everyone seems to argue me that diesel cost more to own, but i just don't see it? my truck cost 8k upfront, oil change is cheaper then my Gasser buddy's, my fuel filter is maybe an extra $40 a year... other then that its the same. my fuel mileage is so far superior to a similar power level gas engine it more then makes up for it, not to mention diesel cost less then gas where im at.

it seems like all the Gasser guys just get jealous when i tell them my truck is faster then theirs with a little over a grand in performance parts, and at the same time gets better fuel mileage then there mothers car. they are always quick to say how hard and expensive diesels are to work on. anyone else experience this?

when i think about it, after all the broken parts and performance upgrades, all my friends have sunk allot more money into their truck then mine - in fact total combined price truck included, mines the cheapest! yet it seems like everyone and their brother wants to tell me that unless you tow a ridiculously heavy trailer every day of the week "diesels just aren't worth it"

if your comparing brand new trucks i suppose diesels are a rip off but in the used market i don't think its a reasonable argument.

 

Well first let me state that I know very little about diesel....

With that being said, what I have figured out:
Parts for a gasser are normally cheaper, and you have to fix it more.
Parts for a diesel are/maybe a little bit more money, but you don't have to fix it as much.

(If this is wrong, please someone correct me.)

 

you got it.

smaller parts generally aren't even more expensive, for example my water pump broke so one of my friends with a 6.0 gasser says "holy crap that's gonna cost a fortune" i reply with "$10 cheaper then one for your truck"...

 

Cost of ownership for a diesel I'd have to argue is way higher. Years ago, it was probably a lot cheaper over its entire lifespan, factored in ONLY if you drive it for its entire useable life as most guys don't anymore. The thing now that has changed everything is this ULSD BS. That has led to far more complications than anything I've ever seen on a vehicle. ULSD gels up, freezes, water seperates more easily, and it doesn't lubricate as well. Fuel problems have led to countless filter changes, pumps going out, injector failures. New diesels have DPFs and EGRs, and don't even get me started on the issues with those. The cost to repair parts is far higher on a diesel than a gas engine. Injectors going out, turbos dying, those have been common problems on recent diesel engines (early duramaxes had problems, ford's 6.0 powerjoke). That led to a $200 million lawsuit with Navistar. Never has this occured in the last two decades with any gasser. The fuel economy issue I'd say is only valid for those who NEED a 3/4 ton or larger for hauling. For most of us, we could get by with a half-ton gasser than gets 27mpg on the highway, but owning a diesel is a novelty. Oil changes are also almost double the cost for a diesel than they are for a gas engine, not sure where you get yours done, but every dealership I've been to charges $80+ for a diesel.

 

i change my own oil, dealers rip off the diesel guys just because its a diesel. no half ton gassers comes close to my fuel mileage. my buddy's v6 ranger didn't even get as good mileage as me.

gassers might be a little cheaper if your the kind of guy that takes it to the dealer for everything and never turns a wrench or does any modifications to his truck.

 

I would have to agree with K50 here. If your drivin a diesel for nothin more then a daily driver then you have money to burn. If you need the power and torque for pulling trailers or work then they are a necessary evil. No matter how you look at it these truck are big, heavy and expensive to maintain.

Ya you can go twice as long or more between oil changes but they hold 3 times the amount of oil when you do an oil change.

Parts wear out faster because they are so much heavier.

If they have to go to a shop, they have to go to the more expensive shops cause normal mechanics don't know what they are doin on these trucks.

These pickup truck versions of diesels are still in the experimental stages of life with new technology improving them all the time but with all these improvements comes more money needed. Gassers have been pretty much time tested and proven for decades.

Last but not least, these Diesel Trucks have to be a labor of love, they aren't for the everyday person just lookin for transport. They are big, bulky and hard to get around in town. I don't know about the rest of ya but it doesn't seem like I ever have this truck just fixed and drivin it, there is always somethin wrong with it waitin to be fixed and I drive my truck easy. It's a work truck/farm truck, not a hot rod. Workin on it is my hobby, it's what I do with my extra money and time.

But cheaper then a gasser overall, not mine.

 

diesels are great for hauling and working like has already been said but they are more expensive especially the newer ones. duramax injectors are what a few thousand dollars. a vgt turbo goes bad theres another thousand or so. oil is more expensive because you have to buy more. have to buy additives because ULSD will rape your fuel system if untreated.

now older diesels like mine are less expensive where njectors are only 500 for regular and 700 for performance. turbos are old so like 700 for a new one so it is cheaper but again stuff like coolant and oil is still expensive because im buying twice the amount then my moms v-6 honda oddyessey.

 

x2 I'll be pouring my money down one rat hole or another. might as well be a diesel truck.

 

your experience with diesels seems to differ greatly then mine. my truck is by the common mans standards a "hot rod" gets good mileage and hasn't given my much trouble. i guess most people just wouldn't understand because they buy newer trucks (rip off) and cant do there own work (massive price difference). delvac is cheaper then most gasser oils - offsets the difference in amount of oil needed. 2 stroke oil is dirt cheap fuel additive. turbos rarely ever blow, i dont have a vg anyhow.

 

For the love of God, I'm paying $15 a gallon for Rotella T, need 3.15 gallons (so I buy 4...), then $10-15 on the oil filter if I want to splurge for the good one... $100 is almost what it costs for me to change my own oil.

My Toyota Tacoma? Psh, $30 tops.

Granted, I only need to change the Diesel's oil half as often as the Tacoma's, theoretically, but not having an odometer really affects the Dodge's maintenance schedule.