IS THE ECODIESEL RIGHT FOR YOU?

[WXman]

Just finished an 1880 mile road trip from Seattle area to Yellowstone national Park and back with my family and friends and we had the opportunity to do some real world comparison between the Jeep Gladiator 3.6 Pentastar and the Duramax diesel ZR2. My gladiator is an LE with 315/70R17 (35") KO2s with speedo calibrated stock suspension, bed fully loaded with gear and 3 passengers. The ZR2 I was traveling with has a leveling kit, canopy and decked system with basic traveling gear, stock tires (31" Goodyears) and one passenger. Traveling speed was on average 70mph with moments at 80mph when passing, and many miles of 45mph travel through the park. With the fuel cost offset between unleaded in diesel (varied from State to State) the Gladiator costs on average 2 cents per/gal more to operate than the diesel ZR2 not accounting for DEF fluid. This means if the Ecodiesel performs similar to the Duramax based on the $4000 upcharge you would need to keep the Jeep long enough to put 2000,000 miles on it before you began to see a return on your investment, when you add in DEF fluid at approx. $13 per/5000 miles it increases to 220,000 miles. Keep in mind the Gladiator is competing against the ZR2 rolling on a 35" tire also. I will not get in to the maintenance costs between gas and diesel due to the many variables. My opinion is unless you are towing heavy all the time (might consider a different vehicle) stick with the Pentastar. I have owned and towed with three diesel trucks (2008 Duramax tuned, 2017 Duramax, and 2019 Duramax) and while I love the capabilities, I have to tell you this Pentastar 8 speed combo is very well sorted. I am attaching a few images of the fuel economy numbers. Let me know your thoughts.

I think you're all over it. I've shown the math, as have others, and 99.99% of people will NEVER break even on the diesel. And, if you have one of those $8,000 repairs just out of warranty that the EcoDiesel is known for, you're screwed on the deal for the entirety of ownership. So basically, you're paying a premium annually, not just up front but each year you own it. Is it worth it? I've owned diesel Jeeps and gas Jeeps and these days I just don't think diesel is worth it anymore.

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[bairdy380]

Good write up

 

[futzin']

I want to want one. But I don't even buy diesels for my work trucks any more.

 

[WhatExit?]

Daniel, this was all clarified in the text of post #five and there are also visual aids in post #1 clearly showing both ZR2 Colorado's, none of which are equipped with 35" tires. Lets move on little fella.

Sensitive much?

 

[smlobx]

I have the Ecodiesel in our Grand Cherokee and love the power.
When I was looking for a new midsize truck I test drove a Colorado with the baby Duramax...my impression was that it was severely underpowered compared to the Ecodiesel and seemed to run out of breath at highway speeds. That coupled with the cheap interior led me to the Gladiator.

The reason I went with a gas version is only because we have plans to take the truck to Baja and the question of ULSD fuel availability made the choice for me... I have no doubt that the new diesel will be amazing not only with regards to power but fuel economy...

 

[Sgt Beavis]

It’s been said many many many many many times on this forum. Buying the diesel for fuel economy makes no sense at all. There are only two good reasons to spend that money. 1. TORQUE!!! 2. Range. I have zero issues with pricing. Adding a Turbo or Supercharger to the 3.6 costs is significantly more expensive and voids any warranty. Speaking of warranty, I will be buying any factory extended warranty out there.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

regardless of what’s going on my truck will be tuned and deleted. ROI is for investments not vehicles purchases

 

[Sgt Beavis]

ROI is for investments not vehicles purchases

99% true. The 1% is for the bubble market on classic cars.

 

[BlackDog]

It’s been said many many many many many times on this forum. Buying the diesel for fuel economy makes no sense at all. There are only two good reasons to spend that money. 1. TORQUE!!! 2. Range. I have zero issues with pricing.

+1 on this. I still need to try some towing with my JT in the mountains but I'm keeping an eye on the diesel version of the Gladiator for torque and range benefits.

 

[biodiesel]

I have a 2015 Ram Ecodiesel with 76,000 miles on it. I do plan to trade the Ram Ecodiesel sometime in the spring. I'll be watching the rollout of the new 2020 Ram gen. III Ecodiesel over the next 4 - 8 months before I make a decision. I very much prefer the diesel engine over the gasoline engine, but I need to be convinced that the gen. III Ecodiesel has the potential to be a long-lasting engine with proven reliability before I buy another Ecodiesel. My problems have only been emissions related (EGR Cooler Replacement, MAP Sensor clogged with soot, DEF injector replacement, etc.), but nonetheless, it has required making an immediate trip into the dealer. Everything has been repaired under either the factory warranty, extended warranty, or the AEM warranty. The new gen. III Ecodiesel has a new EGR system that is supposed to be better, so we'll see what happens.

 

[Trent S]

What if you want one because of the xtra fuel range or just because you want one? lol not everyone is buying a gladiator because it makes sense financially.

 

[Shathawk]

What if you want one because of the xtra fuel range or just because you want one? lol not everyone is buying a gladiator because it makes sense financially.

Heck yeah, the extra range will be nice. The V6 is great and Im sure the Ecodiesel is going to be awesome. Just gathered some information and disseminated it to the group. Wont be long and we will have some real life data on the Wrangler Ecodiesel as well.

 

[bgenlvtex]

How much smaller is the tank on the diesel?

I'll be surprised if the range increases meaningfully.

22gx18mpg=396
18gx26mpg=468

I bet those are close to correct numbers when it all shakes out. I would guess to some that additional 75 mile range will have practical application, others not so much.

 

[bgenlvtex]

What if you want one because of the xtra fuel range or just because you want one? lol not everyone is buying a gladiator because it makes sense financially.

I don't see anyone saying not to buy one. I see people explaining why they will not.

By all means, smoke em if you got em

 

[WXman]

What if you want one because of the xtra fuel range or just because you want one? lol not everyone is buying a gladiator because it makes sense financially.

The "range" is limited by the fact that 45% of fuel stations in the U.S. don't sell diesel, according to AAA. So I don't think range comes into the equation in practical terms.

If you just want one, regardless of what it costs, then that is the best reason to buy one. In fact, that's the only reason that makes sense.

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