Eco diesel versus E torque

[cfeirich]

What's best for towing a 7000 lb travel trailer the Eco diesel or the e torque in the Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab? The $3000 savings buys a lot of extras.

 

[UnloosedChewtoy]

E-Torque won't help you with towing. Maybe a tiny bit with MPG, but thats it; EcoDiesel will help with towing MPG, and MPG in general, but it won't get up and move like the Hemi does. And when towing, the Hemi really likes to drink the gas. Not quite as bad as the EcoBoosts, in my experience, but definitely thirsty.

For long-distance towing, the EcoDiesel will probably be better.
If you want get-up-and-go with occasional towing, the Hemi will probably be better.

That is a drastically cut down nutshell, and obviously my opinion. If you do a search here and on other forums, you'll find many threads where the "Hemi vs EcoD" topic is explored and beaten to death. The E-Torque is meant to help with MPG a bit, it will not help with towing/power.

 

[cj7]

If I were towing for a living, or over 10k/yr, EcoDiesel. If fuel was $6/gal, probably. In every other scenario, Hemi.

The ED is less powerful, more complicated, and IMHO, costly in $ and performance. But only you can figure out if the extra mpg is worth that.

 

[mikeru82]

It will take a long time for you to make up in fuel savings, for the extra $3k you'll pay up front for the ED. More expensive oil changes, messy fill-ups, and slower acceleration. Those were all deciding factors for me in not getting the ED. Along with the fact that the Hemi is a proven engine, while the current gen ED is only in it's second year of production.

 

[brian42]

I agree with cj7 - unless you are using your truck to make your living (towing/hauling) then stick with the HEMI IMO.

If you don't need a diesel you've got to want a diesel and the added costs that go with it (purchase, maintenance, and repair).

I'm coming from a diesel (11+ years) and, as much as I loved that truck, it's nice to just start the truck, drive the truck, then turn off the truck when I'm done. I also don't miss 15 quart oil changes and changing the fuel filter every 10K miles.

Just my .02

 

[tom318]

Towing 7000#s with the ED, you wont get good mpg, 12 if your lucky. I think to get the Ecodiesel you need to "want" a diesel and also prefer driving one over the gas. Its definitely not as quick as the gasser but less chaotic and smoother overall in my opinion. Don't buy it if you think you will save $$ over the years, you most likely wont. It only gives you the illusion of savings each week at the pump. I don't think someone should always need to "make up" the cost, if its in budget its a nice option like many of the others we all pay for on our trucks. I never hear how anyone makes up the cost of the $2100 12'' touch screen option, people buy it because they like it.

That being said, 7000# will be at the upper end of the Ecodiesls limits considering the payload on that truck. Payloads are 1300-1600 depending on trim and options. Mine is 1350, I don't know what your overall needs for the truck are but if its mostly towing then maybe going up to a 2500? Id bet a diesel 2500 vs ED towing 7000#s, the MPGs would be close.

I have about 8k miles on my 21 ED so far and It is slow off the line but the torque once rolling is nice. I do my own servicing and its still pretty $$$ but I knew about it going into this so no surprise. ~$115 in parts for oil change and $50 for fuel filter. Consumes about 1gal of DEF per 1k miles , maybe more towing. Good luck with your decision! Hope some of this helps.