interesting thread with a lot of pertinent info. there has been a great deal of focus on the admittedly anemic 240hp developed by the ram ed, but let's not loose sight of the fact that horsepower ratings sell trucks while torque is what pulls the load. with the ecodiesel & the ecoboost both developing 420 lb/ft of torque they would both be brought to there knees equally under conditions in the review quoted. by the way, i'm not sure i'd classify a 7% grade to an elevation of 5000' as a moderate climb. where the puny hp rating would come into play is the rate of acceleration; i.e., time required to reach highway speeds from a standing stop, which is not to be minimized. interstate on ramps or 2 lane passing with a load are definitely situations that could leave you wishing for more hp. let's face it, there's simply no replacement for displacement but,as previously mentioned, there's definitely a niche for these mini-engines as evidenced by the big three truck manufacturer's massive efforts to move them into the mainstream of the truck world. they are definitely a viable alternative to the big gas guzzling v-8's as long as your needs don't exceed their limitations. this "tow vehicle" sub forum may not be the best venue to point this out, but interestingly, trucks are used to tow or carry max loads less than 1% time. the other 99% of the time they're used for light utility use or simple transporttation. so, i, & i imagine many others , will be happy, happy, happy to own a vehicle that gets fantastic fuel economy 99% of the time & do an adequate job of occassionally towing a moderately sized tt!!! for those that need more, other options are definitely available.
