The Eco Diesel was FCA's answer to the Ford Ecoboost. The premise is that it will out perform in towing and fuel mileage over a twin turbo setup while using "less expensive" diesel fuel versus Premium on the Ford. The engine worked very well at the outset but then became plagued with quality control issues. When FCA got embroiled in the whole emission fiasco with the engine not meeting the Govmint EPA standards it suffered a halt in production while the Corp worked to overcome the issue and deal with the subsequent fines. That took the engine out of production for a year when it was just getting known in the market.
My personal opinion is that it is a great engine in the right configuration and under the right circumstances. If you are a city dweller driving 5 minutes to work each day not the truck for you. If you tow consistently or do highway driving then it will be a benefit as it performs as well as the Hemi in towing but better on fuel. HOWEVER this isn't your grandpa's Cummins.... It will require more maintenance and you have Glow Plugs to deal with. EGR's have been problematic, DEF tanks freezing solid, coolant leaks etc are all valid concerns with this engine. The 8 speed works well and has had little issue in my experience.
Bottom line is if you can make use of a Diesel Engine in your driving habits then it is a good alternative to to the Hemi. Just keep your maintenance up and when its off warranty get rid of it.