Duramax Worth It For A Non-towing Truck?

[grimmysnr]

I think I am pretty set for the 6.0 in my next truck plus the price is about right for what I have built. However, I keep hearing about all these great things about the 6.6l being best economy etc etc. I dont really do much towing and I cant say I am a big fan of the excessively loud report of a diesel exhaust. But i have to ask are the diesels worth it as a daily driver? Or the power and gas economy just being marketed towards the folks who tow houses around to the camp grounds?

[Zembonez]

I think I am pretty set for the 6.0 in my next truck plus the price is about right for what I have built. However, I keep hearing about all these great things about the 6.6l being best economy etc etc. I dont really do much towing and I cant say I am a big fan of the excessively loud report of a diesel exhaust. But i have to ask are the diesels worth it as a daily driver? Or the power and gas economy just being marketed towards the folks who tow houses around to the camp grounds?

Unless you need it, I would personally run from anything diesel. The noise. The stink. The expense. YUK!

[Shaners]

Mine is a daily driver and it does fine with that. The biggest problem is that I do alot of short trips and it takes a diesel longer to warm up. A cold diesel is not very efficient.

 

However when I tow my boat etc... it is an animal that gobbles up the road with no effort!

[imollison]

I own a 6.0l gaser on my 2008 2500HD and wish I had the 6.6l. Seeing that you are in Alaska I would suggest that you get the 6.6 as you will get better mileage in the long run, be able to get a larger fuel tank, and there is also a lot less regular maintenance with a 6.6. There are a lot of aftermarket products that will allow you to get even better mileage and more torque than what is possible with the 6.0.

 

My thoughts....

[cbxeric]

Diesel for towing or heavy work, other than that, not worth it.

[MarkD]

My D-Max is a daily driver. I don't tow all the time, but it is nice to know that if I want to pull "it", I can.

 

If all you do is short trips, and in town driving, I would buy a 6.2L.

[focijoe]

I say if you can justify spending $10,000 extra for a diesel you don't really need then go for it. Its all about how you want to spend your money.

[ShimanoFisherman]

If all you do is short trips, and in town driving, I would buy a 6.2L.

 

+1

 

I grew up driving heavy duty trucks on the farm and I have no interest in having one unless I need it to tow/haul beyond the limits of a half-ton.

[jro909]

if you can afford it and all the baggage that comes with it, go for it....the noise and the exhaust are awsome specially when the turbo spools up

[r1byker]

I just bought a 2500 HD with the Duramax because I needed it specifically for towing a 7,000 lb trailer to Mexico. It would take you a long time to recover the extra cost of a diesel with the better mileage; roughly (very roughly) it would take over ten years to break even, depending on miles driven. And even longer if diesel prices go higher than gas prices. Factor in the rougher ride and the fact it drives more like a truck, and I would say don't bother.

[davzog]

I bought a Dodge / Cummins diesel to tow our 5th wheel...after 2 years I traded for a gas unit and never looked back...I tow only a few times a year and have our 5th wheel parked in a park semi-permanently. So, the diesel became my daily driver...ugh!!!

 

Smell, noise, maintenance, etc. made it a big pain. Plus if I forgot to plug in the engine block heater in winter, I froze all the way to work.....hated it.

 

Having said that, I might buy another diesel when I retire if we decide to tow across country a lot...my 6.0L gas is adequate for short hauls, but not for supeer long term towing. Until then, I will stay with the gas motor....does everything I need and more and much better for a daily driver....my humble opinion...

[Prokopchuk_9]

it aint worth it unless you got 15k LBS to tow around on a weekly basis LOL. put it this way my buddy bought an 07.5 LMM with 6" lift, 35's with rims (55K kms). for roughly 45 000$ gave it some goodies about 500HP , i bought a 2006 1500HD 6.0 SLE 2 for 21,000$ with less miles(about 40K kms). if i put another 24K into my truck it would SPANK that duramaxes ass!!! towing, racing.... everything!!! and it would warm up faster, no turbo-lag...not louder that sin sittin in the driveway...the only reason why people should buy a diesel is if they really actually NEED one. if not your wasting your time and money

[66nova]

I would love to have Dmax. I don't need one, but I actually like the noise and smell of them. That being said, if you have to ask if is worth it, it probably is not.

[pwall]

As many of said, it you're not going to tow/haul serious weight with it, it's not worth the extra cost.

For the noise, my d-max is a lot quieter than many of the 'modded' trucks around my area.

[Nick The Great]

I would love to have Dmax. I don't need one, but I actually like the noise and smell of them. That being said, if you have to ask if is worth it, it probably is not.

 

+1000000 If he needed it, he would know it.