The Chrysler’s Ram brand has nabbed the title of the most fuel friendly half ton truck in America with their new EcoDiesel engine and while Ford has thrown around the idea of a light duty diesel – the 2015 Ford F-150 will not come with a diesel option.
I have spoken with a handful of Ford employees who explained that an F-150 diesel engine has been worked on in the past, but the mad success of the new EcoBoost engines have led the Motor Company away from a half ton diesel truck.
The EcoBoost engines are very efficient and very powerful, but they don’t offer solid enough fuel economy to allow the lightweight 2015 Ford F-150 to brag about being the most fuel efficient half ton truck in America.
Even though it seems absurd to worry about fuel economy on a hard working pickup truck, it is clear that the MPGs matter on every sort of vehicle so someone could lean towards the diesel Ram 1500 simply due to the excellent fuel economy.
With that in mind, we want to know whether or not you think that Ford should have offered a new small diesel engine to challenge the Ram EcoDiesel. The idea of a smaller PowerStroke powered F-150 is attractive both in the fact that it would likely be incredibly capable while also taking a shot at the fuel economy race that is led by the Ram EcoDiesel.
Click here to head into the forum to tell us whether or not you think that Ford should have rolled out a new small diesel engine for the 2015 F-150.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
