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I don't know about "stay away", but if you are thinking about saving money then I would say a gas engine has more benefit for limited towing. Diesels shine on the highway towing big trailers for a lot of miles -- better fuel mileage than gasoline engine, more power (usually more torque, "grunt", power), just nicer overall for towing. But the fuel mileage advantage is lost for around town driving, and in the Northeast diesel can cost well over 10 cents more a gallon than gasoline. Also in cold Northeast winters, if you want to run an older diesel in the winter you need to consider plugging in an engine block heater or at a minimum allowing it plenty of time to warm up.

If you can find a diesel in good condition for your price, then get it. Otherwise, certainly don't discount gas engines.