Ram vs Ford vs Chevy - What's The Best Affordable Diesel Half-Ton Truck?

[@floridagunrat1625]

They were basically four reasons everybody wanted diesels. 1. they produce tremendous torque. 2, they ran on cheap fuel. 3, they were very reliable as they had virtually no electronics. 4. They got better gas mileage. The first one still exists, the next two reasons are gone, and the last one is negated by the higher fuel cost. Unless they have a real reason for the additional torque, most people today are better served to buy a gasoline truck due to the higher initial buy in costs, and higher routine maintenance, as well as repair costs of a modern diesel.

[@windrider65]

Very good breakdown of why people need a diesel. I tow a travel trailer and live full-time in it, I would love to have a diesel, however my truck is paid for and I don't want to jump into a truck I don't think that is worth the money they are asking for it, new or used.

[@johndavidson3424]

They don't make so much torque difference for the same displacement in a similar segment compared to turbo petrol, which most are. Old school N.A petrol options in new trucks are gold, and still has enough torque.

[@TovarEndwy]

I think what he meant was. It makes tq at a very low rpm. I have a 22 Duramax 1500 and even when hauling a trailer up north it hardly ever revs over 2k. I think they said it's like 90 or 95 percent tq at 1200 rpms. That means everything wears out a lot less. Vs when I had a gas v8 engine it would rev past 3k going uphill. To maintain hp and tq.

[@reidhulshof3645]

You can still get better mileage and cheaper maintenance if you’re unfortunate enough to lose your emissions equipment in a boating accident

[@534N69]

Yeah really well said For people who just don’t get the history and reasons, this was brilliant

[@themechanic9226]

Diesel half-ton economics went out the window when diesel got expensive a few years back. Even now, where I live diesel runs about 30% more than gas so the running costs are pretty much the same as gas (better fuel economy of diesel offset by higher fuel cost). When I bought my 2015 Ram EcoDiesel (which has been flawless since new) diesel was only about 10% more than gas so it made sense. Now, not so much. I’m keeping it though because it’s paid for and still running great… not eager to buy *any* truck at current prices.

[@alpha2gproject783]

not to mention the cost of DEF isn't free. If you ran a legally deleted truck then the efficiency would cover itself within 3-4 years but right now no.

[@DEVUNK88]

it went out the window when all the emissions and epa regs made them unreasonably complicated and prone to failure...circa 2006 I still drive TDI jettas and save on fuel despite the cost difference Trucks may not have that mpg advantage over a gas, but it is worsened by the overcomplexity and rasied costs of just the engine option itself

[@JesseLJohnson]

Around here diesel is about the same price as premium. There isn't really that huge of a difference in cost. Diesel used to be cheaper than gas years ago. I get around 10mpg better with my LZ0 then I would have got with the 6.2 the only other engine I could have got with the Denali Ultimate. The 6.2 is also tuned for premium so the fuel is basically the exact same price. I get around 27mpg everyday and as high as 40mpg on the highway. Wouldn't get anywhere near those numbers with the 6.2. The DEF isn't that much of an issue. I only have a few thousand miles on it but its only used maybe at most 1/3 a tank so what maybe $6 of DEF in a few thousand miles. If you can afford the $90k range my truck was you can afford a jug of DEF every oil change.

[@JesseLJohnson]

@@alpha2gproject783 My LZ0 gets 10 or so mpg better than the 6.2 the only other engine I could have had. Its used at most $6 worth of DEF in 3k miles. It has maybe used 1/3 a tank maybe. Most all of it was used on the 2 road trips its been on and the one time I towed with it. Might go through a jug of DEF every oil change. So what $10 every now and then not that big a deal. The 6.2 is tuned for premium too which is basically identical in price to diesel around here.

[@DEVUNK88]

@@JesseLJohnson it cost me about $.15 per mile to drive my minivan vs $.10 per mile to drive my TDI wagon at my current $3.05 gas vs $4.40 diesel the van gets 20-24mpg and the vw gets 40-50mpg so even a 45% increase in fuel cost still equals a 30% reduction in fuel cost to drive the diesel instead of the gasser. now maybe if I had a small gas car that got 30-40 mpg things change drastically, but my old cheap paid for TDI owes me nothing, vs a car payment

[@Jeremiah_Johnson139]

Andre & Nathan! The OG dynamic duo! It's always a blast when you guys do the segments!

[@J.W.W.]

It’s great how all three had a check engine light 😆

[@weegeemike]

Goes to show the "reliability" (or lack thereof) of newer, DEF-system equipped diesels.

[@regsparkes6507]

This fact would make me STOP my ' buying thinking' right there.

[@hotshtsr20]

Fun of a modern diesel. EPA effectively mandated magic, which eventually fails.

[@kkkkiaken]

Someone must’ve disconnected a spark plug wire in each one? 😂

[@regsparkes6507]

@@kkkkiaken If not that then it's the condenser,... nobody thinks to replace this. :)

[@SONbird5112]

I own a 2014 eocdiesel with 150,000 miles. Runs like a top, replaced 1 sensor. Drive to work is 15 hwy miles 1 way, perfect truck. Looks and runs like new. Love it, maybe the best vehicle ive ever owned.

[@Lq32332]

Do you have the ZF 8 speed? If so, did you ever change the fluid / filter?

[@theglitch99]

Not made on a Monday or Friday,

[@moparjr89]

​@@Lq32332all ecodiesels only have the zf 8speed. 2014 and up zf was the only trans in the 1500

[@tgh117]

ZF recommends changing at 60K@@Lq32332

[@Meh-2023]

Test drove all of them...went with the LZ0 Baby D-Max. For the price and future proofing, it was the best option. It is also very smooth and that torque comes in nice and strong.

[@JakeEngen]

Yep Inline 6 torque >

[@williammorgan5987]

I have a Cummins and for the life of me I don’t understand why they aren’t all inline 6 engines especially being that small like a 3.0, even Duramax was like nah we need an 6 in a row lol.

[@rock-uu7qr]

@@williammorgan5987 because inline 6 has nothing to do with its torque thats a common misconseption/marketing gimmick for dodge guys. duramax makes more torque at a lower rpm than the standard out put cummins and the HO powerstroke also makes torque at a lower rpm than the HO cummins. Engine config has nothing to do with it just stroke length

[@LCNismo]

I have a 3 duramax diesels. 2 are my lawn fleet and I have a personal one. I don’t regret it at all. Zero problems from any of them

[@TFLtruck]

thank you for the feedback!

[@Pantelifts10]

Wich ones? 3.0 or 6.6? I have an HD for my landscaping business and love it so far

[@wereeves]

I bought a 2014 Ram Ecodiesel back in May. We put 10k miles on it over the summer towing our 2 place horse trailer to 4H and other shows - It's like a honeybadger - it just doesn't care if there's a trailer there or not, if it's loaded or not - it hauls! It's my daily driver as well - I've seen 28-30mpg(calculated) on extended highway runs.

[@TheMeanmarine13]

I love my 2018 Lariat powerstroke 3.0. I got it early this year with only 23K original miles at 5 years old. Only paid 36K for it. KBB had it at 43k then. On the highway with cruise I can get 32 MPG. In town drops to about 25-26 mpg. Not bad for a full size truck.

[@kylebutler7142]

$36k with 23k miles? That's a bargain! Nice buy.

[@garretlewis4103]

Good buy and the fuel mileage is awesome. To me that is what makes diesels attractive. On my 2000 Jetta TDI I got 50+ MPG and my all time high was 65 MPG. Diesels are efficient.

[@Jay-me7gw]

@@garretlewis4103 But who cares if the mpg's are so high if the fuel costs more and the range is no better because the gas tanks are smaller than the equivalent gas truck? The Powerstroke has a 26 gallon tank while the gas F150's can have a 36 gallon tank. You would have to get consistently 40% better mpg to get better range, and that just isnt what happens.

[@garretlewis4103]

@@Jay-me7gw Yes, you do have to consider the difference in fuel prices. Efficiency is efficiency; however, the cost can be greater even with higher efficiency because of fuel costs. Range and fuel tank size is a whole other topic. But, isn't the 36 gallon fuel tank an option and the standard fuel tank size 26 gallons on the gas truck?

[@TheMeanmarine13]

@@Jay-me7gw not at all. was getting 14 mpg from my 5.0 F150 and 36 gallon tank. 32 mpgs on the powerstroke has saved me hundreds a month. And it will outlive my 5.0.

[@skwerlee]

I absolutely love my 21 Duramax 3.0 Z71. Fuel economy and drivability is insane. Only issue so far is intermittent CEL’s that always self clear after a day or two.

[@tyg8562]

Scary. I’ve had vehicles with 380k miles and 0 check engine lights. Something that new shouldn’t have any CELs let alone intermittent

[@ElJeFe556]

I have a 22 RST z71 with the buttery 3.0 duramax, and ive had all the problems one could have!! LOL Smells like raw fuel when warming up, has a hesitation at lower throttle, infotainment system works when it wants, HVAC fan works when it feels like it, and in less than 20k miles they had to replace the battery once. Not a great rig!

[@ericfriedle456]

I love my f-150 with the 3.0. Currently at 129k miles and still going strong

[@jasonbrushett2005]

I'd love to have one if I could find a good used one!! Glad to hear you have had a good experience with yours

[@ericfriedle456]

@@jasonbrushett2005 I might be selling mine soon 😉

[@floridagunrat1625]

First problem, he thinks 115,000 miles is a lot of miles! I've got a fleet of GMT 400 Chevys from the 90s, and when they break 300,000 MI, I start to consider them having a lot of miles. With the cost of new trucks, 250 to 300,000 miles should be a standard service life. Unfortunately, all the electronic Gremlins will usually pop up and kill it before that .

[@henryford2736]

I have '18 F-150 Platinum 3.0 Powerstroke with 124917 miles today. No check engine light no issues everything works. Yes I have to get the timing belt done at 150k. I bought mine when diesel $ ⛽ was the same price as gas it made sense then. Agree with Andre diesel probably doesn't make sense these days.

[@TheMeanmarine13]

fun fact. You could only get the power stroke in upper trim levels unless it was a Fleet vehicle. XLT Was not offered to the public. They discontinued it because the power boost hybrid was its replacement. Everywhere I go in mine, people stop and ask questions. Like WTH is that thing? haha. That's a powerstroke???

[@aaronbritt2025]

I bought my '18 F150 Lariat mini-stroke for $46k OTD new in '18 ($69k sticker). The Powerstroke was an expensive option, but you have to remember, Ford was offering a $12k rebate on these with the Powerstroke for quite a while. Sold mine in '20 for $44k. Only sold it because I moved into a DP motorhome. Mine was super quiet, which I actually didn't like. I installed an intake and exhaust trying to get some diesel sound out of it and it was still quiet.

[@unfinishedstory9333]

I had a 2016 EcoDiesel. Traded it at 120k for the 2021 Duramax. Have 65k on the D-Max. Both with no issues. I think the EcoDiesel was a little more sprite, but the D-Max is smoother/quiet.

[@jamesmyers9285]

My friend has a 2018 RAM Laramie Limited with 3.0L EcoDiesel and 255,000 miles on the odometer. The truck has its original Turbo and has had very problems over its lifetime. He takes extremely good care of the truck, White exterior Black Leather Interior, both look like new. I rode with him from Fillmore, California to Bakersfield, California rode beautifully, very quietly, and moved over the Grapevine without any drama.

[@richfarfugnuven6308]

It would be interesting to have Brendan scan these and tell us what's wrong with them.

[@keananfischer8113]

If ford would have offered the 3.0 diesel in xl and xlt to the public instead of the expensive fancy trims that would have helped.

[@jarrodwidiger5472]

I was looking at the colorado/canyon diesel when they came out and it was the same way. 4k for the option of a diesel but only on mid and upper trims. It was so dumb paying 35-45k for a midsized diesel. GM with the midsized and Ram/Ford/GM with the full size screw it up. They could have sold the diesels it base trim because alot of the people buying 1/2 ton diesels more want the economy with a pickup not fancy. At the time I was looking I could get a base full size diesel extended cab 4x4 for about the same price as a diesel Colorado/Canyon. Didn't make sense at all

[@reellife7295]

My f150 state work truck is a xl with a 3.0 but the state probably worked a deal out

[@JesseLJohnson]

I test drove a King Ranch and it had the 6.5 foot bed and they wanted $48k for it which seemed really reasonable. Especially when you consider my new Denali Ultimate is nearly 2x that price lol. At the time though I wanted the 5.0 if I was going to buy a Ford. The truck was a 2018 though and for some reason the dealer still had it in 2020 so some money was knocked off for it sitting around forever. It had like 2k miles on it but it had never been sold. Assuming the original price was probably like $65k range. Even that is reasonable though compared to what trucks cost today a few years later. I know when I just got my new one they had those Heritage XLTs for $69k which just seems ridiculous for an XLT I don't care about the ugly paint it had I think it had the power boost too but whatever $70k is nuts for a truck that has cloth interior. It was only $15k more for mine that is as loaded of a truck as you can get supercruise and all and the Duramax.

[@TaigaTurf]

I liked the idea of the 3.0 ecodiesel, 30 mpg.. 2014 seems like ancient times now, when trucks were still affordable

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

9 out of 10 vehicles at the auction will have the check engine light on....the only ones that don't would be like a 1999 Corolla with 131,000 miles...

[@ThatJamesGuy88]

It’s July of 2024. I just bought a 2022 Chevy 1500 RST Z71 4wd with the LM2 Duramax, 12450 miles. Sticker price in south Louisiana was $48,850. They came off the price a bit for me, but it’s basically a new truck.

[@tombache3426]

The Ford shared the engine with Land Rover. We had it in a Range Rover, ran great until 100k, decided it didn’t like the DEF fluid and would not restart if shut off. Dealer couldn’t fix, had 4 more in the Service lot with the same problem. We never did short drives which affect the DOC. Dealer did a hard reboot and we drove it up the street and traded it in. It was good until it wasn’t. Buy the Dodge. Someone will always want it after you are finished with it.

[@george2pak]

I love diesel engines and I think we should have more availability not only for pickup trucks but also SUV'S.

[@LeObsidianCraft]

Baby Dmax comes in the Tahoe Burb and the GMC counterparts now.

[@phatmeow7764]

imagine the inline 6 BMW B57 in a "murica sized" luxury SUV..yeehaw!

[@jonallen1985]

My 2018 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3 v8 with 53600 miles on it, never seen the check engine light, and never had any repairs done, just preventive maintenance I love my truck and it cost less than 40000 dollars, I bought it new in 2018.

[@ML-lg4ky]

My ass!

[@james1939-s1c]

GM 3.0 is the best half ton engine on the market, I love mine.

[@davidduplessis7800]

Wait till your timing chain (at the BACK of the engine) fails and destroys the entire engine... And/or the "wet" oil pump drive BELT fails (and again, kills the entire engine). That 3.0 is a ticking time bomb. Most don't last longer than 120-140k miles

[@baxs5076]

Until it vomits oil or won't start. Widespread problems with these.

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

$2960 to replace the belt.

[@JohnSmith-ev1sm]

As a current ram owner, you couldn't pay me to own the 2014 ecodiesel. You guys need to read some forums or something, they have the worst reliability record of any engine in a half ton, diesel OR gas. Not only do they have the typical diesel emisisons issues, but they also have a very weak bottom end with many crank bearing failures etc. The 2020+ ED's are a different story, these have a great reputation to date.

[@madguitarist]

The Duramax I6 did have issues with the cooling system. There were people who had them overheat and go into limp home randomly, and they had similar oil cooler line issues to the LS versions of the Silverado.

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

The Ford is the only one that I know of that didnt have issues. EcoDiesels love to catch on fire and spin bearings, the Duramax loves to eat oil and will randomly jump timing AND has a belt driven Oil pump. The Duramax could have been amazing if the timing chains werent on the back the engine. They should have put the chains in the front and timed things off gears no chains.

[@rustynail7866]

The fuel pump is electric. There is an oil pump belt that scares people, but in reality it’s not an issue. The engine is a straight six so it couldn’t be moved to the front without redesigning the engine compartment. Most don’t use oil.

[@yanglue611]

Hold on. The ECO Duramax has timing chain? I thought it was timing gear like the V8 Duramax.

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

@@yanglue611 Yep has chains. GO watch I do Cars tear down of the engine. THe chain jumped timing and it made the pistons slam against the head.

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

@@rustynail7866 My bad I fixed my post. I meant to say oil, no idea why I typed fuel lol.

[@EBIndy]

The chain didn’t jump timing. That engine failed because the neanderthal owner ran it without oil pressure. Checking the dipstick once in awhile isn’t hard……..

[@alpha2gproject783]

I think the thing that also killed the Ford off was that you could only get it on highly optioned trims when it came out. I believe Lariat and above were the only trims allowed to have it then Ford waited until I think just last year to let people get it on the XL crew cab trims...but by that point the damage was already done and people were already turned off. Then the pandemic hit and people just stopped buying new anything because they couldn't find what they wanted without a premium

[@kennethlewis4641]

I was thinking that same thing. Similar problem with the new hybrid.

[@alpha2gproject783]

@@kennethlewis4641 Andre had an XL with the Power boost up until last year when he sold it. The other issue the light duty diesels have is their resale value is too high and their value per dollar is too low. I have two used car dealers near me right now that have had 3 diesel Colorado and Canyon, F150 and Ecodiesel trucks for no less than a year on their lots. They've traded them back and forth or put them at other lots but they still want 35000 for the cheapest truck and 55000 for the most expensive when you can get their gasoline counterparts at the same lots for 5-15,000 cheaper.

[@rumledumper]

You could get it in the XLT lariat platinum and king ranch only available in super crew cab xl was only available to fleet trucks and was also available in a crew cab

[@matthewschiebout7384]

115k miles for a 2014 isn't "a lot of miles" but basically "average"

[@06colkurtz]

The rotary selected is genius. I had trouble going to the old fashioned tree on the column. It’s always in the way.

[@colbywood1785]

Just bought a ‘21 F-150 Platinum Crew Cab Long Bed with the baby powerstroke. I’ll never not be insanely happy with this truck

[@gavriushka]

The only thing I can say for sure about these small diesels, is that the last gen EcoDiesel, went out with a bang in a good way. They fixed literally everything about that engine before it got discontinued, and works phenomenal. I’ve seen people put over 200k miles on one without a single repair on the engine. I’ve had one and would keep forever if it wasn’t for a one accident that totaled it. But Gen 3 EcoDiesel is amazing. And it shows since you can’t buy a certified one right now anywhere in the country.

[@reidbrown6786]

You can still buy new!

[@LionRunner]

In Asia diesels are the top choice because 1) diesel is cheaper 2) diesel has better range (even with crazy stop and go traffic) 3) diesel engines are much stronger construction / last longer

[@gregkelly2145]

You guys need a Bluetooth OBDII reader for your phones. Dirt cheap and extremely handy. I would have liked to know what the check engine lights were. On a related note, why the heck do cars and trucks not just indicate what is wrong all by themselves? It's not like they don't have big screens and computers already in them...

[@jarrodwidiger5472]

They don't tell you so a stealership can tell you for 200 bux, but yes a BT ODBII reader and a smartphone are awesome and every car guy should have one. I've been using the torque app for almost a decade.

[@gregkelly2145]

@@jarrodwidiger5472 Me too, I never go on a long trip without it.

[@Smyth1122]

I have the 3.0 ecodiesel in my Jeep Gladiator and in my wife's Jeep Wrangler. We love it!

[@cowelk]

I also have an EcoDiesel in my 2021 Wrangler. I love it, too. I got 25 mpg overall for 2 years when it was stock and that included highway, street and offroad miles. I got a lift and 33 inch tires. Now my mileage for the last year was 20 overall which is great for a "brick" traveling down the road. I love the torque. I almost idle uphill when going offroad and hardly ever spin a tire. I towed a 5x8 UHaul trailer full both ways from Arizona to Virginia and back and 21 mpg. I didn't slow down on hills and never downshifted to 6th. It stayed in 8 or 7. Too bad they have discontinued it.

[@fedeenUSA]

The 3.0 ford diesel engine is being used in the new Ford Ranger in Argentina and other countries. Nice engine

[@robertryan7204]

Yes they use them in the Ranger and now Amarok

[@JohnS-ps9jv]

I'm no GM guy but the baby duramax is clearly the best choice.

[@Wickhaven1]

Outdoorsman trim is so underrated. Better gears, bigger fuel tank, skid plates, heavier suspension..I love my 2014 with an outrageous 120,000 miles 🫢

[@braamkotze473]

That Lion V6 Power Stroke is nou in the Ranger, with the 10spd AM. It's a match made in heaven! Bravo Ford, Car of the Year in South Africa 🌍💙🇿🇦

[@robertryan7204]

3.2 Engine had lubrication problems

[@wade111371]

Ford never marketed the 3.0 Powerstroke. Most people never even knew it was an available option. The price was a little bit of a deterrent also. I have one and going down the highway at 68 miles an hour I typically get 27 MPG and that is leveled with over sized tires.

[@jasonbrushett2005]

Nice ! I'd love to have one

[@Losingsince]

The hybrid was better in every way which killed it

[@wade111371]

@@Losingsince There is no way that the Powerboost can get mid 20's MPG in a 4WD. I had a ecoboost prior to this truck that wasn't leveled and the best I could get running the same speeds was 19 MPG. At the end of the day you buy what works for you and I'll do the same.

[@MrCory0626]

No they didn't market it at all. I've been loyal to Ford my entire life but if they don't offer a new diesel when I'm ready to trade in my 21 3.5 (because I couldn't find a diesel within a thousand miles of me) I may have to get a gmc even though it would kill me inside

[@bcredeur97]

Y’all should look at a VW Touareg 3.0 TDI Little more rare but they are interesting and more reliable than you would think

[@rayd2100]

GM is the only manufacturer that put time and money into a clean sheet design for a 1500 application, and it shows. The other two half-assed their offerings and charged through the nose for them.

[@baxs5076]

And it's fraught with widespread problems, it and the new revision :D

[@gregy3660]

I own a 2016 ram 1500 eco diesel and love it it’s great for long road trips

[@milesj6064]

I have a 2018 F150 Lariat with the diesel, it has been a great truck to drive, love the mileage. In the real cold winter up here in Canada only twice did I have to hit the start switch twice to get it to start. I had 2 recalls for the EGR valve, and they have replaced the oil pan twice for leaks due to it being composite no gasket it is glued on, the rear main seal for leaks, and the dipstick tube for leaks, and I only have 40,000 miles on it since new.

[@garretlewis4103]

A bunch of little things which can be a pain. At least it hasn't been anything too major. Hopefully it will last you a long time without constant little problems. Interesting about the oil pan.

[@Hard_7_Iron]

I have a 2016 Ram Laramie ecodiesel and it’s never given me a minute of trouble. I will not get rid of it…the only complaint is really with FCA cancelling 3G apps. I know they give you an option for a plugin T-Mobile…but I don’t want to pay T-Mobile for anything…. But the truck is amazing!

[@rustydusty1111]

In 2020 RAM redesigned the EcoDiesel (Gen3) and isn't even comparable to Gen2 (2014-2019). If you're going to compare a newer 3L Duramax it would have been more realistic to compare it against a 2020+ EcoDiesel so it's the the latest from both manufacturers.

[@sagraphix]

Exactly!!!!! Dumb ass review

[@persistentwind]

Heck yeah... how do you compare price points and technology when you're nearly a decade apart and a generation behind on the ecod...

[@jeffg8142]

The gm straight 6 has a rubber belt running the oil pump in the rear of the block thus requires the transmission to be removed to service it

[@andrewm2002]

Engineered failure, right from the factory. Plus they burn oil

[@jpaz4901]

Standard GM engineering!

[@EBIndy]

And the ford has a timing belt to run the engine. Guess what happens when that breaks? BAM. Pistons hit valves RIP engine. The fear mongering ignorance over the 3.0 Duramax oil pump belt is hilarious.

[@Pantelifts10]

You forgot to say that they service it at 200.000 miles

[@jeffg8142]

@@EBIndy most overhead cam engines have interference. Not many have a rubber band running the oil pump.

[@jimmyaber5920]

Ecodiesel are great until the day the coolant hose to turbo explodes. No excuse, silicone rubber hose 6 inches long would not have cost a CEO a bonus. The intake seam makes it too wide to get out of the valley and if it's run hot the glow plugs break. If none of that bites you in the a** then the crank bearings fail or the cam gear slips when cam journals in head gall. But some run a long time too.

[@dougpendleton1266]

Avoid them all...The "I do cars" guy had an excellent tear down of a 3.0 Duramax. The amount of fragile complexity for modern diesels to meet Federal requirements have destroyed the old diesel virtues of robust simplicity which delivered reliability and durability.

[@anthonygarland933]

That's not what his teardown showed at all. What he did show was owner abuse kills engines.

[@dougpendleton1266]

@@anthonygarland933 you are correct that it is a bad thing to run an engine without oil, but I stand by my observations. When compared to pre-emission diesels, the fragile complexity of these federal compliant designs ruined them. Just how long do you think that belt driving the oil pump is going to last? The ending will be the same. Compared to something like a 4BT or 6BT diesel where you just have 3 big slow moving GEARS as opposed to an array of chains, tensioners, solenoids, etc. You might also look at the video done by Reignited - Cycle and Automotive. He is a Mopar technician and describes the complexities and problems of the Mopar eco-diesel quite well.

[@randycupp5925]

I am sure the oil pump belt will last the 200k miles that they recommend between inspection intervals. All it is doing is driving a pump. Lots of Harleys with belt drives that withstand torque and weather exposure.

[@dougpendleton1266]

@@randycupp5925 Big difference between having a belt immersed in oil, not to mention having to split the drivetrain to even see the thing. But one of the great things about our country is that we can agree to disagree.

[@EBIndy]

You can stand by your ignorance all you want. Reality is the 3.0 Duramax is quite robust. Even the oil pump belt was holding up quite well at 146k miles

[@daves1646]

Had a 2016 EcoD. After the AEM recall, that “lag” was HORRIBLE, occasionally dangerous. And with the degraded power output (that did’nt happen according to the FCA doc’s filed with EPA in the lawsuit packet) meant that towing a travel trailer was a near overheat going somewhere to happen if you did long hills on the interstate. The Eco had a low capacity radiator with the trans cooler, A/C exchanger, and the turbo intercooler all dumping heat in front of it. Hot day on highway towing --> higher water and oil temps; the harder driven, the higher both water and oil temp went. If RAM didn’t cheap out the cooling system, the truck’s capability would have been way better. The EcoD was fine for very light duty use, but for real work …… not so good.

[@NatesHomeTours]

19:18 he says just some dirt on them, NOT. I had a 22 ranger as a rental and it was as clean as if off the show room floor, I had it for a week and every time I drove it, I got that notice that they we blocked.

[@isaacmontes7195]

Lmao that really the only thing you got from this vid?

[@NatesHomeTours]

@@isaacmontes7195 Nope, just making a point that Ford has an issue with front sensors and its not from dirt.

[@DM-fv7hw]

A friend bought a fully loaded Limited Ram with the 3.0 Ecodisel, he drives a GMC 5.3 because they can't even fix the problems on his new truck. If I were to buy a used 3.0 diesel, it would probably be the GM, but I wouldn't touch a diesel engine with modern emissions unless I was logging constant miles.

[@B-rad303]

A hybrid/Diesel would be cool that's what they should build

[@jarrodwidiger5472]

I've thought about this alot, and a diesel hybrid only makes sense if the diesel runs from start to stop. If they had an electric assist like the first gen insight to take load off the motor it would be interesting to see the result.

[@cowelk]

That is exactly what a railroad locomotive does. The diesel engine makes electricity. You don't have to charge it. You just drive.@@jarrodwidiger5472

[@ethanlegler6403]

I recently bought a used 2021 Silverado RST Z71 with the Duramax for $42k with around 55k miles. A little higher mileage then I'd have liked but the fuel efficiency is great and am very much enjoying the truck so far.

[@andrewm2002]

Good luck with that oil pump belt

[@garretlewis4103]

Sounds like a pretty good deal.

[@EBIndy]

He sure will have good luck. He has another 150k miles to go before changing it.

[@andrewm2002]

@@Pantelifts10 I can't fathom why you're defending pulling the transmission for a maintenance item. That's just shit engineering

[@Bob-zu5uw]

The biggest issue was injectors, my buddy is a RAM mechanic and the issue is our diesel fuel is too clean. The injectors fail because of limited lubrication so if you found a good deal on one replace the injectors and add lubricant additive to the fuel and it will be fine.

[@persistentwind]

Never heard of an injector failure on an ecod... now main bearings on a 2 gen ecod... that's a thing.

[@JesseLJohnson]

I add additives every time I fill up my diesels. I know some people dump some 2 stroke in when they fill up. I generally use Hot Shots. In our old tilt bed with the 7.3 we dump used engine oil whatever in that. Usually half a tank of diesel the rest is oil, ATF, stale gas whatever.

[@panthermartin7784]

Ok first of compared to the EU diesel fuel American diesel is garbage and dirty AF. What Im assuming you ment was they removed the sulphur from the diesel to meet emissions therefore removing the lubrication properties. Local diesel is almost always contaminated especially with water. A German diesel would eventuality grenade running American fuel. Info readily available online on fuel quality comparisons.

[@JMSynthetics]

I wish they would have had a newer 3rd gen eco diesel to compare the newer Ford and Chevy trucks too. They kept saying there were out to compete with the eco but by that time the 3rd gen eco was out which was a ton better than the second gen in that 2014

[@sagraphix]

Exactly...,comparing so many years development is totally biased

[@elliottedwards7778]

The other good thing about the outdoorsman is it has the better transfer case it doesn't overheat when off roading

[@mbukukanyau]

It’s a 3:0 liter duramax that I would get

[@kosteelers]

Nathan was on a roll the entire video 😂😂

[@nandohernandez6451]

@tfltruck This was the comparison I have been looking for. Thank you. And thanks for the note about maintenance cost at the end. It made me realize that diesel is apparently not for me due to how little I drive, distance wise. Thank you again

[@chancebrown4172]

My new 2024 Silverado with just 4k miles on it is going to the shop with a transmission leak🥲other than that I love it.

[@reidbrown6786]

It sure would have been nice to see you compare a 2020 gen 3 eco diesel vs the other 2. The gen 3 is a major step up

[@robstanfield4338]

Here in Australia the powerstroke 3.0 lives on in the Ford Ranger.

[@alexanderdeburdegala4609]

I love the Eco-Diesels I've owned. Never an issue, that being said I am jealous of the straight 6 in the chevy.

[@garretlewis4103]

At one time I wanted a half-ton diesel truck. I had good experience with my 2000 VW Jetta TDI with almost 400k miles on it. Crazy all of these trucks have a CEL, disappointing. I would have been in a toss up between the Ram and Chevy.

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

EPA screwed up diesels.

[@roskoegaming7085]

Love my ram 1500 ecodiesel Laramie with only 98k miles

[@daveroush4896]

I think the F150 was an XLT, it was noted on the tag and it also had dual zone AC.

[@jonpeters4383]

I have a 2020 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel. I have 114000 miles and climbing. All highway and have had no issues. In the summer I can average 29mpg. It’s also 4x4 and 3:92 ratio. Want to buy it?

[@johnlemme1603]

Yes,send info

[@mavixrox1657]

Notice how that Chevy 1500 costs around 50,000 new, if that used price is correct it hasn't lost ANY value...

[@zTimmyz0244]

Obviously Duramax, since it the only one still in production.

[@shuttlepilot_]

Every conversation about nearly every diesel vehicle produced in the last 15 years starts with what it’s supposed to do and transitions to “yea but”. I will not own a diesel anything until the “yea but” part is gone the discussion.

[@Spoolingturbski]

That’s a Mercedes key. And yes they are great keys but once you start having issues with the EIS or programming it can be a nightmare. I’ve resoldered many of the eis

[@stevestanton3083]

Is anyone other than me curious about what they sold for at the auction?

[@garretlewis4103]

That would be a fun fact to know for sure!

[@d.williams6891]

When these trucks are straight piped they sound pretty good. Maybe not as good as my 6.7 F250 with the 5” exhaust, but dang I want one of these for a daily driver!

[@GrandPines323]

I recently seen a Ram Ecodiesel Regular Cab long bed at a local small car lot. It's definitely a rare configuration.

[@Losingsince]

The diesel F-150 was essentially killed by the hybrid option. You got the same gas mileage, better torque, it cost less to purchase and runs on cheaper fuel. There was no practical reason to choose the diesel, which is shy it didn't sell well and was discontinued

[@drumdaynight17]

This is a great example of 3 trucks that are not worth buying. Ford is discontinued, dodge is dodge (note their enthusiasm that it had made it to 115k miles), and Chevy consumes oil. Add in that they don’t get the fuel economy they should and diesel cost more, nope.

[@boballmendinger3799]

I couldn't have said it better! As I've gotten older, I just want an older, simpler, more durable truck. Emissions rules not withstanding, I'd like a mid 90's Ford crew long bed with a 455 Buick engine with fuel injection and a stout manual transmission.

[@paulherring4230]

All three check engine lights on “least they have something in common lol

[@JesseLJohnson]

If you go to a car auction damn near everything is lit up like a christmas tree. There is usually a reason they are there. Trades that the dealers don't want, cars off lease, fleet cars. Most everything has tons of miles. Auctions are getting a bit better now but the last few years the auctions around here had hardly any cars and what was there was just garbage. The new dealers were keeping most of their trades to resell on their lot not just punting them off at the auction. So it was 5-15 year old junk with tons of miles and every light on the dash lit up selling for ungodly money. The last sale I went to I just laughed and went home. There was a 2 year old Tahoe I was interested in. It brought $65k. You can buy the same one brand new for around $70k. By the time you pay auction fees and all you would have to sell it for as much or more than a brand new one cost to make a living. I figured $55k was all it was really worth. Might retail as high as $60k. Sells for $65k plus fees lol. Had 30k miles on it. I think if I was a buyer and saw one used 2 years old with those miles and one brand new for the same price I am buying new.

[@gregferris9378]

I never miss a episode. Great work guys.

[@anthonysourdiff1835]

Thanks for the great video. I would take any of them. You can't go wrong with the diesel longevity.

[@garretlewis4103]

The CEL being on, on all 3 is a little concerning. You do equate diesel with longevity. That and the fuel mileage is the attractive part to me. I had a 2000 TDI Jetta that got 50+ MPG and almost 400k on the odometer.

[@zachlafond2652]

IDOCARS just tore apart a dead 3L duramax out of a 2020 chevy truck. He really didn't care for the timing system design (kevlar belt submerged in oil) and the location of it.

[@anthonygarland933]

He wasn't in favor of the design. But the tear down showed no issues with oil pump belt or timing chain. Had it not been for owner asbuse, the engine would've been fine. His title was extremely misleading. But I'm pretty sure that was on purpose for views.

[@derrickfettig9160]

@@anthonygarland933still a stupid design. Belts are known to breaking far more often then chains. Plus other Chevys use the crank to drive the oil pump.

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

It’s only $2960 to have the belt replacement done. 15 hours of shop time hahahahahahahahabHhahHahahahaha

[@steveurbanski14]

The duramax did have an issue with the oil pump where it had to be serviced at 150K and it is expensive like 3K....later years this has gone up to 200K on the service interval.

[@drewelliott9062]

I think the 3 Liter is the best.

[@kylebutler7142]

🤣😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣😂😂

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

7.3 big liters maybe 👍🏻

[@AlaskaErik]

Higher fuel prices?! I'm going from a 6.2L to a 3.0L Duramax and diesel is exactly one dollar a gallon cheaper than premium. And 60 cents cheaper than regular. And on the SLT I'm getting the Duramax is a $795 option. The 6.2 is a $2495 option. And my SLT will have the 3.73 axle, which will be great for towing. So between the 6.2 or the 5.3 or the 3.0 the 3.0 is a no brainer.

[@slocavky]

EASY... The GM. I have a 2021 Silverado with the 3.0... I LOVE the thing.

[@stephenp8644]

"Check Engine" light... check the fuel cap. Federal emission rules, if fuel cap loose or off, check engine light must come on.

[@markman7]

The V6 crankshaft configuration is far and away inferior to the I6. The rod and main journals are very narrow compared to the I6 so the diameter is increased on the V6 journals for increased bearing surface. Problem is, the surface speed on the larger journal bearings is increased by about 50% which is why the Ecodiesel eats cranks at 75k. An Ecodiesel running at 2k rpm has the same surface speed on the bearings as a Duramax I6 at 3k rpm. Ford engineers (on youtube) identify the 3.0 Powerstroke engine as having a service life of 150k while the 3.0 GM engineers identify the Duramax as having a service life of 150k (now 200k) on only the oil pump belt. I'll take only the Duramax.

[@jasonhansen6632]

I wonder who the optimist/pessimist is of the duo???? Both of them thinking 115K is alot of miles was the best part for me.......meanwhile in Texas, 2006 LBZ with 385K, 2011 megacab with 278K and a 2015 f250 with 280K, I am a contractor that cant part ways with my trucks (except 2010 f250), put every mile on all these trucks myself with only one major break on the Ford when CP4 grenaded at 280K and still havent had time to fix it.

[@johndonohoe9807]

I have a 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon with over 4ooK. Have owned it since new, Runs the same as it always has and gets between 45 to 50 mpg. There is nothing like a diesel. No mechanical issues ever, except EGR valve.

[@garretlewis4103]

@@johndonohoe9807 Shout out to the Jetta TDI. I had a 2000 Jetta TDI with the 5 speed. My mileage was 50+ mpg and on an all highway trip one time I got 65 MPG. Mine had almost 400k. My injector pump started leaking and that repair was more expensive than the car was worth. It is still in my yard. One day when I have some free time, might do some wrenching on it to get it back on the road.

[@daves1646]

On that Ike ‘competition’, the EcoD had big high temps at the end of the Ike, the Ford cooling system was as cool as a cucumber.

[@samjoiner7955]

My mom had a 2014 Grand Cherokee with the 3l eco diesel and it kept having cooling and emission issues all the way up to about 130,000 before the oil cooler blew and warped the engine

[@joemattes8389]

I want the purple two door Ram you drove past.

[@NN-cj6qv]

I love the EcoDiesel

[@pnwexplorer1122]

its crazy how long TFL sits on videos, this was filmed clearly during the summer since they have the AC on full blast and are wearing t-shirts lol its mid November 🤣🤣

[@BorellaFamilyAdventures]

I don't think that was an Outdoorsman. I think it is a Big Horn based on the Auto 4WD availability.

[@zachattack83]

The best 3.0 diesel in a half ton is a 2.7 ecoboost.

[@theprfesssor]

I was hoping for Ford to come with a diesel option for the Bronco They could call it the outback edition or something paying homage to SUV'S all over the world that are built for the long haul off the beaten path After Ford discontinued the powerstroke in the F-150 it was clear that won't happen unfortunately, hopefully the hybrid version will be a cool alternative though

[@Kingswood7189]

Gotta go ecodiesel (yes, im dodge biased). Im not a big fan of the oil pump (and its belt) location on the duramax, and the ford chime is really annoying, just being honest. I wouldnt be overly upset if my half ton diesel didnt take less than 6 seconds to 60 mph, cause theyre about low end torque and efficiency, not speed. I personally dont agree with the dial myself, but i can deal with that. Just my $0.02. :)

[@loum7008]

Just wanted to chime in that my 2014 GC Ecodiesel did not lose any performance or fuel economy after the ECU flash. I'm at 185k mi now.