At the end of its tenure in the Motor Trend garage, our long-term 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Outdoorsman Crew Cab 4×4 had traveled just over 32,000 miles. During that time the turbodiesel half-ton pickup was popular among the staff. It served several roles, including making daily commutes to the office and extended road trips, and acted as a support vehicle for various comparisons, a moving truck for employees and friends, a transporter for recreational vehicles, and a car hauler.
On more than one occasion, our Ram 1500 EcoDiesel was used to haul scooters and motorcycles, and it also towed a go-kart trailer, but its most challenging job may have been when I bought a project car: a 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham. Based on GM’s G-body chassis, the 1980s-era midsize coupe measures 200 inches stem to stern—about as long as a current full-size Dodge Charger. (The body-on-frame Cutlass Supreme coupe’s approximate 3,600-pound curb weight does make it significantly lighter than a Charger sedan.)
With the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 (rated 240 hp, 420 lb-ft), eight-speed automatic, and 3.92 rear-end gear ratio, our four-wheel-drive Ram with 5-foot-7-inch bed has a max tow rating of 8,650 pounds, well under the weight of the classic Oldsmobile and the tandem axle trailer. My new car was located in Lancaster, California, approximately 100 miles from my home in Los Angeles. First I stopped in Inglewood to pick up the appropriate car hauler. The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel’s optional air suspension made hooking the trailer up to the hitch easy. With the air suspension set at the lowest height, we were able to position the hitch ball directly under the trailer tongue before raising it straight up for an simple connection. After the trailer was safely installed, I took the unladen trailer up to Lancaster. With the car loaded onto the trailer, I began the return trip back to Los Angeles.
As we pulled out with the Cutlass in tow, there was a moment of hesitation when I was aware of the mass of the car and trailer. It’s a lot like the turbo lag I experienced when accelerating below half throttle. But once we were moving, the torque from the EcoDiesel effortlessly pulled the Cutty without drama. The Ram rode smoothly and felt planted as we got up to 55 mph.
Early on in our time with the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the half-ton pickup suffered a few mechanical issues, first a faulty air-conditioning compressor clutch relay, then an erratic oil pressure sensor, and later an issue with catalytic converter. The clutch relay was stuck in the run position, causing two issues: It wouldn’t allow the compressor to cycle on and off, which made the evaporator ice over, reducing the effectiveness of the air-conditioning system, and the compressor was held in the run position, even with the engine off, draining the battery if parked for the weekend.
Additionally, the oil pressure light turned on when driving on steep inclines. After a manual check of the oil level and oil pressure tested within parameters, Chrysler advised the dealer to replace the oil pressure sensor. The issue didn’t return. Around 15,000 miles, the check engine light came on due to an issue with a NOx sensor being “below threshold.” The dealer replaced a catalytic converter.
The Ram required $775.04 in maintenance, which included four DEF refills (8 gallons every 7,500 miles) three oil changes (including 11 quarts of synthetic oil every 10,000 miles), one fuel filter, a rear differential service, and tire rotations. The EcoDiesel returned a 23.2 mpg average. In comparison, our Hemi-powered 2013 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4×4 required $120.94 in maintenance costs, which included two oil changes and tire rotations over 14 months and 32,170 miles. The Ram Hemi averaged 15.6 mpg. Our 2012 Ford F-150 Lariat 4×4 EcoBoost cost $208.35 in maintenance costs over 28,000 miles. Those costs include three oil changes, tire rotations, and an engine air filter. The F-150 EcoBoost achieved 14.4 mpg overall.
The EcoDiesel engine achieves significantly better fuel economy than the Hemi engine without giving up much of its towing capability. And yes, DEF fluid and diesel engine maintenance is pricey, but using October 2015’s national average pricing for regular unleaded ($2.32) and diesel ($2.49), our EcoDiesel would still have cost $670 less than our Hemi to fuel and maintain for 32,000 miles. On November 23, the national average price for regular unleaded was $2.09, compared to the average price of diesel of $2.45.
More on our long-term Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Outdoorsman Crew Cab 4×4 here:
- Arrival
- Update 1: Working Hard, Though Not Without Issues
- Update 2: All is Well and the Numbers Are In
- Update 3: Fuel-Efficient Truck Still Sweating the Details
- Update 4: Surf World Problems
- Update 5: Hauling Motorcycles and Scooters with a Narrow, Short Box
- Update 6: Nitpicking the Interior
- Update 7: EcoDiesel vs Hemi
| Our Car | |
| SERVICE LIFE | 13 mo / 32,114 mi |
| BASE PRICE | $45,905 |
| OPTIONS | Air suspension ($1,695), 20-in black alloy wheels ($1,400), RamBox ($1,295), side steps ($600), Rear Camera and Park Assist Group ($595), Uconnect 8.4-in touchscreen with navigation ($500), spray-in bedliner ($475), Comfort Group ($395: heated front seats and steering wheel), 9-speaker sound system ($300), trailer-brake controller ($230), 3.92:1 axle ratio ($50) |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $53,440 |
| AVG ECON/CO2 | 23.2 mpg / 0.96 lb/mi |
| PROBLEM AREAS | A/C compressor clutch relay, engine oil pressure sensor, NOx reduction catalyst |
| MAINTENANCE COST | $775.04 (4-DEF refill; 3-oil change, inspection, tire rotation; 1-fuel filter, rear differential service) |
| NORMAL-WEAR COST | $0 |
| 3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE* | $27,254 |
| RECALLS | Uconnect software, airbag control module, steering wheel wiring harness, rear shock absorbers, transmission case, instrument cluster software |
| *Automotive Lease Guide data | |
| 2014 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman EcoDiesel 4×4 | |
| POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS | |
| DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT | Front-engine, 4WD |
| ENGINE TYPE | Turbodiesel 60-deg V-6, iron block/alum heads |
| VALVETRAIN | DOHC, 4 valves/cyl |
| DISPLACEMENT | 182.3 cu in/2,988cc |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 16.5:1 |
| POWER (SAE NET) | 240 hp @ 3,600 rpm |
| TORQUE (SAE NET) | 420 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm |
| REDLINE | 4,500 rpm |
| WEIGHT TO POWER | 25.0 lb/hp |
| TRANSMISSION | 8-speed automatic |
| AXLE/FINAL/LOW RATIO | 3.92:1/2.63:1/2.64:1 |
| SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR | Control arms, air springs, anti-roll bar; live axle, air springs, anti-roll bar |
| STEERING RATIO | 19.1:1 |
| TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK | 3.0 |
| BRAKES, F;R | 13.2-in vented disc; 13.8-in vented disc, ABS |
| WHEELS | 8.0 x 20-in, cast aluminum |
| TIRES | 275/60R20 114S M+S Goodyear Wrangler SR-A |
| DIMENSIONS | |
| WHEELBASE | 140.5 in |
| TRACK, F/R | 68.6/68.0 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 229.0 x 79.4 x 75.5-79.6 in |
| TURNING CIRCLE | 39.8 ft |
| CURB WEIGHT | 5,990 lb |
| WEIGHT DIST., F/R | 57/43% |
| SEATING CAPACITY | 5 |
| HEADROOM, F/R | 41.0/39.9 in |
| LEGROOM, F/R | 41.0/40.3 in |
| SHOULDER ROOM, F/R | 66.0/65.7 in |
| PICKUP BOX L x W x H | 67.4 x 51.1 x 20.0 in |
| CARGO VOLUME | 38.7 cu ft |
| WIDTH BET. WHEELHOUSES | 48.1 in |
| PAYLOAD CAPACITY | 960 lb |
| TOWING CAPACITY | 8,550 lb |
| GVWR | 6,950 lb |
| GCWR | 14,500 lb |
| TEST DATA | |
| ACCELERATION TO MPH | |
| 0-30 | 2.6 sec |
| 0-40 | 4.3 |
| 0-50 | 6.3 |
| 0-60 | 8.8 |
| 0-70 | 11.8 |
| 0-80 | 16.0 |
| 0-90 | 20.8 |
| PASSING, 45-65 MPH | 5.1 |
| QUARTER MILE | 16.6 sec @ 81.5 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 126 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.76 g (avg) |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 29.0 sec @ 0.56 g (avg) |
| TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH | 1,700 rpm |
| CONSUMER INFO | |
| STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL | Yes/yes |
| AIRBAGS | Dual front, front side, f/r curtain |
| BASIC WARRANTY | 3 yrs/36,000 miles |
| POWERTRAIN WARRANTY | 5 yrs/100,000 miles |
| ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE | 5 yrs/100,000 miles |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 26.0 gal |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON | 19/27/22 mpg |
| ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY | 199/140 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB | 1.01 lb/mile |
| REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB | 19.8/27.5/22.7 mpg |
| RECOMMENDED FUEL | Diesel |
The post 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Outdoorsman Crew Cab 4×4 Verdict Review appeared first on Motor Trend.
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