Well welll http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/ecodiesel/ Still, 420TQ just puts it next to the ford ecoboost. There is no reason they can't stuff a 5 liter in it with 600TQ. There is definitely something fishing going on as to why they put such a turd in it. I am betting the intent is MPG and that would surely get it, if emissions doesn't get it first.

It really all comes down to economics and what is practical. 600 ft lbs torque in a half ton won't get you really any further than the 3.0 VM engine IMO. Sure it would be quicker, but that's not going to increase pay loads. And it surely won't compete with anything in the half ton market in fuel economy. I saw a release from Ram a while back, and they were talking early on of fuel mileage in the neighborhood of 28 mpg highway. To me that's pretty impressive for a full size crew cab pick up. At 420 ft lbs, it will tow anything a half ton is capable of towing, and get better fuel mileage than anything else while doing it. I'm not knocking Ford (I've got 2 of them sitting in the driveway, love em both), but their Eco boost will not compete with a diesel engine in any category other than maybe drag racing right off the line. My brother in law has one in an F150, it is a quick little engine just bee bopping around town but hook his boat or enclosed trailer up to it, not impressive at all. No matter how many turbos you put on it, it's still just a small displacement SIE. You have to remember the Ecoboost got it's start in the Crossover world, and quite honestly it does OK in a pick up but that's it - OK. My brother in law actually regrets his purchase and would buy a V8 if he had it to do over again just for the purpose of hauling.Numbers may look good on paper but they can sometimes be misleading. I think what Ram is doing is a great step in the right direction. I bet they will be a big seller for Ram. I will honestly probably never be in the market for a brand new half ton diesel, but who knows, one day a 10 yr old half ton with a diesel may just be right up my alley for light duty jobs and general hauling the mail

I look forward to giving the truck and motor a try if i can get my current truck paid off . I'm looking for a daily driver i can still pull my smaller trailer's with and still get my diesel fix . And since this motor is 10yr's old i belive the bug's should be all but gone. As far as the Ford Ecoboost goes a former Boss of my Boss Has one and though he won't own up to it he regret's buying it ever time he drive's it. When i asked why he bought it over a diesel He state's "that diesel's are loud, dirty, and really bad on the enviroment." When i called BS on that and showed him how wrong he was on every level to a point. I told him for casual hauling to decent load's to find a nice 2500 dodge cummin's (cause the biggest thing he pulled was a grasshopper mower) to which he said that Dodge's are a "Blue collar man's truck and beneth him to drive one that he find's Ford's or GMC's to be a wealthy man's truck and more to his standing" Even if they are underpower, get less fuel milage, and tow far less. But it's his money not mine so I may try to get this truck if it has the power i hope it does.

And since this motor is 10yr's old i belive the bug's should be all but gone. .

Yes and no. The Europeans have been using a variance of the 3.0 for some time now, but not with the emissions equipment the good ol US EPA mandates. They may hit it right out of the park the first year, or it may take a few to get the bugs worked out. I believe it is definitely a step in the right direction though. Hopefully this will push Ford and GM into the market as well. It would be really neat to someday see compact pickups with diesels in them as well, and possibly even a medium/large sized SUV.

Well welll http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/ecodiesel/ Still, 420TQ just puts it next to the ford ecoboost. There is no reason they can't stuff a 5 liter in it with 600TQ. There is definitely something fishing going on as to why they put such a turd in it. I am betting the intent is MPG and that would surely get it, if emissions doesn't get it first.

Simple, it's a 1/2 ton... Why the hell would put 600 ft/lbs in a 1/2 ton, the running gear and drivetrain would be 3/4 ton and mileage is lower with bigger running gear. It's already insane the tow ratings they give 1/2 tons, it's higher than 10-15 year old 3/4 tons. I cringe every time I see a ecoboost towing a 30' 5er, and it's way to common. How any company can tell a consumer it's safe to do that on P rated tired and 1/2 ton suspension is beyond me. It's a 1/2 ton, if you need a bigger truck then buy one. Don't buy a 1/2 ton to do a 1 ton's job becuase you like the ride to/from work. Okay, rant off.... Even thou the numbers are similar to an ecoboost the diesel will still outperform it when working, but will probably get it's azz handed to it when empty. The big benefit will be that the diesels fuel economy doesn't cut in half, or worse, when you hook up the smallest of trailers like it does on the ecoboost. This is a good step for Ram, and I think an appropriate power rating. It's more than just the numbers on paper, because if all you did was look at numbers the Hemi could hold better speeds up a grade than the Cummins could...

Didn't think of it like that. On my way to denver through kansas there was just constant 60mph crosswinds (explains the 10000 windmills) and I saw plenty of ecoboosts pulling bumper pull 30fters and absolutely fighting the hell out of it. They were all over the place. The speed limit is 75 there and those guys were doing every bit of it. I even got passed by an ecoboost pulling a boat and I was doing 75-80, just to watch him slam on the brakes when a strong wind almost shoved him right off the road. I then came up on a new F250 powerstroke pulling the same trailer going only 70 and he might as well have been on rails. So I guess manufacturers are doing it right by limiting power output, though they are still giving them enough power for stupid people to just hold it to the floor to get where they want pulling their trailer house. Actually I just happened to be taking pics of window stickers lately and I think it's the sticker shock that drives people away form making the 3/4 ton jump. Hmmm, thats comparing a work truck to a cadillac powerstroke lol but most seemed to have a 50k minimum for the powerstroke and 40k minimum for the ecoboost. That $8000 option is a pretty big deal breaker.

People are going to get very hurt if the 1/2 market keeps going the way it has, the suspension cannot handle emergency braking or lots of cross winds.

Well if you think about it, people do the same thing with 3/4 or 1 tons...loading them with a million tons because they don't want to buy something bigger. You can't fix stupid

Well if you think about it, people do the same thing with 3/4 or 1 tons...loading them with a million tons because they don't want to buy something bigger. You can't fix stupid

No, but it's much harder to overload them to the point of safety concerns on multiple parts. On a 1/2 ton you are working against the frame, suspension, axles, tires, brakes, etc.. The biggest issue on a 3/4 or 1 ton is tires, pretty hard to overload the rest.

i'll never forget when i was in tulsa i saw an old boy with a titan and goose-neck flat bed that was longer than some cattle trailers. it looked similar to a f-150 with a leveling kit that has 1500lbs in the bed.i guess he could see the "surprised" look on my face cause he came up to talk to me and said " i know what ur thinking, but this trucks got more than enough power". i sayed " i'm sure. the TV says its got 350 HP" and we parted ways. i seen the same guy/truck on the side of US 177 about two weeks later. motor was ok...trans blew up and leaf were broke.:spend:heck i even had a buddy that thought his dakota could handle jobs most 1/2 ton barely qualify for cause they advertised "class leading capacity" or some ____. problem is most ppl don't even think about transmissions, transfer cases, axles, or frame/suspension when they start pulling trailers or boats.

I guess someone better take me out back and shoot me!

I guess someone better take me out back and shoot me!

You are prolly over but the truck can probably handle the shear weight, its you who makes it safe or unsafe going 100mph or 50mph.. If that stupid ecoboost pulling the boat through kansas that I saw doing 80 had hit that crosswind any worse than he did he would have no boat or truck. At the same time, powerstroke guy pulling TT was sailing along at 60-65 as if he was on rails. Same as gun rights or anything else, you make it unsafe, not the object. A guy I worked for pulled 50k lbs of I beams to the scrap yard with his V10 dodge a mile away. I was with him, we did 20mph.. An advertisement for VW once had that TDI toureg (i think) pull a boeing airliner....at 5mph. And I know everyone has seen trucks well within their limits driven in a very unsafe manner weaving through traffic and riding peoples tailgates at 80mph+. The weight deal is an issue as too much tongue weight obviously breaks things but I think everything aforementioned is worse.