2016 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is mine!

I picked up my 2016 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel a few weeks ago during 'truck month'. With the ~$6000 on incentives, my company's discount, and my trade in of my (beloved, but it was time) 2005 Ram 2500 w/Cummins and w/194,000 milese, I felt like the time was right.

I echo (eco - hehe) the comments from the other post (jrock?) about his 2014 model. Very similar comments.

My trim is the Laramie 4x4 (a ton more luxuries than my 2005 Laramie 2500) w/Towing and Comfort pkgs. Also has 3.92 gears. After a brief turbo lag, it kicks in quick in 1st gear, 2nd seems to pull just as hard, then 3rd starts to slack off. But by then, you're usually where you want to be or close to it if pulling out in traffic or highway.

I'll be pulling a 28' travel trailer next month up in the GA/SC/NC mountains, so I'm curious how it will do and compare to my old Dodge 2500 (it's the same trailer we pulled up to the mtns of TN several months back).

I've been doing 90% city driving in my 1500 and am averaging 23.1 mpgs according to the on board computer. I'm not sure it was completely (topped off) full when I took ownership, so I don't have any hand calc'd numbers yet, as I've only filled it once so far (500+ miles on the current tank, with 1/8-1/4 left in the tank).

This truck suits my (wants and) needs better than the 2500 with the 5" exhaust. As jrock stated, it's pretty quiet and tough to know it's a diesel unless you know the sound of one and get pretty close.

I love the keyless start with auto sensing temp controls (not to mention air conditioned seats). Jury's still out on the air suspension. It's cool to show off (and does help when my 70 year old mom had to get in the passengers side at the airport). The ride is smoother when it's jacked up.

Now let me see if I can insert a pic I took at the dealership...

Congrats

Congrats! I have a '14 Tradesman, which has pretty much zero of the above mentioned luxuries - I'm surprised they put a radio in it frankly!

I've had it almost 2 years now and still love it. Just got it tuned by GDE and have repeatedly hit 35mpg on all highway trips. Great truck.

35mpg

cevans said:

Congrats! I have a '14 Tradesman, which has pretty much zero of the above mentioned luxuries - I'm surprised they put a radio in it frankly!
I've had it almost 2 years now and still love it. Just got it tuned by GDE and have repeatedly hit 35mpg on all highway trips. Great truck.

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35 MPG is fantastic. May the OP see the same.

Oberkanone said:

35 MPG is fantastic. May the OP see the same.

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Not sure about what all his Trademan is equipped with, but a couple factors not in my favor for optimum fuel mileage is that I have a 4x4 and gearing is 3.92.

Having said that, I filled last night and my hand calculated mileage was 25.1 (the OBC was 25.4mpg, with an average speed of 31mph, which sounds right, because I was only on the highway for maybe 100-150 miles).

I'm hoping (much like my old 2006 Jetta TDI did) that fuel economy improves as the engine is broken in.

I also learned a lesson last night when I filled up (and topped off), that the overflow is a lot lower than my old Dodge 2500, so I left a little puddle on the ground (<- I hate that for a variety of reasons. Lesson learned).

Here's a link to the pic: http://pics.tdiclub.com/showfull.php?photo=117899
(This is not the greatest pic, but it shows my old Dodge 2500 in the background with my new 2016 Ram EcoDiesel in the foreground.

Congrats JustLuckey

Same reason I went with the EcoDiesel, no longer needed a 3/4 but still wanted a diesel.

Congrats! Last week I towed my 24' boat (about 5800lbs) from Michigan to Missouri and I was getting about 14.5-14.7 mpg hand calculated with my Jeep Grand Cherokee ecodiesel, and that was towing at 70mph in 7th gear. I locked 8th out to keep my EGT's under 1000 degrees.

JustLuckey said:

Not sure about what all his Trademan is equipped with, but a couple factors not in my favor for optimum fuel mileage is that I have a 4x4 and gearing is 3.92.

Having said that, I filled last night and my hand calculated mileage was 25.1 (the OBC was 25.4mpg, with an average speed of 31mph, which sounds right, because I was only on the highway for maybe 100-150 miles).

I'm hoping (much like my old 2006 Jetta TDI did) that fuel economy improves as the engine is broken in.

I also learned a lesson last night when I filled up (and topped off), that the overflow is a lot lower than my old Dodge 2500, so I left a little puddle on the ground (<- I hate that for a variety of reasons. Lesson learned).

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4x4 with the taller final drive, so my MPGs will be higher. The biggest thing I ever tow is a TDI in need of some care

Don't even TRY to top off - the cap-less system has two flaps, the one you see and the one you don't. You can't see the lower flap and any fuel that is above that will just go on the ground. Annoying, unnecessary design if you ask me...

I had a really good experience with towing the 28' travel trailer last weekend into the NC mountains from North GA. Lots of inclines (and declines) to test the truck and I have to say I was worried it wouldn't have enough power and might regret trading the 2500 w/Cummins for this.

I'm happy to report that I do not regret the trade. The EcoDiesel did very well and only on the real steep and curving hills (6-7% grade, per the signs) did the truck have some struggles, but I was OK doing 55-60mph (instead of 65-70). And the truck still seemed pretty quiet while downshifting to 6th or 5th gear in some instances.

Braking (and a few times, hard braking) was uneventful. The trailer had trailer brakes, so the integrated/onboard brake controller worked just fine at 3% gain. I never worried about getting pushed or losing control.

I did have trailer sway control and stabilization bars attached, so the ride was smooth (read: no swaying or porpoising).

My wife, who typically is oblivious to all things automotive related, even commented that the truck handled that trailer with no problems and she really like that is was quiet.

I'm not too sure on my MPGs, as I haven't hand calc'd them yet (I took pics of the fuel pump and my mileage, just haven't logged them yet). But the OBC read 15ish MPGs during the trip.

...and by the way, I'm glad I have the 3.92 gearing, even though I don't tow often, I'm glad it's there when I need it. Pulling from 1st and 2nd gear was a snap, plenty of torque on demand.

If you did a trip without a cel, you're good. I have a smaller rear end gear which improves mileage a little.

Congrats on your purchase. The 1500 ED is on my short list of possible TDI replacements. If I can get a good deal on a Tradesman with some of the basics, I'd be all over one. I'd want an extended warranty though.

d2305 said:

If you did a trip without a cel, you're good. I have a smaller rear end gear which improves mileage a little.

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Why do you say that? Is the Check Engine Light that frequent for others? the only time I've had a warning on my Ram so far is when I disconnected the trailer while the truck was running. I guess it thought it broke free (unplanned). I read that a restart of the truck clears it (safety feature, in case it does break free unplanned).

The backup camera was awesome for lining up the hitch. Was also awesome when you're riding and you just want to check to see if all's still connected (you can turn it on for 10 secs or so).

I finally caught up on my fuel logs. 16.9 MPG for 275 miles (250 of them w/trailer; about 25 unhitched/hwy). Not bad!

So nice to finally see a 1500 pickup with a diesel. Enjoy!

Hey, does that model come with those cool side saddle boxes like i have on the Avalanche?

Perfectreign said:

So nice to finally see a 1500 pickup with a diesel. Enjoy!

Hey, does that model come with those cool side saddle boxes like i have on the Avalanche?

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It's an option that I opted not to get. I went from a 6.5' bed in my old truck to a 5.5' with this new truck. So I didn't want the Ram boxes (which take away all the bed space around the wheel wells, like the old flare side trucks) to take up any more. Yes, they they replace storage with different storage, but I tend to put bigger stuff in my bed (a family full of bikes, lumber, etc) that would further limit the practicality. I think for some people, the Ram boxes are a huge win though (they are bigger than most people think, can fit saws, fishing poles, etc and are lockable).

JustLuckey said:

tuff in my bed (a family full of bikes, lumber, etc) that would further limit the practicality. I think for some people, the Ram boxes are a huge win though (they are bigger than most people think, can fit saws, fishing poles, etc and are lockable).

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Ahh, didn't know that. When I bought the AV, I honestly was choosing between that and a '06 mega cab with teh cummins. If I hadn't gotten a $12k discount on the AV (dealer and costco) I would be driving a cummins.

JustLuckey said:

Why do you say that? Is the Check Engine Light that frequent for others? the only time I've had a warning on my Ram so far is when I disconnected the trailer while the truck was running. I guess it thought it broke free (unplanned). I read that a restart of the truck clears it (safety feature, in case it does break free unplanned).
The backup camera was awesome for lining up the hitch. Was also awesome when you're riding and you just want to check to see if all's still connected (you can turn it on for 10 secs or so).
I finally caught up on my fuel logs. 16.9 MPG for 275 miles (250 of them w/trailer; about 25 unhitched/hwy). Not bad!

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The emission system has problems like VW. I had the recall done, but the cel returned P203e. Seems the only cure is a tune. I got my first cel around 10K. Enjoy your new truck.

Thanks, I'll be hoping it doesn't come, but also expecting it at the same time. Part of the reason in my getting a 2016 was hoping that Chrysler/Fiat would get the bugs out from 2014/15. Here's a pic of the truck with the trailer mentioned above.

http://pics.tdiclub.com/showfull.php?photo=118346

Sweet truck!! Thanks for taking the time to share your reviews. I am really torn between a GMC Canyon Diesel and Ram ED for my next vehicle, so I am always trying to hear some first hand reviews from owners. I have always been a GM guy but am having a hard time justifying the price tags on the Colorados/Canyons. Much less truck than an EcoDiesel in my opinion.

I have drove the new Colorado but not the Ram yet. Just looking at new truck in my area there is an almost 20,000 difference in pricing for these trucks. The Colorado/Canyon is in the low 40,000's and the Ram's are in the upper 50's to low 60's. Granted I could get a stripped down Ram for less the truck wouldn't be as nice as the twins in a similar price.

I agree that is quite a big price difference. From what I have been told though, it seems that the Ram dealers are willing to give a lot more off the sticker price for an ED than you could get for a Canyon/Colorado. Supposedly people are getting $10k off the sticker prices for Rams. That is all hearsay though on my part.

Janimal444 said:

I agree that is quite a big price difference. From what I have been told though, it seems that the Ram dealers are willing to give a lot more off the sticker price for an ED than you could get for a Canyon/Colorado. Supposedly people are getting $10k off the sticker prices for Rams. That is all hearsay though on my part.

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That is right - there is currently ZERO incentives on Colorado/Canyon models and very little inventory to choose from anyway.

JustLuckey - get your ECU tuned by GDE ASAP!

What brand of tonneau is on your Ram JustLuckey?

Janimal444 said:

I agree that is quite a big price difference. From what I have been told though, it seems that the Ram dealers are willing to give a lot more off the sticker price for an ED than you could get for a Canyon/Colorado. Supposedly people are getting $10k off the sticker prices for Rams. That is all hearsay though on my part.

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Yup. $10k+ off on a 1/2 ton truck is normal. The only exception to that rule was when the Ram with the ED was introduced. There were little to no incentives at first.

My $.02...this is one choice (Hemi vs. ED) where you might want to run the math and decide whether it's worth it to you. For every person that's getting well over the advertised fuel economy numbers with the ED...there's someone else that isn't getting great numbers.

Once you factor in the emissions related stuff and the cheaper entry cost of the Hemi...I'm curious which one will actually a better value, in say five years of ownership.

cevans said:

That is right - there is currently ZERO incentives on Colorado/Canyon models and very little inventory to choose from anyway.

JustLuckey - get your ECU tuned by GDE ASAP!

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I'd LOVE to, but I'm concerned about my (extended) warranty and being non-compliant.

Oberkanone said:

What brand of tonneau is on your Ram JustLuckey?

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Extang SolidFold (the original version, there's a now a 2.0 version that is supposed to be better). I picked it up off of Craigslist for $300. I had the same make/model tonneau on my 2500 (w/6.5' bed) and loved it, hence the reason I bought another one.

(I'm selling my 6.5' one mentioned above if anyone is interested )

bubbagumpshrimp said:

Yup. $10k+ off on a 1/2 ton truck is normal. The only exception to that rule was when the Ram with the ED was introduced. There were little to no incentives at first.
My $.02...this is one choice (Hemi vs. ED) where you might want to run the math and decide whether it's worth it to you. For every person that's getting well over the advertised fuel economy numbers with the ED...there's someone else that isn't getting great numbers.
Once you factor in the emissions related stuff and the cheaper entry cost of the Hemi...I'm curious which one will actually a better value, in say five years of ownership.

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Very good points above. I have a buddy that is weighing the TCO between gas/diesel (he currently had a 2004 Dodge 3500 duallie...which he doesn't need all that heavy duty-ness anymore and looking at downsizing).

The DEF varies in price whether you buy in bottles (the bigger the cheaper, check Amazon), which is more expense versus buying it at the pump ($2.80/gal). A fill-up will last you about 10,000 miles or so I've read (I'm only 1000 miles into my fill-up and the needle has barely moved on the DEF gauge). The filters (and oil) are expense, since the engine is relatively new. Compared to my 2005 25000 w/Cummins, the oil/fuel filter maintenance is about twice as expensive with the ED even though it takes 1/2 1/2 gallon less oil. Although, filter prices should be coming down as some competition comes in.