2020 GM/Chevy gas 6.6L max towing test

ib516 wrote:
When I ditched diesel and bought a 6.4L Hemi, cost was only one thing I considered. The reliability of diesels at the time was suspect (2013 ish), and the DPF/DEF issue was something I didn't want to deal with. Most around here with trucks of that vintage have removed the emissions junk now as they tend to be troublesome when mileage creeps up, and since we don't have mandatory emissions testing.

I had about a 10 mile commute at the time, and neither of my diesels ever got to operating temp in 10 miles at -25 to -30*C or colder, even when the grill was completely blocked and they had been plugged in, inside a garage before starting. I froze every day driving to work. My use case would have killed a DPF equipped truck.

I also only towed (actually had the trailer behind the truck) for 5-7 days a YEAR. Yes, we took 3 week vacations, but that was usually 2-3 days total towing. Some trips were less than a day.

The 6.4L Hemi towed my 12k 5er with no issue at all. The mpg was about 30% less than the diesel it replaced, but unleaded is, and was cheaper than diesel fuel where I live (Canada).

The premium for a diesel over a gas truck in Canada is closer to 12K, not 9K.

I was very happy with the big gasser I had.

Now, if towing performance is the only data point you look at to compare trucks, the diesel will win every time, as they out perform the gassers when it comes to towing power. That is a fact. For me though, that was NOT the primary consideration. I was evaluating the truck based on the other 360 days of the year when I used it for personal use, and for that, the gasser won hands down.

These are all valid points as to why one would consider a gas truck over a diesel. I agree that there are many things to consider when buying a tow vehicle and everyone has different circumstances. However, it is still plain false that a diesel costs ten to fifteen thousand more in the long run when all things are considers as was previously stated.

If one actually does the math, the difference is very minimal and I would wager that it is greater than the the total cost difference a 6.4L owner paid over a 5.7L HD owner. To your point looking at the big picture, you can't just look at upfront cost(like non diesel owners do) when calculating total cost. Most "assume" that it will cost them more for a diesel even though they don't even tow, but the they have never actually done the numbers to verify.

To a diesel owners point, you are basically getting added performance and more capability for free or next to nothing over the ownership of the vehicle. That is something you can't do with higher performance engine options in light duty pickups or sports cars because nine times out of ten the higher performance engine uses considerably more fuel making the cost higher in the long run. Heck even if it cost you an extra $1,000 over the course of 100k miles, that is less that what a 6.4L owners paid over the 5.7L and you are getting a lot more performance from the diesel than a 6.4L owner does over a 5.7L.