Diesel vs Gas cost to own comparison tool

CRApex · October 29, 2020

4 hours ago, Ray Pickle said:

Most "can" afford either. I would venture that for the majority the reason they can afford either is because they don't make a habit of wasting money on purchases that are superflous to the outlined need. It is why the majority of fleet companies purchase gas h.d. trucks. There is no debate which is more capable the question was can the gas provide the needs outlined. It obviously can.

Touched a nerve..Lol

Ray Pickle · October 29, 2020

Nope, just get a bit annoyed that so often comments regardless of topic seem to devolve to "get the diesel", your lifes problems will all be solved!! They both have a place and the original post was a query on cost analysis between them. Something about that question leads me to believe they where interested in a cost analysis more than which was better.

KARNUT · October 29, 2020

My brother works for a company that employs 50 people mostly crews of 3 working on pipelines. All using 3/4 tons. Trucks have toolbox, fuel tank, air compressor and tools. They usually have a duty cycle of 300K miles, 50-60K miles a year. The guy spread sheets everything. They drive 95 percent gas. That requires two fuel stops. They’re hauling diesel for their equipment. He’s almost exclusively running Fords.

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i82much · October 30, 2020

5 hours ago, KARNUT said:

My brother works for a company that employs 50 people mostly crews of 3 working on pipelines. All using 3/4 tons. Trucks have toolbox, fuel tank, air compressor and tools. They usually have a duty cycle of 300K miles, 50-60K miles a year. The guy spread sheets everything. They drive 95 percent gas. That requires two fuel stops. They’re hauling diesel for their equipment. He’s almost exclusively running Fords.

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to me, this suggests that the gas trucks are cheaper overall, even counting having to pay the guys for the time lost to filling them up.

i82much · October 30, 2020

i think the hard part is when you start scratching out numbers and thinking well, yeah, the diesel is 10k more up front, but I’ll save 500 per year in fuel and get back an extra 6k in resale or whatever. At that point you might start thinking the additional capability wasn’t worth 10k to you, but it might be worth 3500 and you think that might be the true difference in cost of ownership given your anticipated usage, fuel prices, etc.

i bought a gas work truck 2500HD, i’m cheap. i don’t know how i did in terms of cost of ownership - resale probably isn’t great with vinyl floors and a teeny radio. but my payment is zilch and my truck does everything i need it to, so i got that going for me.

Ray Pickle · October 30, 2020

Check NADA , gas holds value as well as diesel. So the extra carrying cost of buying diesel weighs against it in true cost per mi. Calculation.

ShotgunZ71 · October 30, 2020

31 minutes ago, Ray Pickle said:

Check NADA , gas holds value as well as diesel. So the extra carrying cost of buying diesel weighs against it in true cost per mi. Calculation.

I did a value check of the truck I used to have, a 2015 Silverado 2500HD LTZ Duramax vs 2015 Silverado 2500HD LTZ gas. Currently, the trade-in difference between the 2 is less than $6,000. So, yes the diesel is worth more, but lost the same value percentage-wise as the gas version. That was for 5-yr old truck with 60,000 miles.

It really boils down to want vs need vs expense. Some people want a diesel, some need the diesel and some weigh the expense to their use of the truck. People buy diesels all the time and have no issues, while some of them stay broke down and in the shop. The think that gets lost sometimes is that it isn't so much the diesel engine that has issues, it's the emission components that are so fickle they cause problems. Now, the whole act of deleting a modern diesel is becoming more expensive and the EPA is also cracking down, making that slowly go away or cost-prohibitive.

CRApex · October 30, 2020

1 hour ago, ShotgunZ71 said:

I did a value check of the truck I used to have, a 2015 Silverado 2500HD LTZ Duramax vs 2015 Silverado 2500HD LTZ gas. Currently, the trade-in difference between the 2 is less than $6,000. So, yes the diesel is worth more, but lost the same value percentage-wise as the gas version. That was for 5-yr old truck with 60,000 miles.

It really boils down to want vs need vs expense. Some people want a diesel, some need the diesel and some weigh the expense to their use of the truck. People buy diesels all the time and have no issues, while some of them stay broke down and in the shop. The think that gets lost sometimes is that it isn't so much the diesel engine that has issues, it's the emission components that are so fickle they cause problems. Now, the whole act of deleting a modern diesel is becoming more expensive and the EPA is also cracking down, making that slowly go away or cost-prohibitive.

I agree with most of what you said. My only comment, as a long term Duramax owner, to those weighing gas vs. diesel, mileage, capabilities etc..is that the emissions systems aren't "fickle" as to suggest they are on the edge of failing at any time, they aren't. Buy for what your needs are, drive both and decide if the extra cost is worth the diesel. The diesel also carries a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty where gas is only 60,000. Just something that might narrow the gap if anything goes bad on the gas version after 60,000 that you'll pay out of pocket. (not likely as the GM gas trucks are rock solid) but something else to consider.

ShotgunZ71 · October 30, 2020

27 minutes ago, CRApex said:

I agree with most of what you said. My only comment, as a long term Duramax owner, to those weighing gas vs. diesel, mileage, capabilities etc..is that the emissions systems aren't "fickle" as to suggest they are on the edge of failing at any time, they aren't. Buy for what your needs are, drive both and decide if the extra cost is worth the diesel. The diesel also carries a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty where gas is only 60,000. Just something that might narrow the gap if anything goes bad on the gas version after 60,000 that you'll pay out of pocket. (not likely as the GM gas trucks are rock solid) but something else to consider.

Yeah, that's what I was saying about the emissions stuff. Generally, they are the components that will cause issues, not so much the powertrain itself. I enjoyed my Duramax, my Ford 6.2 and now my GM 6.6 gas. I'd have no hesitation about getting another diesel again, especially if the deal was right! The warranty makes a difference if you put a lot of miles on a vehicle per year, but if not, they both expire after 5 years. Seems like with almost any vehicle, your taking chances on some electronic component causing a problem. Car payment or repair bill is the question...LOL!

F7Rider · October 30, 2020

Everyone's situation is different. But for me, I looked at a 10 year old truck. That's how long I plan to keep my 2020. NADA value shows a diesel being worth $7000 more than gas. It only cost me $6000 more to buy the diesel upfront (rebate/employee discount). I do not need a diesel for my current camper (8000lbs). But now if I decide to upgrade my camper, I do not have to worry about weights. I can just buy the camper I want knowing I have the truck to pull it. For my situation, my want for a diesel was the major deciding factor. It also helps that my father-in-law was a Chevy dealership diesel mechanic for 20 years before starting a job at General Motors a couple years ago (Cheap labor, haha).

Edited October 30, 2020 by F7Rider

unit · October 31, 2020

Sorry if I rankled some feathers here about my diesel remarks. They weren't meant to stir up anyone's emotions on the subject. There are too many variables in the gas vs. diesel equation to make a definitive answer. I said gasoline wins hands down unless you are one of the few towing heavy and often. How much you pay for your truck, how far you drive, how often you drive, how aggressive you drive, how much gasoline cost vs. diesel are all in play and future cost of fuel is unknown. Electric trucks are just down the road and they are going to take a big chunk out of the fossil fuel market. Future value of a petrol powered vehicle could plummet in 10 years due to popularity of EV's. Buy what you can afford and be happy with it. The rest is speculation.

Z71RAD88 · October 31, 2020

On 10/28/2020 at 10:24 AM, Rozz522 said:

I'm looking to upgrade from my truck to the HD platform and I'm was referring to comparing the costs of the 6.6L gas to the 6.6L Duramax. I generally keep a truck for 10 years and average 12-15k miles a year, so I was trying to find something where you could plug in the variables (cost of vehicle new, MPG of each vehicle, miles per year, towing miles, average yearly maintenance cost, anticipated resale value etc). That may also help with determining break even points, etc (like if I own the truck 5 years gas is cheaper, but if I own it 10 years diesel is). I understand there are a lot of variables, but when you look at if from a fleet perspective, I would be surprised if they aren't doing this level of detailed analysis.

To answer your other questions, yes this would be a daily driver, unloaded, with a round trip total of 250miles/week. That is a mix of 10% in town, 45% rural (45-55mph) and 45% interstate (70-80MPH). I tow an 8000lb loaded travel trailer for 10-12 trips a year. Usually we stay within a couple hours of home so lets say 3000 miles per year towing the camper. Additionally, I know the 8k lbs is no problem for this vehicle whether gas or diesel, but I need the extra payload, that why I'm going HD.

Have you toyed with the idea of getting a max tow package 1500? They run really close to or over 2,000 lbs payload depending on how it’s speced.

KARNUT · October 31, 2020

Sorry if I rankled some feathers here about my diesel remarks. They weren't meant to stir up anyone's emotions on the subject. There are too many variables in the gas vs. diesel equation to make a definitive answer. I said gasoline wins hands down unless you are one of the few towing heavy and often. How much you pay for your truck, how far you drive, how often you drive, how aggressive you drive, how much gasoline cost vs. diesel are all in play and future cost of fuel is unknown. Electric trucks are just down the road and they are going to take a big chunk out of the fossil fuel market. Future value of a petrol powered vehicle could plummet in 10 years due to popularity of EV's. Buy what you can afford and be happy with it. The rest is speculation.

First they’re going to have to figure out how to power the the power plants. The governor of California recently said that some of their recent blackouts were renewables not keeping up. The other was not cleaning debris around power lines causing spark fires. A little brush clearing and debris clearing would go a long ways too.

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wyointx · October 31, 2020

On 10/28/2020 at 12:24 PM, Rozz522 said:

I'm looking to upgrade from my truck to the HD platform and I'm was referring to comparing the costs of the 6.6L gas to the 6.6L Duramax. I generally keep a truck for 10 years and average 12-15k miles a year, so I was trying to find something where you could plug in the variables (cost of vehicle new, MPG of each vehicle, miles per year, towing miles, average yearly maintenance cost, anticipated resale value etc). That may also help with determining break even points, etc (like if I own the truck 5 years gas is cheaper, but if I own it 10 years diesel is). I understand there are a lot of variables, but when you look at if from a fleet perspective, I would be surprised if they aren't doing this level of detailed analysis.

To answer your other questions, yes this would be a daily driver, unloaded, with a round trip total of 250miles/week. That is a mix of 10% in town, 45% rural (45-55mph) and 45% interstate (70-80MPH). I tow an 8000lb loaded travel trailer for 10-12 trips a year. Usually we stay within a couple hours of home so lets say 3000 miles per year towing the camper. Additionally, I know the 8k lbs is no problem for this vehicle whether gas or diesel, but I need the extra payload, that why I'm going HD.

I am also an engineer with similar truck needs and driving habits. Have you test driven a 2020 Duramax yet? If not do so, the first push on the accelerator will likely make you forget about cost analysis. When you hook up that 8k camper the engine/transmission will have @ 70 before you even think about it. I was in a Siverado 1500 with 5.3 liter and needed a truck with more weight to stabilize my camper towing and I always felt the smaller truck was being abused when I towed our 8k camper. I haven't made my first payment on the 2020 Silervado 2500 Duramax/Allison 10 sp and maybe my mind will be changed when I do, but the torque and smooth shifting of this combination is likely to make you forget about fuel costs, def cost, 10 quart oil change cost and anything else. You will give up a little ride comfort in a heavier truck for your every day drives, but it will give you a bit of piece of mind when towing.

diyer2 · October 31, 2020

I'm not an engineer but a retired construction worker and I would buy a 2500 diesel if towing a 6- 7 k pound travel trailer. If I desire to travel in the mountains, no problem. Then if I wanted to upgrade to a heavier trailer, no problem.