31 mpg real world test

[biodiesel]

I just hope the JT diesel will be available this year - I could probably hold out until next year but hope I (we) don’t have to-

All my sources point towards April as the release date. Maybe we'll get some specs in March.

Sponsored

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Someone on the JL forum is reporting 32.4 mpg hand calculated at 70mph

 

[biodiesel]

Someone on the JL forum is reporting 32.4 mpg hand calculated at 70mph

If the conditions are right, I'm sure it's possible.

I know that many Jeep buyers want taller tires, wider tires, and in some cases, they want to switch from a passenger tire to a LT tire. That's when the mileage really takes a hit.

Does anyone know if the tow rating changes with the mopar lift? I assume it would, but I don't know if Jeep has a spec for it????

 

[WXman]

For reference, I should get approximately 13,000 off MSRP on my Longhorn (invoice, less hold back, less $800, less rebates, and 50% off any service contract).



I will use the Ram 1500 much more than I will the Gladiator, so it was a pretty easy decision for me. I'll get the Gladiator Ecodiesel, but not this year.

I drove the Ram today and tried to deal on it some more. They let me take it on a short highway trip to another town, drive through that town, then back up the highway to the dealership. I reset the meter and when I got back to the dealership it was showing 26 MPG. That was the closest test drive I could get to my typical 50/50 city/highway circuit weekly. So I have every reason to believe the truck would do what the window sticker claims.

The GVW is 7,200 and the payload is 1,645 so that means the truck should weigh about 5,555 lbs. That's a few hundred more than a Gladiator Sport EcoDiesel will weigh, and pretty similar to a Gladiator Rubicon EcoDiesel. But, the Ram is way bigger inside. I thought that was interesting.

This one has the 3.92 gears. It's not broken in yet, obviously. But I can tell you that it drives like a typical diesel. It is slow and won't win any races. Takes forever to reach 70 MPH merging onto the interstate. But, on the flip side once you reach 8th gear and set the cruise control, it'll hold 8th until the cows come home. That's what I love. The Hemi and the EcoDiesel are two totally different animals. The Hemi actually feels way stronger everywhere in the power band. But I can't live with the 15 MPGs those get on a good day.

 

[kclendaniel]

But, the Ram is way bigger inside. I thought that was interesting.

A few hundred pounds goes a long way towards making the 'shell' bigger. Air inside weighs nothing. The Wrangler (traditional Jeep actually) design constraints will always be a limitation on the Gladiator. They have stretched it significantly over the years but the Gladiator has similar cab shape constraints as my 48 Willys Truck when compared to a full size truck.

But I can't live with the 15 MPGs those get on a good day.

This is why my ecoDiesel Grand Cherokee was a no-brainier vs paying for the Hemi. Same/more torque, double the MPG.

 

[biodiesel]

But, the Ram is way bigger inside. I thought that was interesting.

Yes, the 5th gen Ram 1500 is extremely roomy inside. And yes, the Gladiator is a little piggy, but the hefty body makes me like it that much more. For towing, you don't want the tail wagging the dog. The Gladiator is beefed up for towing. In my opinion, FCA/Jeep did an excellent job with the Gladiator. I read on the forums that the Gladiator is a 'lifestyle truck". For some it probably is, but for me, it's a little tractor that's perfect for light duty work.

 

[biodiesel]

This one has the 3.92 gears.

I added 3.92 gears to my order build. It's not the best for fuel economy, but it's the best for those who want the maximum towing capacity.

 

[tampahoosier]

I'm planning to disable the EGR and keep all the emissions components intact. That's how Ecodiesel owners pass inspection in strict states like California. If you want to remove emissions components, then you could always sell private party instead of trading. You would save a lot of money doing it that way.

Resurrecting this post and this comment. How would you disable the EGR without removing it?

 

[biodiesel]

Resurrecting this post and this comment. How would you disable the EGR without removing it?

Wow, that must be an old post!

To answer your question, you can disable the EGR function with a tuner.

Since I made that post, a lot has happened in the world of EPA and them cracking down on tuners. For that reason, I went with the GDE EPA Compliant Tune which keeps the EGR intact.

 

[tampahoosier]

Wow, that must be an old post!

To answer your question, you can disable the EGR function with a tuner.

Since I made that post, a lot has happened in the world of EPA and them cracking down on tuners. For that reason, I went with the GDE EPA Compliant Tune which keeps the EGR intact.

Lol yeah I’ve been sniffing around the diesel posts. Trading in my 2020 JTR for the same in a 2021 diesel. I’ve seen some posts on the GDE and stumbled across this one. I thought I saw something on here by you saying the GDE would be out late summer, is it now out for our diesels?

Also, have you seen the Banks tune come out? No requirement to unlock the PCM seems pretty great compared to the GDE.

 

[biodiesel]

I thought I saw something on here by you saying the GDE would be out late summer, is it now out for our diesels?

That's the release date as of right now.

Also, have you seen the Banks tune come out? No requirement to unlock the PCM seems pretty great compared to the GDE.

I'm not sure what you mean by "no requirement to unlock the PCM". GDE uses a flashtool that allows you to switch from 'tuned' or 'stock'. It takes about 6 minutes to flash between the two tunes.

 

[tampahoosier]

That's the release date as of right now.



I'm not sure what you mean by "no requirement to unlock the PCM". GDE uses a flashtool that allows you to switch from 'tuned' or 'stock'. It takes about 6 minutes to flash between the two tunes.

I thought you had to send in the unit to unlock it first, is the wrong and it’s a simple flash like the banks or even a Tazer?

 

[biodiesel]

I thought you had to send in the unit to unlock it first, is the wrong and it’s a simple flash like the banks or even a Tazer?

The old GDE tune required that you send in either a blank ECM or the stock ECM. The new GDE tune uses a flashtool. You literally flash the tune via OBD II port. It takes about 6 minutes to load. It's perfect for when you need to flash back to stock when taking the truck/Jeep to the dealer for warranty work.

The GDE flashtool can also scan and clear codes.

 

[bonner]

Why don't they do a programmer that is after the ECM so that its undetectable? Plug in instead of flash?

 

[biodiesel]

Why don't they do a programmer that is after the ECM so that its undetectable? Plug in instead of flash?

The current GDE tune for the 2014 - 2019 is plug-in. It plugs into the OBD port.

We don't know for sure if the 2020+ GDE tune will be plug-in, though. Right now, I'm hearing that it could be bench flash only. Tuning has also been pushed back to a fall release.

Sponsored