Hi Guys,

I am getting close to being ready to buy/order my new truck. I am replacing a 2001 f-350 PSD LB CC. I have had myself talked into going with a 2500 LB CC with hemi gas engine but now am having second thoughts. I crunched through the numbers and the fuel cost per mile is roughly the same based on today's prices. The diesel is a good 6-7k more money to purchase. Maintenance costs are a bit higher with diesel. I tow a trailer ~5000lbs 6-7 times a year and will have a cab high shell with 1000lbs of gear in the back. So nothing super heavy. I will also put 285/75 R17's on once I get it. I am questioning wether gas is the way to go. I am calculating mpg at about 13-14 avg. is that reasonable? Will I be disappointed in the performance of the hemi in this big of a truck? Any feedback/advice is appreciated.

 

We all might differ on what's reasonable but I think the hemi is certainly capable of doing the job. However, if you're the kind of guy who thinks an engine turning over 2000rpms is a bad thing, then I'd say you'll be disappointed for the few times a year you tow something behind. As I recall the 7.3 had around 500lbs of torque so you're only leaving about 100lbs on the table from your old powersmoke but you aren't gonna find the hemi's anywhere near the 1600-1800rpms. Now for gas mileage, I suspect that 13-14mpg would need to include a fair bit of highway driving. Towing is probably anywhere between 8-10. I often considered a diesel as well but since I start and stop, and run short trips often while using it as a city truck, gas was the best option. If I towed more than a few thousand miles a year or at least ran more highway miles empty, I might reconsider for the mpg's. Bottom line is it will cruise all day long with that kind of weight behind, just expect to run through a few more gears on hills or windy days.

 

I owned a Ford 7.3 (IMO the last really good Ford diesel engine), and have owned three gassers since. I never really towed/hauled more than a full size 1/2 ton could handle but used to fish all the bass tours in the south east, so the diesel was because I was piling mileage up at a pretty quick pace.

I was cutting down my tourney's to local stuff and didn't need anything more than a truck that would handle 3000 lbs of bass boat & gear. I've since retired altogether from tourney fishing due to some serious family health issue and now don't put more than 8k miles a year on my truck. Might pull a 7000# tractor a couple times a year for some rough cutting on my property, but it's a short pull, all flat and never more than 3 or 4 times a year.

IF when I could have gotten a CTD when I bought my Hemi new in '04 for only $7000 more, I would still be driving a diesel today - but more for "want" than need. BUT when I bought, the CTD was $9000 more on the sticker and the dealers were not only not dealing off sticker, but charging a ridiculous $2500 "in demand" surcharge. Couple the $11,500 higher price with $4500 in rebates the 1500 Hemis had, plus about another $3000 you could get the dealers to cut off the price and now the NEW Hemi QC 4x4 loaded Laramie 1500s were $17,000 less than the CTDs!!!!!!!!!!

Hard to justify $17,000 more for a truck that had a resale of $9000 more than the Hemi truck!

I could (and did) buy the new gasser AND a kick ***, recent used daily driver for less than the CTD would have cost me. (which is the V8, 4x4 Grand Cherokee that's in my signature - it was only 3 years old at the time I bought it).

$7000 difference you can justify for the grunt of a CTD and the longevity of the diesel engine. IMO if you have even the slightest need for the diesel and can afford the $7k more in price - get the CTD... Maintenance is a bit higher, but as you said - the operating cost per mile is damn close...

The Hemi has proven to be a very reliable V8 and numbers show they tend to last well over 200k miles if properly maintained. In stock form though, they do tend to make almost all of their power up in the mid-high RPM range - so if it's that low end torque you crave, you may be a little disappointed...

 

last time i looked at the sticker of a cummins it was about 10k option i thought.

if you go with gas, i would just opt for the 4:10 gears. my buddy just bought a 2012 2500 to pull his camper and he was on the same fence. i said just get the 4:10 gears with the hemi (he had never owned a deisel), and he loves it so far.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys... I am feeling better about the hemi option. The price difference is actually closer to $10K. I only put about 7-8k per year on my truck these days and will be keeping it for 10+ years, so resale value is not that important to me.

 

Well, I spent the day driving both options going back and forth and finally settled on the diesel. Just couldn't get passed the effortless power it produces. The dealer made the numbers work and here we are. Will post some pics once I get it in the daylight.

 

I hope it works out for you. I owned many 5.9 cummins trucks and one 6.7 cummins. I got rid of my 6.7, and bought a 2500 with a hemi. I had a ton of issues with my 6.7 such as the emissions junk and my G56 tranny. I even deleted the emissions off of it, and then still had a ton of other issues.

I am like you I pull a 8,000 lbs trailer maybe 10 times a year, and the hemi can more then easliy do it. As far as mpg my hemi is about the same as my 6.7 was pre deleted around 15 to 16 mpg empty. Once I deleted my 6.7 I was in the 18 mpg range.

Like I said I wish you the Best, and I hope your experience is better then what mine was.

 

I was going to comment if you have towed with a diesel you'll not like the gas burner. The few I know who had diesel,went to gas hated them by 10,000 miles. Lost their butts trading back to diesel.

 

two things to consider nhere. You say the fuel cost will be similar? Bad news for you, the 7.3 was the last ford diesel that got good fuel mileage, why? they had no emissions. When the epa came out with all the new laws Ford put all the pollution devices needed to pass EPA.. The 7.3, with pollution crap only had about 300 lbs of torque! Similar to a small gas v-8. That os why they made the 6.4, it put out a LOT more torque than the 7.3, if the 7.3 had the pollution on it. But they were very finicky on service. I know lots of people that never had ANY problems with the 6.0. Next, in 08 came the 6.4 dual torso, it was a bear of an engine. If you bypass the EGR and bypass the converter and particulate filter, in other words remove all the pollution crap, which puts it on level ground with the 7.3 it puts out around 1000 lbs torque and over 700 H.P. BUT, with the pollution crap, mine at 73,000 miles NEVER averaged 16 mpg on a full tank full. I do drive with a heavy foot but if I have to drive 60-65 on the interstate to get 16 mpg I'm not interested. For example, my nephew has an 07 ram 3500 Dually Quad cab, Cummins, he gets great mileage. Tows a 20 ft lawn trailer, its heavy. Get 18-20 MPG. But his friend liked it so much he bought a new 3500 dually cummins. He's getting 11 M.P.G.!! So to say the 7.3 was the last good diesel Ford made is not true. The problem? Pollution control boys. Oh, my 6.4 in 75000 miles i replaced the batteries, and tires, thats it. But the fuel mileage killed me, especially at 50-75 cents a gallon more.

 

Knock on wood. My 2003 Dodge Dually 4x4 with 6 speed, 4.10 gears gets 10ish pulling around 14,000 lbs. It also has the original batterys! I'll glady pay more in fuel cost to tow with a diesel over a gas any day. At 68/70(2100 rpm) mph you hardly have to ever downshifit to 5th. Takes quite a grade to lug it down.