Light Duty Diesel Pickups

Yep. Those of us who tow with 1/2 ton trucks could see benefits with a small diesel.

That, and what the torque is at 1,800 to 2,000 rpm, an engine speed that is common on the highway at 65mph to 70mph.

My GM 5.3 V8 makes 325 lbs/ft torque at 4,000 rpm. It turns 2,000 rpm at a tick over 70 mph.

I'm sure pulling my horse trailer would be a much more pleasant experience if I had a RAM with this new V6 diesel in a similar 1/2 tonnner.

I meant the pick up. Dakota.

Just goes to show how hard it is to compare MPG numbers at the pump with other folks. The number I heard were 15 unloaded and 5-6 pulling a trailer with the V10. I got 17 empty and it would drop to 12-13 pulling. I went as low as 10 once and could swear I saw the gauge drop. When I pulled over for fuel I knew why. I was running into a 20+mph head wind.

I'm not doubting your experience here. I'm just relating my own.

It would be nice with this new dodge if someone could take two trucks with the different engines and perform some real side by side comparisons. Kind of like one of the magazines did with the Dodge, Chevy, and Ford. They took an 18,000 pound trailer and ran each of the trucks up and down I-70 from Silverthorne to the Eisenhower towel. Even though the Chevy was down on power compared to the Ford and Dodge, the Chevy pulled up the hill faster and came down the hill with the least number of taps on the brakes. It was pretty clear that Allison transmission was worth its weight in gold.

I think I'd probably read that magazine article

I know I haven't been up there for a while but I didn't know they changed it

Good luck with that ecoboost fuel economy, we bought a brand new king ranch with that "eco" boost ford taurus SHO motor. Our average MPG ended up at 16 mpg, so we traded it for the Longhorn dodge ram with a proper V8

Just filled up today- previous tank was 19.1 mpg.

We had a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Canada a few years back and they are bringing it back for 2014. We have cheaper diesel at the pumps than diesel where I am, so we see a lot of Jetta diesels and a ton of "super duty" trucks around here. I was amazed to see in Europe all the cars, vans and trucks that have diesel, when North Amerika has few until recently.

We've had diesel vehicles for decades, but in the US diesel fuel has been more expensive and diesel vehicles haven't been as cost effective, especially considering the relatively short time most people keep a vehicle. The initial option price of a diesel engine makes it difficult to justify if you're not keeping the vehicle long-term.

^The average car in America is something like 11 years old now, IIRC - so people are keeping them longer.
I'll bet that it isn't the gas engine that always puts a bullet in Ol' Yeller, though. Trans/transaxles and rust take a heavy toll around here...

Every smaller truck I've owned has been a disappointment because the mileage is only marginally better than full size at best. Seems like the improvement is never enough to justify having a mini truck. IMO, one of the best things you can do is get a full size diesel and set it up for good mileage. I have a 2006 Duramax one ton, crew cab, long bed, with 35" tires. I get 17-18mpg around town and 20mpg on the highway. I also have in the neighborhood of 500 hp and can haul anything I want. I couldn't be happier with it. My truck is just one example, but there are plenty of them that do even better.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/wheelies-the-kia-rising-edition/?src=recg

I don't think that's first owner though, which makes a difference on what people buy at initial purchase.

I wonder how that will change as the economy improves. New cars sales are way up this year.

Well then you better wait for a Jeep Pickup. Supposedly it's happening and the Dakota is dead.

If you really want something like that buy a Sprinter cab chassis and put a bed on it.

I am really surprised that nobody has mentioned anything about the Nissan getting an engine that Dodge helped create.

Unless they ave changed the cab, don't do it if you're tall. I've driven one and it was horrible. The cab is short, and with the seat far enough back, it has to be almost vertical.

Driving it for an hour or two is torture. I'm 6'2".

I think ford made (makes?) the best cab. For a whole the short cab had about 18" of space behind the seats. Enough room for tool bags, camping gear, luggage, groceries, etc. I have no need for seats in the back of the cab - living near a city means tight parking, and a crew cab would be a nightmare. Dodge offers the "absolutely nothing behind the seats" model and two crew cabs. Neither of those work for me. If I replace the ford, it will need a similar cab.

They sell a double cab Sprinter chassis cab in other markets. That would be a nice set up with a 10' dropside bed.

Colorado/Canyon to get diesel engines

M

In my wife's case it is.

Oh I bet the flat billers will be drooling over this Nissan. Picture: 2wd, lifted 12", twin stacks, and rollin-coal.