Gas vs. diesel

[Mick Milakovic]

Hi All,
I know this is not a Penton question, but it will help me make a decision to haul my Penton.  I'm going to buy a new pickup truck, and the price difference between gas and diesel is obvious:  up to 50 cents per gallon.  That's 10-15 dollars per fill up.  So, considering similar size engines, which is better on gas mileage, pulling ability with a large trailer, and is the price difference expected to continue, or maybe grow larger?

[firstturn]

Mick,
  Age old question.  We have used diesels to pull heavy loads that actually made us money.  I have never owned one for pulling my motorcycles, boats or cars.  Today it is nothing to drop $45,000.00 on a four door diesel pick up.  They are getting smoother and are quieter, but I will stick with my gas engines unless I can write it off.
  I think in a previous post you talked about incorporating and the IRS's time to make a profit.  The government is making some nice tax breaks for vehicles above a certain weight.  Sounds like the goverment(Congress) is leaning on the truck makers to get better mileage, giving tax breaks(IRS - Which I think is controlled by Congress the last time I checked) if we buy the big boys(that get bad gas mileage) and I promised myself not to discuss this(politics) on POG[B)].

Ron Carbaugh

[tomale]

My next door neighbor bought a new dodge truck a couple of years ago. It is a diesel. It has the cummins motor in it. It is very powerful but it also get really good mileage. Last year he hauled his 30 foot travel trailer on vacation and got 21-22 mile to the gallon. Which is the same as if he was hauling nothing. It is kind of noisy and I hear it everytime he either comes home or leaves. But traditionally a diesel will out last a gas motor 2-1 My brother in-law has a chevy pickup that has over 400 miles on the orginal motor. He has never even pulled the heads yet but it is down on power and he will have to rebuild soon. It is not unusual to get 4-6 hundred miles on a diesel motor. do I own one, nope can't afford it. Ron is right they are alot more expensive. At least up front costs. long term is another thing altogether.

Thom Green,I own and ride a 76 250 MC5 MX which I bought new.

[Lloyd Boland]

I have a chevy diesel with the allison transmission.  Great truck.  On highway I get between 18-19 mpg, with or without towing trailer.  Up front costs are high.  Right now diesel fuel is more expensive than gas in Calif.(Just paid $2.57/gal, and that was the lowest in town)  Very, very easy to drive and tow with.  Not very noisy, in fact inside the truck at highway speed, it is quiter than my previous chevy truck, a 2000 1/2 ton.  I wanted a truck that would last for years, I could tow with and that I could put a lot of miles on without a lot of maintenance.  The $ break-even point doesn't even start to make sense until at least somewhere around 200,000+ miles.  But it sure is nice to have the diesel pulling power going uphill while towing.  My biggest problem is speeding while going uphill.  I still want to push the gas peddle down while going uphill and then look down and I'm doing 75-80 mph while towing the trailer.

[rdrnr]

I have a 2000 ford f350 with the 7.3 power stroke.  I get about 20 mpg,  which I found was better than my f150 gas burner.  Diesel here in MO is $1.63, very nice compared to the rest of the states.  It is expensive to start with, but in the long run well worth the money.  
  James from MO

[OUCWBOY]

Mick and all!
That is the question that went through my mind a few years ago when I was buying a new truck. I had a F150 and it got OK mileage without towing, but hook up the trailer and it coldn't pass a station without having to stop for fuel. Here was my problem. I only keep a truck about two to three years and then trade it off. Doing this, I didn't see the value to the Diesel in $$$$$$$ only in performance. I thought about it for many weeks and finally bought a F250 Crew Cab witht the V10. It has lots of pulling power and will smoke the tires if you stomp on the gas and it was about $6500.00 cheaper. The bad things were it only got about 10 mpg at first. I changed the filter to an open K&N and did an exhaust mod to go 4" dia from the Cat coverter back. Now I get about 17 to 18 either way. The filter set me back about $50 and another $25 for the mounting bracket. The Cat back exhaust set me back $300.00 installed. Now looking at the Diesel prices in CA, I very glad I went with the V 10.  Any body wanna Drag?

Donny Smith

[Mick Milakovic]

OK, I've read about better gas mileage on some, definitely the improved hauling ability, but I'm going to be getting a used truck.  How is the gas mileage on diesels from the mid '90s?

[LynnCamp]

Between me, jim and the girls we have owned many trucks but only two diesels.  Bought the first one in 1996 - a 1994 F250 7.3 power stroke w/heavy duty suspension -- with 200,000 miles on it for $15,000 and put another 200,000 miles on it with very little maintenance (hauling a very heavy 37' 4-horse trailer with living quarters.)  It was a 7.3 power stroke Club Cab and got 16 MPG town and 18 MPG highway. Donated it last year for a $5,000 write-off.  Bought a 2002 F250 7.3 crew cab in 2003 with 40,000 miles and it pretty much only gets 16 MPG town or country (and we aren't pulling as heavy a load), but it is very quiet.  We love/loved both trucks!  I don't think we would buy a gas engine again.  The Diesels are more expensive, but hold their value better for resale.