Ram 2500 5.7 hemi mpg.....a bit disappointed

4X4Dodger wrote:

IdaD wrote:

4X4Dodger wrote:

IdaD wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Think of how much $$$ you saved versus buying a diesel. That will buy a LOT of gasoline!!!

I know there's a little bit of debate about this, but when you actually pencil out all the numbers your total cost of ownership is typically lower with the diesel motor. Maybe not in some cases like the wrong model year Powerstroke since some didn't hold up as well with resale. But in most cases if you factor in the up front cost, fuel expense, likely required maintenance and resale value, you'll come out a little big ahead with the diesel option.

The trick of course is whether you're comfortable with paying more up front for an overall lower cost. Think of it like a light bulb. Are you an LED guy or an incandescent guy? The one that costs more up front actually costs quite a bit less in the long run.

I guess the other trick is personal preference. Some people simply prefer a gas truck or a nice soft incandescent bulb.

You must be using a different calculator than me. When I figure it with all the additional costs including more oil per change more changes, the exhaust fluid, the fuel filters, and the higher price of Diesel Fuel by as much as a dollar in some states including the 9-10 Thousand Dollar premium for the Diesel option at purchase there is no way to recoup that in a normal lifetime much less come out ahead.

Long Life, Pulling power and personal preference as you say are all good reasons to buy a Diesel but economy is not one of them any longer. (and truly the pulling power difference with Gas is shrinking fast) When Diesel Fuel was still cheaper than Gasoline the equation made more economic sense for sure but those days are gone.

I think the biggest reason (unspoken and unacknowledged of course) for guys buying Diesels is they love the sound, they love to leave them idle, it makes them feel like they have a "Big" truck and it gives them a little of that John Wayne crashing through the Saloon Doors with both six guns blazing feeling. None of which is bad mind you but it's still not a valid economic argument.

http://www.dieselforum.org/files/dmfile/20130311_cd_umtritcofinalreport_dd2017.pdf

I've also run the numbers in my own situation many times and diesel always comes out a little ahead. Again you do have to be willing and able to pay more up front, and I understand that doesn't work for some people.

Just curious...did you include the cost of the diesel option in the original purchase price when you did those numbers? And were you using current prices for diesel fuel?

Sure I did. Guessing on fuel prices is necessary but frought with uncertainty. Last few years in my area diesel and gas tent to be priced about the same in the summer or at least reasonably close, but then in the winter gas drops quite a bit. So yeah I guestimated on what I thought might be a typical spread (figure diesel at maybe $.75 more on average).

But you also have to keep in mind things could be wildly different in five years, for better or worse. Still worth thinking about though, and it's real easy to build a spreadsheet in excel where you can play with all the variables.