2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel 4x4

Powertrain

The 3.0L turbo diesel makes nearly 500 lb/ft of torque which sort of makes up the lower 240 hp. The power delivery is smooth with 0 to 60 time around 8 seconds. The truck feels better to drive than the numbers represent as the actual power is more than the Hemi V8 when the rpms are under 3000. This makes the truck feel powerful in everyday driving.

The ZF 8 speed transmission shifts smoothly and seems to be in the right gear most of the time. The manual range select only has gear limit which means in manual mode it isn't possible to hold a gear to prevent excessive downshifting. The transmission isn't programmed well when using the cruise control. When using cruise control it seems the transmission uses an alternate shift control program which is more for the HEMI and downshifts on anything but level road making almost useless when towing.

This truck has the 3.21 rear axel ratio with limited slip that has a tow capacity slightly under 8000 lbs. It has no issues towing up to maximum capacity and tows nearly as well as a 3.92 axel ratio, however the transmission will be one gear lower under the same conditions with the 3.21 axel. In other words, for a stock truck the 3.92 in 7th gear will perform the same as the 3.21 in 6th gear as the overall effect ratio is the same. The 3.92 axel will have a higher tow capacity and provide more torque to the wheels on takeoff.

Interior and switches

The overall interior is laid out well and the switch have a high quality feel, less the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch has weak a return spring and doesn't feel high quality.

How much does it cost?

The MSRP on this truck was around $72k.

Radar Cruise Control

The radar cruise control works well under most conditions however has too high of a rate of acceleration when resuming set speed. This makes the truck downshift when accelerating after a slowdown and can use full throttle to return to a set speed only a few miles per hour higher.

NAVI, sound system and speakers

The Harmon Kardon system has over 20 speakers and sounds well after a slight modification. I believe the system wasn't tuned correctly for the first year of the EcoDiesel in the 5th generation as the subwoofer seemed to be "muddy" and producing too much mid-bass that sounded "boomy ". This was corrected with a passive low pass filter added to the analog subwoofer input that limited the subwoofer to frequencies below 50Hz. The door speakers handle mid-bass and seem to pickup around that. The system has a much deeper sound and the low frequencies stand out more.

The NAVI works well and the 12" screen is high resolution and easy to see. We did add a glass screen protector which give the screen an even higher quality feel and saves it from scratches.

Fuel efficiency and range

MPG often exceeds the window sticker of 20 MPG city and 27 MPG highway. The truck has often returned 30-33 mpg on the highway and with a 33 gal fuel tank has a range of nearly 1,000 miles.

Ride and handling

This truck has 4 corner air suspension that allows for heavy load capacity without rear end squat and provides a comfortable ride all at the same time. The ride is near luxury car smooth when unloaded or fully loaded.

Noise levels

Noise levels are very low and also near luxury car levels for engine, wind and tire noise. At higher speeds there is slight wind noise around the large side view mirrors.

Seat comfort

Seat comfort is excellent with supportive seats with nice durable leather. The seat heaters work well as does the cooling feature.

AC performance

The AC and heat performance are excellent with the auto climate control doing a fine job of controlling cabin temperatures.

3.0 V-6 Turbo Diesel

Good underbody protection with off-road package

Good rear leg room