Buddy and I were having a discussion today after news broke about the Ram Ecodiesel emissions lawsuit and I started talking about how few good options there are out there for price, mpg, and towing capability. If you want 8k lbs or more towing capacity, what is the best option available for price and mpg?

Older diesel trucks that had no restrictions beat them all on cost to operate. Towing capacity is not as robust as the new diesels but more than enough for 12 k every day.

I'm assuming you are talking about new vehicles so the 3.5 ecoboost would possibly be the best beast.

Think you have to factor in what's most important for you, mpg's or performance. Hard to have you cake and eat it to. My $.02.

I'd REALLY like an owner to chime in on the Titan 5.0l diesel's towing and MPG. Seen some advertised pretty well loaded for $40K (leather, nav, 4x4).

I didn't realize you could get those for that sort of price. The one I saw had an MSRP in the mid $50s. If the mpg are decent, I think that could be a real winner. But I haven't looked at the specs enough to know if it's really getting the power and mpg that it should. I have concerns about the Titan drivetrain really weighing it down. Would like to see numbers for at-the-wheel power and torque.

What is the 3.5 getting on normal highway driving (70 mph cruise control)?

I'll have to see what kind of tow ratings it has. Wouldn't be great if you were forced to get a lower gear rear end to be able to tow more than 7k lbs.

Think that's a tuff question, if there was one out and out winner we would all be driving it.

Fuel economy winner - ecodiesel
Performance winner - 3.5 Ecoboost
Good muscle and reputation for performance and durability - 5.7 iforce

For me I'm willing to sacrifice performance for economy so I have a Ecodiesel. Cost across the board is debatable. Yes the ecodiesel option costs some cash, but I bought a well optioned tradesman and paid a lot less for it than may people paid for loaded leather and navigation in comparable trucks with gas motors.

I have not driven one but the 0-60 time is slower than the ecodiesel... which we all know is slow. Some tests show it falls short of its advertised performance specs. And looking at fuely it gets about the exact same fuel mileage as the 3/4 ton diesels.

The only thing I see going for them is the 100k mile bumper to bumper warranty.

Add in a GDE tuned ecodiesel and I think it could be a winner.

Never mind then. I don't see how a 5.0 Cummins is slower than the ED and gets worse mpg.

Mainly, I was trying to figure out what my options are if I need to replace the ED due to this emissions deal. If I only need to tow 7k-8k lbs, I'm not sure there is anything in the same ballpark.

2017 3.5 ecoboost with 10 speed transmission is going to be interesting.

My 2016 ecoboost is loaded out with the heavy duty towing package and 4wd. I average 19mpg. On my way to OK a few months ago I got 21 with the cruise mostly set @ 70. For a truck that is equipped to tow 12,000lbs, I like what I am getting out of it. The last gas 1/2 ton truck that I had that could tow 10k+, averaged 13mpg (GM 6.0). Lucky to get 17 on the highway. I loved that truck, but good Lord could it drink some fuel.

One more thing about the 2017...it will have 375hp, 470lb/ft of torque
The 16 is 365, 420

I agree that's stellar mpg for a truck that can tow 12k.

If the 2017 ecoboost is getting 22-24 mpg highway with the 10-speed when it's configured to tow 12k, that's going to be a huge seller. Might be the best legitimate option for towing and gas mileage.

I love the Chevy 6.2, but they just don't sell it in any trucks that cost less than $40k it seems.

Not sure what all will come of the new emissions deal regarding the Ecodiesel. On one hand I will be looking to collect whatever they will give me and do buyback on the other I may be willing to have whatever they want to do done and then just do a full delete shortly after if it changes much with the truck.

I really don't know at the current time, but if things go the way I hope they do with our new political changes taking place, the way the EPA thinks might change... I sure hope so and things will get better for the future of diesel vehicles.

If today I had to get rid of my ecodiesel and pick another production truck to replace it, it would be a 3.5 ecoboost. If driven accordingly it will get the same or better fuel mileage than the v-8's and when you put the hammer down it undoubtedly out performs them.

I'm kind of at a different point on my ED. When I bought it, I got a lifetime powertrain warranty. So if I do an emissions delete it's going to void that. That means I'm kind of at the mercy of whatever FCA decides to do. If it comes down to reducing mpg by 10%-20% or selling the truck back, I'll probably sell it back. I love it, but not if it's getting 23-24 mpg and still have the DEF, expensive oil changes, and emissions sytems liabilities of a diesel. I'd rather have an F-150 with no emissions concerns filling up with gas and rated to tow 12k.

All that said, I just don't think I could ever lay my head on the pillow at night with a Ford. I've never had a major issue with any Dodge or Chevy I've owned, and the only two Fords we had in our family growing up had major, major problems. So I've written them off the list and had great reliability with everything else, and there just isn't any trust there for me.

Dad wrote them off because of a bad salesman when he tried to trade in his '85 ford. Since 1994 we were a GM family and dad wont hardly look at anything but a GM.

I try to keep an open mind and buy what is best at the time. For a large portion of my life I felt GM had some of the best 1/2 tons around. I don't like AFM and while I think the 5.3 is a good motor it is lagging its competition in performance pretty bad. I have no love affair with any of them, but I think if I had to pick one auto maker that's doing the most things right (in my opinion) at the moment, it would have to be ford.

I think their crosovers/cars compete well. The ecoboost is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the 1/2 ton market, and there are no flies on the powerjoke when compared to its competitors.

9 fords. One lemon. 5 FCAs, and while I think they are improved in recent years, every one has been a pos.

Damn I really like my eco diesel. Reading this is a bummer. I did want to get the megacab 2500 but felt it was out of my needs- i read some stuff from the VW deal where it might be doable? We will see what happens. I just did an oil change at dealer (free) and they took forever updating stuff. I will keep an eye out on my mpg.

They probably can't force you to do anything on the ecodiesel. I don't know.
On the VW they negotiated a deal to allow all owners to make choices. I believe right now (dated info) you can keep the car and get 5k just because. You can sell them the car back at a price it was worth in May 2014 or you can have VW do the fix to make it 85 percent compliable with EPA standards.
The only thing I have not heard is if the VW fix has worked and is a accepted in the agreement. If you go that way they will probably fix it, give you 5 grand plus a small amount that pays for the loss of power, mpg or both.

I'd do the 2.7 ecoboost today if it was my choice and only had to pull around 8k occasionally. Depending on how much weight and how often would influence me between the little or larger booster. I am cheap.

I'm far from an expert or even well versed on the subject, but from what I have heard with the vw's you had to get them fixed, you couldn't just keep it how it was. Have some family members who stuck it out as long as they could but had to have theirs changed so they ended up selling it. As they were from the factory they were in violation of the EPA, they aren't going to let you keep that.

Best case scenario is there is nothing wrong with the ecoD.

IF there is something similar going on with the ecodiesel and it will be required to be reprogrammed and will loose economy and power I will probably be getting rid of mine. I loved the fuel economy and that is why I bought it, but it came at a price of performance. The ecodiesel is down right slow as it sits. If it looses performance it will be too big of a dog for even me to drive, I believe it would be an impediment to other drivers.

Pretty much where I'm at.

Problem is that if they do have to fix it, the value for selling it will be toast.

All I have heard about the VW deal is that owners came out smelling like a rose!

That's good to know.

I'm not gonna worry about it for now. I love the truck. Only reason this even came up is that my brother and I started talking about it and I told him that I had no idea what I would replace it with. When I started looking at real world alternatives, then I started liking my truck even more since none of the alternatives seem to offer the towing, initial price, and mpg that the ecodiesel does.

Yep I just want it to all be fake money grab by the lawyer who filed it. Keep my truck and get a gde tune in a few more miles and full delete tune nearer to 100k.

I rolled over 19k on mine this weekend. Still no problems.

IF something happens to the ecodiesel, and IF I can convince my wife... that's a lot of IF's!

I am going to buy a commuter car again and drive it for a while. In the mean time the plan is to buy an early 2000's 3/4 ton gas chevy and swap a 3.9 liter cummins 4bt into it.

And price. Lot of truck for the money imo. 555lbs/tq seems adequate for most jobs.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/668277773/overview/

I've got 7k on mine. No issues at all. Love it.

As for your plan to get an early 2000s GM 3/4 ton, that's not a bad idea. I'm just tired of owning 3 vehicles. Did it for the last 2 years, and I enjoy only owning 2 now (my ED and my wife's highlander).

I guess prices on them have come down. Seems like when they first came out they wanted the same money as they wanted for 3/4 ton fords chevy's and rams. Those have in the neighborhood of 1000 ftlb torque more hp way more payload and get the same fuel economy. To me they just don't make sense. Sure it will tow more than my ecodiesel but it wont get any better fuel mileage than the next step up from it and it is far below it in performance.

I agree. But with the heavy discounts...might be worth a look. It's competitive with other half tons.

Custom ordered a 2011 GMC 1500 Sierra SLT extended cab w/ Max Tow package - 6.2L gas all aluminum engine (403 HP), 6 spd Automatic, 3.73 gears. Paid $34,000.00 for it. Plenty of towing capacity, cool interior (all leather, 6 disc player, wood grain dash, etc.)Purchase price was reasonable, tows the Champion, well, like a Champ, LOL. BUT, the mileage isn't all that great - 17mpg Hwy -no boat, 13.5 City -no boat, and averages 11mpg towing the boat. Hey, 2 outta 3 ain't bad. The power this thing has is a fair trade off for the mileage. Wrap this thing up to about 4,500 rpm's an hang on!!!!

What is the tow rating on it? I've heard that 6.2L engine is a beast.

The new 6.2's are rated 420hp/460 torque. They have a 8 speed trans now. The 6.2 is rated at 21hwy and the 5.3 in the same truck is rated 20hwy now. I'm seeing 9,100 pounds towing conventional. Didn't see a rating for gooseneck or fifthwheel. Very impressive motor for sure.

So 9,100 lbs and 21 hwy mph or 12,000 lbs and 17 mpg. Neither of those are bad options for a gasser. I bet the 6.2 with 3.42 gears is quick too.

2015 2.7 ecoboost f150 supercab sport 2wd with 3.73 gearing.......city about 17-19, highway 21-23. towing 15-17.....tows awesome, and not towing....have considered drag racing.....LOL

Good mpg numbers. What is the tow rating on that truck?

Patriot.......8300lbs......

Towing what?

From what I hear if your towing much of anything the fuel mileage falls of the face of the earth.

These guys test a bunch of trucks for towing and fuel economy. Lots by them on their Youtube channel.

http://www.tfltruck.com/

Their tow track is mostly up a mountain, worst case scenario. I get over double what their test track results yielded. Think they tested the ecodiesel at about 8.0 mpg. I towed our 5000 lb 24 foot boat with a 5 adults in the cab 250 miles this weekend 65-70 mph (no cruise control and eeked out a little over 15 mpg 100% towing hand calculated.

My EVIC reads 18-20 mpg when towing my 4,000-4,500 lbs 17' Triton bass boat. Hand-calculated mpg shows the same thing. I towed my dad's 6,000 lb bumper pull trailer a month or so ago and the EVIC showed around 14 mpg. I haven't read that page, but I have no idea what you'd have to do to get 8 mpg towing with this thing.

I believe they do "extreme" tests with max tow loads up the mountain, and "flatlander" tests using smaller loads.

Triton 18x2 dual axle........yep, not the heaviest boat, but not the lightest either.......just saying what I'm getting......