Good job RAM!
Those are good numbers.
I would like to see some real world tests on this truck, including towing & milage.
Ram knows what it wants from it's 1500 truck & has done well with it.

Sweet. I bet these things fly off the lots

Not bad, now what out of this world mpg rating do pickups have to meet in the near future.

I guess if they just leave a frame, drivetrain, drivers seat, and bed they may make it. It would be like going back to the very first pickups. Now that would be retro.

So where's the break-even point (3.6 pentastar vs. EcoDiesel)? Make sure you factor in dealer maintenance...
In So Cal, regular is $3.60 and diesel is $4.00 at the pump.

Right now up north Diesel costs just under 4.15 a gallon, unleaded gas is around 3.22 a gallon. That is nearly 1 dollar more expensive (30%) for fuel with barely noticeable gain (1.5%). This doesn't even take into account the need for DEF, and higher cost of maintain a diesel engine.

@Dino

That's been my pitch for a while on this site. Many people seem willing to talk diesel due to the promise of better towing performance and FE.

They hate to talk about the cost of getting those benefits.

Here in BC, $4.91 gallon gas, $5.50 gallon diesel. You guys have it so good.

Those mileage numbers really are appealing. Any word on pricing? If the dang thing costs $50k it kind of defeats the purpose.

Good numbers. The Italian VM Motori 3.0 diesel looks like it will be a big seller. This will put more pressure on Italian management to expand production by building another plant. Marchionne has already said he will not build another plant in North America so how does he plan on meeting demand?
Italy has a ton of under-utilized factories populated by "can't lay off" socialized unions.
Hmmm.... those imported from Detroit commercials are all making sense now.

Unfortunately I paid just enough attention in my math classes to finish them and get on to classes I actually enjoyed, so I could be all wrong here, but using a fuel efficiency calculator that I found online, it appears when you compare the cost of the more efficient but significantly more expensive diesel fuel (and the Ram's mileage numbers) to that of a less fuel efficient but significantly cheaper gasoline counterpart (I used the Silverado figures in my comparison), the costs to operate/fuel each are pretty much a wash when it's all said and done. Again though, maybe my I'm all wrong, but that's how it appears. It would be interesting to see PUTC's take.

That kind of mileage will have a lot of appeal to contractors and companies looking for more efficiency and performance in work grade trucks. Wonder what trim levels it will be offered in.

Those are definitely some nice numbers but I have to wonder if the EPA testing took into account DPF regen cycles which burn raw fuel? MPG figures can vary greatly depending on frequency of regens on any newer diesel

Impressive

Nice! I recently read a review by a diesel truck mag that they had gotten 30 mpg during one trip. I see it as a very promising pickup. I will say though that depending on where you live and how much diesel costs will prove how economical it will be. I live in a place where diesel is a little higher than most places. On the other hand diesels do traditionally last longer.
I think its a good move on Rams part. Now i wanna see who else plugs a diesel into a half ton (i know Nissan will be the next)

The real numbers are mostly better for the diesel by my experience. I will still buy 6.4 HEMI when my RAM is done 4 more years later probably. I will see what's the pricing looks like then.
For now, you can't really make any mistake to go with RAM in any configuration. I am not happy people recognize RAM as the Bst truck available. It will leave for me less room to negotiate better pricing. Buy Ford and GM please instead. I am begging you.

Every review (that I have seen) has shown an avg. MPG of better than 23. ...usually around 26. Whereas usually the review reports show lower than avg MPG numbers.

Do the math on the Cummins diesel MPG's and price... Both (Cummins and EcoD) become more cost efficient the more miles that you drive.

If Chrysler were smart, they would have a "sale period" of a month or two, offering the EcoD upgrade for a "sales price" over the Hemi. ...$500 perhaps? They would be move a ton and get the word out.

Still not good enough.

@BigT
If you go play around with the Ram website you can get a Ecodiesel on everything except the Sport. A found a base Tradesman goes around the lower $30,000s.
I feel sorry for you guys up north. Most people in the USA have no idea how well we have it. Went to Europe once and saw the price of fuel and asked "Is that per gallon?" Guy said "No, Litre"
I crapped my pants. After being educated i am a little happier at the pump.

Still 1 - 2mpg combined below my expectations. Need to reduce weight (more aluminum) and improve aerodynamics.

@BenThere
Exactly. People has no idea. We are running on 50% European pricing include SUV and Trucks. Some uneducated people are asking to reduce truck pricing in here. The reason Bigall is promoting small diesel trucks in here is pricing in Aussie. 1500 Laramie starts at 94000A$.
Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk is 54 000Euro = 74 000 USD in Spain.
Not too many people can afford this full size truck. They buy what ever works for them, we buy what ever works for us. I am happy to be and work in here.

When figuring the break even point you also have to take into account the resale value. Look at the resale on any of the HD diesel compared to their gas counterparts. You will usually always make back the entire cost of the diesel upgrade.

Hmmm... At 28mpg, these trucks may have just become more attractive--even if they are full sized. If I were to assume the same fuel capacity as my current F-150 (call it 32 gallons with the two tanks combined) that would give me a range of 896 miles or the entire one-way drive from my house to family 650 miles away with about 130 miles of local driving once I arrive. At current $4/gal pricing where I live, that would be $128 dollars or about $0.16 per mile. Not too shabby.

The same trip with the Pentastar would run a little short on mileage--getting me to my destination with only about 50 miles of local running but only cost me $106 or about $0.152/mile. In many ways, the two are practically dead equal. The difference will come in how the two engines change with equal loads on board or dragging behind. This sounds to me like a test worthy of PUTC.

Unfortunately it makes no sense if you do the math. The higher fuel cost alone makes the mileage gain turn into a wash. Add the initial engine cost and the maintenance, and it is definitely a costly engine. Add to all that the fact that the Ram has the lowest payload capabilities, and it makes this an even harder sell since you can't haul heavy to take advantage of low end diesel torque. It will benefit some though. I'm glad they are offering it.

HMMM. Crew cab pricing is expensive. I need, not want, seating for 6. I may have to wait for used or to see where the incentives lie. Considering I have held on to my cars for over 12 yrs., diesel makes sense for me. Since this will double as work/private use, I am already seeing the wife pushing for all of the Ram 1500 LARAMIE LIMITED. Truth is, All I want is air suspension and a diesel ... hand shaker if available or the 8 speed. Which trim model would that be for the best price?

Hmm, 23 mpg combined. Where I live with diesel being $.55 higher than regular gas, a 23 mpg diesel is equivalent to a 19.5 mpg gas truck. Seeing that my work truck gets a combined 19.5-20 mpg and has more capability ,over 125hp more, and the same amount of torque, going to an Ecodiesel would be going backwards for my company.

@ zviera - one cannot make direct price comparisons between Australia and the USA. Australians have double the purchasing power of those in the USA. If that factor is taken into account then they aren't paying any more than an American.
Double the price and double the purchasing power - it's a wash.

Not a lot of people CAN afford full sized trucks. Sales are drive by discounts and cheap financing especially in the USA. Finance compnaies are offering 100 month loans and sub-prime rates on shorter loans.
Canada fared better than the USA with the "Great Recession" but it still takes a stable job to buy a 50K truck. As you have pointed out, our fuel costs are much higher which is also a burden that many do not pay attention to. When there have been spikes in Candian fuel prices i see less full sized pickups and SUV's being driven.

The Ecodiesel is a step in the right direction but if typical short distance stop/start drivers flock to this truck, they will find DPF costs rise and MPG drop due to increased regen cycles. Diesels don't like to run cold and that will hurt lifespan as well.

@ RoadWhale™ - if this truck can get these numbers in a full sized package then the Colorado/Canyon trucks should be able to break the 30mpg mark rather easily.

Damn - things are getting really interesting.

@DINO: so what dealer maintanance will it NEED? It's an 8 quart pan, and itcan go, what, 10k on a change? Two more quarts then the pentastar, however, way better for the person that tows, or needs torque.

I see Lou in BC is already trying to misslead people; Lou, Sergio has thought of enlarging current plats, like the one they enlarged to build the 200. But Lou either doesn't know it, or enjoys missleading people.

He might as well say "Lou, lost in BC" because he usually is.

This truck suits me. But I might wait for the 2015.

Not good for GM, orFord...or Toyota.

What crap will Lou try to mislead people on next?

There doesn't seem to be a "break-even point" when compared to the Pentastar (3.6 V6) considering the typical difference between Gas and Diesel prices, but there might be a break even point when compared to a larger V8 considering this looks like it's meant to do similar work that would be expected from a V8 or twin-turbo V6 (same ball-park at least).

In my neighborhood gas is $3.34 and diesel is $4.10 a gallon. The EPA rates the Pentastar at 19 combined vs the Ecodiesel at 23. On the low trims the Ecodiesel appears to be a $4000 option above the Pentastar. On the trim I am most likely to buy (Laramie) it's $2850. Either way using the EPA's numbers the Ecodiesel will never pay for itself over the Pentastar.

For me, these engines really don't compete with each other. I need a towing rig for a 6500 pound boat and for that I'd compare it against the Hemi where it would still need 150k miles to break even. No doubt, the Hemi with almost 400hp would be quicker while towing. I imagine the Pentastar would be struggling the whole time.

As some have pointed out the actual MPG reports have been higher in the media, closer to 26mpg. In the "second tier" car testing media on Youtube, there is one person claiming 30+ mpg in slow-and-roll highway commuting.

@trixyTom - not misleading anyone. Sergio wants increased efficient utilization.

Chrysler exectutives want to build a NEW plant and he is saying no. That is recent news. TTAC just posted the story.

I mentioned that Ford was having issues with pre-production of the aluminum bodies a while back and no one accused me of posting misleading information on that one.

This is a truck site discussing trucks. Any relevant and related news should be mentioned.

PUTC tends to regurgitate press releases from the auto industry and not do much in the way of investigative reporting. That means we will be less likely to see related news that may be unfavourable.

@Lou lost in BC:You can get them for less then 50k, nothing says you have to get a loaded up truck, 40k buys a decent one, but then you are probably like those that see a review of a Larimie Longhorn and think, thats the only way they are available. AND who pays MSRP anyway? 40,000 is closer to 33,000-35,000.

Very Disappoint it is not going to hit that 30 MPG mark. The Ram matches the Jeep on the gas engines and even better by a MPG, but on the Diesel its 2 MPG worse?

All these expensive trucks to try to increase MPG a little, wait two years and gas is going to be down at $1.50 a gallon and I'll laugh as I fill up my guzzler.

PREDICTION: 2015 FORD F-150 ECOBOOST 2.7L V6 - 30 MPG HWY

FORD WILL BE #1 wait and see

The math is easy, trusting the EPA is hard.

Looking at a similar set of physical limitations the Mercedes ML 3.0 diesel gets about 23 mgp with its 7 speed auto trans and AWD. It weighs about 4800 pounds

the Ram regular cab probably weighs in with 4WD around the same weight and the 8 speed and 3.0 Fiat motor probably deliver similar mileage.

28-mpg hwy is very respectable for a half-ton. Ford and GM will be watching closely at the sales numbers on this truck. If this is a success than it will be followed with diesels by Ford and GM.
The GM twin midsize truck that will have a diesel in the 2015 model would have to top that number. I would think 30-mpg is reasonable to expect if not more.
Here in the Midwest gas is $2.96 and diesel is $3.49 a gallon.
Bio-diesel is starting to push down diesel prices. Hope it continues.

If fuel prices drop, I'll be suprised.
As long as we SAP's are willing to pay, Mr. oil company isn't going to do us any favors.
We seem to have more oil worldwide, more than we can use in the USA, but the pricing isn't coming down.

Which maintenance items are more expensive for diesel compared to gas engine?

I have 17 years of data showing diesel cars to be at or below cost of maintaining a gasoline car.

I don't know the maintenance schedule for the Ram 1/2 ton diesel, would be very interested in examples of higher maint. cost for diesel vs. gas overall.

@Devo

if you want lower pump prices for fuel, write your congressman. Taxes add a ton to your annual fuel bills. Look at your gas bill (heating fuel) your electric bill and your pump at the gas station. Taxes are no laughing matter.

Oil companies compete to sell at the lowest price--Washington DC could care less!

With all that said, Ram will have to come down a lot in price for the diesel to make it worth my while to spend all that extra money on one! to buy a Ram diesel the way I want a truck, it would cost $4,500 JUST for the engine!!! and that is not exactly like I want it! I would have to get an 8' bed, to get a reg cab!! and the quad cab is still $4,500 more for just the engine! No thanks! Just the payment for the engine will be $100/mo more! and that will by a lot of gas! and get around 1800-2000 miles a mo for the same amount of money spent on just the truck!!

@LOU
You are completely wrong. I know, how much money they make in Europe or Australia and it's not double. I have a family all over the Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_average_wage

Put an 8-speed transmission in all the trucks listed and see the end result. I'm not impressed by the numbers. I am happy manufacturers are finally addressing the efficiency of trucks.

@Jeremiah

There is no way the Ecoboost 2.7L will get 30mpg in the next F150. Some are predicting about 26mpg highway with over 300 hp and over 350 lb-ft of torque. However those are speculations.

@Lou

Wow, have you seen the payload numbers of this thing yet?

http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/towing_guide/tow_chart/

No one will be able to tow much if they had the wife and kids with them due to how heavy this engine is. Per Ram's website, a Laramie 4x4 crew cab with a 6.4" bed has a payload of only 1,037lbs and a Laramie Longhorn only has 859lb payload rating. A stripped Tradesman configuration has the most payload with an Ecodiesel in that configuration with 1,234lbs. That is less than a midsize Toyota Tacoma V6 4 door 4x4 that has a payload of 1,280 lbs. Each Ecodiesel truck configuration has a payload of about 200lbs less than an equally equipped Ram with a Hemi and about 300lbs less than the same truck with the Pentastar 3.6L. Although all of those Ram payload numbers are low compared to other half tons, but that is the price you pay for a rear coil spring suspension.

You can't compare break-even point with 3.6 Pentastar people. You have to compare it with 5.7 HEMI or 3.5 EB.
That's what customers buying RAM will do.

Lol all the Ford girly girls are sooo jealous. Ram didnt have to do a full redesign with aluminum to get class leading mpgs. Lol keep drinking that Ford kool aid

Glad to see the final numbers. I guessed that they delayed the diesel due to lower than expected mpg's. I bet Ram had the big 30 in their crosshairs and just couldn't get it. I have a feeling the Cd will be a big push in the next generation of trucks to improve the highway ratings.

Still it is nice to see an alternative drivetrain out there. I have some hopes that the GM midsize twins will hit the magic "30" mark and hopefully will have some payload ratings that are reasonable.

If this 1/2 ton gets these mpg #s, I wonder what the Colorado will be getting, low-mid 30's hwy?

I also wonder if this makes GM think about that 4.5 a little more.

Looks like a nice truck for someone who really wants a diesel, but the math doesn't work if you factor the price of diesel into it. I won't even factor in the DEF and maintenance. This dog don't hunt!

I think ram is disguising the extra cost of the ecodiesel by only offering it on upper trim levels. And I'm sure their margins are going to take a hit on every ecodiesel sold. With that said 23 mpg is pretty good. I don't know how anybody could complain about that even if you do have to pay the premium for diesel fuel and def. Maintenance costs are kind of an unknown. One thing people overlook with diesels is the cost of injectors if you ever have to replace them, or turbos. Those can be very expensive, but if they last 300,000 miles then who cares? Any parts you have to buy for this foreign-made low-volume engine are probably going to be relatively expensive. If it is extremely reliable that isn't as big a deal, but I wouldn't trust it to be reliable given my current Ram experience. I think how cost-effective it will be depends largely on how reliable it is.

Great News! But, diesel is 60₵ a gallon more than regular unleaded around here. At this time, a wash at best.