Ram 1500 Eco Diesel Review

Sandro- I was excited by that stuff a few yrs back too- but lets be honest- it is a test by Ford's own engineering team, not an impartial test crew.
I have a few friends with EcoBoost trucks. Most love them, and all say they have lots of power. Some say they get pretty good mileage but none say they get what they were told by the dealer. None. I suspect the ECU takes care of pinging (sure it'll run on 87 octane......but at what cost?) by pulling out so much timing that the engine gets lazy....lazy timing = more fuel consumption. Sure it'll keep the ring lands on the pistons, but I am willing to bet the fuel economy would be better with good fuel. However, this would also cost another $10ish per tankful....kinda negating the fuel economy.
Will the 2.7 be any better? I dunno. The only way I can see them making the power they promise is more boost. I hope they improve combustion chamber design, and possibly intercooling or compressor wheels to prevent pinging from 87 octane fuel use.
 
My sister has a Ford Escape 1.6 Ecoboost.

It's very nice ... has good power for what it is ... nothing has gone wrong with it (aside from being recalled 3 times for fuel leaks) ... but it does not deliver the fuel consumption that Ford claims!
 
omnivore said:
Sandro- I was excited by that stuff a few yrs back too- but lets be honest- it is a test by Ford's own engineering team, not an impartial test crew.
I have a few friends with EcoBoost trucks. Most love them, and all say they have lots of power. Some say they get pretty good mileage but none say they get what they were told by the dealer. None. I suspect the ECU takes care of pinging (sure it'll run on 87 octane......but at what cost?) by pulling out so much timing that the engine gets lazy....lazy timing = more fuel consumption. Sure it'll keep the ring lands on the pistons, but I am willing to bet the fuel economy would be better with good fuel. However, this would also cost another $10ish per tankful....kinda negating the fuel economy.
Will the 2.7 be any better? I dunno. The only way I can see them making the power they promise is more boost. I hope they improve combustion chamber design, and possibly intercooling or compressor wheels to prevent pinging from 87 octane fuel use.
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The 3.5 Ecoboost is known to run very rich (like 11-ish:1 air/fuel!) under load (e.g. towing) to protect themselves from blowing up. You can get them to belch a cloud of black smoke like the old-school (pre-DPF) diesels. They can get away with this because the official EPA emissions testing procedure only includes very light acceleration and certainly no trailer towing, it's basically never running under boost during the test procedure.

So they're economical when driven very gently, but thirsty when loaded.
 
Brian P said:
I'm poking around on ramtruck.ca right now, and the only thing you can't get the Ecodiesel on is a standard-cab short-box base trim level (which no one buys anyhow). (edit: With the fancier models, it also looks like there are some cab/box combinations that disallow it. But bottom line is that although you can't get the Ecodiesel with the cheapest-possible configuration, you can get it on the second-cheapest ...)
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Huh, you're right. It's available on the SLT quad cab, but not the crew. I wonder why they would do that.

Edit: Ticking 4x4 bring the diesel option back. Derp...
 
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omnivore said:
Yikes. I like the Eco Diesel alot, but for an extra $17,000? (of course some of that was the other options not just the drivetrain)....I had no idea there was such a huge difference in price. We highway drove Tyler's heavily optioned Hemi to Indy and back (It got better economy with me driving while he was sleeping,LOL- He is outtacontrol after all,LMAO)....but it still managed 650 kms on a tankful. So the diesel option might save you $25 per tank on a good day. You'd need to drive alot of kms to save $17,000 in fuel.
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When you buy a truck regardless of make they make the packages so you jump up it seems like $5,000. So you can get a nice plain truck for $25,000, 5.7 Hemi. The last new vehicle I had was a 1984 Ford Econoline,,,,,so I treated myself! Plus used trucks are stupid money now. I was looking for a 2500 with the hemi but unless they were beat and hammered you were paying good $. This truck is saving me HUGE over the Ford V-10 Triton. Triton,,,$100 for 300 K ,,,Eco D third tank of gas I'm looking at $94 for 1000+ K. But yes you could get something better then the Triton and cheaper then the Eco D.
 
last year i visited a plant and a tech just bought the eco diesel. He got the cheapest possible trim, steel wheels, rubber mat interiors, etc (he contracts on the side), he paid $36K for it.

I'm all for small boosted engines, love them, but theres a reason why diesels reign supreme when it comes to towing and heavy work.
 
SunnY S said:
If i'm merging onto a highway, or looking to pass a slower car on a 2 lane road, esp if I'm towing a huge load, you're damn right I would care about acceleration.....
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I hope you never tow, if that's how you do it.
 
Actually, from that description, I know he doesn't. Driving like that will have you on the side of the road ... perhaps with a blown trailer tire or broken spring, or to retrieve bits of your cargo or trailer, or on the receiving end of a ticket book, with a good chance of being upside down in the ditch.

Pop-up camper trailers explode into a million pieces after they get out of shape behind an idiot driver and start flipping first sideways and then end-over-end after the sideways flips break the hitch coupler off. Seen it ...
 
fastar1 said:
I hope you never tow, if that's how you do it.
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Brian P said:
Actually, from that description, I know he doesn't. Driving like that will have you on the side of the road ... perhaps with a blown trailer tire or broken spring, or to retrieve bits of your cargo or trailer, or on the receiving end of a ticket book, with a good chance of being upside down in the ditch.

Pop-up camper trailers explode into a million pieces after they get out of shape behind an idiot driver and start flipping first sideways and then end-over-end after the sideways flips break the hitch coupler off. Seen it ...
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My 10 year old Sierra doesn't have anywhere near the towing capacity of the new trucks, doesn't have a fancy 6 or 8 speed transmission, doesn't have oodles of horsepower, etc, etc. It does have the factory tow package and I've added an airbag leveling kit.

It does tow my 6000lb race trailer just fine. I can get up to highway speed to merge just fine. The only time I would ever pass anyone on a two lane road would be if it was a really slow moving vehicle like a tractor. I've done the Wooler Rd test that John Bickle mentioned, my truck will drop to 3rd gear and hold 95km/hr going up that hill without me putting my foot too far into it. I normally cruise at 105km/hr while towing and I can get through the rollers between Trenton and Whitby just fine with a few climbs in 3rd gear.

Reading some of the **** written here boggles my mind. All the new trucks can tow more than mine, they're all more powerful than mine, they all have fancier stuff than mine. Mine gets the job done just fine, so for anyone to say any of the new trucks would somehow be inadequate is truly moronical.

In closing....

FR.jpg
 
if you read the comments, I stated the extra acceleration is appreciated, "esp" when towing. Don't hate on me for appreciating a truck that has excellent acceleration, whether I'm towing or not.

Been towing construction trailer and my bike for 9 years. May not always need extra power (ask anybody that owns a Corvette), but it sure is nice to have. I stand by my comments.
 
SunnY S said:
if you read the comments, I stated the extra acceleration is appreciated, "esp" when towing. Don't hate on me for appreciating a truck that has excellent acceleration, whether I'm towing or not.

Been towing construction trailer and my bike for 9 years. May not always need extra power (ask anybody that owns a Corvette), but it sure is nice to have. I stand by my comments.
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You imply a significant performance gap between the Ford and all competitors. You imply a performance gap that means the non-Ford options are inadequate.

Your comments are ridiculous, irrelevant, and in all fairness your comments are stupid.
 
caboose56 said:
Has Car and Driver re done the tests with the Ford using 87 yet?
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caboose56 said:
Where did it say it was using 87 octane?
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caboose56 said:
Your beloved ecoBoost isn't really proven yet either. How many turbo F150s are up to half a million km so far? (and don't bother with your link to some ecoBoost race engine that isn't even remotely stock... irrelevant).
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caboose56 said:
You imply a significant performance gap between the Ford and all competitors. You imply a performance gap that means the non-Ford options are inadequate.

Your comments are ridiculous, irrelevant, and in all fairness your comments are stupid.
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Sounds to me like a case of sour grapes. You asked about reg gas, I showed you a test with reg gas. You asked about EB reliability, proven. and on and on.



Sorry if you don't like the answers......
 
SunnY S said:
Sounds to me like a case of sour grapes. You asked about reg gas, I showed you a test with reg gas. You asked about EB reliability, proven. and on and on.



Sorry if you don't like the answers......
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I asked about the 87 because the MotorTrend link didn't show up when I was viewing the thread on mobile. I found it on my PC and read it, yes it is running 87. I asked about 2.7L reliability and you provided a link talking about 3.5L reliability. Nothing proven.

I'm writing what everyone else is thinking. The only one here with a ridiculous bias is you. None of us are anti-Ford, but we are anti-stupid and we're challenging your ridiculous comments (some of which you can't defend - see previous paragraph re: 2.7L reliability).
 
I drove them all. FACT,, Ford and GM are sweating with the introduction of the RAM diesel. How do I know, cause the salesmen had nothing,,honestly. If you go gas to gas sure, but diesel against gas,,, Ford and GM salesmen were lost.
But is it God's Gift,, no it's a 6 cylinder! ANYBODY that buys anything less then a 2500 to tow a big trailer has to have some smarts.
I tow by the tack,, as most people with any level of respect for their vehicle will do. I'm the same as Caboose56. About 105 KPH keeps me
at a decent speed in the right hand lane of the 401. If I'm on a 2 lane highway,,,I don't even think of passing someone unless they are doing well under the speed limit.
So in closing,, enjoy the Ford. I will enjoy my RAM. My past Ford was great, but I like the RAM better. That is my opinion. The Ford is a nice truck,as the GM is too.
I don't care which one you buy,,I really don't,,I don't really care how many reviews, because they are all jaded. I like real world tests. People that lie about the weight they pull. [By the way that is all of us. ] Do I need a $42,000 diesel truck,,, no,, BUt it was the nicest fit for "ME" of the big three. I hope the same for you,,,enjoy!
And personally,, think you should have started a thread about Reviews on the Ford 2.7,,,, anybody interested in the RAM Eco D,,, feel free to ask me anything. I'm pretty straight up and so far,,,8.8 Liters per Hundred at 85 K per hour is pretty freaking awesome! 10.4/100K on the 401 at 105KPH and 12L/100K for combined Hwy/City is also pretty freaking awesome. And still improving. Courtice to London and back last weekend 600 k ,less the half a tank which is about $45
I can't wait for it to get broken in! And by the way if we're talking "extra Power" then lets step up to the 3500 Turbo Diesels,,, cause 2.7 or 3 liters,,,uhmm you can't say "Extra Power" and use the 2.7 or 3 Liter in the same sentence. We are getting trucks that will do what we ask if we give them respect and drive accordingly. Think you're going to need some respect!
 
I think a small diesel option is a no-brainer. It's been overdue for years. Decades. This Ram is going to be a landmark pickup truck and the others will all be scrambling to offer something like it soon.
 
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