Diesel vs gas......................
OK folks, there have been a few to many diesel vs gas threads that have shall we say gone to "Hell and a hand basket"! So if all of you would put in you BEST, no flaming reasons for going gas vs diese...
Forum Discussion
I have about 5000 miles on my new Dodge and it is averaging about 12.5 mpg. That is mostly in a suburban area with mixed highway and city driving. My old 6 liter gasser averaged about 13 in the same mix. The Dodge gets about 10 towing and the gasser got about 8.5 over the same route with the same trailer....
The real difference is that I did not run the gasser at 4500 rpm up the hill for two reasons:
1. The fuel mileage decreased dramatically trying to maintain 60 on the hills.
2. I did not like the engine running at 4500.
Watching how fast I ran the gasser up the hills while towing made it easier to live with in my opinion. The new Dodge is easier to drive while getting better economy towing. Balancing my desire for a new truck, the fact that I do like the Cummins engine, and the fact that it tows my trailer at a lower engine rpm over the mountians, make it a good choice for me.
When you add in the additional cost of the new Dodge over a 5 year old Chevy gasser though, it makes the decision tougher. With the added emissions junk on these new diesels, I do not think the decision is as clear cut as it used to be. They burn more fuel and have more systems that will need repair and maintenance over the years.
The newer gas engines are a viable alternative when towing light to moderate loads. I think there is no question that a diesel wins as the loads get heavier though.
At least that is my humble opinion...
The real difference is that I did not run the gasser at 4500 rpm up the hill for two reasons:
1. The fuel mileage decreased dramatically trying to maintain 60 on the hills.
2. I did not like the engine running at 4500.
Watching how fast I ran the gasser up the hills while towing made it easier to live with in my opinion. The new Dodge is easier to drive while getting better economy towing. Balancing my desire for a new truck, the fact that I do like the Cummins engine, and the fact that it tows my trailer at a lower engine rpm over the mountians, make it a good choice for me.
When you add in the additional cost of the new Dodge over a 5 year old Chevy gasser though, it makes the decision tougher. With the added emissions junk on these new diesels, I do not think the decision is as clear cut as it used to be. They burn more fuel and have more systems that will need repair and maintenance over the years.
The newer gas engines are a viable alternative when towing light to moderate loads. I think there is no question that a diesel wins as the loads get heavier though.
At least that is my humble opinion...
