Dodge 2014 1500 Diesel: 28 Mpg!

[Tim Smith]

http://wot.motortrend.com/1402_2014_ram_1500_ecodiesel_epa_rated.html

20/28/23

36K...out of my range for now, but seriously excited. Dodge makes a good truck.

Game changer?

[Terrierman]

Run the numbers to see how many miles it takes to pay out. Hint: It's a lot.

[ciRe]

Well considering most newer trucks cost that much might as well get what you want. Sticker on my truck was low 40s that's a hemi. Not even close to what I paid though.

[Terrierman]

I've got a 4 WD extra cab with the Hemi and get 22 hwy. between here and Nevada and back. 17 overall. Best truck I have ever owned but it's still new (7K ,miles), want to see how it holds up. I've been chevy man up until now. Test drive and price did it for me on the Ram.

[TroutRinger]

I really don't think Diesels are the future for non-HD pickups. I think most Americans associate diesels with higher initial and long term costs. Plus it's different than what we know (gas) and we don't like what we don't know.

The near term advancements in MPG are going to come from weight reduction, improved aerodynamics and trannies, and (sadly) smaller turbo engines IMHO.

[Tim Smith]

Terrierman, as long as the fracking boom is still on (checking my watch here), I don't think the gas/cost issue will ever justify mileage in a truck. But the idea some people have that costs are going to stay where they are and this is some kind of unlimited, endless boom amuses this son of a 5th generation Texan to no end. And frankly, I love trucks but I care about my carbon footprint. So mileage is important to me. So you're right it is to some extent, ciRe, what's important to me. Or it gets at those issues anyway.

I really don't think Diesels are the future for non-HD pickups. I think most Americans associate diesels with higher initial and long term costs. Plus it's different than what we know (gas) and we don't like what we don't know.

The near term advancements in MPG are going to come from weight reduction, improved aerodynamics and trannies, and (sadly) smaller turbo engines IMHO.

You might be right about weight reduction and turbos, but does that necessarily exclude diesels?

If they're getting 28 from the diesel 1500, what happens when they put it in a Dakota? What happens when they turbo charge it? What happens when they put an 8 speed trannie in it?

What happens when Nissan comes out with their turbo charged small diesel later this year?

You may be right that diesel has no future. I could, however, make the opposite bet that a fuel efficient truck at the right price puts the logic back into fuel refineries. It's already easier to make diesel. With enough demand, the cost of diesel could come down relative to "gas", the way it used to be back in the day.

Add the fact that a good diesel engine is virtually eternal... I'm at least paying attention.

I've owned Dodge, GMC and Chevy pick ups and I miss them all.

[LittleRedFisherman]

Rick, didn't know you went to a Ram, I knew you said you were looking when we did the fishing trip, glad you like it. Ram or Dodge will always be judged by some folks for there trucks of the 70's, but it's a different ballgame now with them..

I to have been awaiting this ecodiesel truck, so see how it does. It will depend on what you use it for if it will be helpful over the gas. I farm out of my trucks, and use them a lot on gravel roads, a lot of starting and stopping. My hemi will also get 20 on hwy and trips, but driving from field to field during irrigation, hauling etc, mileage is not very good. This is where I think the little 3 liter diesel might shine, if I could get around 20mpg doing all of this, it would be cost effective for me.

Saw the first one on the road while I was at Hardy a couple weeks go, talked to the owner and he loved his. Got 28 mpg driving to Indiana at 75 mph, pretty impressive I thought! He said a Hemi would win a drag race, but pulling a trailer it actually outperformed his old truck.. Can't beat the tourqe of a diesel...

[grizwilson]

Since 1976 I have owned 3 dodges, swore each would be my last, last was a 93 not ready to be skinned again.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I've had great luck with Dodge vehicles, in spite of them often being considered temporary.

Diesels are a good road to the future, they just need more research into cleaning them up, something that has lagged until lately. You can make fuel out of virtually anything green, fuel, not a supplement like ethanol.