ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
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RE: ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
i traded my 2000 QC 2500 4x4 gas for my 2004.5 QC 2500 4x4 cummins and i am changed forever. my gas engine had some hopups and had good power, but my cummins blows that away, and the sound, with exhaust mods, is awesome. i agree with Drew... go drive one of each and then relax and weigh the pros and cons of each. good luck
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RE: ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
ORIGINAL: DonG
I agree, if you need to pull a maple tree or a house the CTD is probably the best choise. However, you have been given some misleading information. First there is no reason to run high cost premium fuel in the hemi. As a matter of fact, the owners manual specifically recommends against running premium stating it could hurt performance. Also, as I indicated earler, the cost is considerably higher than 5K.
$5500 for CTD option
$1500 for upgrade from 1500 to 2500 (unless they start making a 1500 diesel)
$1000 interest over 5yrs paid, or lost if you paid cash, on the extra $7K
$500 additional sales tax on $7k
---- $8500 ---- Approximate cost difference between 1500 Hemi and 2500 CTD.
I agree, if you need to pull a maple tree or a house the CTD is probably the best choise. However, you have been given some misleading information. First there is no reason to run high cost premium fuel in the hemi. As a matter of fact, the owners manual specifically recommends against running premium stating it could hurt performance. Also, as I indicated earler, the cost is considerably higher than 5K.
$5500 for CTD option
$1500 for upgrade from 1500 to 2500 (unless they start making a 1500 diesel)
$1000 interest over 5yrs paid, or lost if you paid cash, on the extra $7K
$500 additional sales tax on $7k
---- $8500 ---- Approximate cost difference between 1500 Hemi and 2500 CTD.
I can run cheap gas in my G35 too, but the dyno tells me that the 93 gives me better HP, and it also delivers better mileage than the "cheap stuff." The difference in price is chump change.
12000 miles per year @ 15 MPG X $2.50 per gallon = $2000
12000 miles per year @ 15 MPG X $2.70 per gallon = $2160
A whopping $160 over the course of a year, or $13 and change a month. Big deal.
Run those same numbers using the mileage I see in my diesel:
12000 miles per year @ 20 MPG (the average of loaded and unloaded mileage I see) @ $2.50 per gallon (diesel is actually $2.26 where I am, but to keep things in perspective) = $1500. That's $500 a year in mod money or bank money or beer money or...... Pick it.
As for 1500 vs 2500. When I dropped the tounge of my camper (tounge weight +/- 800 - 1000 pounds) on the 1500, you could tell you were dragging a load. The 2500 gives me MAYBE a 1/2 inch drop. As for pulling - the only thing that slows me down is my nerve and common sense. My buddy in his 1500 HEMI pulling #6000 can't hang with the Cummins pulling 10,000# +. Say what you want - he chased me through the Texas hill country and I had to slow at the top of every hill to let him catch up. I'm not kidding. He could have done better, but was only pulling 8 - 10 MPG as it was.
I have a 2500, but now wish I would have gotten the SRW 3500 because I want to move on to a 'fiver. The 2500 can pull the weight, but I want a little more room when it comes to the pin weight in the bed.
As for the cost premium of the diesel and the rest of it - you can get 05 2500 RAMs below invoice in Texas, so who cares? It's worth every penny. A good friend of mine just bought his loaded 2500 4X4 diesel Laramie for $33K in Port Lavaca, Texas, and they sell them cheaper than that all day long - his MSRP was over $43K. They guarantee $10 - $12K off MSRP everyday depending on the vehicle, and I've seen guys do even better than that.
When I had my 1500 there were several times I wished I had more truck. The jobs I was trying to do demanded it. Now I wish I had more truck but only because the Cummins has me spoiled. I know 500HP and 1000TQ are easily obtainable and have to make up excuses not to do it. I have around $1K in my truck in engine mods and am sitting at roughly 400HP/700TQ - and I still get over 20MPG on the highway. Try doing that in a HEMI.
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RE: ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
ORIGINAL: Drew
Larry. . .you could always go to a dealership and test drive a 2500 w/cummins just so you can get a feel for the beast.
I will tell you that you WILL fall in love with the power of the engine. if you think your hemi is a bad@55, just wait[8D] I knew I wanted a Cummins back in 94 when I drove a 93 reg cab 2500 4x4. Back then the engines had about half the hp as the one I have, 160hp I think compared to my 325, but you could just feel the torque twisting the frame back then just as you do today
hey GeeWillikers, I have no mods on my truck, idle 4L and reverse will pull a 30 foot maple out of the ground by the roots, never touched the throttle, I have the 6spd (NV5600), I did have some rear wheel spin, but that thing just came right on up
Larry. . .you could always go to a dealership and test drive a 2500 w/cummins just so you can get a feel for the beast.
I will tell you that you WILL fall in love with the power of the engine. if you think your hemi is a bad@55, just wait[8D] I knew I wanted a Cummins back in 94 when I drove a 93 reg cab 2500 4x4. Back then the engines had about half the hp as the one I have, 160hp I think compared to my 325, but you could just feel the torque twisting the frame back then just as you do todayhey GeeWillikers, I have no mods on my truck, idle 4L and reverse will pull a 30 foot maple out of the ground by the roots, never touched the throttle, I have the 6spd (NV5600), I did have some rear wheel spin, but that thing just came right on up
I keep my camper in my backyard. When I used to hook my 1500 RWD to her in the early morning, I'd spin all the way out of the yard just to get the load moving - the dew didn't help.
Now I hook up, drop her in 4 low, and she idles out of the yard. The only input from me is my foot on the brake so I don't pull her too fast.
I have the 48RE. Sometimes I regret that, but more from a entertainment perspective than a performance perspective. It's been bulletproof so far, but I know it's the weak link in my mod schedule. If I want to do anything more to the motor, I'm gonna have to do something with the TC or I'll have problems. I'm comfortable where I am, but I know I'm probably at the safe limit of what my tranny can handle.
It's all good.
I like your sig. :-)
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RE: ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
ORIGINAL: GeeWillikers
I never said it was a requirement to run Premium. I will say this, however. A good friend of mine, a camping buddy, has a HEMI 1500. When he pulls his camper (about 6000#) on anything other than Premuim, his engine pings like there is no tomorrow. When he runs 91, he's good to go off the line, but on inclines he still has a little ping. With 93, he has no trouble.
I can run cheap gas in my G35 too, but the dyno tells me that the 93 gives me better HP, and it also delivers better mileage than the "cheap stuff." The difference in price is chump change.
12000 miles per year @ 15 MPG X $2.50 per gallon = $2000
12000 miles per year @ 15 MPG X $2.70 per gallon = $2160
A whopping $160 over the course of a year, or $13 and change a month. Big deal.
Run those same numbers using the mileage I see in my diesel:
12000 miles per year @ 20 MPG (the average of loaded and unloaded mileage I see) @ $2.50 per gallon (diesel is actually $2.26 where I am, but to keep things in perspective) = $1500. That's $500 a year in mod money or bank money or beer money or...... Pick it.
As for 1500 vs 2500. When I dropped the tounge of my camper (tounge weight +/- 800 - 1000 pounds) on the 1500, you could tell you were dragging a load. The 2500 gives me MAYBE a 1/2 inch drop. As for pulling - the only thing that slows me down is my nerve and common sense. My buddy in his 1500 HEMI pulling #6000 can't hang with the Cummins pulling 10,000# +. Say what you want - he chased me through the Texas hill country and I had to slow at the top of every hill to let him catch up. I'm not kidding. He could have done better, but was only pulling 8 - 10 MPG as it was.
I have a 2500, but now wish I would have gotten the SRW 3500 because I want to move on to a 'fiver. The 2500 can pull the weight, but I want a little more room when it comes to the pin weight in the bed.
As for the cost premium of the diesel and the rest of it - you can get 05 2500 RAMs below invoice in Texas, so who cares? It's worth every penny. A good friend of mine just bought his loaded 2500 4X4 diesel Laramie for $33K in Port Lavaca, Texas, and they sell them cheaper than that all day long - his MSRP was over $43K. They guarantee $10 - $12K off MSRP everyday depending on the vehicle, and I've seen guys do even better than that.
When I had my 1500 there were several times I wished I had more truck. The jobs I was trying to do demanded it. Now I wish I had more truck but only because the Cummins has me spoiled. I know 500HP and 1000TQ are easily obtainable and have to make up excuses not to do it. I have around $1K in my truck in engine mods and am sitting at roughly 400HP/700TQ - and I still get over 20MPG on the highway. Try doing that in a HEMI.
ORIGINAL: DonG
I agree, if you need to pull a maple tree or a house the CTD is probably the best choise. However, you have been given some misleading information. First there is no reason to run high cost premium fuel in the hemi. As a matter of fact, the owners manual specifically recommends against running premium stating it could hurt performance. Also, as I indicated earler, the cost is considerably higher than 5K.
$5500 for CTD option
$1500 for upgrade from 1500 to 2500 (unless they start making a 1500 diesel)
$1000 interest over 5yrs paid, or lost if you paid cash, on the extra $7K
$500 additional sales tax on $7k
---- $8500 ---- Approximate cost difference between 1500 Hemi and 2500 CTD.
I agree, if you need to pull a maple tree or a house the CTD is probably the best choise. However, you have been given some misleading information. First there is no reason to run high cost premium fuel in the hemi. As a matter of fact, the owners manual specifically recommends against running premium stating it could hurt performance. Also, as I indicated earler, the cost is considerably higher than 5K.
$5500 for CTD option
$1500 for upgrade from 1500 to 2500 (unless they start making a 1500 diesel)
$1000 interest over 5yrs paid, or lost if you paid cash, on the extra $7K
$500 additional sales tax on $7k
---- $8500 ---- Approximate cost difference between 1500 Hemi and 2500 CTD.
I can run cheap gas in my G35 too, but the dyno tells me that the 93 gives me better HP, and it also delivers better mileage than the "cheap stuff." The difference in price is chump change.
12000 miles per year @ 15 MPG X $2.50 per gallon = $2000
12000 miles per year @ 15 MPG X $2.70 per gallon = $2160
A whopping $160 over the course of a year, or $13 and change a month. Big deal.
Run those same numbers using the mileage I see in my diesel:
12000 miles per year @ 20 MPG (the average of loaded and unloaded mileage I see) @ $2.50 per gallon (diesel is actually $2.26 where I am, but to keep things in perspective) = $1500. That's $500 a year in mod money or bank money or beer money or...... Pick it.
As for 1500 vs 2500. When I dropped the tounge of my camper (tounge weight +/- 800 - 1000 pounds) on the 1500, you could tell you were dragging a load. The 2500 gives me MAYBE a 1/2 inch drop. As for pulling - the only thing that slows me down is my nerve and common sense. My buddy in his 1500 HEMI pulling #6000 can't hang with the Cummins pulling 10,000# +. Say what you want - he chased me through the Texas hill country and I had to slow at the top of every hill to let him catch up. I'm not kidding. He could have done better, but was only pulling 8 - 10 MPG as it was.
I have a 2500, but now wish I would have gotten the SRW 3500 because I want to move on to a 'fiver. The 2500 can pull the weight, but I want a little more room when it comes to the pin weight in the bed.
As for the cost premium of the diesel and the rest of it - you can get 05 2500 RAMs below invoice in Texas, so who cares? It's worth every penny. A good friend of mine just bought his loaded 2500 4X4 diesel Laramie for $33K in Port Lavaca, Texas, and they sell them cheaper than that all day long - his MSRP was over $43K. They guarantee $10 - $12K off MSRP everyday depending on the vehicle, and I've seen guys do even better than that.
When I had my 1500 there were several times I wished I had more truck. The jobs I was trying to do demanded it. Now I wish I had more truck but only because the Cummins has me spoiled. I know 500HP and 1000TQ are easily obtainable and have to make up excuses not to do it. I have around $1K in my truck in engine mods and am sitting at roughly 400HP/700TQ - and I still get over 20MPG on the highway. Try doing that in a HEMI.
It sounds like you didn't even read either of my posts. I agreed both times that if he planned on doing a lot of heavy towing or hauling the CTD would be a better option. I also said WHERE I LIVE diesel is 30-40 cents higher. It may also be where he's moving and that should be a consideration. The cost difference is still going to be around $8500 even if your friend purchased the diesel for $33. I'm sure the same dealer would have sold the same truck in a 1500 hemi for 8 - 9K less. As for your mpg - I think 20 to 22 is the exception. According to the various MPG threads most 04 & 05 diesel owners are not seeing nearly that kind of fuel economy. The 2 i know with 04s both get around 16 highway at best.
I don't care which one the member who started this thread buys. I'm just trying to provide some information that is usually not given by those biased toward the CTD. I don't have a dislike for diesel trucks. If I had a need, I would have one.
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RE: ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
rumor mill. . .you have been warned.
in one of my issues of TDR Cummins has been making a few V6 and V8 diesels and putting them into the 1500.
the V6 plain out over powers the 4.7L V8 and the V8 is putting out hp comperable to the hemi, but is pushing about 560lb-ft torque.
this is a long way down the road, but I could see it happeneing.
in one of my issues of TDR Cummins has been making a few V6 and V8 diesels and putting them into the 1500.
the V6 plain out over powers the 4.7L V8 and the V8 is putting out hp comperable to the hemi, but is pushing about 560lb-ft torque.
this is a long way down the road, but I could see it happeneing.
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RE: ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
It sounds like you didn't even read either of my posts. I agreed both times that if he planned on doing a lot of heavy towing or hauling the CTD would be a better option.
I also said WHERE I LIVE diesel is 30-40 cents higher. It may also be where he's moving and that should be a consideration.
The cost difference is still going to be around $8500 even if your friend purchased the diesel for $33. I'm sure the same dealer would have sold the same truck in a 1500 hemi for 8 - 9K less.
As for your mpg - I think 20 to 22 is the exception. According to the various MPG threads most 04 & 05 diesel owners are not seeing nearly that kind of fuel economy. The 2 i know with 04s both get around 16 highway at best.
My buddy who just bought his 05 is only getting about 17, but he goes everywhere at 85 MPH and loves to turn his rear tires over off the line.
I don't care which one the member who started this thread buys. I'm just trying to provide some information that is usually not given by those biased toward the CTD. I don't have a dislike for diesel trucks. If I had a need, I would have one.
Not trying to be a jerk and I apologize if I came off like one. Yes, I did read your posts - we just differ in opinion. I have owned gas RAMs and now own a diesel and I can say without hesitation that I'll never own another gas truck. Towing or not.
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RE: ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
ORIGINAL: GeeWillikers
Not trying to be a jerk and I apologize if I came off like one.
Not trying to be a jerk and I apologize if I came off like one.
Joined: Aug 2005
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RE: ADVICE FOR A NEWBIE...1500 VS 2500 / GAS VS DIESEL
Alright, I'm a newbie here to the forums, but I gotta say something here.
I have an '04 2500 CTD SLT QC 4x4 LWB (yeah, it's a mouthful)
I have everything except leather seats and the Navigation. It is FULLY loaded.
Buddy of mine bought the 1500 SLT (all the bells and whistles as well)
Sticker on my truck was $44. I paid less than my buddy did for his Hemi. No BS.
Comparing the two, I get better gas mileage with the Diesel.
Resale value is much higher with the Cummins engine.
The lifecycle of the Cummins is @350,000 miles.
The Hemi - well, much less.
Final decision is up to you!!!
I have an '04 2500 CTD SLT QC 4x4 LWB (yeah, it's a mouthful)
I have everything except leather seats and the Navigation. It is FULLY loaded.
Buddy of mine bought the 1500 SLT (all the bells and whistles as well)
Sticker on my truck was $44. I paid less than my buddy did for his Hemi. No BS.
Comparing the two, I get better gas mileage with the Diesel.
Resale value is much higher with the Cummins engine.
The lifecycle of the Cummins is @350,000 miles.
The Hemi - well, much less.
Final decision is up to you!!!