Diesel truck starting to look more attractive

[Mosey]

If the $2/gal or more gas prices are going to be a permanent thing, then a diesel truck is starting to look more attractive to me. The $5000 or more option was hard to justify when 87 octane gas was about the same price as diesel, but now at 30 cents/gal more it wouldn't take nearly as long for the diesel to "pay for itself". I haven't done the math yet, so maybe I'll change my mind when I see how long it will actually take to make up the difference.

Would I be correct to assume the average diesel pickup gets about 20 city/rural - 25 highway MPG? When I say city/rural, I mean my drive to work which is about 13 miles of rural country roads with a few stop signs and curves and hills, and 3 miles of city traffic. If those numbers are not correct, what figure should I use to compare to my gas pickup - a 1999 Chevy with a 5.3L V8 which gets 17 MPH city/rural and 20 MPG highway? Thanks.

[kokopelli]

all i know is that i love my new 2500hd with the duramax. i traded in my mazda2500 4banger that was getting 25mpg and am not geting 18-20 mixed driving and only have 1500 miled on the 2500 so far. i am hoping to get 22-25 once the engine is broken in.

too me the 5400 price was worth every penny. especially when i tpwed the bota for the first time.

[Scarecrow]

Mileage of a diesel is just like any other pick-up. It depends on many variables: transmission it has in it, and the rear end gear ratio are the two biggest. I know a lot of people that get around 20 with theirs, but my F-350 has a 4:10 rear end and i only get 13-14. It is still better than any gasser will get with tha same set up by almost double.

[bws]

most people that buy diesels never go back to gas[probably the power][i,m even going to look at a new diesel jetta/golf soon here there fast with the manual trany]17 mpg average on cummins/5spd/3.54 gears.20mpg hwy easy. diesel is most times always less and no tune ups. and some engines can go 400,000+ miles.jmho bws

[Jaeger]

I'd sure like to get one also. However, building is #1 priority.

We have a 2002 Diesel Jetta, (TDI) the wife uses to run around in. MPG last fill up : 54.8 !!!! It is pretty quick too [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Well made little car.

We've found alot of diesel gouging going on. Last year diesel in our area was less than or at worst equal to regular unleaded. Some of the dealers now have it priced almost in line with the super unleaded. We have since stopped buying any fuel from the price gougers.

If you can swing it go diesel, they last forever, have tons of torque, and should be cheaper to keep in the long run.........J

[crawdad]

go diesel if you can
ive got a '99 ford,7.3 diesel crewcab, 6 ft bed, 6 speed manual, 3.73 axles, 4 wheel drive
i have recorded every tankful since new.
my worst tank 12.3 mpg towing 9,000lb
my best tank 22.0 mpg on the highway out west keeping it at under 2000 rpm
i average 16 - 18 mpg regularly
the trick is keeping your rpm's down
the speed limit around here is 55mph . if its higher where you live you will get lower mpg
anyone who tells you they average 25mpg in a full size p/u is full of it.
maybe their computer tells them that, but thats not reality.
go for a diesel,better mileage,more power,cheaper maintenance

[fractal]

I upgraded from a chevy s10 to a ford f350 long bed crew cab 4wd with the 7.3 idi diesel. What I am about to say is based on my experiences.

1. diesel in california is somtimes lower than regular gas but often costs more than premium.

2. trucks with diesel motors do not always get better milage than the same trucks with gasoline motors. They usually get better milage under heavy tow conditions.

3. A diesel motor adds to the base weight of a vehicle without increasing its GVWR and GCVWR. This bit me big time on my truck as a F350 has a GVWR of just under 9200 pounds. Curb weight of my truck with me in it is 7500 pounds. This gives me less than 2000 pounds cargo capacity. A standard cab, 4x2, gasoline, standard bed F350 will have significantly less curb weight than mine and will have the same GVWR. Higher curb weight is an advantage when towing as you get pushed around less. Higher curb weight is a disadvantage when you are paying for the fuel and when it lowers your total cargo capacity.

4. Take note of where you can buy diesel in your town, and more importantly along the routes you normally drive. Take note of where it is cheap and where it is expensive. It doesn't do much good to save 10 cents a gallon on 20 gallons (2 dollars) if you have to burn two gallons (over 5 dollars around here) going out of your way to buy it. There are probably 30 or 40 stations selling gasoline in my normal driving pattern but only 3 or 4 that sell diesel. The one next to my house is never one of the cheap ones [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

5. I get 10-12 MPG out of my f350, city or highway.

[theboman]

I love my 2003 F-250 Turbo Diesel. I went from a F-150 and there's no comparsion. The F-250 drives better. Gets better mileage than the 5.4 and has so much more power. I towed my 5th wheel out to a dump station and was so impressed! I can't wait to tow it on the interstate in the spring.
Going in the morning to get the oil changed, new fuel filers, etc. Filters and oil are the life of these engines. The oil is what makes the fuel injectors to work.
I considered going to synthetic oil but can't justify the costs for 15 quarts every 5000 miles. I know many with 200k that's used name brand oil.

<font color="green">I get 10-12 MPG out of my f350, city or highway.

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I think something is wrong with that truck unless you have like 4.30 gears or lower in it. We've owned countless 7.3's and never had one get that bad of mileage. Even the one ton duallys we have get 16-20 on the highway depending on your speed. Loaded we get 10-14.

[Gatorboy]

If you sit down and do the calculations, you will find to offset the cost of the diesel engine, transmission, plus the extra expense in oil over a gas engine, you will need to drive that diesel truck over approximately 110,000 miles just to break even.

Just something to consider if you don't plan on keeping a truck for that long.