as you can see from my handle I had been a long time dodge truck owner. I drove dodges for 15 years. I have always followed their offerings and features. for years dodge was sucking hind tit to ford and chevy when it came to features and options. recently with fiat buying dodge now called RAM BTW they went through some financial turmoil and other issues evidenced in what I feel were lacking diesel truck offereings from 2010-2012 model years, specifically refusing to upgrade to SCR technology when ford and chevy already had it. things appear to be changing at dodge. the new dodge heavy duty ram truck looks to me like a contender. The other exciting thing is a half ton diesel. why in the world has it taken SOO long to get a half ton diesel truck. isn't the f150 the best selling vehicle ford has?? but no diesel option. I see that the ecoboost has been a HUGE hit for ford. so its clear that people want trucks that get good mileage. The diesel dodge is going to use while not rated for the half ton yet IS rated for the cherokee at 20 city 28 highway!!!! don't take a double take you read that right and thats even for the 4x4 model cherokee. so I don't see the half ton ram coming in at less than 18-26 mpg for a 4x4 model. so some might say why is this a big deal for guy like me I pull a 6000 pound trailer for my business. I have been buying more expensive 3/4 ton diesel trucks for years banking on the fact that when towing my trailer I can average about 12mpg vs 6.5 mpg with a gas engine, however recently my fuel mileage for highway use with a diesel hasn't been all that great coming in at around 16 mpg, leaving me wondering if I would be better off with an ecoboost engine with better highway mileage but yet still terrible towing mileage. now all that appears to maybe change with the dodge offering, what if I could realistically average 23-24 mpg on the highway but yet still get the 12 mpg when towing?? for someone like me who doesn't pull super heavy loads this could be a big deal. I just wish for was a player instead of dodge. sorry for rambeling.

 

Some good discussions on this topic in this post.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...s-morning.html

You're right, the Ecoboost has been a big hit but I don't think the market was ready for a F150 diesel several years back.

 

If I still had my 7K pound Jayco bumper pull, I would have bought a diesel 1/2 ton if there had of been one out there. Glad I didnt. I pulled that thing up to yellowstone and then Butte from Colorado with my 07 6.0L F250. MPG was 8 - 10 and worse on the way back heading into winds. The 1/2 ton I am guessing would have gotten bad mileage in the Tetons and with head winds. Dodge trucks are sparse and plastic on the inside so I would have never bought one had they been out with a 1/2 T diesel. I have read the eco boost trucks still feel pretty sturdy with a 10K load behind them. I didnt get a chance to pull the Jayco with my 6.7 but I bet the mileage would have been 13 -16 and I feel safe with the 3/4 trucks suspension. I get 13 pulling the 14K 5th wheel toyhauler up the mountains. That is pretty impressive. I changed over to 5W-40 Rotella from 10W-30 (it was on sale at Autozone, 3 gallons for 36 bucks) and my mileage on the first couple of tanks has been around 18 without towing. Ford seems to throw caution to the wind in the marketing arena with some of thier rides and get good sales. I hope the marketing gurus at Ford go for it, make a diesel an option along with the gasser eco boost in a F150. They should just put a diesel in that Atlas F150 prototype and put them on sale in some hot colors and nice rim tire combos, they would sell fast. And also the FTE F150 thread would be flooded with posts about the things going into regen everytime they pull up in the driveway.

 

I seriously doubt Ford will come out with a diesel in the F150. They have bet the farm on the EcoBoost. They won't put that into jeopardy, by offer competition to it.

Craig

 

X2. On that. But you can go to about any dealer and ask what is #1Complaint on f 150 eco boost.you will same answer. MPG'S. Are not that great. Conditions gotta be flat road. Going 55 no wind..to get close to rated mpgs.

 

With the fed mpg mandates tightening in the next few years they're going to have to go diesel at some point or go all in on more hybrid technology.

I think, it's just a guess, that the Germans (VW, BMW, Benz) are offering diesels just for the fed mpg mandates. They don't have to sell em, just make them available.

 

Our EcoBoost runs circles around our V6 Power Stroke. Granted the F150 chassis is completely different then the LCF (much heavier) so it really isn't an apples to apples comparison but it seems to me that the EcoBoost V6 is a superior engine on all accounts. Towing mileage will never be stellar no matter what the power plant, however I suspect the folks that get really poor mileage might share some of the blame due to driving habits. If you are kind to the throttle (especially when towing) then the truck will be kind to your wallet.

Regarding new models...assuming ratings are similar, I would pick the direct injected turbo charged engine that doesn't have DPF or DEF every time. Our 2012 fleet trucks with DPF and DEF have been to the shop at least three times already. I think we have lost around 3 weeks of productivity between the two vehicles with that technology. Our EcoBoost has not had any issues (yet), however we do not work it very hard very often so maybe that is a major factor. I guess time will tell...

 

I deal with sprinter vans quite a bit. They are 3/4 ton chassis so they are not rated for CAFE but tend to be lighter than the average 1/2 ton pickup(depends if they have any upfitting), are
only rated at 160 hp (gas engine's are no longer offered) and best the mpg's of my 6.7 by maybe two on average (srw vans seem to get 20-22 highway). While they are great if you need a van, that engine in a domestic pickup would be a tough sell with those numbers.

 

I just converted from a GMC Sierra Vortec Max gas (towing pkg.) to a 2013 F350 6.7L diesel. My Vortec Max had GM’s claim to fame VVT (variable valve train) which would slip into 4 cylinder mode to save fuel. Only during highway driving and drafting behind a semi did this feature have any value. My average mpg was 16 on a good day, unloaded with a tail wind.
The 6.7L is awesome. I was on the fence between the 6.2l gas and the 6.7l diesel in the Super Duty. I almost order a 6.2l but got a great deal on my 6.7l truck. The 6.2l is a great engine but it in the SD it’s like sticking a 4cyl Pinto engine into a Crown Vic.
Now that Ram has made this announcement of a diesel 1500 that changes the playing field. As the future unfolds and more diesel trucks hit the market the value impact on ¾ ton plus gas trucks will surely take a hit.
The diesel vs. gas options/debates will continue and those apposed will be more inclined when diesel is cheaper then gas this summer. That’s coming from the gut, but it’s already tightened up at the pump from a month ago.

 

I have to agree with that above quote but the new diesel has been on the radar for quite a time with diesel owners and truck owners. They have diesels in lighter vehicles in Europe and they are liked over there. Unless you tow most or your time, or need big payloads most of the time, the 1/2 ton diesel makes sense. Personally, I think the public will welcome it. And to think how much cheaper it is to maintain a 1/2 done compared to the heavy duty parts in trucks these days, well, big savings for sure.

I haven't had a Dodge since 98 and swore off them as just had too many complaints between me and buddies who drove the Dodges. These days though, just like Polaris ATV's of past, they have come a long way. Still wouldn't buy a Polaris ATV though.

I looked at the new Dodges and the interior and finish looked pretty good to me. I'll probably be going back to Chev trucks again for my next truck though as my F-250 hasn't really turned my crank with the problems I have had the last couple of years plus.

Glad to hear Dodge is opening a new market though.

Incidentally, I know Ford says their F-150 is the best selling light duty truck in North America but the truth is the GM and GMC light duty trucks are so similar and if you were to combine the sales of those two trucks together than the F-150 would be second. Don't get mad, just a fact.

 

Diesel used to be cheaper than gas up til about 2007 or so. The popularity and demand for diesel is such that I don't see it dropping lower than gas. I hope you are right tho. What leads you to think gas will out price diesel this summer?

 

That wasn't the case last year unless someone got the math wrong:

Ford F-Series - 645,316
Chevrolet Silverado - 418,312
GMC Sierra - 157,185

Ford outsold Chevy and GMC combined by 69,819 trucks.

The numbers include all F-Series, Chevy Silverado, and GMC Sierra so it's a combination of 1/2, 3/4, 1 ton, etc.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2013/01...uck-sales.html

 

Just compare the 1/2 tons, that is what I was referring to since Ford says their F-150 is the best selling 1/2 ton for so many consecutive years. Then you will see. Not a knock against the F-150.

 

The numbers don't lie John, the front of the new F150 looks great

 

Okay, I provided a source for my numbers.....where's yours?