Are diesels worth it, for costs per mile?
Was at a car dealer out of town, and the dealer (name with-held to protect the guilty) was trying to warn me away from a diesel on the 3500 models he was selling, unless I had at least $15,000 a year ...
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From a purely financial perspective, I think it's pretty hard to save money from a diesel. Yes, you will save on fuel costs if you tow a lot, but that will is offset by the fact that the diesel costs more to begin with (an $8K option for Ford trucks) and the maintenance costs are slightly higher. I do recognize that you will recoup some of the added cost of the diesel engine on resale.
So my take has always been to buy a diesel because you need it or want it, but financial justification is pretty hard unless you tow A LOT of miles.
The water in fuel thing can be catastrophic but keep in mind that the truck does have a water/fuel separator. It will only separate so much water but it's not as if the engine will detonate because of a little water.
A couple of practical advantages to having a diesel: The ability to fill up at truck stops, which is a big plus in my view. You also have the ability to add an auxiliary fuel tank and/or replace the stock one to greatly increase your range before having to refuel. VERY convenient.
So my take has always been to buy a diesel because you need it or want it, but financial justification is pretty hard unless you tow A LOT of miles.
The water in fuel thing can be catastrophic but keep in mind that the truck does have a water/fuel separator. It will only separate so much water but it's not as if the engine will detonate because of a little water.
A couple of practical advantages to having a diesel: The ability to fill up at truck stops, which is a big plus in my view. You also have the ability to add an auxiliary fuel tank and/or replace the stock one to greatly increase your range before having to refuel. VERY convenient.
