Diesel vs gas. Which one is better?

[NeHunter13]

I have no idea about diesel, however does a lack of DEF actually prevent the engine from starting? Also since I've read that DEF is made up of water (ionized) I believe and urea would it be possible to use urine? Maybe filter the urea out of it, since that's one of the primary liquids in urine? Or is that even possible?

Don’t think it would be worth your time or effort. I believe most systems have a def quality sensor as well so if you don’t get the combination perfect, still stuck in the same spot. You can still start the truck but it can limit your MPH and eventually probably put you into a limp mode.

 

[rayporter]

if you pull a lot you will probably figure out what works for you soon enough.

if i was not towing every weekend i would not have a
compression fired engine.

 

[BroncoAZ]

I drive the 1/2 ton 3.0L Duramax in a Silverado and love it! It gets awesome fuel economy and the premium over the 5.3 is only $1,000 if I remember correctly. When I do occasionally tow it performs better than the 5.3 would. Maintenance is minor compared to the 5.3. Fuel filter gets done every 30k miles and the oil and filters are pretty reasonable. Never had any issues with starting in the cold or fuel gelling and I live in eastern Nebraska so we see pretty low temps at times.

Bottom line, I recommend them to everyone who asks about it and I will be buying another one after this one.

I have the 3.0 too. I average 26-28mpg. Max out over 30mpg. Quiet as a mouse, lots of torque.

I daily drive one of the 3.0L Silverado 1500’s as my work truck and purchased three more this year. The highest mileage is 30K without issues yet. Mileage for management trucks that run light is 26-28, fully loaded crew trucks with side toolboxes are getting 23 mpg average. Equivalent gas trucks get 19-20 for management and 13-14 for crews. We won’t keep these past the 100K fleet warranty, so I’m not concerned about long term issues.

Personally from 2008-2020 we owned a 2006 Dodge 2500 Cummins, 2009 Jetta TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI, 2015 Passat TDI, and 2015 Touareg TDI. I’m a big fan of diesel, but agree with others that the EPA is killing them off.

 

[Jbrow327]

Bump

 

[cuerro viejo]

Driven Diesel last 20 years, my next truck will be a 7.3. Once this F250 6.7 hits 250k I’m headed to gas, Which will probably be next year.

out side of pure power and engine breaking there just no other upside left.

EPA has done an excellent job killing personally owned diesel 3/4 + trucks.

 

[D_Dubya]

I have a 2017 F250 6.7 diesel closing in on 100k, no issues so far. I pull 10k plus trailers fairly often and the power and torque is great - and frankly it’s a lot of fun to drive empty too. With the long bed I have a 48 gallon tank and not pulling a trailer it will go a long ways on a tank, around 750 miles. I’ve never gotten the kind of mileage many internet folks claim, but maybe they drive slower than me or downhill all the way. Empty at 80mph or so about 16-17mpg, loaded with a 16k trailer as low as 8mpg going 70-75 mph. I guess I would say if you’re towing heavy regularly diesel is worth it, if not go gas. I’m sure someone with an eco-boost will chime in to say their gas gauge goes up while towing 10k lbs at 90mph…

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I have no idea about diesel, however does a lack of DEF actually prevent the engine from starting? Also since I've read that DEF is made up of water (ionized) I believe and urea would it be possible to use urine? Maybe filter the urea out of it, since that's one of the primary liquids in urine? Or is that even possible?

In the summer you can run 2:1 distilled water / DEF. In the winter you can go 1:1.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I ran a '15 RAM eco diesel for 3 years. I loved the mileage. I hated the anxiety about incredibly costly breakddowns which these motors are known for (if I knew that before I bought the truck I wouldn't have bought it).

To make a long story short, I took the class action settlement money, (after the dealer replaced all of my injectors and intake at their cost) bought a non-compliant engine and trans tune from Green Diesel Engineering (no longer available since EPA bust) and the truck was a very good runner. 25mpg all day long on mixed driving in full size crew cab Laramie, and even 23mpg when pulling my 17' Lund deep V. The immediately available torque was awesome and overall driving perception when pulling boat was better than with my '19 Hemi.

The problem was that the RAM eco is overengineered and not designed for longevity. The EGR pumps the intake full of soot and once it gets coked up you lose the top side of the motor. Then there are the turbo line leaks that cause catastrophic fires. Throw in the reluctor ring issues with the tranny and 3 strikes means you're out.

The baby Duramax may be a true feat of engineering, and if guys are happy with them I say go for it. The concept of a high output small diesel with great mpg in a half ton truck is fantastic. If GM got it right then kudos to them. However, I would never go back to diesel personally in a half ton unless i had a bigger boat, a camper, and used them a lot.

*EDIT* As a sidenote, I just returned from early bugle season hunt in the Bob. My '19 RAM crew cab Limited with 5.7 Hemi (no etorq) managed 16.8mpg over 2,650 miles of mixed driving in the mountains. My cruise was set between 85-89mph the entire trip. Im not sure how much my brother and I were hauling, but the cab was full and on the way back we had probably 350# of meat, gear, etc... in the bed.

 

[tdhanses]

In the summer you can run 2:1 distilled water / DEF. In the winter you can go 1:1.

Not with the newer sensors, I read that only works with the first few years of models when DEF first came out.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Not with the newer sensors, I read that only works with the first few years of models when DEF first came out.

Dilluting was fine with RAMs up to 2020 far as I know. Duramax maybe not.

 

[Okhotnik]

I really like my BMW 328d wagon for road trips. Its awesome for what its built for- eating up highway miles and getting almost anywhere in 1 tank of gas. 44+mpg all the time in the mountains. But I don't think this is what you were talking about....

Its a shame that BMW has so many electrical problems after a few years of use.

Pre DEF diesel yes. Now big gas engine. I'll pay a few hundred more a year in gadded fuel costs vs higher maintenance costs and problems

 

[Brooks]

Pretty simple. If your going to be towing heavy loads or a big 5th wheel a diesel is the only way to go. If your just driving around or just driving it to work or pulling a side by side on a little trailer then a gas truck works. I have a F350 with a 6.7 diesel and haul 5 or 6 horses a lot and it pulls the loaded horse trailer with ease…. My brother has a F250 with a gas motor and it is a joke when he hooks up to pull horses. Hit a big hill and that gas motor struggles ! Not even close.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Pre DEF diesel yes. Now big gas engine. I'll pay a few hundred more a year in gadded fuel costs vs higher maintenance costs and problems

In my experience...

1- diesel fuel is always more expensive than gas (IA and surrounding states)
2- diesel service (oil and filter) is always more expensive than gas (my local small town mechanic charged $100 for my eco and charged me $47 for my Hemi). For large diesel motors it is even more expensive due to volume of oil required alone.
3- diesel fuel filters have to be change more frequently than gas.
4- modern diesels require DEF
5- depending on climate, modern diesels often need block heaters and fuel treatments to avoid cold weather issues
6- to avoid particulate filter issues, modern diesels need adequate miles/idle time to warm up (unless you have a tuner and can do a stationary regen)
7- diesel breakdowns very often are far more expensive then gas motors.

To Brooks statement above, there is absolutely a time and place for diesel trucks. However, if you are a short commute, drive around town, maybe pull a boat or camper a few times a year guy, you will likely save money and be better served by a gasser. The mpg on the eco diesels is nice, but is sort of a red herring in the long run.

 

[Sherman]

I have found that diesel fuel works best in Diesel engines while gasoline works best in gasoline engines, but not so well when you try to use gasoline in a Diesel engine or diesel fuel in a gasoline engine. Although this is just from my experience. Hope this helps settle the debate.

 

[sahunter06]

Better for what? Your wallet? Torque?

One thing many people do not consider that H2so4 touched on, is you can go a loooong way on a tank of diesel. This is a safety thing......if you are prepper minded. I recall back in 2017 when hurricane Irma came to FL. Everyone in the state started hoarding gasoline and diesel a week before the storm hit. Gas stations all throughout Florida as well as on I-75 in South Georgia were empty and lights turned out. Out of gas cars with tags from south Florida littered the sides of I-75 all the way to Atlanta. Families standing there with kids crying and no one helping them. The one or two stations that did have gas had lines 5 miles long with people fist fighting every 200 yards over someone trying to cut in line. And our population has only exploded since then.....it will happen again, just a matter of when....and it will be worse. I remember patting myself on the back for having a diesel as I sat in the slow moving traffic and watching all of the chaos, fear, and downright disgusting behavior going on all around me. I can go 600+ miles on one tank. I do tow a 10,000# trailer, so "I need it".... but regardless because of that experience I will never drive anything other than a diesel unless something better comes along or I have no choice.

2016 Duramax 6.6L LML

2008 duramax 6.6L LMM
EGR block 578 hp. Pulls farm equipment with ease.
I wouldn’t trade mine. Will always have one.

 

[ToolMann]

Im a diesel guy. Currently a 2017 Ram 2500 Cummins. Love the truck, except the steering has been garbage since day one and both the dealer and FCA are useless. Will be putting together a video to share all over the internet as an attempt to get their attention. Thing pulls hard to the right all the time. But I can get 21mpg uploaded cruising at 75mph. Not bad for a 8,000 pound vehicle. Diesel makes pulling my trailer here in the rockies much more enjoyable.

 

[Like2hunt]

Pretty simple. If your going to be towing heavy loads or a big 5th wheel a diesel is the only way to go. If your just driving around or just driving it to work or pulling a side by side on a little trailer then a gas truck works. I have a F350 with a 6.7 diesel and haul 5 or 6 horses a lot and it pulls the loaded horse trailer with ease…. My brother has a F250 with a gas motor and it is a joke when he hooks up to pull horses. Hit a big hill and that gas motor struggles ! Not even close.

Yep my roping buddy just got a new Cummins 2500 and it pulls the horse trailer way better then a gas truck could. If you hit the gas it’ll but you back in your seat even with a loaded trailer. Gas truck do have their place though. There are probably more people who should be driving a gasser and are driving a diesel, then people who are driving a gasser and need a diesel.

 

[Billy Goat]

I have found that diesel fuel works best in Diesel engines while gasoline works best in gasoline engines, but not so well when you try to use gasoline in a Diesel engine or diesel fuel in a gasoline engine. Although this is just from my experience. Hope this helps settle the debate.

Had to purchase a few injection pumps as well ehh?

 

[Gamehearse]

I drove a 3/4 ton gas truck a couple years before jumping into the diesel game. The gas truck did the job but the transmission would get hot towing my fifth wheel up steep grades. I could also watch the fuel gauge drop while it got 7-8 mpg. My 2015 Duramax tows incredibly well and gets decent fuel mileage (11-12 towing and 18 unloaded). The emissions garbage caused multiple trips to the dealer. When the warranty disappeared, so did the emmissions. I haven’t had a problem since. I love the smell of unaltered diesel exhaust

 

[RockinRam96]

I have driven many gas cars and trucks as well as many diesel cars and trucks. For my driving style I prefer a Diesel engine.

I don’t know if I would say one is “better” than the other. It depends on intended use. Got anyone looking to tow, I’d recommend a diesel. Gas trucks just don’t have the torque to pull a diesel does.

I have a 2011 Dodge 3500 with the 6.7 diesel, I pull my 4 horse, horse trailer with. If I were to guess, it weighs between 16,000-18,000 loaded. I can set the cruise at 65 loaded and go. Still get around 12 mpg and not have a hill that phases it. Once in a great while I’ll have to manually shift it into 5th gear (first over drive gear) to climb a hill. But I have yet to find a hill I couldn’t accelerate on in 5th gear.

I had a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI with a 6 speed. That thing was amazing. I could get 45-48 mpg with that thing. Sold it back to VW during the emissions scandal. Worst move I’ve ever made. Nicest car I’ve ever owned.

For me the added maintenance cost don’t bother me. Yes the cost more to work on but proper maintenance and they will out last a gas engine by 2-3 time. For someone who just wants to put fuel in their vehicle at the pump, a diesel is not for you.

Personally I think diesels should be more prevalent than gas. But ol’ Uncle Sam has lead us to believe diesels are dirty nasty polluting engines. My truck is tuned and deleted and I can’t get it to blow black smoke if I tried. And no way would a gas motor get the same mileage I am, I bet if it got half it would be going good. So if you’re biting twice the fuel is it really better for the environment?

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