Dodge Ram to go Diesel in 1500 Series

[Ben]

Looks like Dodge is going to introduce a light duty diesel. Ford has been talking about doing this with the F150 for years, but haven't gotten around to it I guess. There was talk of a diesel F150 back when I bought my diesel F250. I would have been very interested in the F150 version, but am glad I didn't wait for it. :)

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/02/14/ram-to-build-only-light-duty-diesel-pickup/?intcmp=features

[Bigjake]

Finally.

I predict it to be awesome,  provided they get their transmission from a 3rd party 

[lupinus]

To bad it's a dodge 

[AZRedhawk44]

< Dodge owner, currently driving a 2005 Ram 1500.

Dodge is dead to me after taking gubmint money.  Doubly so after how they "paid" it off.

My next rig is either a Toyota or Ford.  (drools subconsciously over the Toyota FJ...)

[Gewehr98]

A certain Toyota FJ will be in my driveway this coming August, when wife's Jeep Liberty is finally paid off.  

I'm going balls-out finding the one I want, which will be the 6-speed manual with full-time 4WD and Torsen differentials.

My move to the country has convinced me that an open-differential 2WD S-10 just ain't gonna cut it anymore.

Before we bought her the 3.7L V6 Liberty, I had a serious jones for the CRD diesel version of the same vehicle.

I was told they were too loud re: cabin noise, but otherwise a hoot.

Why didn't Daimler/Chrysler keep that engine for at least the Dakota? 

[Bigjake]

Speaking of which,  there exists a diesel version of the Liberty.   

IIRC, it's got Benz engine of some sort under the hood.

[Gewehr98]

Jake, that's the CRD diesel Liberty I was speaking about above.

Not a lot of horsepower, but plenty of torque, and a manual transmission, too!   

Only problem - folks aren't selling the ones they got, and the ones that do go up for sale around here command a premium.   

[Jamisjockey]

Makes hating dodge much harder....ggggrrrrrr

[Ben]

AZ and G98 - tell me why you're liking the FJ.

This isn't to knock it. Though my Trooper is still going strong and is the perfect 4WD for me, they don't make them in the US anymore. I am sort of keeping my eye out for what I would replace it with that I would consider close to its equal. I've mentioned the FJ around friends before and they've been practically unanimous in bashing it. While I don't like the limited visibility of the window design, I like the utilitarian body, and it looks like it would be good off-road, but I keep hearing it's a weak 4WD. If it was a capable off-road / crappy conditions vehicle, I would keep it in the running.

I like 4-Runners from 10-15 years ago, and it was neck and neck between a 2000 4-runner and my 2000 Trooper when I bought it, but I'm not super keen on the current crop. A friend has one and they just seem a bit too urban for me. He used to have a Trooper as well and says his new 4-runner is just not as off-road capable, though it has a lot of nice amenities for long road trips. A Land Cruiser would be ideal but the price is ridiculous. I could buy a new F-150 every five years for the next fifteen and have spent less than a new Land Cruiser.

[AZRedhawk44]

I'm also eyeballing the manual transmission full 4WD model.

I see a lot of them riding trails out here in AZ.  Seem much more popular than the zOMG expensive 4-door Jeep Wranglers.

Frankly, I dig the suicide doors.

[Gewehr98]

I've been hankering for an FJ for about 6 years now.

I like the body-on-frame construction, the TRD offroad package, the 6-speed manual transmission, the Torsen differentials, the powerful V6, the oodles of interior room, and the Tonka appearance.

Having driven a few to get a better feel, I don't like the blind spot, the poor fuel mileage, and the need for premium gas.  

My other vehicle I've been driving at dealerships and putting in 2nd place is a nice used Trailblazer SS with AWD.  Again, the 6.0L Corvette motor makes it a total gas pig, but you don't get 0-60 in 5 seconds for nothing.  

My little 2001 S-10 is just not a good long-distance ride, and while I certainly could maintain it another 10 years, I really don't want to. I'd like to hit my 50 year mark in style, and stark economy has served its purpose already.

My wife's Jeep Liberty is pretty solid and really nice on crappy road snow days, but damned if I don't feel my 6-foot frame isn't shoved into the dash and top of the windshield in that thing.

Being a whopping 5' 2", it's no big deal to her.  I've driven it to Minneapolis and back, and I don't feel it's a fun highway vehicle, either.  



 

[RoadKingLarry]

It will be interesting to see how Dodge will screw this up. A potentially awesome rig but I'm pretty sure they will find some way to frack it up.

If things go anywhere close to expected my plans are to buy a new truck mid to late summer. Right now Ford is the #1 probability, mostly because of the bailout BS.

[Ben]

It will be interesting to see how Dodge will screw this up. A potentially awesome rig but I'm pretty sure they will find some way to frack it up.

I'm trying to figure out why it's so difficult for any of the major guys to come out with diesel in a light duty truck. They've all been talking about it for years, but none of them has ever produced (post the mini trucks of the I guess 70s-80s). It can't be EPA related because they keep coming out with new diesels in the 2500 and Super Duty trucks. I can't believe they're afraid they won't sell any, because I've never heard anything except for "awesome!" whenever light duty full-sized pickups and diesels are brought up among pickup people.

[Tallpine]

I'm trying to figure out why it's so difficult for any of the major guys to come out with diesel in a light duty truck. They've all been talking about it for years, but none of them has ever produced (post the mini trucks of the I guess 70s-80s). It can't be EPA related because they keep coming out with new diesels in the 2500 and Super Duty trucks. I can't believe they're afraid they won't sell any, because I've never heard anything except for "awesome!" whenever light duty full-sized pickups and diesels are brought up among pickup people.

Yeah, I dunno why they can't just drop a little 4-banger diesel in a half-ton pickup

[zxcvbob]

Yeah, I dunno why they can't just drop a little 4-banger diesel in a half-ton pickup

Not sexy enough to sell to city-slickers.  And they don't know how to advertise it.

[geronimotwo]

Yeah, I dunno why they can't just drop a little 4-banger diesel in a half-ton pickup

my uncle had an 80' toyota with the diesel.  he loved it, and it had excellent mileage.

[mtnbkr]

What I've heard form people who've looked into it, is that they're afraid it would cannibalize their larger truck sales.

Chris

[geronimotwo]

What I've heard form people who've looked into it, is that they're afraid it would cannibalize their larger truck sales.

Chris

not sure why that is a problem, if they maintain the same profit margin.

[mtnbkr]

not sure why that is a problem, if they maintain the same profit margin.

Presumably they aren't.  I know I would buy a Ford Ranger sized truck with a diesel, but not an F350.  So I wouldn't be part of that risk, but I suspect others would buy the smaller truck if it were available.  If the profit margin was smaller, that would be a risk to Ford.

Chris

[Tallpine]

Not everyone needs to haul a six horse gooseneck up hills at 70 mph 

Although it seems that the mileage from some of these newer 1-tons are approaching what we get with our little bitty station wagon 

[Northwoods]

I'm trying to figure out why it's so difficult for any of the major guys to come out with diesel in a light duty truck. They've all been talking about it for years, but none of them has ever produced (post the mini trucks of the I guess 70s-80s). It can't be EPA related because they keep coming out with new diesels in the 2500 and Super Duty trucks. I can't believe they're afraid they won't sell any, because I've never heard anything except for "awesome!" whenever light duty full-sized pickups and diesels are brought up among pickup people.

Except the 3/4 ton and bigger trucks are held to different emmissions standards.  Half ton and compact trucks fall under pass-car standards for particulates and NOx which are hard for diesels to meet without (very expensive and mileage robbing) exhaust after-treatment systems.

[Ben]

Except the 3/4 ton and bigger trucks are held to different emmissions standards.  Half ton and compact trucks fall under pass-car standards for particulates and NOx which are hard for diesels to meet without (very expensive and mileage robbing) exhaust after-treatment systems.

Is that still true? I thought the 2007-08 (whenever it was) EPA rule changed that. The diesel particulate filter on my 2008 truck is definitely MPG robbing. Around 4-5MPG less than the previous model, and specifically for emission reduction.

[Northwoods]

HD trucks (e.g. Kenworths) have had major emmissions reductions over the last 20 years (IIRC 91% particulates, 96% NOx) and its quite possible 3/4 ton+ pickups have seen similar changes in emmissions regulations.  I don't recall, though, any change that brought them under the same rules as pass-cars.