

GM bests Ford's EcoBoost V6 fuel efficiency without complex, expensive turbochargers


2014 Chevrolet Silverado

5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 engine

The Ford Atlas Concept previews the nexxt generation F-150

Sources: General Motors [1], [2]

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RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By SeeManRun on 4/1/2013 7:36:05 PM , Rating: 3
If they made the Ram 1500 smaller or weigh significantly less, I could see that truck getting 30mpg on the EPA test cycle.

If you make it weigh that much less it loses the ability to tow. Sure you can make a smaller more efficient truck, but then it isn't competing with the real half tons. The trick is to keep capability the same (tow nearly 11,300 lbs) with about a half ton payload while saving fuel.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By Flunk on 4/1/2013 11:51:23 PM , Rating: 3
Realistically, they need to build a decent 1/2 tonne pickup with less towing capacity. Most of these things never need to tow 11,300 lbs. I'm not saying that they shouldn't build ones that can but that if they made a lighter one with a bit less torque people who don't need to tow huge things could save a bunch on initial purchase and gas.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By Flunk on 4/1/2013 11:52:13 PM , Rating: 2
I feel I should mention that I drive a vehicle that's rated to tow 0 lbs so maybe I don't understand.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By tat tvam asi on 4/2/2013 12:15:45 AM , Rating: 3
Variable cylinder management makes more sense for trucks. Even a basic manual shut down of cylinders will go a long way in saving gas.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By Argon18 on 4/2/2013 12:33:35 PM , Rating: 2
Your argument is flawed, because "gas" doesn't make sense in a truck. Hauling or towing or offroading does not require horsepower or high revs - the reasons to chose a gasoline engine.

Hauling, towing, and offroading require torque, and lots of it. There's a reason in most of the world, you cannot buy a gasoline truck. They only come in diesel, because that's what makes sense for a truck.

Putting a gasoline engine in a truck, is like putting a diesel engine into a Ferrari - it's silly and pointless and goes against the goals of the vehicle.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By Spuke on 4/2/2013 1:06:23 PM , Rating: 2
Gas or diesel works well in trucks. Also, you need to read up on what hp and torque is cause clearly you don't understand the relationship at all.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By BRB29 on 4/3/2013 9:08:08 AM , Rating: 2
That's true for the rest of the world except the US. We don't have diesel at every gas station and especially in the city. Some people don't use trucks for work and therefore it doesn't tow or haul much most of the time.
For some people, they just want to be able to haul the camping gear, sports equipment and the family on a trip. Some people wants it because they are single, have a motorcycle, and move frequently due to their job.

There's a lot of reasons why a gasoline truck exist.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
not everyone needs a hulking truck

I'll give you some examples of my previous/present requirements:
1. Tow horse trailer
2. Haul eight bails of hay
3. Pull a lightweight 5th wheel


RE: Ram 1500 still wins...

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...


RE: Ram 1500 still wins...

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By BRB29 on 4/2/2013 7:45:32 AM , Rating: 2
Yes, realistically there's a big market for a lighter truck with better MPG. I don't want a cheap small truck like a Ford Ranger either. If you have not noticed, Toyota had bumped their Tacoma to the size of their old Tundra.

Why do I want this? I just want to be able to carry some stuff around. A lot of carptenters and similar profession in the cities/suburbs wants these trucks. They don't need to haul 11,000 lbs. Anything that can carry tools, some supplies and haul 3000-6000 lbs will work.
As a regular consumer that just want a good truck that can carry my sports equipment, furniture, camping equipment and whatever I need to carry + kids. An F150 with with better mpg and less towing capacity makes a whole lot of sense.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By Spuke on 4/2/2013 10:39:34 AM , Rating: 2
You haven't been looking at Tacoma's then. I had an old Tundra (2004) and the new Tacoma is NOT the same size. A lot of people see the 4WD Tacoma's with the Prerunner option. If you really need a simple, light duty pickup, skip all that and get a regular cab or access cab, 2WD, 4 cyl truck. But if you need to haul 3000-6000 lbs, you're gonna have to get a 1 ton pickup. Hauling and towing are the same thing and require the same "reinforcements" to frame, suspension and tires. Same physics at play for both. When you're towing, you ARE hauling a portion of your trailers weight in the truck. That's why you see different weight maximums for bumper pull trailers vs 5th wheel trailers. You can put more weight directly over the rear wheels (5th wheel trailer) than you can hang off the back (bumper pull).

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By BRB29 on 4/2/2013 3:26:38 PM , Rating: 2
Sorry, it was a typo. I meant towing when I said hauling. As for hauling, I don't need anything past 1.5k lbs. My brother in law does carpentry, landscaping and some construction and he never had to haul anything that heavy. His truck bed is used mainly for tools and some small supplies. Remember this is in the city, the logistics are done by someone else and projects are usually large scale. Even with individual homes, the supplies are always delivered by the supplier. The only time he has to tow anything heavy was his trailer of heavier tools for small scale construction. That thing doesn't weight more than 4000 lbs packed. Larger equipment are normally rented and delivered to site also.

As a regular consumer who just want a truck to be versatile and go on camping trips or sporting trips, I have no need for huge hauling or towing. Anything that can haul about 2k and tow about 6k is more than enough for me.

I'm just saying there is a market if Ford makes a much lighter truck wit higher mpg. My needs are not extraordinary and I'm sure there's plenty of people share the same mindset.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By Spuke on 4/2/2013 6:34:56 PM , Rating: 2
A Tacoma would fit those needs IMO. You'll need a fairly stripped truck to get the 1400 lbs hauling but towing 4000 lbs shouldn't be an issue, especially around town. I've towed a 2600 lb car on a trailer before with a 4 cyl Tacoma. It wasn't bad at all. If you have to have a Ford, they don't offer any light duty trucks at the moment. Honestly, the F150 isn't a monster, Just get the 3.7L V6 and keep the options to a minimum.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...
By Argon18 on 4/2/2013 12:23:30 PM , Rating: 2

Some folks buy a truck because they tow a large boat, or horses, or race cars, or whatever. These are the folks that *need* the towing capacity, and the inevitable weight that comes with that.

Then there are the folks that buy a truck simply for day to day suburban utility. Moving a love seat, or a washer and dryer, or picking up some mulch from the hardware store. These people do not tow anything, ever. These people usually live in a suburban neighborhood, with a HOA that forbids trailers anyhow, so they have nothing to tow even if they wanted to. Also in this category are the wash-n-shine macho guys, who never haul anything, never tow anything either. They bought a truck because it makes the feel like a big man on the road. They have a loud stereo and loads of chrome truck accessories, but they use the truck purely for commuting to work, as an "image" thing.

These needs of these two groups are very different, yet they buy the same vehicles. The manufacturers should cater to these groups separately, with vehicles tailored to their usage patterns.

RE: Ram 1500 still wins...

