I'm looking at a 3rd gen diesel right now and I crunched the #'s on fuel... even with 40 cent diff it's still cheeper fuel wise...


miles mpg $/gal # of gal used total cost/mo
2000 12 2.55 166.6666667 $425.00
19 2.79 105.2631579 $293.68

425-293.68 = $131.32

other things to factor in is the added cost of service, 12 qts of oil vs 5 and it HAS to be done every 5k, I also think there is a fuel system maint that needs to be done as well... anyway you look at it, for every 2000 miles your should still be saving some bux.

 

If you're doing alot of towing, then it's gotta be the diesel. I went to VA last week to pick up a Ditch Witch. 888 miles round trip. We had an empty trailer on the way down and obviously we were loaded on the way back. Plus there is always about a half ton of crap in the bed that never seems to get unloaded. Anyway, we did about 17 mpg down, and about 14 on the way back, with a 4000lb machine. My 1/2 ton QC with the 5.2 won't pull those numbers empty, even with the tonneu cover.
One thing I will say, though, is that even though the motors run forever, the bodies and chassis still fall apart around 150,000.

 

If the price on those trucks isnt the issue, I say get the diesel. You can get over 300K on the motor just fine. Usually the truck doesnt make it as long as the motor. My dad had two of them. On bumpy off road type paths (ie farm) the front ends of the 2wd cant really keep up. Getting the 4wd solves that problem. My dad's 98 2wd had the ball joint break and the wheel went sideways. ha ha. Anyways, as far as efficiency, the diesel is more efficient then a gas burner just because it is thermodynamically. Thats why in practice even with 4.10 gears, turbo and everything else, it still gets passable highway mileage, even while towing. Whereas my 408 drops to 9 mpg while towing. And it takes premium only!

 

the only downside of my truck so far has been the price of fuel. $2.43 for diesel and $2.20 for reg unleaded. my little yoda will get 25-28 mpg while my Dodge gets between 18-20 depending on the ricer influence[sm=badbadbad.gif]

yes, I have to dump 3 gallons per shot of oil, but I also go about 8K on that oil, and there are even ways to extend the oil to practicaly indeffinate

then about every 8K the fuel filter needs to be changed since Diesel in inherently dirty. With the way these engines are built it is not uncommon to see 500,000 or more before something has to be done, and most of the time it is the tranny or a lift pump that goes out. But you can bank on this, the first time you pull a load with a diesel, you will never go back to gas.

oh, about the gas and diesel being equaly efficient at highway speeds. . .unloaded that may be true, but put 8K into the equasion and see if the gasser can keep 70mph without overheating