Do diesels make financial sense?

dodge guy wrote:
And I didn’t feel the need to warm my truck up on an 80 degree morning either!

You aren’t the only one that finds this annoying. On a recent trip the guy in the next spot let his truck run for 15-20 minutes before he pulled out. The stink bothered me more than the noise. There was no need for it. Thoughtless, rude... pick your adjective.

ShinerBock wrote:
I wonder if a 707 hp Hellcat owner ever loses any sleep at night wondering if he will ever get the extra money back that he could have saved over a 305 hp V6 Challenger?



Yes, this is how stupid this argument sounds to a diesel owner.

Well said.... having said that I find it hard to believe that a ford V10 can out tow any hd diesel. Most likely the wife started yelling at the poor old guy and he had to pull off the go pedal. Ask me how I know!

A diesel making sense would be up to the individual. I purchased a diesel because we were planning a cross country trip and I wanted to be sure I had the torque for mountains. But, I have had many costly repairs on the engine. Is a diesel worth it? Well, if you want the torque, then yes. If you are going to be using the truck for general camping and not full-timing and have a light load, no. My 5er is about 19K. With all the money I have spent on repairs, I could of purchased another diesel engine. What repairs would a gas engine have. I don't know, but sensors, turbos, hoses, EGR valves all are expensive.

Few things with wheels and a motor make financial sense. For me, driving is an "experience" and much more than a way to get from point A to point B. I now own 3 diesels and with the exception of maybe an Ecoboost engine, which behaves more like a diesel, I don't ever see myself buying a vehicle with a N/A gas engine ever again. I've rented dozens (actually hundreds) of gas engined cars and I really don't like the way they drive. I much prefer the power and performance of a diesel engine so that is what I'll buy. As for re-sale, I certainly don't care about that. I've bought 7 vehicles in nearly 30 years of driving and I still own 4 of them. There isn't much to sell after I get done with them.

Wow, 7 pages of opinions on this. In less than a day!

First question: diesel What? Small car? SUV? Pickup truck? 18 wheeler? Cargo ship???

Second question: Who ASKED those guys?

dodge guy wrote:

Um, no. It was 2 lanes. One slow and the other for normal speed. 60mph up a 5% or so grade is not struggling. He pulled into the left lane and could not build up anymore speed. He just hung out at the back of the X, I heard the clutch fan kick on so I know that it was working hard. So he just slowed down and settled I behind me for the rest of that highway until he turned off.
Most guys with diesels can’t fathom this story. Mostly because they don’t want to believe a gasser can do just as good as a diesel. Yes I used more gas, but didn’t make crazy outrageous mileage gains. However I enjoyed my trip just as much as the guy with the diesel did. And I didn’t feel the need to warm my truck up on an 80 degree morning either!

The fact that you said you heard his fan tells me he wasn't foot to the floor. There is no way you would be able to hear the fan over the sound of a Cummins at high load.

What probably happened was that he was too high of a gear and too low of an rpm for the pull which increases EGT's and other temps. This kicked on the fan and the reason why you were even able to hear it since the engine was not making that much noise at such a low rpm. So he backed off once he heard the fan and settled back behind you.

This actually happens more than you think on stock adaptive learning transmissions depending on how you drive. If he would have manually kicked it down a gear(depending on the year) then his rpms would have risen and his EGT's would have lowered never triggering the fan. You would have only heard the engine if this happened.

ShinerBock wrote:
I wonder if a 707 hp Hellcat owner ever loses any sleep at night wondering if he will ever get the extra money back that he could have saved over a 305 hp V6 Challenger?



Yes, this is how stupid this argument sounds to a diesel owner.

Yep it is crazy! I didn’t make my purchase based on resale. I purchased based on the best vehicle for the job. :B

bucky wrote:

dodge guy wrote:

Mortimer Brewster wrote:
There’s something to be said for having the right tool to do a job - even if it costs more money.

Tell that to the guy in the Diesel super C that couldn't pass me in WY last year! he tried, but settled in behind me for 5 miles up the mountain! $170k and he couldn't pass $40k of V-10 truck and trailer!

I'm thinking that you were not able to maintain a steady speed and he was not going to lose headway as you struggled. When you sped up again to race him he was pulling back in behind you because that was the speed he traveled at. How do you like me now? :)

Um, no. It was 2 lanes. One slow and the other for normal speed. 60mph up a 5% or so grade is not struggling. He pulled into the left lane and could not build up anymore speed. He just hung out at the back of the X, I heard the clutch fan kick on so I know that it was working hard. So he just slowed down and settled I behind me for the rest of that highway until he turned off.
Most guys with diesels can’t fathom this story. Mostly because they don’t want to believe a gasser can do just as good as a diesel. Yes I used more gas, but didn’t make crazy outrageous mileage gains. However I enjoyed my trip just as much as the guy with the diesel did. And I didn’t feel the need to warm my truck up on an 80 degree morning either!

ScottG wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:

Dayle1 wrote:

troubledwaters wrote:
I think you got that backwards, it's the diesel boys that are always trying to say the diesel is cheaper than a gasser.

Got some examples that you can reference??

You new here? Just start looking through the 462 page diesel vs. gas sticky at the top. You should be able to find thousands of examples.

No, most of us have been here a lot longer than you. I also see that your employing the last frantic strategy that those who just want to argue use; rudeness.

Oh, you're absolutely right - I'm rude, no one on this forum has ever claimed the diesels are cheaper than gassers, and the check is in the mail.

I wonder if a 707 hp Hellcat owner ever loses any sleep at night wondering if he will ever get the extra money back that he could have saved over a 305 hp V6 Challenger?



Yes, this is how stupid this argument sounds to a diesel owner.