Diesel vs gas......................

hutchman wrote:

smcrea wrote:
I am strongly considering getting a Diesel 3500. One concern is that Diesels seem to be "dirty" clouds of black smoke etc.

Can anyone tell me what the NEW diesel engines are like if they have to meet lets say California emissions standards.

All the research that I've done points me to a diesel engine for my new truck. The only remaining concern is "how dirty" we have visions of black disgusting vehicles :-)

Thanks

New diesels do not smoke unless someone adds a tuner.....and even then, most tuners on lower power settings do not smoke much if at all. The newer diesels have particulate filters in the exhaust to prevent smoke.

I would not buy a used Dodge from 07 through 09. They did have some issues with the exhaust filters, that may have been fixed by software updates. I believe the 2010 and newer have most of those issues fixed. I bought a new 2012 and have no issues at this point.

I don't have much knowledge of Chevy and Ford diesels, but my guess is they similar issues during that time period.

Diesels are not for everyone. They can cost a suitcase full of money to repair when out of warranty. From my perspective, unless you just want one, or tow a lot, get a gasser. If you tow heavy or just want s diesel, buy a new one.......or get an older one from the late 90s or early 2000s. The exception to that in my opinion is the 5.9 Cummins. I believe they were good up through 2007 when they changed to the 6.7. If you buy an older one, make sure you have some money in savings for repairs...

I now see you want a one ton. The will most likely mean a diesel rather than a gas engine unless you buy an old one. Go drive all three and buy the one you like. They all have good and not so good features... My opinion is that you probably can't buy a bad new one from any of the manufacturers.

How's that for a ramble......?

Thanks,

Yes I've been asking questions on different aspects of truck buying and you folks on this forum have been great. I put the findings into a presentation which I showed my wife this evening. It looks like we are in agreement on a Chevy 3500 Crew Cab, SRW, 4WD, Long Box. But she had a concern about the Diesel engine. We both remember the days when diesels spewed out black clouds of fowl smoke and she was a little concerned about having a black stinky smelly truck. I totally understand her concern. So once again I'm back on this forum asking you folks for your expert opinion.
Thanks!