Dodge - Diesel or gas?
Already know my new truck will be a 2014 Dodge SRW Crew Cab 4x4 with auto tranny. What I don't know is if I should go with the new 6.4 or diesel. Worked outthe numbers and the cost for my use of 15k...
Forum Discussion
JumboJet wrote:
Just for comparison:
2004 Dodge Ram 3500 DRW w/Hemi Engine
2004 Dodge Ram 3500 DRW w/Cummins Diesel Engine
And you will pay more for the diesel equipped truck up front.
But oh the pleasure of pulling those loads and driving into those 30 mph headwinds with the diesel.
Having recently bought an early 2000's F250, the diesel premium you show seems really high. We found for similarly equiped trucks, there was almost no premium for the diesel.
We did the comparison and after factoring in fuel economy and fuel prices, fuel costs and maintenance was pretty much a wash. I have a truck with a 1/4 million miles and the problem wasn't the engine but the body and other parts falling apart.
Now if you are looking new, the $10k up front cost makes the diesel a loser from a financial point of view unless you truely need the capabilities that it brings. The gas v10 is more power than we need anyway and probably is plenty for 95% of the folks who upgrade to the diesel.
Comparing it to commercial trucks is a much different animal. They can easily put on 10 times your projected milage so saving a 1/10th of a cent per mile may be enough to sway the descion. At 15k miles per year, fuel savings are not going to be enough to justify the up front cost.
