford's ecoboost.

and remember mpg isnt the only factor in fuel costs. diesel costs more than premium gas around here and most areas of the country.

[HAULN-SS]

I think it's good to have an entry into the market to get people used to the idea. It's true that Diesel costs more right now than premium, and on a full tank that's ~$10 more..but the full fillup is $100, so you're already sucking anyway. The higher gas prices go, the faster you reach a point where it's the same cost. Back when gas was spiking about $4 a few years ago, diesel didn't go up that much, and in fact I remember doing a fillup that was less than the cost of regular gas. Prolonged cheap gas could kill the prospect of small diesels, but I hope not.

[Jeff]

Strangly the 3.0L will be tow rated more like the old 4.7L V8 was, 8,750 (Tradesman/SLT) & 8,400lbs (Laramie/Longhorn/Limited) with 3.92 and 4x4. The larger tow ratings will still be reserved for the 5.7 with the tow pacakge (3.92 Gears) at 10,100lbs. The MPG gears (3.55) for the 28 mpg will have a tow rating of 7,750 in the Tradesman/SLT and 7,400lbs in the Laramie/Longhorn/Limited.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I am very interested. The current gas motors get miserable gas mileage towing my enclosed 24' 8-10mpg. My current diesel gets 12-13mpg. I need to weigh my trailer but I am very close to the 7-7.5k weight mark if not more. My truck itself is 7500lbs and rated at 16k to tow, so I am barely even scratching the surface of it. It would help immensely to almost double my gas mileage without destroying my ability to tow it.

That said, the new RAM 1500s are huge. The whole point of a 1500 is to be smaller. Jeff, you let me know if any of the ecodiesels loaded come out to ~35k out the door... I wouldn't mind dropping $10k out of pocket to go to a brand new truck/better gas mileage...

[SlimKlim]

Jeff, you let me know if any of the ecodiesels loaded come out to ~35k out the door... I wouldn't mind dropping $10k out of pocket to go to a brand new truck/better gas mileage...

:lol: :lol: :lol:

The Laramie is the one you'd call "loaded" I think, with the 8.4in head unit, leather bucket seats, navigation, 4x4 Crew Cab w/5'7" box, etc, comes out to $48k with the diesel. You'd have to get a cloth bench seat work-truck-spec to get it under $35k I think.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Jeff, you let me know if any of the ecodiesels loaded come out to ~35k out the door... I wouldn't mind dropping $10k out of pocket to go to a brand new truck/better gas mileage...

:lol: :lol: :lol:

The Laramie is the one you'd call "loaded" I think, with the 8.4in head unit, leather bucket seats, navigation, 4x4 Crew Cab w/5'7" box, etc, comes out to $48k with the diesel. You'd have to get a cloth bench seat work-truck-spec to get it under $35k I think.

Uh, incentives on trucks are ridiculous. If you pay what you find on the sticker, you either are too rich to care, or are a sucker. Even truecar estimates the Laramie at $39,000 for a "fair" price on that $48k truck.

[SlimKlim]

Makes sense, my dad has a highly optioned '12 2500 Laramie diesel and I don't think he paid over $50k for it.

Have you driven the new Rams? I can't believe how easy his is to drive compared to our old F-250, despite how massive it is. It's absurdly well appointed too, would be a huge upgrade in creature comforts from your 2500.

[fiveoh2go]

Being the fan boi that I am...if I was looking for a half ton truck that would see some tow rig duty but it's main use would be as a DD I'd be looking at the 2015 F150 with EcoBoost. Ford hasn't published official numbers yet but with the truck dropping around 700 lbs in curb weight and the well known benefits of the EcoBoost V6, fuel mileage should be quite good. With this truck you avoid paying more for fuel and the extra maintenance costs that diesels can inflict all while retaining the low-end diesel like grunt the EB provides.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Cool story bro. Ford published numbers on the previous gen. Curb weight won't do all that much to help on the highway (but I am glad Ford is doing it).

3.5L V6 EcoBoost
15 City
21 Hwy

5.0L V8
14 City
19 Hwy

BTW- there are lots of sources including friends that indicate the EB getts turrribleee gas mileage as soon as it is loaded up.

[Jeff]

Edit - Wrote this post after DJ's 35k post and had to leave the PC, didn't check other responses until after posting.

The one I have ordered is a 2014 Crew Cab Tradesman model, so "base" as they come anymore. It has power windows/locks/keyless as well as a chrome group for the grill bumpers and aluminum wheels so it doesn't look to much like a work truck. It is the long wheel base (6'7 Bed) in Flame Red. It has a tow package, hook and skid package, spray-in liner, 5in touch screen w/ Bluetooth and backup camera. So it's a higher optioned Tradesman, almost an SLT basically. It MSRPs for $42,905. Assuming it qualifies for all the current incentives (which I am sure it will not once they hit the ground) including trade assist would bring it to $39405. Discount somewhere around $2,000 (depending on trade obviously) would get it to $37,405 for the sake of this exercise. A Laramie or higher would be low-mid 40's after rebates and discounts I would guess.

Edit - Discount/incentives will obviously be higher on the more expenisive truck. So the Laramie getting down to $43 might be possible but a $42 tradesman isn't going to drop as far.

[Jeff]

You can get EB fuel mileage out of a properly drivern 5.7L 8-speed with 3.21's (15city/21hwy) and still have a real man's V8...that has always been my issue with the ecoboost. Not to mention the 3.6L w/ 8-speed has it beat without the turbo and other shit to go wrong (16city/23hwy). Those mileage figures are for 4x4's.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Ouch, I guess I go Ford or GM then. My friends brand new F350 diesel premium, navi/leather blah blah blah prices around $60k but was actually mid-hi 40s.

[Jeff]

Don't be a dildo DJ, lol. If you are talking about a 60,000 3500 you will get big discounts. Also, remember your friends will alyways tell you about the awsome deal they got...don't always believe it. Several times we have lost a deal to another dealer and offered to pay the customer to see their paperwork to confirm the fantastic deal and see what the other dealer was up to. Not ONE has taken us up on this, seems like an easy way to get some cash to me, if the deal was really so good. That being said I just sold my last 2013 Crew 2500 for $7,100 off on a Tradesman model. Obviously more still would be availible on a Laramie or higher. Some people have special deals also, different fleet buy in things or associate plans. Walmart employees get a stupid deal on Chrysler stuff for example.

[BLINGMW]

That said, the new RAM 1500s are huge.

Once again we find ourselves not the target market of these things. Put that 3L diesel engine in a Tacoma sized thing (like they do in all countries but ours) and I'm there.



You can barely reach into the bed of an F150 or 1500. They're rediculous.

But to answer your question, sure. I would think there's plenty of people who actually need or want a truck that big that would like to have better fuel economy.

[Senor_Taylor]

3 liter diesel in the Taco. Yes please.

[Jeff]

You guys are clearly not used to big things. I only go "damn this is too big" when I am in a crew cab 8ft bed heavy duty or a mega cab! That being said, I love me a Dakota! The problem is always the cost. The small trucks are always too near the price of a full size to make it work.

[Senor_Taylor]

You guys are clearly not used to big things. I only go "damn this is too big" when I am in a crew cab 8ft bed heavy duty or a mega cab! That being said, I love me a Dakota! The problem is always the cost. The small trucks are always too near the price of a full size to make it work.

I don't even say that's too big. I drive my dad's 7.3 sometimes which is 22 feet long and it's livable. Practical, no. Livable, yes.