Since the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel’s announcement, we’ve been waiting to find out how efficient it is. Now, the official EPA fuel economy ratings have been released and they’re quite impressive, especially for a full-size truck.
In rear-drive guise, the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is rated at 22/32 mpg city/highway, making it the most efficient model in the lineup. Opting for four-wheel drive drops the fuel economy ratings to 21/29 mpg, which is still solid considering it’s a full-size truck. The new 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 brings increased efficiency compared to the previous EcoDiesel, particularly when it comes to highway fuel economy. Compared to the outgoing Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, rear-drive models gain 2 mpg in the city and 5 mpg on highway. Trucks equipped with four-wheel drive see more modest fuel economy increases of 2 mpg across the board.
When compared to diesel-powered variants of competing pickups like the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado, Ford F-150, and GMC Sierra 1500, the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel lands at the top half of the pack in fuel economy. Only the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 beats the Ram, but not by much. Rear-drive models are rated 1 mpg less in the city and highway while four-wheel-drive-equipped trucks lose out 2 mpg in the city but nothing on the highway. The Ford F-150’s fuel economy matches the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel in city ratings for both drivetrain combinations, but loses out on the highway by 2 and 1 mpg for rear- and four-wheel drive, respectively. GMC’s Sierra 1500 is rated 1 mpg higher than the Ram 1500 in the city in rear-drive guise but loses out on the highway where the Ram has a 2-mpg advantage. However, when you opt for four-wheel drive on the Sierra 1500, the Ram is down 1 mpg in the city and up 3 on the highway.
Powering the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 with 260 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. It comes exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission. When properly equipped, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel can tow 12,560 pounds. Diesel-powered competitors from Chevrolet and GMC can only haul up to 9,100 pounds while the Ford F-150 is good for 11,500 pounds.