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Diesel gas comparison

Gondul said:
Comparing MPG is missing the forest for the trees...get the 6.7 because you tow heavy/often/mountains....
Make a spead sheet, and roll up all the extra costs associated with the 6.7 and do the math...
The money I would 'save' was less than .10 cents on the dollar
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True but this wast trip one of thousands of miles pulling and the power for that is worth the money in my opinion, on flat land up here at 65 i was happy with 13-17 towing and the hemi gets that empty. For me it’s all about pulling torque and no shifting either vehicle when you get one your not getting awesome MPG
 
Grew up driving diesels and gassers on my dad's farm. If I was towing heavy and often, I'd have the Cummins. Mostly I carry stuff in the truck and want the extra 1/2 ton of payload. Saving the big cost of the Cummins up front is another plus. Pump prices are higher, yes, but it takes a long time to make up that $9,300 option price in fuel savings when you're not towing. Yeah, it's a lower price if you get below MSRP, but it's still a big percentage of the entire truck. 25%+ of a base Tradesman, 19% on a base Laramie, 15% on a base Limited.
 
Brewbud said:
Many people will say the higher cost of a diesel will never be made up. Just look up what used 7 yr old gassers and used 7 yr old diesels are selling for. I don't tow much. I first got into diesels for the performance aspect. 15 years ago if you wanted something with good HP you bought a diesel (and maybe a programmer). Gassers have definitely caught up in the performance area. But then again, there is still that programmer available.
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That is if you plan to sell it. For me by the time I sell mine it will not matter gas or diesel, they will be worth about the same that is if my son in 5 years does take it from me as he at 11 wants it now. My issue was the higher cost, higher payment and the approver said NO diesel, even though I showed her how quiet they were compared to my old F350.

The other issue is in the mainstream US diesel is just about everywhere. Rural US and Canada (more Canada where I travel a lot) I find diesel hard to find in general. Gas i can get just about anywhere. Diesel, well, I have had to use modified 2 stroke fuel to get me to a place that had any. Yep it was a hard fought run.

Not everyone is using their trucks to tow or for a business. Mine is a DD and while I knew it would be a thirsty pig when towing (my F150 I did not get anything above 12-14 mpg and like 8 towing not matter what) and the 4.10 gears are not helping that matter. But for me Payload was way more important since aside from a quad, boat or maybe a small travel trailer I do not see myself towing much else. Now in the bed, my camper is about 1800lbs dry (this is why I am not driving a Power Wagon) I have 3300 lbs of payload so that will leave me enough for everything else.
That will be on my vehicle for at least 8 months of the year.
 
All the 6.4 guys talk about is fuel/maint cost vs the option price. Here, FB, it's all the same refrain.

Believe it or not, some people like the raw overkill of the diesel for any task and are willing to pay for it. I have been "over-vehicled" my whole life. The second my 1500 Chevy 5.3 hooked up to that 6,300lb trailer and got its butt kicked by it I was on the way to diesel land. As a lifelong gearhead, I don't like the feeling of a stressed vehicle. Hanging a gasser out over 4,000RPM for minutes at a time to get over a hill is not for me. My diesel is a DD in the 18-18.5mpg area for my work loop and hauls mostly sailboat fuel. I may only tow a few times a year just like you 6.4 guys, but you can have your $9,100. I'll take my 850lb/ft and instant resale.

See ya over at the Ike Gauntlet for one of our "few times a year" pulls. ;)
 
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I drive a HeftyDuty. I give 2 ****s about maintenance and fuel mileage.

I drive a 392 Hemi because...it does what I need and I hate that damn Cummins for doing the type of work my truck does. My truck always has some sort of load in it and to the GVWR of a 2500 there is no real benefit with the Cummins...except fuel mileage. Sure...the Hemi has to rev...but I prefer to hear the exhaust while working it vs the clanging chatter while sneaking through the woods. (You can do that with a HeftyDuty)

If I had a need for a Cummins it would be in a 3500 DRW where I am towing above the capacity of the Hemi.

The Cummins definetly has a place. It definitely can tow some loads. But the 392 has the payload for my needs and tows my camper well. I drive the speed limit and enjoy my trip. At 45 to 55 mph my Hemi does exactly what my Cummins did. The Hemi sings a little louder...but the 3 to 5 mpg less I get towing to my favorite spot and the 3 to 5mpg less on my daily commutes really comes out in the wash

My Hemi gets 13.5 doing the daily and the Cummins got 17.5. On Our yearly trip to the beach...the Cummins got 22 the Hemi got 17.5

Towing from home the 40 miles to our favorite Campground...Cummins got 13 the Hemi got 10.

Just my thoughts.

2500...the Hemi does well. 3500 and a near gross load...the Cummins will show its worth.

For me...i am in the middle and very happy with my truck...so much I am holding off one maybe 2 more years to make my replacement...but that 8 spd keeps calling my name when I try to keep this damn 6 spd from shifting from 3rd to 1st
 
hutchman said:
I'm driving another diesel today while my car is in for an oil change and this one also has the same annoying vibration at idle. That's 2 random trucks with the issue..makes me wonder how widespread it is.
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I have the 2020 Ram 2500 cummins and I do not notice what you speak of at all. I have had the truck for a little over a month.
 
Epsilon Plus said:
All the 6.4 guys talk about is fuel/maint cost vs the option price. Here, FB, it's all the same refrain.

Believe it or not, some people like the raw overkill of the diesel for any task and are willing to pay for it. I have been "over-vehicled" my whole life. The second my 1500 Chevy 5.3 hooked up to that 6,300lb trailer and got its butt kicked by it I was on the way to diesel land. As a lifelong gearhead, I don't like the feeling of a stressed vehicle. Hanging a gasser out over 4,000RPM for minutes at a time to get over a hill is not for me. My diesel is a DD in the 18-18.5mpg area for my work loop and hauls mostly sailboat fuel. I may only tow a few times a year just like you 6.4 guys, but you can have your $9,100. I'll take my 850lb/ft and instant resale.

See ya over at the Ike Gauntlet for one of our "few times a year" pulls. ;)
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I couldn't agree with this more.
 
Meh, most of the people that drive a RAM powered by a Cummins bought it to pull things that i wouldn't want to pull with my 6.4, that said as you have seen on this thread some people buy them to say the have a Cummins. I guess that's cool, i have had 6 Cummins powered rams spanning 3 diff generations and while they pull well and can be fast the plague of transmission issues and CP failures led me to the Hemi on this truck. I don't tow but 8k occasionally, or even often enough to justify the added cost over the lifetime of the vehicle. I don't care about resale value personally. I am perfectly happy, now if my damn King shocks would ship already i'd be even happier!
 
For me this was my number one reason for Gas over a Diesel:
The wife said no.
reason number 2:
"The other reason for gas was due to where I camp and fish. When I had my F350 diesel I had to at times hunt for a place that sold diesel. Not off the interstate or main highways, but in the remote towns. It was harder to find"
With a slide in camper, aside from a long range tank that hangs down to low, there is little I can do for range be it diesel or gas.
Now that said, at times I ford through streams a Diesel may have been a better choice. But not if I cannot find fuel.
Daily driving, I could care less. My vehicle will spend a fair bit of time off road and in the bush so Diesel while a great choice was not the right one for me.
I bought a 2020 and with the issue I hear about the CP4 units I am happy that it is Gas. Stuck on the side of the road where a tow truck can get me is one thing. Stuck 100 miles from the nearest road is another.
The 6.4 has that horrible plastic oil pan so it is not without it's issues. To fix that is $400 for a skid plate, to change the CP4 to CP3 is over $2700 for the parts alone, this is something FCA should have done from day one.
In the end my 2500 unless it is crashed will go to my son in 5 years. At that point I will see what is available. Either way it will be around for at least 10 years.
 
You think CP4 is bad, you should look into the "MDS lifter failure" fun.

Nope, you're not out of the catastrophic failure risk woods with them thar fancified 6.4s.

Common theme: emissions ruined durability.
 
Hstone556 said:
Meh, most of the people that drive a RAM powered by a Cummins bought it to pull things that i wouldn't want to pull with my 6.4, that said as you have seen on this thread some people buy them to say the have a Cummins. I guess that's cool, i have had 6 Cummins powered rams spanning 3 diff generations and while they pull well and can be fast the plague of transmission issues and CP failures led me to the Hemi on this truck. I don't tow but 8k occasionally, or even often enough to justify the added cost over the lifetime of the vehicle. I don't care about resale value personally. I am perfectly happy, now if my damn King shocks would ship already i'd be even happier!
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Could be worse.......
”heh, does that got a Hemi?”
 
Dan Lamb said:
IF I didn't have the need to pull as much as we do [10,000 - 15.000] I would own the Powerwagon .
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I don’t know which was bs, but I saw a 2500 (4th gen) the other day that had Cummins badges as well as power wagon on the tailgate.........me thinks it was like “turbo” that all the Europeans like to paste on their cars.
 
I will say the day they come out with a diesel Powerwagon im buying it. I know you would need the gas powerwagon for off-roading but how nice would that be a diesel wagon.
 
i have just 1800 miles on my first ever pick up truck other than my 72 el camino. I purhcased a new 2019 500 long bed dually with the standard cummins not the HO. Picking up a 16K+ 5th wheel in the next week or two but in the meantime living in Western Pa with up and down roads my average is 14.3. I noticed a big drop when it went in for a couple of the tsb's (transmission, fuel injection). When i purchased new on the ride home thru the mountains of western Pa. i averaged just over 18+ so the Recall for VB6 has for sure affected the fuel mileage. It's my daily driver for the most part after i sold my car. Other than parking spaces i love the truck looking forward to towing the 5th soon.
 
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