Topic: Day-by-Day Review: 2014 RAM 1500 EcoDiesel

[mixmanmash]

it's in my interest to believe it! but nope.. must have been all downhill or had a huge tailwind. averaging 85km/hr, so that part makes some sense... but not to that degree... look at the eneguide numbers... as we all know they are shall we say, optimistic... they say 33mpg (us)

while i wish this was the day to day numbers, i don't want to give false hope!

I agree, I think conditions (hill, wind, speed, temperature) all play a factor.

Not sure if it counts, but in my limited experience with a 2014 T&C, the display is not that accurate, but not horrible off.  I'd say it's within 10-15%.

[tooscoops]

i'm off on mine by .1L/100 usually... but not always on one side of it... sometimes it shows above, sometimes below...

[wing]

You're measurements are off not the vehicles

[SaskSpecV]

You're measurements are off not the vehicles

Could be your measurement that is off - but it could be the vehicle/computer too.  C&D had a nice summary of some of the variables that can influence the computer/vehicle calculation, which may or may not be accurate.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/why-your-trip-computer-isnt-giving-accurate-mpg-readings-and-how-to-fix-it/

[EV-Light]

working on a customer right now... drives a diesel mercedes suv and wants a truck... wants it loaded up...

but wants the gas engine.

i figured it was prime for this diesel, but he made some valid points, so i won't push him. i had been noticing most current diesel drivers are primarily looking at the vm motori engine... i was kind of shocked and didn't know what to say when he said he didn't want the diesel!

what were his reasons? just out of curiosity...I think asides the steep $5k for the diesel, the RAM 1500 is a great truck.

[Seafoam]

The RAM diesel looks great, if pricey.  To those questioning a truck as a daily driver, I can only add my personal experience, coming from an Impreza (in Toronto) to an F150 (in Collingwood).

Subjective - our 2014 F150 4x4 V8 5.0L Super Crew 302A package is a fantastic family vehicle, for small town and country living.  Not what I would choose for Toronto or Montreal.  On a trip, that cavernous back seat and level floor is A+

Objective - a large sport ute capable of easily pulling our trailer would have cost $20K + more.   

Surprise - fuel economy is incredible.  Since new (April '14), over almost 11,000 kilometers, 12.8 L / 100 kilometers per Fuelly.  That includes a move with a 6' x 12' x 6' inside height cargo trailer, 10 trips empty, 11 full, a little over 3,000 kms in all.  On a round-trip to NC from Ontario, mileage was low-to-mid 11s (don't recall exactly, I think I posted it in another thread here).

Back-up camera and bumper sensors are wonderful, never thought I needed them, now wouldn't want to do without.

I drove all 3 of the D3 before buying the F150.  I didn't like the GM at all, and I liked the RAM at least as much as the Ford, but the dealer wanted to play the negotiation game, and I just wanted to buy a truck.  The Ford dealer bottom-lined priced it at almost $13k under MSRP, and got my business.
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I had a Datsun and a Toyota Taco previously, but when I looked this time, neither would have saved me any money on the purchase, and neither gets better gas mileage, so it was easy decision, for me.  A V8 sounds nice too.

I think the new GM mid-size trucks sound promising, but I wouldn't buy the 1st year of the new model, and I needed a vehicle, so....

No regrets, loving the F150. 

Glad you like your truck. 12.8 is seen as incredible. I get upset when I get more than 7.5 in the city. For this reason I will never own a truck.

[dirtyjeffer]

that's crazy talk...

no way should it get even close to that... maybe 35 on a good day averaging over that kind of kms...

keep in mind, the guys over there are experts are extracting every last mpg...one should not look at that as an expectation of what they will see personally...they got something like 60 mpg from a Sonata a few years ago, and we all know how everyone rags on Kia/Hyundai fuel economy numbers.

[tooscoops]

gotcha.. i didn't do much hunting around to see what the website was all about...

and tauri, basically, the guy didn't care so much about the money aspect (wish i had more customers like that!)... therefore didn't really care about saving gas either... so for him it was just the difficulty getting diesel in the places he travels and the pain in dealing with many of the places that did...

[neil]

What, no sign of the 40mpg highway they claim in the TV ads? About half that.

As mentioned it's not a regular cab 4x2.  and it's still much better than "half that"

Chrysler probably lies more than even H/K. They say over and over again the Journey is Canada's best-selling SUV, when it barely scrapes into the #4 spot behind Escape, CRV and RAV4. In fact, it never has been  (Source goodcarbadcar.net).

They say nothing of the kind:

Chrysler's disclaimer:

Dodge Journey: Based on R. L. Polk Canada, Inc. May 2008 to August 2012 Canadian Total NVR data for Chrysler Cross-Over Segments. Start dated based on marketing launch commencing May 2008.

The industry definition of Cross-Over is different from yours.  Although it is murky:  From Wiki

A January 2008 Wall Street Journal blog article called crossovers "wagons that look like sport utility vehicles, but ride like cars."

The three you mention are likely considered Compact SUV's, not CUV's. 

[tooscoops]

don't think any of it is worth arguing over... it gets better fuel economy than anything on the market... and to ever take any add-speak as gospel is crazy.

no matter what they say, always try to read between the lines... from every manufacturer.

[Vanstar]

I drove a V-6 RAM 1500 crew recently as a rental while on business in northern Alberta. That is the one I would personally go for. It is a very competent car with AWD and lots of room. They are selling for something like $27k, which is dirt cheap for a vehicle of this size and capability. It will tow a boat and take the trash to the dump, too. I saw 9.0 L/100 km on the highway sections and about 12 in the city, not bad at all and I was not light on the accelerator.

I can't see any need for more power in this car. It is responsive and peppy and the eight speed transmission nice, although the selector screams "cheap-ola!" Of course it is Dodge and it will fall apart right after the warranty is up, but hey, it's only $27k. This diesel is $20k more and that can buy a lot of gas.

[Ex-airbalancer]

I drove a V-6 RAM 1500 crew recently as a rental while on business in northern Alberta. That is the one I would personally go for. It is a very competent car with AWD and lots of room. They are selling for something like $27k, which is dirt cheap for a vehicle of this size and capability. It will tow a boat and take the trash to the dump, too. I saw 9.0 L/100 km on the highway sections and about 12 in the city, not bad at all and I was not light on the accelerator.

I can't see any need for more power in this car. It is responsive and peppy and the eight speed transmission nice, although the selector screams "cheap-ola!" Of course it is Dodge and it will fall apart right after the warranty is up, but hey, it's only $27k. This diesel is $20k more and that can buy a lot of gas.

This diesel also had a lot of bells and whistles, but is the it was only $4gs for the Diesel engine would you get it ?

[dkaz]

Ram trucks tend to be a lot better durability wise than the Dodge passenger cars.

The V6 is probably fine until one needs to tow or even haul something, but for someone who just needs to haul air most of the time, it's probably a good choice.

[Vanstar]

Ram trucks tend to be a lot better durability wise than the Dodge passenger cars.

The V6 is probably fine until one needs to tow or even haul something, but for someone who just needs to haul air most of the time, it's probably a good choice.

My experience as a Mopar service advisor would lead me to debate this claim.

This V-6 has 300 lb/ft of torque. It could easily tow the little utility trailers I see attached to giant diesel "trucks."

And Airbalancer, I would not pay the extra $4000 for the diesel. A nicely optioned double cab RAM 4X4 with V-6 goes out the door at $27,000. You are not going to find a diesel for $31,000, no way.

[tooscoops]

27 is the hemi price... and that's if you qualify for the loyalty/conquest program... v6 (and 8-speed) ups the price a grand... and 1500 if you don't qualify for the program... just to keep things correct for all those reading.

the diesel really is just the 4500 more.. but the trick with that exact truck is that you can't get the 3.0L on the sxt... have to get either the st and add some kit or get the more expensive slt... also, the advertised price is kind of the loss leader.. no need to do a loss leader price on the only half-ton diesel. so the cheapest is probably around 33k for a popular equipment group 4x4 diesel quad including all the discounts that could be applied.

[ltruong]

27 is the hemi price... and that's if you qualify for the loyalty/conquest program... v6 (and 8-speed) ups the price a grand... and 1500 if you don't qualify for the program... just to keep things correct for all those reading.

the diesel really is just the 4500 more.. but the trick with that exact truck is that you can't get the 3.0L on the sxt... have to get either the st and add some kit or get the more expensive slt... also, the advertised price is kind of the loss leader.. no need to do a loss leader price on the only half-ton diesel. so the cheapest is probably around 33k for a popular equipment group 4x4 diesel quad including all the discounts that could be applied.

The Cheapest 4x4 Ram 1500 Diesel is 39,500..I think.  If you see where I can get one for 33k.....please let me know.  the Cheapest I saw at a dealer was $46..ish in Calgary.

[tooscoops]

i sell them..... come on down!

**addendum.... i doubt i'll find you a diesel equipped like that this time of year. but they (can) exist. in ontario of course...

[ltruong]

i sell them..... come on down!

...hehe you're too far

[Ex-airbalancer]

Saw this truck in the wild today,
They said they get over 1000 km per tank, 92 litre tank
They are about 7.1 on the highway

[OliverD]

Saw this truck in the wild today,
They said they get over 1000 km per tank, 92 litre tank
They are about 7.1 on the highway

Unless that is verified by hand (not the trip computer) I find that very difficult to believe. That's 33 MPG.