I've never owned a Diesel pickup, only gas. I'm seeing some pretty good deals around for loaded up diesels. I drive aprox 60 000 km a year, 45 000 mile or so. The price of gas is crazy, I guess diesel will reflect this as well. But, for around town and high way driving, which is less $ ?

Diesel is about 30 cents cheaper per gallon where I live. I know diesel trucks usually get 5-7 more miles per gallon depending on the right foot. The cost of a diesel option in your truck is usually about 5grand. I would say if you are going to drive a truck, diesel is far and away the best option.

Jeff,

I'd always been a gas truck guy myself. I went from a 4.3L GM to a 5.7L GM to an 8.1L GM.

Now I have a 7.3L PSD Dually, and I will never go back to gas. Its tough to explain driving differences/advantages, but I just like the diesel better. Granted, I've got my PSD juiced a bit with big exhaust, intake, and a Bully Dog 6 position chip. These things (especially turning up the power when you want to) make the diesel even more fun. For example, I had a taxi cut me off in traffic a couple days ago; with his windows down. It took me about a 2 blocks to get to where my exhaust pipe was right beside him. I juiced the power up to 120+ HP, nailed it, and he had a tough time breathing for a minute or so.

The current tuning and tweaking options on these big 3 diesels makes them as fun as the IROCs, T/As, and Mustangs of yesteryear.

The only thing that blows occasionally is lack of ability to find diesel when in a heavy metropolitan area (like downtown Washington DC). You have to plan your route a bit better in these travels, and you have to look for Diesel or 'D' on the interstate signs.

Once you tow with a diesel, you will wonder what took you so long to switch over.

Oil changes are a bit more effort, but not by much. The oil filter holds damn near a gallon, and the entire oil change (on a 7.3PSD) is 4 gallons of oil.

I have a little commuter car I drive more often than the PSD Dually, but it is completely doable as a daily driver; even metropolitan areas.

For me I get a little bit better mileage on my diesel than any of the gas trucks I have had. The first time I towed my boat with the diesel, I said I will never go back to a gas truck to tow.

The new DPF in the exhaust of these trucks is going to make high hp a little harder for the time being. Sucks you cannot straight pipe them either.....yet. Rest assured that tuners are currently working on ways to fool the computers and bomb major power back into these trucks. My advice, find an 06 or early 07 cummins with the 5.9 and 6speed. Very boost friendly. Im partial to cummins.

If you don't need to haul or tow, a smaller truck (1500 instead of 2500) will get better mileage.

If you need to haul/tow though, diesel will blow gas away in every aspect.

So, you have to average how much you tow/haul Vs. how much you drive normally to figure out which one is cheaper for you.

Now, if you are comparing 2500 gas to 2500 diesel, the diesel is much better mileage, and is cheaper to run even if the cost per gallon is higher.

I don't tow much at all ! I wouldn't buy the diesel for towing power, only for mpg advantage. This is why I am asking. Is there any advantage in daily driving.

for a dd you will get a little better than gas. 2500 compaired to a 2500 duramax/ally combo. My 3500 gets better than my girls dads with his 2500 gasser.

As for the DPF filters they are getting worked on and yes you can bomb the trucks with the dpf on it now. A couple of programmers and efi live are on quite a few.

1) Diesel mileage will be better than an equivalent truck with a gas engine. Figure about 33% better on average.

2) The price of diesel these days is usually within a about 10cents per gallon verse regular gas (at least down here), so basically you're only advantage is mileage.

3) The diesel engine will cost about $6895 (for a Ford) more upfront.

4) Diesel maintenance is a bit more than gas. Figure about double everything for routine services like oil/filter changes, fuel filter changes, air filter changes, etc.

5) I see you're from Canada - diesels can be quite temperamental in the cold, if you can get them to start at all, and you need additives to keep the fuel from gelling. You'd have to keep it indoors or keep the block-warmer plugged in during the cold months.

Those are really the big differences between the two. As far as cost of ownership as a daily driver over say 8 to 10 years, it's pretty much even if you ask me.

On Excursions, the gas vs. diesel is about 40% better in favor of the diesel. It jumps to 60+% with weight being towed.

Diesels cost way more to fix, the maintenance items are substantially more expensive and there's a premium on the initial purchase. I have a diesel daily driver that rarely tows anything, one that does occasionally and a bunch of diesel work trucks. The diesel DD is just because I like the diesel. The others are because it's the only way to move things around. I bought too many gas long blocks learning that lesson.