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Daily cost of diesel vs gas?

biodiesel

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I will agree that the Pentastar is the most reliable and simple engine offered, and it costs the least to own and maintain. Sometimes I miss mine. The EcoDiesel is a power house but it ain't cheap or simple.
Everything I own is diesel, so I sometimes inherently inspire others to want a diesel. I try to explain to them that today's modern diesels are not the same as the old 12-Valve Cummins. I'm more than willing to properly maintain and repair my diesel engines, but I know some people who don't have the patience or the understanding to own one and enjoy it in the same way that I do. There are a few 300,000+ mile Ram EcoDiesels on the road, so they can be a long lasting engine, but those vehicles are also tuned. Not everyone wants to buy a new diesel and spend $1,000 on tuning.

I have no desire to own a Pentastar, but I find myself recommending the Pentastar more often than I do the EcoDiesel. It just depends on who the person is. The hardcore diesel gurus love the good, bad, and ugly. But the gurus aren't the ones who are asking if they should buy the EcoDiesel.

We (diesel gurus) don't complain about our diesel engines and we fully accept the possibility that costly repairs are part of the ownership experience. Either you're in the diesel camp or you're not. You can't have one foot in and one foot out, or it won't be a positive experience. Either you love the diesel or you don't.

It drives me nuts when people voluntarily buy a diesel and then complain about diesel fuel prices, DEF usage, repairs, the cost of oil changes, the cost of fuel filters, and other associated costs of diesel ownership.
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steelponycowboy

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When it comes to towing, pound for pound, gas or diesel is going to suffer the MPG rating. My gas powered Dodge truck with a 360 went from 15 mpg to 7 when I hitched up a 7,000lb trailer. The diesel is going to loose MPG too but where it will shine is going up hills when the extra torque will leave the 3.6 in it's dust.

Having said that, someone that goes from stock tires to 37's and is not expecting a hit in mileage or power is living in a fantasy world. The problem with too many Jeep owners is that they have this mindset that they don't need to change out gears with a big change in tire sizes. I blame the dealers on part of it when the ignorant salesperson tells them that you can go as high at 38's without changing gears. I think that this started when Jeep went from the 3.8 in 2012 to the 3.6. Seriously? The added stress of the larger tires on the whole drivetrain with the wrong gearing will lead up to premature failures that you can bet will not be covered by warranty.

When I went to order my JT, the sales manager told me that I could go to 37's without a gear change due to the new Dana axles on the JT with no affect on performance. The bottom line is that they don't know their product, they are only trying to sell you a Jeep. When I was looking for a 75th Anniversary Rubicon in 2018, I turned away every used one I found that had 35's or larger tires that did not have a gear change done at the same time. I ended up buying a bone stock one because of all the cheap, shortcut lifts and mods done by people that don't have the knowledge or money to do it right. No one wants to buy someone else's problems or potential problems.
 
 



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