Want to get another ram. V6 or Eco Diesel?

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mmouncey

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Oct 24, 2021
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Location
Calgary AB
Ram Year
2006
Engine
5.9 cummins turbo
The 2018 RAM ECO diesel is a piece of crap. in shop more than on the road. Two motors now, gutless piece of junk. Heres the latest engine they are replacing..NewRamEngine.jpg
 

snoplease

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Mar 16, 2014
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Ram Year
2014
Engine
pentastar 3.6
I had a 2014 Ram Quad Cab Outdoors man with 3.6 pentastar and the liftetime average was 14.6L/100 km drove 45000 km over a 4 year period. Replaced it with a 2018 same model with the ecodiesel. Its lifttime average is 11.2L/100 km, drove 41000 km over 3 years. Do all my own maintenance and the cost is reasonable.
 

rbsailor

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Location
California
Ram Year
2022
Engine
6.7L Cummins
We have a 2015 Laramie 2wd ED, I can tell you from experience that the ED's are not for light daily driving. They need to be worked hard to keep them running clean and good fuel mileage. We get 22 average for freeway, 19 in the city and 14-16 when towing our t/t.
 

GTyankee

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Location
El Cajon Calif. 92021
Ram Year
2016
Engine
3.0 ecodiesel
I have an 2016 eco-diesel that i had factory ordered, delivered in January 2016

cost of Diesel #2 is the same as mid grade gas in southern California
When i bought it in 2016, i was getting 26 miles per gallon
Then came the Feds & the eco diesel fiasco, they adjusted the fuel mixture & i got 21 or 22 MPG

They recently found out that they over adjusted & retuned it not too long ago, i have not had a chance to take it out on the highway since that time, due to illness.

I used Shell Rotella, ( the first formula FCA suggested to use ) for 8 months, then i switched to the new formula of Shell Rotella.

The fuel filter has to be changed at every other oil change & the oil changes are something like at 7,000 miles, not 10,000 miles like the HEMI ( the oil filters are costly )

The the emissions filter reaches 80% quite fast if you just run around town & to clean it out, it takes about 40 miles for the evic to read 20% if you are driving at 70 mph in 8th gear
if you run in 7th gear at 70 mph, it clears in 25 to 30 miles

I currently have 60,000 miles on it
I still have at least 2 more years on the Extended Warranty that i have
 

crash68

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Ram Year
2015
Engine
3.0 EcoDiesel
The the emissions filter reaches 80% quite fast if you just run around town & to clean it out, it takes about 40 miles for the evic to read 20% if you are driving at 70 mph in 8th gear
if you run in 7th gear at 70 mph, it clears in 25 to 30 miles
Yeah I'm going to say there must be something wrong with your truck or you don't have clue when the truck is actually doing a regen. Most of the regens take 8-12 miles depending on if your cruise on the freeway or in traffic. I've seen mine complete a regen in 20°F weather with the truck started cold in less than 22 miles.
The fact your DPF% is showing up on the EVIC means your either tuned or you short drive the truck so much the regen attempt has failed to complete multiple times.
 

VernDiesel

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Location
Dayton OH
Ram Year
2014
Engine
ED
I’ve had my Ecodiesel since may 2014. With an aftermarket tune keeping it down to 65-70 mph I can average 27-28 mpg with regular all season tires. But I have 3.92s, with the taller gears or the new gen 5 truck you should get even better mileage.

I change my oil every 10k per Mfgr/owners manual with T6 & a 10k rated filter. Filters are $10 online at Rock Auto. Fuel filter/water separator (Mopar) every 30k per my original warranty & owners manual. Both of which are simple & inexpensive to do yourself.

You never know what cheap bulk for gasoline oil a quickie lube will put in it. And dealerships charge crazy money for especially fuel filter changes as it’s literally a 5 minute job. That said for the gen 5 truck ie the new engine it’s probably all different.

Buying diesel in Commifornia or Pennsylvania sucks because of over taxation or regulation by the state. So keep that in mind.
 
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Floyd1979

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Nov 21, 2017
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Ram Year
2009
Engine
Hemi 5.7
My 2009 Lonestar crewcab Rambox hemi I put 442,000 on that truck with original power train.

2015 Longhorn Rambox 4wd Ecodiesel ordered that truck .
Only had 48,000 in 4 years . Every time we pulled our RV , TT, we got a service engine light.
Had to many problems.

Stay away from the Ecodiesel.
 

stormcom

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Location
Wichita Falls Texas
Ram Year
2019 Big Horn
Engine
V6
My feelings on the trade offs between the three engines in the 2021 new body Ram are below. Given the slight cost difference, and increased performance, I would not consider either of the gas engines without Etorque.

o V6 Pentastar Etorque = Best of 3 for short trips, low speed stop & go traffic, low cost maintenance, payload (weight), reliability. 2nd best MPGs. 3rd best towing.

o EcoDiesel = Best of 3 for long trips, high speed low traffic, towing, torque, MPG, longest range, quietest under load. 2nd best for reliability (tied with 5.7 hemi).

o 5.7 Etorque: 2nd best for short trips, cargo (weight), maintenance cost, reliability, towing. 3rd for MPGs. 2nd best for reliability (tied with ED).

If looking at Ram Classic, there are the 2 gas engines, no Etorque. The V6 will give you better reliability and more cargo weight capacity at the cost of power and tow capacity. i'd get the Classic with the V6 if I needed the cheapest possible choice for urban grocery hauling.
Very well said. If I ccould buy a v6 limited, i would. I will drive the Big Horn all over Texas and will let you know how it does. So far, everything is comparable about mileage and performance to my Grand Cherokee.
 

Dr. Righteous

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Location
Jamestown TN
Ram Year
2014
Engine
5.7 hemi
I've become a big fan of the Pentastar V6. If I didn't need to pull heavy trailers with my truck I wouldn't mind trading my '14 Hemi RAM for a v6+8 spd auto.

We have two 3.6L Pentastart v6 vehicles in the family now and I'm damn impressed.
During fall break vacation last month we got 33 MPG in my wife's '14 Chrysler 300. That is with 4 people in it and the trunk crammed full. Lots of power to spare.
My Dad's '18 Big horn averages 24-26 MPG HWY with 20-22 around town. I'm amazed with that little engine especially in a heavy truck.

The only real gripe that stretches across all vehicles equipped with it is the plastic oil filler/cooler assy that lives under the intake manifold. If an O-Ring or gasket goes bad you will have a leak of oil or coolant. In some cases the plastic can get brittle at the ports and crack. But as it happens Dorman has an all aluminum replacement available now that can be had for $150 bux. Great upgrade.
 
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VernDiesel

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Location
Dayton OH
Ram Year
2014
Engine
ED
For the OP & fuel economy I would say if you are not using it to tow that I would lean toward the Pentastar over the gen 4 truck diesel. The gen 5 truck diesel has a pretty good track record so far. My son has a gen 5 ED no issues so far and gets 31-33 on the highway with 3.21s.

Floyd 442k is great and the best I have seen yet out of the Hemi. The gen 4 ED trucks can be good but you generally need an aftermarket tune that turns the EGR off & more to get back to a reliable trouble free truck. Government EPA intervention ie tune & emissions messed this one up hence an aftermarket tune to fix that. With a 2015 you should have gotten a $3k settlement check and it only takes a $1k engine & transmission tune to make it better than original.

I use mine commercially dragging travel trailers. My first developed a leaking EGR cooler that caused it to push a head gasket at 371k. The replacement with deleted EGR cooler went 423k before it cracked a head. Business partner James had his crap a fuel pump and fill cylinder 3 with shrapnel at 452k. Maintained right they normally should outlast the Hemi but like these 3 realistically you will need to invest in an aftermarket tune.

Stormcom, I concure what ramdoug said is spot on.
 
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GTyankee

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2016
Engine
3.0 ecodiesel
Crash68
My DPF % has always shown up on my EVIC when it reaches 80%
The message goes away when it gets down to 20%
It never showed up when i was still able to drive 153 miles over to Yuma Az. & back quite often.
Now that my longest trip is when my DPF message comes up
I see the message often, maybe once every 2 months
I only drive to the hospital 3 times a week & back now, so you are correct about short trips

I have not done any mods & i don't believe that the dealerships would modify my Ram

Luckily when i bought the Ram, 10 free oil changes was worked into the contract, but that ends in January & i still have 2 left
 

Atcer2018

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Location
Virginia
Ram Year
2018
Engine
3.6
If you don’t tow the Pentastar is a great engine. I have a 2018 4X4 crew cab BigHorn with the V6 and just tried E15 gas on a 300 mile trip from PA to VA, averaged 26 mpg. It was nice filling up with fuel that cost 25 cents per gallon less and getting better mileage at 70mph. I don’t tow and with 3:21 it’s not going to win any awards but it does just fine on back roads and light trails when I go hiking.
 

RLJ10X

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Southern Indiana
Ram Year
2011
Engine
5.7 Hemi
I live 5 miles from Jasper Engine Exchange. Jasper Engines is doing quite well now, as they have been for years. What I’m getting at is; They can afford to run any fleet vehicle they choose

Jasper Engine Exchange runs Dodge Chargers, a few lucky guys get Challengers. All their cars have the Pentistar under the hood. The CEO is a friend of a friend, he says those cars with that engine, are the most cost effective fleet vehicles they’ve ever had.

I’m a big Pentistar fan. Dodge is missing the boat by hanging on to the Hemi, if you ask me; which no one ever will. Lol.

The only thing I know about the spaghetti oil burner is what I read here.
 

TylerKotar

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Location
Columbus
Ram Year
2016
Engine
3.0 Eco Deisel
It really just depends on what you care about more, if you like the diesel aspect go with it, doesn't sound like you need it for hauling. I don't need the diesel but I like having one so on my next truck i plan to stick with it.
 

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