Thinking Keep my 5.7 Hemi or trade for EcoDiesel

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cubmedic

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Like the title states, Keep my '16 with the Hemi or with the prices and discounts out there trade for EcoDiesel.
 

dexter

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better fuel mileage, Diesel motors last longer.

Do the math ... you may not be able to recover the cost of the swap via fuel savings and the cost of DEF and more oil.

"Although today’s turbochargers are significantly more reliable than those nightmares in the 1980s that were as effective at burning oil as creating power, in the longer-term, it is a potential expense if you plan on keeping your truck for more than 150,000 miles."

Diesel motors last longer but they cost much more to repair.

http://www.trucktrend.com/truck-reviews/1501-ram-tough-dilemma-hemi-vs-ecodiesel/
 
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cubmedic

cubmedic

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Makes since. I just wanted some other thoughts. I'm not saying which way I'm leaning because I do not want it to sway others opinion. I like honest answers.
 

MT Hillbilly

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I am undecided about the new body of the 2018 ram, but.. Man, some of the new features are very appealing!! Assuming you are talking about a 4th gen eco... are you going to keep it long enough to recover the cost of buying it?.. However if you do get one, Please let me know how you like it compared, I have been curious about how they feel, compared to the hemi!
I am a sucker for fords glass ceiling, love that it will be available in Ram. the stupid air dam catches on curbs of my stock Ram, so having an active one that only lowers when at speeds is GREAT! And that beautiful 12" center would make my long trips REALLY nice! I have never heard of a truck that has reclining rear seats before, but.. My elderly loved ones would/should love that feature when going the 1800 miles from my house to theirs! OH, and they can haul more and tow more...Just not sure about the body... I am waiting till I see one... or forty ;) Oh, and lets not forget the electric motor that adds 175 ft lbs to the 5.7 hemi for taking off and deceleration... That, could be good or bad?!? but Certainly good for starting off with a load!.... until the battery behind that reclining seat goes up in smoke. :) Just not sure about the looks of it though... The badging looks like a ford to me.
 
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2010 Infantry Vet

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I say keep your 5.7
I have seen tons of diesel truck that will not start in cold weather, unless you plug in the heater. But im biased since I had to drive diesel humvees and european 4cyl turbo diesel rangers for two years in Afganistan. Lol
 

Joes1500

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I had an eco Diesel, had a love /hate relationship with it.

Love the fuel mileage

Hated the fact that on a $58,000 vehicle it $36,000 dollars worth of warranty work including a new engine within 2.5 years and 48,000 miles. The amount of time it spent at the dealer in those 2.5 years was over 9 months

Traded it on a 5.7 and have no regrets lesson learned---- if you want a diesel , get a cummins. Should have never got ride of mine.
 
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cubmedic

cubmedic

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I had an eco Diesel, had a love /hate relationship with it.

Love the fuel mileage

Hated the fact that on a $58,000 vehicle it $36,000 dollars worth of warranty work including a new engine within 2.5 years and 48,000 miles. The amount of time it spent at the dealer in those 2.5 years was over 9 months

Traded it on a 5.7 and have no regrets lesson learned---- if you want a diesel , get a cummins. Should have never got ride of mine.


This is the kind of reply's I was looking for. I was looking for fuel more than anything. Will only save about $500 a year over Hemi. I can find Rebel's for far cheaper and they have the 44/45 transfer case.
 

kukufixer

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I have a '16 ecodiesel and really like it. Depends on what you want in deciding. If you want to burn rubber and go like a bat out of hell, then keep the hemi. If you want to drive past the gas station and laugh at the guys with hemis, then get the ED. If it upsets you to see the gas gauge visibly drop while towing, then get the ED. I drive about 28 miles to work as a combo city and interstate with mid 20s mileage. The ED isn't a grumpy Cummins 2500, the ED sounds more irritated but you can still tell it is diesel. Get the GDE tune if you go the ED route and you won't have to buy DEF. Diesels have fewer moving parts so less to break.
Jump over to the Ram1500Diesel forum where the ecodiesel owners post and ask for opinions.
 

Wahrsuul

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I'll add my $.02 - keep the Hemi. I wanted the Eco as well, but after some research , the Eco have some issue, as well as most maintenance being more expensive, and diesel costing more. If you want better mileage, get a 3.6 with the 3.55 gears and still have some decent towing capacity.
 

mohemipar

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Personally I would either


1) Keep the Hemi

2) Wait for the new 5th gen diesel and get that

3) If you absolutely have to have a diesel now get a Cummins
 

RamRMK

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Ive had both...my 15 eco diesel I owned for approximately 2 months after I traded my 12 Hemi and the dealer had it for a month of that trying to fix issues. Do your homework prior to purchasing. Go creep the ecodiesel facebook or forums pages. There is a higher probability of issues because of the emissions systems. Egr coolers and valves are prone for failures. From what I have seen those who delete the emissions love the trucks however that means potentially voiding warranty. Personally after my experience I will not ever own one again-I dont drive my truck often and while the extra mpgs were nice it was marginally better then running higher octane for me. I went back to the reliable Hemi with no regrets.


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Tach_tech

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As a FCA tech I would rather have a 3.6 truck over an Eco diesel. I loathe those things.
 

Jeepwalker

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Like the other posters said, gather all your numbers and do the math, see what works out for you. Besides fuel economy, figure taxes, insurance, changes in financing and so on. More than likely you're not going to recover a lot of $$ unless you drive a crapload of miles . And in that case, maybe you'd be better off getting a Prius or something. Also, you could wait till next year and get the new model which will get you into the next gen (and hold value a little better).

Just because a couple guys have had problems with an eco-diesel, doesn't mean the problems haven't been ironed out ...but then again you never know.
 

dexter

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I have a '16 ecodiesel and really like it. Depends on what you want in deciding. If you want to burn rubber and go like a bat out of hell, then keep the hemi. If you want to drive past the gas station and laugh at the guys with hemis, then get the ED. If it upsets you to see the gas gauge visibly drop while towing, then get the ED. I drive about 28 miles to work as a combo city and interstate with mid 20s mileage. The ED isn't a grumpy Cummins 2500, the ED sounds more irritated but you can still tell it is diesel. Get the GDE tune if you go the ED route and you won't have to buy DEF. Diesels have fewer moving parts so less to break.
Jump over to the Ram1500Diesel forum where the ecodiesel owners post and ask for opinions.

You have to do the math. You may be laughing at gas users but you may be the one paying more.

https://www.thefitrv.com/rv-tips/gas-vs-diesel-a-calculator-and-my-thoughts/
 

AzRamLover

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I drove the ecodiesel before I got the hemi and I found the acceleration after 35mph to be totally unacceptable compared to the hemi.

The comparison was as apples to apples as I could get it - both crew cab Laramie 4x4, 8 speed, and 3.92 gears.
 

Tach_tech

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Diesels have fewer moving parts so less to break.

That’s not really true, the eco diesel has more moving parts compared to the hemi. Modern diesels have more crap bolted to them compared to a gas engine. It’s all mainly due to emissions. Things like DPF,SCR, EGR and EGR Coolers, Variable geometry turbos, intake swirl valves, the list goes on.

To the OP, what do you plan on using the truck for? How much city/hwy driving. If it’s mainly going to be putting around town I would advise against it. These engines don’t like just driving around the city and high idle times, they plug up the EGR and DPF.

They really should reach operating temp every time they’re driven and regular trips at highway speeds.

In my experience the HEMI is a more reliable set up. Sure in theory the diesel will last longer if maintained and used properly but when they do fail it’s not cheap. If you get rid of the emission stuff the eco diesel would probably be great but then you’re likely going to void the warranty..
 

2010 Infantry Vet

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Ask yourself this question...how are you going to plug your diesel motor into an electrical cord at walmart so it will start in cold weather? Couldnt pay me to buy a diesel. If thats not enough, diesel which is a less refined fuel, is way higher in cost than gas.
 

oldstyle17

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I bought my eco new in mid 2016 and love it. Great fuel mileage. I average about 20 combined with a 6” lift and 35’s. Also you can buy an oil change package with makes oil changes at the dealer cheaper and easier . You can always delete the exhaust if you want. But I bought an extended warranty out to 7 years 125,000 miles. On the other hand for about the same cost you can get a lifetime warranty on your hemi.


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