Cummins 1000tq vs 6.4L Hemi towing mpg
I found a video on YouTube of a guy who towed the same trailer over the same loop (TFL Style) with 2 different Ram trucks. One was a Power Wagon with the 6.4L Hemi and the 8 speed, and the other was ...
Forum Discussion
ShinerBock wrote:wowens79 wrote:
So at 112,000 miles the engine theoretically pays for itself, unless you factor in putting in that $9000 in a good mutual fund, and having it turn into $18000 over those 7-8 years.
1. That would be IF you paid cash for the truck which would be stupid because you would make more investing it especially if you get a sub 4% interest rate. Most people finance their vehicle loan so theoretically they don't have $9k to put in a mutual fund.
2. You are not counting for the fact that the diesel truck is still worth $6-7K more than the gas version at that point and you would get that much more on resale/trade-in.
3. If you look at total cost of ownership between a 6.4L and Cummins, the difference is less than a few thousands for most people over 5 years/100k miles.... in the diesels favor.
4. The diesel option in the HD is the only option that not only gradually pays for itself, but it also adds greater performance and capabilities. The $3k 4x4 option does not pay for itself or add performance. The old $1,200 for the 6.4L over the 5.7L did add performance but it did not pay for itself. In fact it cost you much more as time when on due to costlier preventive maintenance. The $11k Laramie package does not pay for itself either yet you never hear anyone talk about how long it would take for these options would have an ROI. So why do they with the diesel option?
If you look at total ownership cost on a gas truck versus the diesel equivalent, when all is said and done you've effectively got a wash. I tend to run my vehicles into the ground so in my situation I think the diesel pencils out a bit better but probably not enough to matter over that many years. That being the case, why wouldn't a person pick the one that performs substantially better? In a lot of cases I think the additional up front cost is prohibitive and some folks would rather put that towards bling, and then they spend the rest of the time they own the truck trying to justify why it the diesel (better) version of their truck wasn't worth it.
