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LaunchnRetrieve's avatar
Jan 01, 2014

6 Cyl Dodge Diesel 30 mpg?

Find myself disappointed that the F150 Ecoboost only gets 10 mpg towing, was really hoping to make a dent in my gas bill with my next truck. I love my F150, but at 7mpg towing and not towing anymore because of the gas bill, I really want to find something that can tow the boat and trailer without breaking my bank.

Heard a car guy on the radio say that dodge has a 6 cyl diesel that gets 30 mpg. Is this even possible?

35 Replies

  • That is the claimed MPG for the new 1500 Dodge small diesel and 8 speed auto. It should in the real world achieve nearly that. My heavy dually gets 17-18 in the real world on the highway unloaded.
  • 30 Mpg from a small diesel in a small truch is certainly possible, if the truck is designed small enough and slick enough, but whether it holds up as a rating for the EPA Combined test cycle remains to be seen. Trucks this smaller with even smaller diesels are used in Asia and get mileage in that range by local test standards. The great mpg is because the truck will require so little power to move it, just as a subcompact car does so much better than a full-size SUV.

    30 mpg towing? Don't expect it. The power needed to move is determined by what you are towing, and how fast you are towing it, more than by what powerplant is in the tow vehicle. Turbo gas like your Ecoboost is almost efficient, HP-hour per pound of fuel, so gain from going diesel will be mostly from fuel density if you measure mpg rather than miles per pound. With today's motor fuel price structures being so even on pounds per dollar, miles per dollar might not be much of a gain.
  • Yep, down hill. Even my Cummins 5.9 does. Same 6 cylinder diesel that was used in the late 80s/90s Dodge pickups. But guess that little 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 built by VM Motori (half owned by Fiat) in Italy, will do pretty good considering. A 8 speed transmission and 240 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, optimized for low-end torque will get you a towing capacity of 9,200 lbs.
  • LaunchnRetrieve wrote:
    Find myself disappointed that the F150 Ecoboost only gets 10 mpg towing, was really hoping to make a dent in my gas bill with my next truck. I love my F150, but at 7mpg towing and not towing anymore because of the gas bill, I really want to find something that can tow the boat and trailer without breaking my bank.

    Heard a car guy on the radio say that dodge has a 6 cyl diesel that gets 30 mpg. Is this even possible?


    The money you will spend buying another vehicle as well as all the money you will loose on depreciation will go a long ways towards buying the extra fuel for towing with your existing vehicle.
  • saw a TV show and they were talking about the new cars and truck for 2014 and they said the dodge with the little V-6 will do just that. But as you know seeing is believing not the ad hype they put out. that engine comes in the 1500 only not the 3/4 ton trucks.

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