Is more power always a win?
The new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is a very capable truck. It’s capable of towing and has an impressive fuel efficiency of 26 MPG in the combined cycle. Jeff Perez, Motor1.com‘s Senior editor, discovered during the first drive with the diesel-powered pickup that it is a “best-in-class” towing machine. It has tons of torque, sharp styling and all the capabilities you would expect.
The 1500 EcoDiesel diesel truck is the newest and most popular in the half-ton segment. TFLnow raced the model against a Chevrolet Silverado Duramax, to see which one was faster. Drag races may not be the best way to compare trucks before purchasing one, but this test could help us answer many of our questions.
What is under the hoods on these two pickups? The Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine that compression-ignition produces 260 horsepower (194 Kilowatts) as well as 480 pound-feet (654 Newton-meters). It’s mated with an eight-speed auto. The Silverado uses a 3.0-liter straight-6 diesel to counter it. It produces 277 horsepower (206 kW) as well as 460 lbft (624Nm) of torque. It has a 10-speed auto.
We now have the numbers, so it’s time for the race. Although you shouldn’t expect much, it’s still exciting to see these large machines race hard on the drag strip. TFLnow took two quarter-mile runs, with drivers switching between their trucks for objectivity. The winner was the exact same truck both times.
These pickups look very similar. Both pickups have the same engine displacement, similar rear axle ratios and identical cabin layouts. They also have only two driving wheels. You can’t find more apples-toapples.