Basic overasked question. Diesel v Petrol

gearheadesw · September 6, 2017

The diesel and gas engine trucks have different torsion bar spring rates, I'm sure they ride pretty much the same.

TRKLGND · September 6, 2017

I'll add a question to this debate..I'm considering going back to a 3500HD from my Denali 1500 6.2. I was convinced I was going to buy the Diesel but might actually look at the gas since I don't tow all that much. My concern is the ride quality comparison. Coming from a 1500 Denali I know the ride is going to be worse overall but does anyone have input on the ride quality of a 3500 SRW crew gas vs. diesel. I'm thinking the diesel will ride nicer due to the added weight but would appreciate input from those that have spent time in both..

2500 gas vs diesel - the ride is exactly the same in my opinion.

TRKLGND · September 6, 2017

Don't have any experience in either, but I'm assuming there won't be much of a difference between the two. I believe both have the same size axles and leaf springs and I believe both have the same payload rating. If so, the ride should be identical

The gas truck has a higher payload capacity. The Dmax/Allison combo weigh more than the L96/6L90.

It's only 131lb on the 3500 CC 4x4 SRW standard box. On the 2500 CC 4x4 standard box it is 431lb.

Great resource: http://www.gmfleet.com/vehicle-search/chevrolet.html

StinkyCheese · September 6, 2017

Air the tires down that'll cut some of the harsh jarring. Probably be fine with 50 all the way around instead of the 60/80 or whatever the new ones are. My '01 and '06 2500HD gassers were 60/80. I run 60/55 in my dually now if it wasn't for the stupid shake it would be a perfect ride for me.

FreeAmerican · September 6, 2017

I have no problems with the ride in my 17 DMax.

HiggySTL · September 6, 2017

I'm sorry, I did a quick basic search but I'm in a pinch. I have an opportunity gifted by gods gift (wife) to improve our towing situation and upgrade the truck. Currently have a 1500 truck and want a HD, is a diesel worth the extra expense/maintenance/fuel costs? Opinions vary I'm sure; however, I don't see how the same 6.2 motor will improve the pull as comfortably as a Duramax would (tow 7500lb TT plus 4 kids/dogs/attitude (teen daughter) and hopefully a golfcart. People have said a gasser would be enough... I would like a truck that I don't have to replace for 200-250k miles.

Gas and diesel are similar in price. What is a rational route? Not looking to beef up a truck, just need it to daily drive and tow the family TT

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Back to your original question: I was in this exact situation just a couple months ago. I "had" a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 CC. We were looking to get a new travel trailer and I started crunching numbers to see what we could get based on my towing limits. Well, with a family of 5, we weren't happy with our options and wanted a larger trailer to accommodate our family (and have a golf cart with us as well!). Wife gave me the green light to get a bigger truck. SO, I wrestled with the same question and ultimately went with the 2500 Duramax and have been COMPLETELY happy with my choice.

We ended up getting the larger TT we wanted and this thing pulls it great. Plus, we won't be limited when it comes to crossing mountain passes, etc...

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to gasser or diesel in a 2500. I personally went diesel and love it. Where I live gas and diesel fuel are the same price, last week I actually filled up and diesel was .02 cents cheaper than regular unleaded gas!

Like you, this is also my daily driver for a 30 mile one-way commute to and from work. There are a LOT of guys out there using their Diesels as daily drivers, the gas mileage is actually pretty good for this size of vehicle too.

I have a couple pics in my gallery of my truck and our new TT we got that I pull around with ease

Hope that helps with your decision, Good luck!

Waaazooo · September 6, 2017

Back to your original question: I was in this exact situation just a couple months ago. I "had" a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 CC. We were looking to get a new travel trailer and I started crunching numbers to see what we could get based on my towing limits. Well, with a family of 5, we weren't happy with our options and wanted a larger trailer to accommodate our family (and have a golf cart with us as well!). Wife gave me the green light to get a bigger truck. SO, I wrestled with the same question and ultimately went with the 2500 Duramax and have been COMPLETELY happy with my choice.

We ended up getting the larger TT we wanted and this thing pulls it great. Plus, we won't be limited when it comes to crossing mountain passes, etc...

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to gasser or diesel in a 2500. I personally went diesel and love it. Where I live gas and diesel fuel are the same price, last week I actually filled up and diesel was .02 cents cheaper than regular unleaded gas!

Like you, this is also my daily driver for a 30 mile one-way commute to and from work. There are a LOT of guys out there using their Diesels as daily drivers, the gas mileage is actually pretty good for this size of vehicle too.

I have a couple pics in my gallery of my truck and our new TT we got that I pull around with ease

Hope that helps with your decision, Good luck!

It helps when I'm considering what to do with the DD component

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Debra in Cali · September 7, 2017

I went from a 2015 1500 DC to a 2016 2500 Duramax. I wished that I had started with the Duramax.

We needed a new TT and had to eat it selling my 1500 right at the 2 years mark. The diesel is sweet pulling the new trailer. We live in CA and tow in the mountains all the time. Since the duramax is a CC and is my DD, it is a pain to park. But I swear that it gets better milage in city driving than my 1500 did. But pulling my old trailer with the 1500 and pulling the new trailer that is 3 x heavier with the duramax there is no contest. The Duramax is amazing.

gupster88 · September 8, 2017

I've literally gone back and forth on this same dilemma since I purchased my 33' TT (6800 lbs). My 2016 1500 DC pulls it just fine to the lake, which is approximatley 85 miles of 55 mph back roads with no major mountains to trek across. Towing down to Myrtle Beach or down south for vacation might be a different story. The truck will tow it, it's within the limits, but at 8.5 MPG (worse since I will be going across the Applachian Mountains) will make for a long trip. A Duramax would definitely do much better.

...with that being said, I put a huge chunk of change down on the 1500 when I bought last fall. My payments are $290/month. Even at the best scenario of trade in I'm still looking at a $600-$800/ month Duramax payment. I can't justify spending an extra $3600-$6000 a year to pull a TT that my 1500 will pull. If push comes to shove, I'll rent an HD truck and use it to tow to the beach next summer.

But dang, I would love a High Country Duramax

Greenhound386 · September 10, 2017

I race motorcycles and am at the track every single month. My 1500 towed my toyhauler well enough, but I always felt like I was approaching the limits of the vehicle. I couldn't get over 45mph on some grades, the trailer would want to push the truck down the same grade on the return trip, etc. So, I knew the 2500 was the smarter and safer choice despite the fact that my 1500 was within the limits and technically capable.

Before I go any further, I'll say this: I find that people's opinions on this subject seem to differ depending on how they view their vehicle. I think most people look at it as a liability and a tool. They do a cost-benefit analysis on everything. It needs to get you from point A to point B, and it needs to do so safely and cost effectively. I look at a vehicle differently. I look at it as an asset (not in the traditional financial sense). I spend a lot of time in my vehicle. My time is important to me. I want to be comfortable, and I want to enjoy my time in it. My truck is the common denominator for everything that I love: it takes me mountain biking, fishing, roadracing (motorcycles), camping, snowboarding, and more. Of course, I use it for the other stuff that isn't as glamorous: getting groceries, commuting to and from work, etc. I hate to be dramatic about it, but I simply couldn't live the lifestyle that I do without my truck. I sold my last one after 6 years. In that 6 years, I had well over 2,000 hours on the 'Engine Hours Meter' on the truck. That's equivalent to driving for 24 hours for 3 months straight. That's a lot of time in the vehicle, and it doesn't count all of the hours I spent in it with the engine off. I am completely OCD about keeping my vehicles clean and maintained, so I am never stressing out about stuff falling apart and breaking down.

Anyway, I went through the same dilemma, but very briefly: gas or diesel? The gas motor would have been plenty, but I simply wanted the diesel. I upgraded to a 2017 LT Z71 4x4 with leather. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. It will allow me to upgrade to whatever I want in the future. I like the sound of the motor (and I know how frivolous that is). I like the hood scoop on the new diesels.

I'm not worried about the financial side of it. When you're spending over $50K for a truck, what's another few thousand? Besides, you can't take your money with you when you die, and I should be way more worried about what I spend on my hobbies versus the extra costs associated with the diesel. The DEF argument is stupid; it's ~$12 for 2.5 gallons. You only need to fill it a couple of times per year. The folks factoring DEF into their financial considerations shouldn't be buying a 2500 to begin with (unless they need it for work). I did get an extended warranty on it just in case, but I'm not remotely concerned about the 'extra' routine maintenance costs associated with gas versus diesel. Another poster already summed it up well in a previous post; the differences are nominal.

I do use the diesel as my daily driver. Is it a pain in the ass to park? Sometimes. But I park in the back of the parking lot all the time and no matter what. My vehicles are always in impeccable condition, and I always park in the back to avoid door dings, shopping carts, etc. If you're competent at operating a large truck, parking it is easy. The rear camera makes it almost impossible to screw up. The truck is easier to drive than my 1500. The trailering mirrors are insanely cool; I didn't realize what I was missing out on. I have always loved how easy it is to see out of a Chevy truck while operating it, and the mirrors just make it that much easier to drive. I have no issues in Southern California traffic... every single day. I put my audio book or some music on, set the climate control, and I enjoy the ride. The truck is quiet, comfortable, safe... time well spent. I've only owned the truck for a few months now, but I have never said any of the following statements:

I wish I had less power right now.
Whoa, that's just too much torque.
$12 for DEF? I guess I can't take the wife out to dinner tonight.

I'm rambling at this point. If the diesel isn't going to make you live paycheck to paycheck, then go for it. It's effin' rad. Chicks dig it. There's almost no chance that you'll regret it. If it isn't working out, then keep it in really good shape, and you can sell it after a couple of years with a tolerable amount of depreciation.

jj46 · September 11, 2017

Best post I've read on this argument in years. Agreed on ALL points.

Complaining about a slightly more expensive oil change, or the price of a fuel filter, or DEF costs are ridiculous, in my opinion. If you're worried about those costs, just save yourself the headache and the calculator battery and buy a gas engine. If you need a diesel, then the choice is already made. Make it simple on yourself.

I race, I travel (a lot), I camp, I haul, I snowmobile, and I commute. I love knowing that I can drive 10 hours and still be able to walk afterwards (I can't hardly say that with a car). I love knowing that any toy/hauler/trailer/load I want to move, I can. ....and I'm doing it while getting 20 mpg the rest of the time. I don't expect any regrets with my new Duramax.

Edit: I will add... I loved my last half ton... 2014 with the 5.3. Kept it longer than any of my other trucks. That thing was so spunky and fun to drive, sometimes I forgot it was a truck! It towed well, but just can't tow what I have planned for the future, and so far I'm loving the 1 ton.

SouthernSilveradoGuy85 · September 11, 2017

Best post I've read on this argument in years. Agreed on ALL points.

Complaining about a slightly more expensive oil change, or the price of a fuel filter, or DEF costs are ridiculous, in my opinion. If you're worried about those costs, just save yourself the headache and the calculator battery and buy a gas engine. If you need a diesel, then the choice is already made. Make it simple on yourself.

I race, I travel (a lot), I camp, I haul, I snowmobile, and I commute. I love knowing that I can drive 10 hours and still be able to walk afterwards (I can't hardly say that with a car). I love knowing that any toy/hauler/trailer/load I want to move, I can. ....and I'm doing it while getting 20 mpg the rest of the time. I don't expect any regrets with my new Duramax.

Edit: I will add... I loved my last half ton... 2014 with the 5.3. Kept it longer than any of my other trucks. That thing was so spunky and fun to drive, sometimes I forgot it was a truck! It towed well, but just can't tow what I have planned for the future, and so far I'm loving the 1 ton.

I think when someone says the maintenance on a diesel it more, I don't think it's talking about the little things like you listed. I know I'm talking about the bigger stuff when a part needs replacing. Just seems like it always cost more to keep a diesel running. I could be wrong since I've never owned a diesel myself, only driven commercial diesels. I know back in the 90s and before a diesel would easily last longer than a gas engine, but I think gas engines have also come a long way and can last just as long if it's maintained like it should. Just like a diesel won't last long if you do like some people do and do burnouts all the time keeping the RPMs steadily high thinking that it's a Honda ricer mobile that you can keep redlined all the time.

I've just never needed an HD, especially a diesel. But, the only problem that I don't agree with is if someone wants one just so they can say they have a diesel. It used to only be in a muscle car when people would have pissing matches. Now it's performance cars and trucks. Trucks used to be just a simple tool that you used to help work. Now people will buy a truck as a status symbol knowing they won't tow and the only thing they'll haul will haul are people and groceries. Of course as I've said plenty of times, I'm not one to tell someone how to spend their money, but I can only stat my opinion rather people like it or not.

Waaazooo · September 16, 2017

Ok... I'm trading in my 1500 for a 2500. I hope a heavier truck with less TQ really toes better. Gasser one the bang for a buck contest!

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Waaazooo · September 17, 2017

...it was the bottom of the 9th when the sales manager tells me. You know. I have this custom sport Duramax that has this rebate... I think it might cost you about $60 more a month than they LT we are going to write up. It has everything you wanted. No settling needed. I say. I don't know that a lot more money. He says, it's 11k more and I have this rebate I can use for it that's not available for the 6.0 2500 HD.

Thank you everyone for your input.

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