EcoDiesel 3.0 V6 / RAM

[aigel]

Any of you took the plunge and bought a RAM (or Cherokee) with the 3.0 diesel? Does this get good reviews now that it has been out for a couple + years? My main concern is

1) fuel ecomomy - is it really > 25 mpg highway?
2) reliability - is this a powerplant that we expect to go 250k+ miles without rebuilds?

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel V-6 First Drive – Review – Car and Driver

In the RAM package - is the RAM a good vehicle? I have only had poor experiences with Chrysler products in the past, but am open minded ...

G

[vash]

i started a thread about the EcoDiesel awhile back. i think ONE person had one, and he loved it.

i talked at length with a poor guy at a truck stop in AZ, and he said the MPG was as advertised. i see more of the Grand Cherokees on the roads than the Ram trucks. pretty neat concept. i like it.

me, i want the truck.

[porsche4life]

My dad has a 2014 ram 2500 and its a great truck. No experience with the little diesel but I'm intrigued as well.

[vash]

if i got that truck..first order of business would be to remove that awful EcoDiesel logo..

i hope some graphic engineer got chastised for that abomination.. it is so ugly.

[porsche4life]

Dodge does some funny things. My old company was getting 2014 durangos when I left. The screen in the gauge cluster was beautiful, crisp with excellent graphics. But the screen for the radio right in the cents of the dash? Looked like a total afterthought, pixelated graphics, and when you put it on clock mode, the digits weren't even centered on the screen! Such a joke!

[enzo1]

[A930Rocket]

When I was looking for a new truck six months ago, I couldn't find a well equipped ecodiesel Ram.

Ended up with a loaded Ford F150 with a 5.0.

[LakeCleElum]

My friend bought one last summer....He reports 25-27 mileage on the road.....Local dealers won't discount, he went thru Dave Smith in northern Idaho.......Sez the engine has been in use awhile; made in Italy and started life as a Marine engine? Dunno........

Over the years, we all have good reason to not like Chrysler products, but maybe they have turned the corner?

[aigel]

Thanks Guys! I will have to go test drive one. It is a $4k premium, which you definitely will make up for with savings in fuel and recover when reselling - IF the thing holds up.

I liked the old Ford diesels, but I don't think they have made anything good since the 7.3. I drove the 2500 Ram and it was a dump truck ride (That's the one with the cummins). The engine was good power and not too loud, but the chassis and suspension was just way harsh.

G

[porsche4life]

The 2500 needs some weight in it to soften up the ride. Truck is built to haul and do work, so it's sprung very stiff

[aigel]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

The 2500 needs some weight in it to soften up the ride. Truck is built to haul and do work, so it's sprung very stiff

Yep - understood!!!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Here is the past thread: What are your thoughts on new 1/2ton diesel ram?

It's rrental that has one and provides some feedback on it. Sounds like pretty good MPG, but not spectacular towing performance. If you want good MPG in a truck but don't need tow performance, you can also consider the V6 1/2 ton models or the small Ford Ecoboost. All of those are also less expensive options.

[JTO]

I'm intrigued by the Ford F-150 with the 2.7 ecoboost. I think the operating cost would be lower than a diesel. Sorry for the hijack
Troy

[aigel]

That ecoboost is nice. I test drove the F150. That is a HUGE truck. What happened to midsize trucks? The back seats on the crew cab literally have 2 feet of legroom. WTF? It could be a 25 mpg truck if it wasn't that obnoxiously big. I need to drive the Ram next.

I did test fit the Tacoma - it takes talent to make a truck that big on the outside with that little room on the inside. I am fairly lean, but 6'2" tall and it just feels crammed. Hit my head on the way out ...

Pricing isn't encouraging either. There is nothing decent under $40k out the door if you want 4 doors and 4x4 ...

G

[vash]

didnt ford do some VooDoo to make the truck super light? aluminum or something.

800 lbs lighter. that is a fair load taken off.

the new '16 tacoma should be worth waiting for. the new 3.5L is a more efficient motor if i am reading correctly. better MPG.

it's not a sucky time to be shopping for a truck.

the GM canyon will come with a diesel soon. the Nissan Titan..diesel. lots to see and touch.

[aigel]

They took 700 pounds out of it by using Al. Imagine if they would have done that on a reasonably sized truck ...

The nice thing on that 2.7 is that the engine compartment is practically empty. Even with all the piping for the turbos and intercooler, there is plenty of room. I may have to jump on one of these 10 years from now.

I am a whiner, I know. But what bugs me too is the cheap interiors. Hard plastic and then this star wars theme - all angles straight from jedi starfighters ... all new trucks seem to have it ...

G

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by aigel

That ecoboost is nice. I test drove the F150. That is a HUGE truck. What happened to midsize trucks? The back seats on the crew cab literally have 2 feet of legroom. WTF? It could be a 25 mpg truck if it wasn't that obnoxiously big. I need to drive the Ram next.

I did test fit the Tacoma - it takes talent to make a truck that big on the outside with that little room on the inside. I am fairly lean, but 6'2" tall and it just feels crammed. Hit my head on the way out ...

Pricing isn't encouraging either. There is nothing decent under $40k out the door if you want 4 doors and 4x4 ...

G

The F150 never has been a midsized truck. If you don't like the huge backseat in the Super Crew, check out the Super Cab extended cab model. Because we normally have a full truck when we go on boating excursions, the big back seat was a selling point for us. All of the full sized trucks are basically the same size, but the Ford had the most spacious interior.

I really like the Taco, but spending full sized truck money for something that's smaller, less capable, gets similar MPG, and really not any nicer just doesn't add up. The Canyon/Colorado are a similar paradox, except they are even bigger than a Taco. I wish somebody made a compact truck that was similarly sized to the '90s Toyota Pickup. My in-laws have a 1992 extended cab 4x4 Toyota, I love that thing.

[aigel]

That's what the salesman told me - that the back seats / legroom were one of the big selling points of the F150 when he witnesses what people get excited about buying the vehicle.

So, you are telling me that the dimensions in and outside of an F150 are the same on the 2015 as the 1997?

The Toyota Tundra isn't even a consideration due to the fuel mileage.

The Colorado is a joke in 4WD. They dropped the drivetrain so low (For interior room I am sure) that it is dragging the transfer case leaving very little ground clearance. Not good if you drive a dirt road with rutted tracks ...

G

[mark waller]

And for 2016 both Nissan and Toyota are using a Cummings diesel in their trucks............I'm in the same boat don't need a 3/4 ton anymore and I am leaning heavily at the Ford F150 3.5L twin turbo since I am getting mainly to tow. The Dodge as mentioned earlier does not tow so well.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Where did the comparison to a 1997 come from? I don't even think they offered a crew cab in 1997.