the limits of diesel
When I bought my 2006 Duramax, I was pretty impressed with 650 ft-lbs, and 22 mpg (under best possible conditions), plus a great ride an plenty of load capacity. Now Dodge advertises 850 ft-lb and 25...
Forum Discussion
Bedlam wrote:
My 4-banger gasser towing a 3500 lb boat over the mountain passes was limited to 45 mph and got 7-8 mpg on that leg of the trip. Flats, it was lucky to get twice that mileage as long as there there was no wind. With four times the HP in my V8, I can tow the same load comfortably (barely even feel it) at suggested speeds (60 mph) and still get the mid-teens regardless of terrain or wind.
I can guarantee the 4-banger truck wasn't optimized for towing. The vast majority of small pickups never tow a thing so the drivetrain is optimized for running lightly loaded. In contrast, when you get a heavy duty truck with a big V8, they expect you to tow so they optimize for towing.
Start with a blank slate and a 4 banger will get similar mileage.
But to the original question, unless you are pushing into the 18k+ range towing, 350hp is going to be plenty. This is more about ego for 99% of heavy duty towers.
