Diesel pickup or light duty van? Is it cost effective over gas?

[coffeeman]

I was wondering if it would save $$ to change to diesel from gas when replacing gas vehicles? I use three vehicles that probably run about 800 miles each per week. With the high cost of diesel and the extra cost of diesel vehicles how much do they save? Does it cost more for maintenance of diesel and are repairs more expensive? If diesel is cheaper to operate, how much could one estimate per mile of savings?

Cheers coffeeman

 

[Soundguy]

I have a dodge ram 1500 pickup with a 5.9l gasser in it.. i also have a ford f250 with a ? 6l diesel

They both drink fuel. the diesel is getting 14mpg..and the gas only a hair less... Inmy area.. diesel is more expensive than gas.. so no bargain.. plus the f250 cost mor to begin with..

Soundguy

 

[Marcussen]

I have been looking at new trucks and asking myself the same question.
I figured out that the diesel would get maybe 4 mpg better mileage than the gas. But diesel cost more per gallon. and the diesel engine requires 15 quarts per oil change and adds $4000 or more to the price.

I would break even on cost at about 130000 miles. So I will go for the gas engine since it will take me 10-12 years to put that kind of miles on it.

But since you run 800 miles a week you will be breaking even after a little more than 3 years. But I have heard bad stories about MPG out of the new diesel with particulate filters, regeneration etc. All diesels are new designs due to EPA requirements this year. (unless you find a 2006 model)

 

[Z-Michigan]

At the moment you probably won't save money buying a diesel, especially if you aren't doing any really hard work with it (pulling trailers over 5000lbs, etc.). The initial price is a lot of it - figure $6000 more in most cases. Diesel has been 20-50 cents/gallon more than regular unleaded around here, which just about balances the BTU content. The diesel engines are still more efficient, but it will take a long time to break even. And maintenance is more - slightly more if you do it yourself, lots more if you let the dealer do it because they seem to rip you off for diesel maintenance (e.g. $100 for an oil change on my Ram/Cummins, which takes 12 quarts of 15x40 diesel oil (which is about $24 total, even less in bulk) and a $6 filter, and the labor is no more than it would take on a gas pickup of any type).

I have two diesels - a 2006 Dodge Ram and 2005 Jeep CRD. I'm happy with both, but the 2007 emissions requirements killed the CRD and raised the price of the Ram while compromising the design of its engine. I would still buy a diesel for heavy towing, but most lighter uses I don't think it's worth it.

This won't help you now, but in a couple years there are likely to be diesels that are better priced and more common. Just mentioning it so you don't decide to avoid diesels forever.

 

[Casco1]

This may be a little off topic but it may help. I have a 6.0 gas chevy last year I bought a reprogrammer for the computer. I increased my HP & torque quite a bit, with little change in MPGs. A friend in the auto business tells me that big block engines come from the factory under tuned to meet emission laws. This just steals power without saving gas. The unit I bought just restores the engine to full power. I've had it for a year and am very happy with it.

Power Programmer III by Hypertech

 

[Soundguy]

They can 'rape' you on air filter costs too. My f250 came with a large canister filter that cost about 100$ I had a kit put in from napa that convers it to a large flat filter.. of only about 60$.. When i had my first service and it was 160$ I about passed out.. Now it zings in around 100$ if i let someone else do it..

Soundguy

At the moment you probably won't save money buying a diesel, especially if you aren't doing any really hard work with it (pulling trailers over 5000lbs, etc.). The initial price is a lot of it - figure $6000 more in most cases. Diesel has been 20-50 cents/gallon more than regular unleaded around here, which just about balances the BTU content. The diesel engines are still more efficient, but it will take a long time to break even. And maintenance is more - slightly more if you do it yourself, lots more if you let the dealer do it because they seem to rip you off for diesel maintenance (e.g. $100 for an oil change on my Ram/Cummins, which takes 12 quarts of 15x40 diesel oil (which is about $24 total, even less in bulk) and a $6 filter, and the labor is no more than it would take on a gas pickup of any type).

I have two diesels - a 2006 Dodge Ram and 2005 Jeep CRD. I'm happy with both, but the 2007 emissions requirements killed the CRD and raised the price of the Ram while compromising the design of its engine. I would still buy a diesel for heavy towing, but most lighter uses I don't think it's worth it.

This won't help you now, but in a couple years there are likely to be diesels that are better priced and more common. Just mentioning it so you don't decide to avoid diesels forever.

 

[john_bud]

If you are buying new, the diesel is more like 5500-6500 more than the gas. Unless you are going to tow heavy a lot, they are pricing the diesels out of the market. And if Toyota comes out with a diesel...

I have a 2003 chevy diesel. If you want to buy used, a 2003-2004.5 chevy will get you the highest milage and be reliable (may have injector issues - some do some don't). I'm at 60k miles and no issues other than poor ground on one connection and a dead fuel sender. It's gotten 17.58 mpg since new hand calculated and has about 38-40% of the total miles towing a 10k trailer (9k weight).

I would not buy a Ford with a 6.0 diesel and I am a former ford guy. Heck, I still own 2 mercury's and one ford. Dodge with a manual trans, chevy duramax or Ford 7.3 -- in that order.

jb

 

[BB_TX]

I just traded an '04 F250 6.0 for an '07 F350 6.0. The '04 had 53,000+ miles. It was my daily driver, 60% hwy/40% city. I consistently was getting 17.3 +/- .02 mpg (with a little bit of a heavy foot), hand calculated. I went with an F350 to tow a larger 5th wheel. But as previously stated, the price of diesel fuel offsets any benefit, at least for now. When I first bought the '04, diesel was up to 10 cents cheaper than regular. Now it is 4 to 10 cents higher than premium here.

 

[Jimbrown]

I got both stick with the gasser unless you really REALLY need a diesel for towing big stuff all the time. The maintenance cost on my F250 are three or four times what a gasser is.

 

[Asymtave]

Hey Z. What kind of mileage are you getting in your Dodge?

My buddy needed a truck to tow his boat, and while a 1/2 ton probably would have done the job he bought an 06 3/4T Dodge, 4WD, Quad Cab Diesel auto trans. On the highway with only 1000 miles on the clock the trip computer was calling out 21 MPG. Not sure if the computer is 100% accurate but no reason to doubt it.

The diesel option was very clearly called out as right around $5000. Don't know about the 07's. During our really cold snap here in February he had no issues with the ULSD gellling like some places. I had no problem in my Kubota either.

It was a pricey truck to be sure compared to a 1/2T gasser, but 4WD Hemi's get about 13 MPG - maybe 15? Still, he won't see payback for a long time, but it'll light the wheels up no problem!