The Right Choice for Full Loads - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited October 2015 in Ram
imageThe Right Choice for Full Loads - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test

Of the three trucks in our long-term fleet, the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is still the best choice when you need to weigh it down with a full cab, a full bed and a load on the trailer.

Read the full story here


Tagged:

Comments

  • markinnaples_markinnaples_ Member Posts: 251
    The more I read about this RAM diesel, the more I want.
  • kirkhilles1kirkhilles1 Member Posts: 863
    markinnaples_ said:

    The more I read about this RAM diesel, the more I want.

    Which part? The most 3 open recalls they addressed + $276 in service or the initial DEF fluid burn drama or the clicking noises or the fact that the entire fuel system was replaced? Maybe eventually the problems will calm down, but I think I'd be wanting nothing more than to sell this Ram if it were mine. WAY too much drama for the first 40,000 miles.
  • handbrakehandbrake Member Posts: 99
    Are we to assume that the unspoken alternate vehicle that is compared against in the third paragraph is the F150?
  • nate001nate001 Member Posts: 102
    markinnaples_ said:

    The more I read about this RAM diesel, the more I want.

    I agree, nothing in its class quite compares to the power and capability of this truck.
    I would get 2015+ to get past the drama of the first build year.
  • socal_ericsocal_eric Member Posts: 189
    kirkhilles1 said:

    Which part? The most 3 open recalls they addressed + $276 in service or the initial DEF fluid burn drama or the clicking noises or the fact that the entire fuel system was replaced? Maybe eventually the problems will calm down, but I think I'd be wanting nothing more than to sell this Ram if it were mine. WAY too much drama for the first 40,000 miles.

    I guess it's a matter of perspective. Chrysler is addressing concerns with recalls. Service can be quite a bit cheaper if you avoid the dealer up-charges, plus 10k-mile service intervals is pretty reasonable for a truck that's being used as a truck. The price of DEF has dropped quite a bit and you can buy it even cheaper at the pump of some bigger stations. And for the fuel issue on this particular truck, they said it started right back up, wouldn't have stranded anyone, and it was nice to see the engineering team get to the root cause (which Edmunds documented as not being related to the diesel-specific fuel components).

    My parents who've owned a couple Ram 2500s with the Cummins just bought an EcoDiesel 1500 and it's been a great truck so far with *way* better mileage and a nice useable power band. While I like to be an informed consumer and I've read of teething issues, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one for myself. Diesel isn't going to be for everyone and the Edmunds truck hasn't been perfect but it's been far from a lemon you make it out to be.
  • actualsizeactualsize Member Posts: 451
    edited October 2015
    Yes, the unspoken truck was the F-150. I drove to Prescott with Josh in a second vehicle and I had a ton of spare parts, fuel, tools and an EZ up canopy, among other things. I needed to store that stuff (except the fuel) inside the cab so I could lock it up overnight, he needed a cab to transport his family. He wanted to tow with the Ram's diesel engine, I wanted the Ford because the rear seats fold up to reveal more of a flat load inside the crew cab. Because it contained some of the more crucial tools and parts, my truck was chosen to be the one parked in the pits. The event schedule included a nighttime service stop, so the Ford's 400W 120V outlet was handy to power the floodlights. Everybody wins.

    As for the diesel issue we had something like 20,000 miles ago, it was a fluke. And the component involved -- the in-tank transfer fuel pump -- is not a diesel-specific part. It's a pretty routine element of just about every vehicle these days, especially those with direct injection. And the supplier of that part supplies many other automakers, too. Ram engineering didn't know any of that until they had finished their investigation, which involved the retrieval of most of the fuel delivery system parts for analysis.

    Twitter: @Edmunds_Test

  • g35bufg35buf Member Posts: 89
    I own a 2015 Laramie EcoDiesel and have literally hit the same lifetime mileage as Edmunds long termer...Some towing, some around town and some general road trip runs. My worst mpg segment ever was towing a 5,000 lb boat over semi-hilly terrain with some strong headwinds and I got 18.7 mpg. When not towing, getting below 21 mpg around town is actually hard to do. I've never had a true highway trip below 24.2 mpg and my best was 26.5 mpg. There is simply no way to travel in a 1500 series truck with lower fuel costs (and here in Western NY, diesel is between regular and premium gas in price).
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles