Dodge Ram 1500 V6 Diesel

[MC1]

I have never needed or owned a pick up but for those who like and need one this new Dodge V6 D is interesting. Thinking it would be a good match up to the Ford Eco boost.

Ram to offer V6 diesel as $2,850 option in light pickups

[Briantb]

tow ratings will be interesting to see

[Brian B-P]

It does look like a good option for many people, but I think it will be a slug compared to an F-150 EcoBoost.

Ford 3.5L EcoBoost: 365 hp / 420 lb-ft of torque
Dodge Ram 3.0L EcoDiesel (by VM Motori): 240 hp / 420 lb-ft of torque (in Grand Cherokee)

[Rene]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

It does look like a good option for many people, but I think it will be a slug compared to an F-150 EcoBoost.

Ford 3.5L EcoBoost: 365 hp / 420 lb-ft of torque
Dodge Ram 3.0L EcoDiesel (by VM Motori): 240 hp / 420 lb-ft of torque (in Grand Cherokee)

I am excited about observing the new 1500 Diesel in action. Plan to possibly buy one second hand in about 10 years. Without RPM specs for peak torque and peak horsepower the numbers above don't tell the whole story.

My 5.9l cummins is less than 200 hp stock but peak torque is 420 ft lbs. at 1600 RPM. Towing performance is legendary.
The ecoboost may have 365 hp but its way up there at 5500 RPM where you cant reach in higher gear. Peak torque is at 2500 RPM . Although the towing performance is adequate for many, especially for a V6, it gets only average fuel economy of 15 MPG while towing. Solo the ecoboost is very efficient but nothing like a diesel.

The new 1500 D has a higher stock hp than my cummins and equal torque. Peak torque is at 2000 RPM while peak hp is at 4000. No way your going to get to peak hp with the mated 8 speed transmission! So its all about the torque and with peak torque at 2000 rpm with higher gearing you are going to be moving!

Check out the potential of this engine here:

Inside The Banks VM Motori 3.0L 630T V6 Diesel Engine - Diesel Power Magazine

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Rene

The ecoboost may have 365 hp but its way up there at 5500 RPM where you cant reach in higher gear.

At the risk of being obvious... that's why you can shift the transmission. You can have the 365 hp whenever you need it by changing to the gear that gets you 5500 RPM... the automatic transmission even does that for you.

Originally Posted by Rene

The new 1500 D has a higher stock hp than my cummins and equal torque. Peak torque is at 2000 RPM while peak hp is at 4000. No way your going to get to peak hp with the mated 8 speed transmission!

Again, the transmission gets you to whatever engine speed you need. More speeds in the transmission means the ability to more closely match engine speed to the current conditions.

I expect that the 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel will be a fine engine for the Dodge/Ram 1500, and will serve well in towing duty as well as other uses. For those who don't believe that the much more powerful Ford 3.5L EcoBoost engine will give a similarly configured F150 better performance (but poorer fuel economy), consider the same two engines in comparable SUVs:

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel V-6

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
BASE PRICE: Limited, $41,290; Overland, $48,490; Summit, $53,490
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 182 cu in, 2987 cc
Power: 240 hp @ 3600 rpm
Torque: 420 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 114.8 in
Length: 189.8 in
Width: 76.5 in Height: 69.3 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 5200–5500 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 7.3–7.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.0 sec
...

2013 Ford Flex Limited AWD EcoBoost

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $48,345 (base price: $45,470)
ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 213 cu in, 3496 cc
Power: 365 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 350 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 117.9 in
Length: 201.8 in
Width: 75.9 in Height: 68.0 in
Curb weight: 4909 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.7 sec
...
Standing ¼-mile: 14.2 sec @ 100 mph
...

Performance really is about available power, not all about torque. I suggest keeping expectations realistic, rather than expecting miracles due to torque.

[Rene]

I agree it is obvious you could gear down but how many people have you seen towing on the highways that like to gear down? When you gear down, you slow down of course. How many people like to do that? I wish I could slow down but its like your a criminal if you follow the speed limit!
With these diesel engines the peak torque is in the right place in high gear. You usually do not have to drop a bunch of gears to get to peak torque. You can always drop a gear if needed to get the power you need but then fuel economy suffers like in my 1500 chevy V6 gasser that had to tow in 4 th gear and delivered poor performance and poor mileage.

[Jared J]

Who wants to run at 5500 rpms to get the power they need? I'll take low rpm grunt any day. I'm hoping nissan comes out with the diesel titan soon.

Yeah, the flex gasser beats the higher torque diesel on a drag strip. Who cares? Put a trailer behind then and see what happens.

[Jim Bennett]

Plus (at least for now) diesel is cheaper than gas. I hope this trend sticks.

[Ken C]

A closer look inside
Inside The Banks VM Motori 3.0L 630T V6 Diesel Engine - Diesel Power Magazine

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by Jared J

Who wants to run at 5500 rpms to get the power they need? I'll take low rpm grunt any day. I'm hoping nissan comes out with the diesel titan soon.

Yeah, the flex gasser beats the higher torque diesel on a drag strip. Who cares? Put a trailer behind then and see what happens.

Well said.

[Night Sailor]

Didn't we cover this whole topic a few months back?

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Night Sailor

Didn't we cover this whole topic a few months back?

that is the nice thing about growing old, you can repeat yourself and get the same enjoyment as the first time you said it

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Night Sailor

Didn't we cover this whole topic a few months back?

Yes... and before then, and since then...

[Ray N]

It looks like Chevy is also in line to add this engine.
New Chevrolet 1/2T diesels on the way - iRV2 Forums

Say, just what is it that makes diesel engines such high-torque powerhouses, anyway. (Just kidding, I don't want to open that mess again.)

[Brian B-P]

Not touching the diesel torque discussion...

Originally Posted by Ray N

It looks like Chevy is also in line to add this engine.
New Chevrolet 1/2T diesels on the way - iRV2 Forums)

I followed the link, fully expecting the irv2 post to be about some obsolete plans from pre-2008... but it is a reference to current discussion. It seems vastly more likely to me - and to those quoted in the linked AutoGuide articles - that this will take the form of offering the new Colorado with one of the diesels that are currently offered for it in other countries. This is quite different from planting something in the Silverado/Sierra.

The Colorado's direct Ford competition is the Ranger. The Ranger's diesel (but not the current Ranger itself) is arriving in North America in the Transit commercial van, so potentially it could go in other models. There is no GM equivalent, because as of 2014 GM will be the last of the Big Three holding out with their traditional vans, rather than bringing their worldwide commercial van line here... which would presumably be the Opel/Vauxhall Movano, which in turn is a Renault Master, so apparently - like Chrysler - GM doesn't have their own worldwide commercial van.

The Ram 1500 is not getting Ram's big van engine - that would be the four-cylinder in the coming ProMaster (Fiat Ducato) - but it is getting another engine from Fiat's diesel engine supplier (VM Motori).

[Bob Miller]

WOW...All that discussion and not a mention of the est $42,250.00 price tag. I didn't realize that I was in such an affluent group that it wouldn't at least raise a eyebrow.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

WOW...All that discussion and not a mention of the est $42,250.00 price tag. I didn't realize that I was in such an affluent group that it wouldn't at least raise a eyebrow.

When I purchased my first NEW truck in 2011 as a retirement gift to myself ,the trucks MSRP was almost $37,000 . I was astonished when the salesman described the truck as a low end ,basic truck .

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

WOW...All that discussion and not a mention of the est $42,250.00 price tag. I didn't realize that I was in such an affluent group that it wouldn't at least raise a eyebrow.

The prices are lofty. A buddy bought a brand new pickup. I had a look inside the cab and closed the door. Rattles galore. Felt so cheap but as long as folks keep paying the high prices the companies will be happy to keep selling them. I think we all know by now about the high profits in light truck sales. Not

[Rene]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

WOW...All that discussion and not a mention of the est $42,250.00 price tag. I didn't realize that I was in such an affluent group that it wouldn't at least raise a eyebrow.

If you live in the US you don't know what high prices are! Notice that I mentioned buying one second hand in about ten years. Hoping there are millions of greater fools who only think about the monthly payment and low interest rates.

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

When I purchased my first NEW truck in 2011 as a retirement gift to myself ,the trucks MSRP was almost $37,000 . I was astonished when the salesman described the truck as a low end ,basic truck .

Prices really aren't getting any higher.
The dollar just continues to lose value.

Gas was $.20 (silver) @ gallon.
Now it's $3.50 (paper) @ gallon.