Diesel gas comparison

[hutchman]

I had the oil changed in my truck this week and drove a new 2500 with a diesel while I waited. I have owned diesels in the past and this one brought back memories. So here are some thoughts on both engines.

The diesel is very smooth above idle. It delivers a "turbine" like acceleration, very smooth, but seems slower than my gasser. My guess is that it is not slower, but seems that way due to the smooth quiet pull when accelerating. This truck did have an annoying vibration at idle....I would not buy this particular truck because of this.

My truck is much more responsive to throttle input unlike the diesel, which was a bit lazy. Every diesel I've owned has felt this way. Interestingly, my truck is noticeably quieter at idle. At highway speed, the diesel wins easily.....much quieter. However, the Magnaflow muffler on mine has something to do with this! Under acceleration, my truck sounds like a 60s muscle car....it wails. I'm a kid again every time I merge onto the interstate....and that is a good thing.

Both trucks are 2500s with 4wd. Mine is a Tradesman and the loaner was a 4wd Bighorn. The diesel was noticeably shorter and much easier to get into for me. Part of the difference is my tires, I have 35s and the stock tires are 33s. That results in a 1" difference in height, but the diesel was easily 2" lower. Maybe all diesels are shorter than gas trucks? Dunno.....

I reset the fuel economy when I got in the truck and after 30 miles or so of combined city/highway, it was indicating 17.5 mpg. That seems a bit low from my diesel experience, but I will attribute that to the truck being new and not loosened up yet. My Fuelly average is 15.4 mpg after 16,000 miles.

After 16,000 miles, I am used to the rotary shifter on the gasser. It was a pain reaching for the shifter on the steering column. I am not saying I like the knob better, but once getting used to it, it is harder going back to the column shiftet. If I had my choice, I'm not sure which I would pick.

So.....I think these 2 different trucks are both tools for different jobs. If one is going to tow heavy, over 13,000 or 14,000 pounds, the diesel is the logical choice. Hands down, the diesel is a better tool for heavy towing. For day to day driving and towing up to 11,000 or 12,000 pounds, the gas truck makes sense to me. I prefer the way the gas truck drives unloaded.

So the loaner confirmed to me my voice of the gas truck was right for me. But I'm not everyone.... If you are someone who likes diesels or you just want one, then the diesel is right for you. The choice boils down to individual needs and wants. What is best for me may be completely wrong for you.

Enjoy your trucks!

 

[jkbrereton]

I have no experience with diesels. I just bought my 2019 Power Wagon with the 6.4L Hemi. I took it on a 500 mile trip last weekend and averaged between 15 and 16 mpg. If I towed something I could see getting 10 mpg. Not ideal.

I read a comparison article a month ago and it said that if you plan on towing on a regular basis then the diesel was worth the extra $$$. Otherwise it recommended the Hemi.

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[thestuarts]

@hutchman Did you test drive the new 2019 high output diesel, or was it the diesel without the high output changes? Ram introduced a bunch of new features in the 2019 high output that make the engine run smoother, quieter, and the chassis does not vibrate as much. Here are some of the changes in the 2019 high output that make it quieter and smoother:

• Hydraulic lash adjusters for quieter valves
• The transmission shift schedule was changed to make it more smooth
• Changes to the frame to reduce vibration
• The exhaust hangers were changed to reduce vibration

I absolutely love how smooth and quiet my 2019 high output diesel is, even when towing a heavy 5th wheel up a steep grade.

 

[hutchman]

It was. the 2500, so I believe it was not the HO. I believe the vibration was an issue with this truck as my older diesels were not this way.

 

[hutchman]

I have no experience with diesels. I just bought my 2019 Power Wagon with the 6.4L Hemi. I took it on a 500 mile trip last weekend and averaged between 15 and 16 mpg. If I towed something I could see getting 10 mpg. Not ideal.

I read a comparison article a month ago and it said that if you plan on towing on a regular basis then the diesel was worth the extra $$$. Otherwise it recommended the Hemi.

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If you're interested in real world numbers, I towed a 15,000# 5th wheel with a SRW 3500 Cummins. and got 9 mpg over a 4000 mile trip. I pulled an 11000# 5th wheel with a 6.0 L Chevy 2500, 4.10 gears, and got 8 mpg with that. My currant 5th wheel is 19,000# and when towing it, I got 8.5 mpg. That was with a 3500 CCLB with DRW and 4.10 gears.

Those are real numbers. You are not going to get 12 or 13 mpg pulling a heavy load.

 

[elephantrider]

the '19 s.o. and h.o. both got the changes on the engine.

 

[labjr1]

If you're interested in real world numbers, I towed a 15,000# 5th wheel with a SRW 3500 Cummins. and got 9 mpg over a 4000 mile trip. I pulled an 11000# 5th wheel with a 6.0 L Chevy 2500, 4.10 gears, and got 8 mpg with that. My currant 5th wheel is 19,000# and when towing it, I got 8.5 mpg. That was with a 3500 CCLB with DRW and 4.10 gears.

Those are real numbers. You are not going to get 12 or 13 mpg pulling a heavy load.

I am getting 12mpg towing an 12000# load with my 2019 3500 HO SRW. It is a 5000# trailer and 7000# Jeep, When I tow extra heavy (2 Jeeps on my 35' trailer ~20,000#) I get 9.5mpg. (this is a 16,000 miles on the truck - when I first bought the truck I was getting 9.5-10 towing a single Jeep on the small trailer).

 

[TaylorT]

I originally wanted to trade my 14 5.7L 1500 for a 2500 diesel. I live on a farm with horses and do haul hay and what not occasionally though my current trailer I use is a 16’ car trailer with a 7,500lb load cap. Upon talking to the salesman the Cummins was a bit more in payments than I want to go at the time with just having my second kid and buying a few “new” pieces of equipment for the farm. Also my round trip to work and back is 14miles per day back roads. I ended up getting a 2500 6.4L for the reason of daily driving short trips to work and the occasional hauling plus I have access to my dads 17 3500 Cummins dually if need be. A recent round bale load was 3-1,200lb bales. So roughly 3,600lb plus my trailers 1,500lb “dry weight” so 5,100lbs was behind my truck. I was averaging 18mpg with the truck granted when I put it tow/haul mode the thing was all over place shifting gears and down shifting when what I thought was unnecessary since the road traveled was pretty easy. So I ended limiting the gear to 7th and was achieving the 18mpg. Is this good or bad limiting the gear?? The truck didn’t strain at all and I hardly noticed the load when doing this.

 

[jkbrereton]

I don't see how it would be bad as long as you weren't over reving the motor too much. My last Ram 1500 had an OD and you were supposed to take it out of OD (which is limitingthe gear as you described) when you pulled something. I would also do this when driving through the mountains of WV.

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[Gondul]

The 6.4 is ideal for me... likely never going to tow anything over 10K, I don't tow all the time, and I don't live in the mountains.
The premium cost on owning a diesel engine makes no sense for me and my needs.

Towing the 30ft Airstream we rented I got about 10.5mpg which was pretty damned good, unhitched I'm getting 17mpg on the highway and 13 almost 14 around town.

 

[Deleted member 80]

I am getting 12mpg towing an 12000# load with my 2019 3500 HO SRW. It is a 5000# trailer and 7000# Jeep, When I tow extra heavy (2 Jeeps on my 35' trailer ~20,000#) I get 9.5mpg. (this is a 16,000 miles on the truck - when I first bought the truck I was getting 9.5-10 towing a single Jeep on the small trailer).

How long did it take for your HO to loosen up? I am at just over 4K miles, and it doesn't get much better mpg than my 6.4 did. It does pull like a train, though.

 

[oaklandopen]

I originally wanted to trade my 14 5.7L 1500 for a 2500 diesel. I live on a farm with horses and do haul hay and what not occasionally though my current trailer I use is a 16’ car trailer with a 7,500lb load cap. Upon talking to the salesman the Cummins was a bit more in payments than I want to go at the time with just having my second kid and buying a few “new” pieces of equipment for the farm. Also my round trip to work and back is 14miles per day back roads. I ended up getting a 2500 6.4L for the reason of daily driving short trips to work and the occasional hauling plus I have access to my dads 17 3500 Cummins dually if need be. A recent round bale load was 3-1,200lb bales. So roughly 3,600lb plus my trailers 1,500lb “dry weight” so 5,100lbs was behind my truck. I was averaging 18mpg with the truck granted when I put it tow/haul mode the thing was all over place shifting gears and down shifting when what I thought was unnecessary since the road traveled was pretty easy. So I ended limiting the gear to 7th and was achieving the 18mpg. Is this good or bad limiting the gear?? The truck didn’t strain at all and I hardly noticed the load when doing this.

It's better that the trans is staying in gear and not hunting. Constantly shifting is going to cause more heat and wear

 

[Phil T]

I had the oil changed in my truck this week and drove a new 2500 with a diesel while I waited. I have owned diesels in the past and this one brought back memories. So here are some thoughts on both engines.

The diesel is very smooth above idle. It delivers a "turbine" like acceleration, very smooth, but seems slower than my gasser. My guess is that it is not slower, but seems that way due to the smooth quiet pull when accelerating. This truck did have an annoying vibration at idle....I would not buy this particular truck because of this.

My truck is much more responsive to throttle input unlike the diesel, which was a bit lazy. Every diesel I've owned has felt this way. Interestingly, my truck is noticeably quieter at idle. At highway speed, the diesel wins easily.....much quieter. However, the Magnaflow muffler on mine has something to do with this! Under acceleration, my truck sounds like a 60s muscle car....it wails. I'm a kid again every time I merge onto the interstate....and that is a good thing.

Both trucks are 2500s with 4wd. Mine is a Tradesman and the loaner was a 4wd Bighorn. The diesel was noticeably shorter and much easier to get into for me. Part of the difference is my tires, I have 35s and the stock tires are 33s. That results in a 1" difference in height, but the diesel was easily 2" lower. Maybe all diesels are shorter than gas trucks? Dunno.....

I reset the fuel economy when I got in the truck and after 30 miles or so of combined city/highway, it was indicating 17.5 mpg. That seems a bit low from my diesel experience, but I will attribute that to the truck being new and not loosened up yet. My Fuelly average is 15.4 mpg after 16,000 miles.

After 16,000 miles, I am used to the rotary shifter on the gasser. It was a pain reaching for the shifter on the steering column. I am not saying I like the knob better, but once getting used to it, it is harder going back to the column shiftet. If I had my choice, I'm not sure which I would pick.

So.....I think these 2 different trucks are both tools for different jobs. If one is going to tow heavy, over 13,000 or 14,000 pounds, the diesel is the logical choice. Hands down, the diesel is a better tool for heavy towing. For day to day driving and towing up to 11,000 or 12,000 pounds, the gas truck makes sense to me. I prefer the way the gas truck drives unloaded.

So the loaner confirmed to me my voice of the gas truck was right for me. But I'm not everyone.... If you are someone who likes diesels or you just want one, then the diesel is right for you. The choice boils down to individual needs and wants. What is best for me may be completely wrong for you.

Enjoy your trucks!

Gassers are best for mom to make supermarket runs. Diesels are for towing. Mine is a 2019 3500 HO Cummins. So far, I am getting 16 MPG average without towing and mainly surface streets. I can't wait for a vacation to see the mileage when towing my 30ft travel trailer, 7700# tare.

 

[oaklandopen]

Gassers are best for mom to make supermarket runs. Diesels are for towing.

I'll remember that next time im towing my TT during summer vacations, helping my friends and family move equipment, appliances, and furniture, hauling yardwork to a dump site, hauling metal to the scrap yard, go to and from work, driving in snow, all of which I should have spent an extra $10k on for a "proper" diesel truck.

Just like Confucius says don't use a canon to kill a butterfly, my hemi does exactly what it needs to and then some. Diesels aren't for everyone, and I had a 2012 with the Cummins. It was a beaut for towing my old 5th wheel. But really, not everyone who tows will benefit from shelling out extra money for the diesel


Oh I get groceries too

 

[jkbrereton]

I felt the diesel was priced out of the "not everyday towing or long hauler" market as well.

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[LASwede]

Interesting read, particularly for me since I am still in the planning/research stage to purchase my truck. I started off planning with getting a -19 RAM 1500 rebel with the HEMI Ecoboost, but after reading more, instead gravitated towards the Power Wagon (price wise, there was not too much of a difference between these trucks, and I felt you get a whole lot more capability with the PW). After an honest look at what we really will use this truck for, I finally had to admit I was not going to off-road as much as I may have thought, and the loss of towing and payload capacity of the PW (plus I have to admit, the loss of that great center console) made me start looking at the 2500 Cummins. For long trips, the Cummins seems ideal to me. I will however not initially tow a whole lot (will load the truck though), but will down the line get a decent size trailer for camping, and in general have a bit more payload and towing capability together with a bit better fuel economy on long hauls seems sensible to me. I know you pay more initially (much of which however is recapped if selling the truck) and there is also a bit more costly in maintenance, but not enough to scare me away. Each to their own I guess, and it is great for me to read and learn from everybody's experiences and opinions in this forum.

 

[jkbrereton]

I got a 2019 left over Power Wagon. If I were getting a 2020 truck I would have looked at building one the way I wanted it (which would not have some of the Power Wagon features but others I don't currently have)

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[hutchman]

Gassers are best for mom to make supermarket runs. Diesels are for towing. Mine is a 2019 3500 HO Cummins. So far, I am getting 16 MPG average without towing and mainly surface streets. I can't wait for a vacation to see the mileage when towing my 30ft travel trailer, 7700# tare.

Call Mr Mr Mom then, because I know what works for me and I don't need approval from some faceless internet troll. If you want to discuss the merits of each, then fine. But comments like yours don't do anyone any good and they show a basic lack of knowledge on your part.

 

[brucie]

The diesel v. gas decision has to take into account payload capacity. My gasser has a 3200 pound payload capacity but the diesel version has only a 2400 pound capacity. My bumper pull trailer has an approximately 1000 pound tongue weight. Add contents in the bed, the tonneau cover, the 120 pound hitch and the passengers and you are approaching the payload capacity of the diesel but have about a half ton to spare on the gasser. You are only going to be able to pull a fairly light 5th wheel with a 2500 diesel.

The 6.4 is ideal for me although I am not seeing anything like the mileage being mentioned in this thread. I finally towed with it for the first time last weekend and got 10 mpg, but that isn't that far off from what I get not towing, driving around suburbia. Whatever, it sure is a joy to drive, towing or not.

 

[EODMatt]

Ya I agree, if you’re looking for a hefty camping trailer or 5er, probably best to get a 3500, maybe with that Cummins. You can still tow a fair amount of fifth wheels and lots of tag trailers with a 2500 Cummins. Especially in a tradesman. Just have to be a little more conscious about pin weights, hitch weights, and how many folks in the truck along with all their sheeeet going on the trip. I love my 19 2500 CC LB, and the 2300 payload is fine for what I need. But my next truck in several years will definitely be a 3500. I just couldn’t pass up the bargain I got for this 2500.