Diesel MPG

[crazy4offroad]

Well I turned in my Toyota yesterday, been looking at other options since Toyota informed me I was ineligible to turn in any more vehicles for recall, which basically says to me "dont buy our product anymore". I've been looking at SUVs, and ZR2 pickups, which I could buy 2 ZR2s for the price of 1 Tacoma but their body panels seem to rust out quicker around here. So I started looking at the diesels....

Back 100 years ago when I was repo'ing (lol) I really liked getting my hands on the diesels. Today I started reading about the 2001-2004 LB7 Duramax and its fuel economy and was surprised. Now I dont know if perhaps the reported mpg were a little exaggerated or what but 18-20+ mpg is what I was getting from the 3.4 V-6 Tacoma. If the LB7 actually can get that kind of mpg without having to be constantly on a downhill grade with a tailwind I'm seriously going to consider a 2001-2004 2500 4x4 extended cab, if I can find one in my price range, which according to craigslist might be possible. I just wanted to get yall's opinions on actual expected fuel mileage, durability, and if one would be worth getting. Here's the link I found about the fuel mileage poll...
http://www.thedieselpage.com/mileage.htm
Eventually I would like to get a car hauler trailer and might pull my truck to the mud races, so if it can pull a 10,000 pound trailer that would be great. Let me know what you guys think.

 

[bucket]

which I could buy 2 ZR2s for the price of 1 Tacoma but their body panels seem to rust out quicker around here.

Yeah, but the frames don't

I've always wondered about exaggerated mileage reports on any newer diesel truck. Some guys claim they can get 20-25 mpg, while other say they generally average about 15 mpg. Seems like a gamble to me especially since the cost of a diesel truck is much higher and the fuel cost is much higher too (nearly $1 more here). Unless you are constantly towing a heavy load, I don't think it would be worth it. The better mileage you might get during daily driving will be offset by the higher fuel cost.

 

[HotRodPC]

Maintaining a diesel is much more expensive too. Sure they get 300,000- 400,000 miles out of one too, but you can get a good 200,000 -250,000 out of a gas motor and just about buy 2 gas motors to the cost of 1 diesel. As bucket points out, the cost of diesel over gas, around here its about 80 cents different, if it were me, I'd go gas and live with 13-15mpg cuz in the end, all things considered in the cost factor, I think gas just might be cheaper right now in the long run.

 

[Irishman999]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dNO1Ex9pR0&feature=player_embedded

 

[HotRodPC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dNO1Ex9pR0&feature=player_embedded

Stupid fat bitch !!!

 

[RetroC10Sport]

I got something to shut her up with...

 

[coreys87]

go diesel and never go back. my dads 02 duramax gets around 16mpg and has all the torque and power youd ever need. especially if you ever wanted to tow a trailer

 

[89Suburban]

I got something to shut her up with...

 

[bucket]

go diesel and never go back. my dads 02 duramax gets around 16mpg and has all the torque and power youd ever need. especially if you ever wanted to tow a trailer

See that's what I mean. My '79 w/454 has gobs of power and torque (it ain't stock) and the newer diesel trucks while a bit faster, don't just run away from me. I won't go into details of how I know that. I get 10 or 11 mpg out of it too.

So in short, it's comparable power and less mpg, but the fuel is 80 cents less per gallon.

 

[hirschdalechevy]

I would go with the lbz ,(2006-2007 classic) , a lot of the lb7's had injector problems . I love mine 15mpg stock , now efi live ,4" exhaust , no cat , no muffler , (strait piped) , and now I get 18 all day long with 36" tire's.Love the truck and ton's of power , but I still like my 70's square's.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Yeah I had noticed a few ads saying injector and/or pump problems but I wondered if replacing them cured the problem that came from the factory? 20+ mpg from a diesel just blows my mind, better mileage than some of the V-6 gas engine vehicles I'm looking at and gobs more power. Plus anything newer than 2004 would have to be a total train wreck for me to be able to afford it lol

 

[coreys87]

your telling my a crewcab longbox dually with a bigblock will hang with a diesel? my dads 02 dually crew cab long box is an absolute animal. it pull our 4ton excavator dailly and is still reliable and getting about 10mpg while towing. than when its unhooked is an absolute animal. itll roast all 4 rear tires without touching the breaks

 

[HotRodPC]

your telling my a crewcab longbox dually with a bigblock will hang with a diesel? my dads 02 dually crew cab long box is an absolute animal. it pull our 4ton excavator dailly and is still reliable and getting about 10mpg while towing. than when its unhooked is an absolute animal. itll roast all 4 rear tires without touching the breaks

Generally, the BB will have more hp, but the diesel will have more torque. The diesel will pull more and is slower to get there. Diesel technology has come a long way, you can get one to throw down some major ass whippin on a BB these days. If you're not talking pulling heavy loads, like maybe just a 18ft ski boat, the gas BB would like beat the diesel. Pros and Cons to both. With diesel fuel prices, I'd likely save the $5000 diesel upgrade and go gas motor. I don't tow mega heavy stuff, and I don't drive a personal rig but maybe 10,000 miles a year, so I'd have to drive that diesel for 30 years to see a payoff in the diesel motor over the gas. For someone who works a truck 5 or 6 days a week, diesel is likely the way to go if they can get 300,000-400,000 out of the motor. Remember, diesel maintaining isn't cheap either.

 

[crazy4offroad]

There's a 1996 6.5 turbo diesel for sale on a lot locally for just under $6500, wondering what the general concensus is on this particular model/engine?

 

[bucket]

your telling my a crewcab longbox dually with a bigblock will hang with a diesel? my dads 02 dually crew cab long box is an absolute animal. it pull our 4ton excavator dailly and is still reliable and getting about 10mpg while towing. than when its unhooked is an absolute animal. itll roast all 4 rear tires without touching the breaks

Eh, not exactly. Most of them around here can pull away from me, but they aren't stock, and it's not laughable... I don't just get left in the dust. I have outrun more than one stock 90's Dodge too. A lot of guys are surprised because they don't expect me to hang in there with them. I just wish I knew the specs on the motor, the last guy had it installed and his wife didn't know anything about it (the guy passed). They towed a big horse trailer with it.