The 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is officially the most fuel-efficient full-size pickup truck to date, nabbing a rating of 28 miles per gallon highway from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The truck was rated at 20 mpg city and 23 mpg combined. The 28-mpg highway rating is the best ever for a full-size, half-ton pickup and it even bests the most fuel-efficent mid-size pickup: the 2014 Toyota Tacoma only manages a 25-mpg highway rating.
The 4×4 rating on the 1500 EcoDiesel decreases things only slightly, coming in at 19 city/27 highway/22 combined.
The truck is powered by a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 and is paired with an eight-speed transmission. It produces 240 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. The engine is sourced from Italy’s VM Motori, which has supplied Ram with engines since 1992. General Motors and Fiat each own a 50 percent share of the engine maker.
The truck’s EPA rating isn’t quite the 30 mpg that the same EcoDiesel V-6 allows the Jeep Grand Cherokee to get, but it’s better than the 26-mpg rating Ram brand director Rob Hegbloom said he expected back in July.
A diesel-powered Ram 1500 will cost an additional $2,850 over the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, Ram says. However, Ram has said that the EcoDiesel 1500 will pay for itself in gas savings in less than three years. The standard package will start at $25,295, destination cost included.
Powered byEven if you decide not to go with the EcoDiesel premium, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 gas engine gets great mileage as well with a 25-mpg highway rating.
