Ford 2.7L EcoBoost Vs. Ram 3.0L EcoDiesel: Cost of Ownership
Ford’s new 2.7L EcoBoost is extremely efficient. It carries a 26 mpg rating on the highway, and is only a $400 upgrade over the base 3.5L naturally-aspirated V6. It’s also pretty quick, and pretty fun. But was a turbo gasoline engine the best choice in the new truck, or should they have gone the diesel route?
Many people, including myself, like the idea of a diesel in a half-ton pickup. Ram offers one in the 1500, and it’s highway mileage is two better at 28 mpg. But at the end of the day, is the Ram 1500 the better long-term purchase for overall cost of ownership?
Ford’s own Mike Levine did the math for us on Twitter, comparing the overall cost for 15,000 miles of driving in both the 2.7L EcoBoost and the 3.0L EcoDiesel. He’s assuming a $0.76 price increase for diesel, which checks out at the time of the post. He’s using the statistics from both two-wheel drive trucks.
Would cost a customer $449 more to drive 15,000 miles with a Ram EcoDiesel than 2.7L EcoBoost in #2015F150
— Mike Levine (@mrlevine) November 21, 2014
Most people buy four-wheel drive trucks, so I have done the math for you based on their stated fuel economy at FuelEconomy.gov. For 15,000 miles, the EcoDiesel is $325 more expensive to drive.
When you start building similarly-equipped, non work-truck models, the gap closes to near $100. For many, that’s not enough to make a difference in their purchase decision. But the F-150 is two years newer than the Ram 1500, and has technology that the Ram doesn’t have. LED headlights are a lifesaver at night, and Ford’s BoxLink system gives owners tons of configuration options for the bed.
With gas prices continuing to drop, the savings benefit the Ford over the Ram. Don’t forget that with a diesel truck you need DEF fluid. It’s not expensive, but it does add a little bit of cost. In the end, the Ford F-150 wins the day. I’d still like to see Ford offer a diesel in the F-150, because history has taught us that gas prices won’t necessarily stay the same forever.
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