Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

[buickanddeere]

I can only speak to what was available in 2015 and would think my overall experience would transfer to 2017 except for the new technology. While I was looking for heavy duty half ton trucks in 2015 for heavy towing, >= 10,000+ pounds, only GM and Ford could cover this. I decided HD halfs for my load wants/needs just would not provide the security I wanted with chassis/suspension/braking strength. I then decided to go diesel 3/4 ton and went with the Ram 2500 after driving gas and diesels.

No comparison with diesel torque in any manner. Mine has ~ 350 HP and 800 pounds of torque at 1500 RPM. In my testing, the gas engines ran out of breath with hard acceleration at ~ 65 MPH unloaded, while the diesel just kept pulling. I average ~ 19 - 20 MPG in decent weather with an 8500 pound truck running the speed limit in continuously hilly areas, especially two lane, back highways. When passing slower vehicles on winding, hilly back country highways, the acceleration will sit one back in the seat. Brings a smile to my face . Not many straight, level areas around here. I imagine the straight line, level fuel mileage would be noticeably better. Love my RAM. All said and done it cost ~ $10k more than the HD half ton, gasoline engined trucks I was looking at.

25 MPG in a daily driver, full size 1/2 ton truck that would not need to pull heavy loads would be pretty attractive to a lot of folks, I would think; most trucks I see are not loaded and seem to be more of a family vehicle with a HD, open bed. In 2015 no gas trucks with any kind of abilities came close to 25 MPG.

Can't make a diesel pay when compared to this. Who by the way is racing with a trailer at speeds over 65mph ?
While not typical, the wife did squeeze 8.1L per 100Km from her 5.3 direct injection crew cab 4X4 on a trip. Just putting around short trips to work and into town it runs 10-11L per 100Km and that is with her idling the engine to warm up because she usually forgets to plug in the block heater.

X 2017 GMC Sierra K15 4WD

6.2 L, 8 cyl, Automatic 8-spd
MSRP: $32,145 - $55,605

Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG:17 MPG
City MPG:15 Highway MPG:20
combined
city/highway city highway
5.9 gal/100mi
EPA range: 442 - 578 miles442 - 578 miles

You save or spend*
Note: The average 2017 vehicle
gets 26 MPG
You SPEND
$3,250
more in fuel costs over 5 years
compared to the
average new vehicle
Annual Fuel Cost* $1,900
Cost to Drive 25 Miles $3.18
Cost to Fill the Tank $56-$73
Tank Size 26.0-34.0 gallons
*Based on 45% highway, 55% city driving, 15,000 annual miles and current fuel prices. Personalize.
MSRP and tank size data provided by Edmunds.com, Inc.
Range on a tank and refueling costs assume 100% of fuel in tank will be used before refueling.

 

[TheGoose]

Guess you guys are just luckier than me. I thought mine would get better mileage but I guess I've got a bad one. We Re totally flat here and even on 20-30 mile trips of constant speed it has not gotten above 15-16.

 

[tcartwri]

The only issue I had with the ED was the throttle response. Don't worry about the comparisons to the Hemi or EcoBoost, it was built for a different goal. Any squatting issues can be fixed with airbags, which are dead easy to install.

I hadn't heard about the emissions issue until now. Could be interesting.

 

[Garandman]

Guess you guys are just luckier than me. I thought mine would get better mileage but I guess I've got a bad one. We Re totally flat here and even on 20-30 mile trips of constant speed it has not gotten above 15-16.

The mpg people post here are 50% higher than the averages on fuelly.com. F

Really quite remarkable.

 

[Egon]

Well; there are some remarkable trucks out there, Eh!

 

[Diamondpilot]

The mpg people post here are 50% higher than the averages on fuelly.com. F

Really quite remarkable.

Really? Just looked at the 2014 F150, kinda mid life model for the newer version, and most are getting 17 MPG.

214 Ford F-15 MPG - Actual MPG from 283 214 Ford F-15 owners

Check your facts!

 

[TnWV]

This truck has been on my radar for awhile. Looks like I may try to order one. Anybody hear that Ram is having trouble with the EPA certifying diesel engines for 2017? Word is that you cannot get a 2017 ED 1500 Ram. I'm looking to custom order one because I cannot find one rigged out the way I want with the Ram Box Lone Star Edition.

I bought a new 2016 Ecodiesel in September. I absolutely love this truck! I did a lot of research, and decided this was the best fit for me and my needs. After 4,500 miles, I feel I made the right choice.

As far as the EPA holdup, there is a lot of talk on the ram forums, and the only consensus is that it's all speculation as to why the certification is taking so long and when new Ecodiesel's will be available.

I could go on and on about why I chose this truck, but don't want to hijack the thread. One thing I will say, is that if you do a lot of short trips, it's probably not the best choice due to the emissions stuff. Of course, there are defeats for most of it if desired. My commute is long and includes a lot of interstate driving with long grades. Plenty of time at full operating temperature so the emissions have plenty of time to do their thing on a regular basis.

Smoothest most comfortable vehicle I have ever owned. Just a joy to drive, in my opinion. Of course, all the new trucks are nice, so a lot of the choice of which one becomes personal preference.

 

[Garandman]

Really? Just looked at the 2014 F150, kinda mid life model for the newer version, and most are getting 17 MPG.

214 Ford F-15 MPG - Actual MPG from 283 214 Ford F-15 owners

Check your facts!

Exactly what I am talking about. Check some of the threads about what people are "averaging" here, especially with the older F150's averaging 15. Something there.

More to the point of this thread, there are three Ram 1500 diesel owners reporting and they are averaging 23mpg.

No dog in the fight, we log all fuel use on all our fleet vehicles and even calculate how optimistic their trip computers are.

 

[sdef]

Exactly what I am talking about. Check some of the threads about what people are "averaging" here, especially with the older F150's averaging 15. Something there.

More to the point of this thread, there are three Ram 1500 diesel owners reporting and they are averaging 23mpg.

No dog in the fight, we log all fuel use on all our fleet vehicles and even calculate how optimistic their trip computers are.

In my experience, computers average 1.5MPG higher than hand computed and my truck is no exception. On a rare occasion the two match. My quoted mileage is computer generated minus ~1.5MPG. Of course highway mileage on this type of vehicle is usually higher than in town. Mine is a mix of ~65% highway, ~30% in town and maybe 5% in town stop and go.

As most of us know, driving styles also make a large difference in mileage. I am a very good fuel mileage driver while my wife is just the opposite.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Exactly what I am talking about. Check some of the threads about what people are "averaging" here, especially with the older F150's averaging 15. Something there.

More to the point of this thread, there are three Ram 1500 diesel owners reporting and they are averaging 23mpg.

No dog in the fight, we log all fuel use on all our fleet vehicles and even calculate how optimistic their trip computers are.

But that's an average with both the EB and the 5.0.

The average for that fleet, both motors, is 17. Not sure where you are getting 15?