Dodge announces a diesel half-ton...

[dom w. forte]

I think the verdicts still out with all the new DGI gas engines produceing torque comparable to the diesels , better fuel economy and cheaper cost of vehicle and fuel, only time will tell.

[barry1me]

I think the verdicts still out with all the new DGI gas engines produceing torque comparable to the diesels , better fuel economy and cheaper cost of vehicle and fuel, only time will tell.

ya the new F150 ecoboost has unreal power....I mean its like a diesel truck, only problem I have seen with it is everyone I know with one (10+) complain about the fuel mileage. My one buddy has a 7klb 24ft enclosed trailer and he gets 7-8mpg towing it, where his 2011 F250 diesel got 11-12mpg towing the same trailer. Around town he averages about 16mpg and runs premium in it....In hot weather and towing conditions Ford recommends you run 91+ octane in the Ecoboost for best performance and reliability.

[Timmy!]

You have to balance out the fuel mileage though. That F250 is only going to get 12-13 around town so you are taking a 4mpg hit on your day-to-day driving vs the Boost not to mention the cost of the truck. We only tow on the weekends so the majority of our driving is that around town stuff. I wasn't man enough to trade my diesel for an Ecoboost yet, went to the table a couple of times and just couldn't pull the trigger. Back to the small diesel...perfect for folks with a runabout! My 19' Rinker weighed like 3,500 lbs or something and this 1/2 ton diesel would be the perfect rig for towing that and driving around town...if it wasn't $50k+!

[IDBoating]

You have to balance out the fuel mileage though. That F250 is only going to get 12-13 around town

I agree, but mileage is VERY vehicle dependent. My Cummins/Dodge gets an honest 25MPG in mixed everyday driving. Niether of my wife's minivans have approached that; her current (and thus presumably most efficient) vehicle is getting 21MPG. Nothing I've ever driven except a little Honda 1500 hatchback has gotten better mileage than my diesel.

Under load (i.e. towing the 24Ve wet at nearly 5000 pounds plus trailer) the Cummins mileage drops to the low 20's. I still consider that remarkable (it's still beating our minivan - while towing!).

A turbocharged diesel is roughly 2x as efficient at extracting energy out of its fuel compared to a gasoline engine. That's not to say that all diesels achieve that, nor that direct injection gas engines can't make their numbers better, but diesels start out with a huge built-in advantage. I'm not an engine expert but I wonder if, by the time you bolt on all of the extra equipment required to make a gasoline engine more efficient, you're really saving much money compared to a diesel. Maybe you're just making the gasoline engine look a lot more LIKE the diesel!

[Wickedcummins]

I agree, but mileage is VERY vehicle dependent. My Cummins/Dodge gets an honest 25MPG in mixed everyday driving. Niether of my wife's minivans have approached that; her current (and thus presumably most efficient) vehicle is getting 21MPG. Nothing I've ever driven except a little Honda 1500 hatchback has gotten better mileage than my diesel.

Under load (i.e. towing the 24Ve wet at nearly 5000 pounds plus trailer) the Cummins mileage drops to the low 20's. I still consider that remarkable (it's still beating our minivan - while towing!).

A turbocharged diesel is roughly 2x as efficient at extracting energy out of its fuel compared to a gasoline engine. That's not to say that all diesels achieve that, nor that direct injection gas engines can't make their numbers better, but diesels start out with a huge built-in advantage. I'm not an engine expert but I wonder if, by the time you bolt on all of the extra equipment required to make a gasoline engine more efficient, you're really saving much money compared to a diesel. Maybe you're just making the gasoline engine look a lot more LIKE the diesel!

Diesels are the only way to go =) With a cummins Fuel Mileage is real easy... Hell even the new 2013 is averaging 18-23 from what I have seen on customers trucks =)

[Timmy!]

I agree, but mileage is VERY vehicle dependent. My Cummins/Dodge gets an honest 25MPG in mixed everyday driving.

Yes, we've beat that horse...you always leave out the important part about your truck...5 or 6 speed MANUAL!

[chpthril]

No offence, but until gas and diesel prices are comparative, the fuel mileage argument is null and void. The increase in fuel mileage from a diesel as compared to a comparable gas engine in a similar sized vehicle used in a similar manor, is offset by the price per gallon difference.

A turbocharged diesel is roughly 2x as efficient at extracting energy out of its fuel compared to a gasoline engine.

Is that comparing to a normally aspirated gas engine or forced induction?

[Wickedcummins]

Mike the prices here in denver are about the same gas per diesel.. there has been many times this year Diesel has been cheaper

[chpthril]

Theres as much as a $.82 p/gal gap here. That can be a $32 difference per/tank fill up.

[Timmy!]

Mike the prices here in denver are about the same gas per diesel.. there has been many times this year Diesel has been cheaper

That is true! Gas is just now dropping. I went with the TDI Passat over the gas one even though it was significantly more because of the power difference up here and the fuel mileage was just a bonus. When you take an 18%-20% horsepower hit in a naturally aspirated engine at our altitude, it makes a big difference when you drive it. The turbo makes up for some of that power loss.

[WakerideN]

Mike the prices here in denver are about the same gas per diesel.. there has been many times this year Diesel has been cheaper

x2. same here.

[chpthril]

Mike the prices here in denver are about the same gas per diesel.. there has been many times this year Diesel has been cheaper

Looking at a gas price map, I see about a $.30 p/gal difference in your area.

[WakerideN]

Looking at a gas price map, I see about a $.30 p/gal difference in your area.

right but who runs the low grade ****? I compare premium \ 87 to diesel when I am looking. but 82 cents is a huge gap... that would be nice.

[Timmy!]

Looking at a gas price map, I see about a $.30 p/gal difference in your area.

That sounds about right. It was within $.05 to $.10 a gallon for the whole summer, we finally had some diesel relief! I will say that I like the throttle response on the turbo gas engine better than the turbo diesel. I'm sure that could be corrected with after market parts but out of the box, the gas is snappy compared to the lag on the diesel. My Passat has horrible turbo lag.

[barry1me]

Diesels are the only way to go =) With a cummins Fuel Mileage is real easy... Hell even the new 2013 is averaging 18-23 from what I have seen on customers trucks =)

For towing fuel mileage diesels seem to do very well. Even unloaded they do well. My buddy has a 2013 Cummins 2500 with a 6 inch lift and 37s under it and he got 16.4mpg on a trip to TN and through some hills. Thats pretty good for a lifted truck. My guess is stock it would do close to 20mpg.

But then again I have owned 2 Duramaxs (02, 05), 4 powerstrokes(05, 06,06, 08) and I have only clicked a True (hand calculated....no computer) 20mpg on 2 tanks only.

If you buy a diesel just for fuel mileage its going to take a long long time to pay off the premium in buying a diesel. I buy a diesel for how much better they tow/haul things.

The new diesels have a $8k-$9k premium over gassers.