As a Ram fan, I had an Ecodiesel half ton. The idiosyncrasies of diesel ownership taught me that I wasn't in fact a diesel fan. After crunching some numbers I found it less expensive to upgrade to a 2500 with the 6.4L Hemi. Covering over 10,000 miles with an Adventurer 80RB effortlessly more than impressed me especially in light of the 13.9 mpg I averaged on an 8,500 mile trip from Georgia to British Columbia and back. My engine temperature has never exceeded 216 degrees (even climbing to the top of Pikes Peak with the camper). I like the simplicity of the tried and true basic engine (and emissions) technology. I love being able to pull up to any pump at any island and find fuel. I love having an engine that comes up to temperature in a reasonable amount of time and one that tolerates stop and go and slow speed without having to regenerate. I like the idea that the lighter gas engines increases the payload capacities. I like the concept of not having to add DEF and changing fuel filters regularly. I like replacing 6.5 quarts of oil instead of 11 at service intervals. The big Hemi has always had as much grunt as I've needed and I've never felt it work hard. My numbers basically showed that my cost per mile was about the same (including the engine premium) but the convenience of the gasser made it a winner in my eyes.
