Diesel or Gasser... Which to order?

[aegiscpo]

So if you were going to order today, would you go Diesel or Gasser? I am on the fence about trading my Gasser for the Diesel. I feel the torque and extra mpg would be a benefit. I know the extra mpg is not reason enough to trade for the diesel, and I am fully aware of the premium you pay for the diesel option.

Here is my daily usage: average 50 miles to/from work and probably another 50 or so in end around errand driving. Don't really tow much so the loss in tow capacity isn't a factor. Do get offroad, so the extra low end torque would be beneficial.

I have heard of a lot of problems with the diesel Gladiator, mostly DEF tank/pump related, but then again the ones you mostly hear from are the ones with problems, so I take that as a grain of salt.

Real world Gladiator diesel experience would be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your thoughts/comments. If you traded from gasser to diesel or the other way around, please comment as well.

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[Tokolosh]

For me it comes down to payload. Since over-landing is important to me I want the most payload available. I would go with diesel because of the range and mpg benefits. But I don't want to have to weigh everything I bolt on to keep it within a smaller payload number.

I'm probably being too liberal in my estimates of what racks and equipment will cost but that is how I am looking at it for now. If commuting were y primary concern I'd be in a diesel in a heartbeat.

 

[u-joint]

The diesel is interesting, but I have no regrets about having gone with the gasoline engine.

All my other vehicles are gasoline engines, I understand how those works, the towing capacity is higher, the maintaince cost (and initial purchase cost) are lower on the gas engine, and it's an overal less complicated machine.

If the diesel option was the same price as the gas engine then I'd be tempted with it's higher torque, but at a price tag of $4K it's hard to justify that. That's a lot of option factory options I could purchase, or mods that could be added, etc, for that kind of a price tag.

Just my 2-cents. Total respect for anyone who went the other route.

 

[Mr._Bill]

I went from a 2006 Duramax diesel to a gas Gladiator in July 2019. I have no regrets, and it has plenty of power for my needs. I don't see enough advantage to consider switching to diesel. The emissions requirements have made them more complex and more expensive. As much as I liked my previous diesel, I don't want one of the new ones.

 

[Free2roam]

Went diesel. Can't complain at all. Know I now that the computer is not super accurate. But I'll take it. Soon to fill up and mathematically check it. Got 8% off of invoice. Someone was telling me that it's like getting the diesel option for 1500$.

 

[gmcul8r]

I went from a 2006 Duramax diesel to a gas Gladiator in July 2019. I have no regrets, and it has plenty of power for my needs. I don't see enough advantage to consider switching to diesel. The emissions requirements have made them more complex and more expensive. As much as I liked my previous diesel, I don't want one of the new ones.

This is exactly how I feel about it. Pre 2007 diesels were the best!

No manual and no Mojave with the diesel made my choice easy.

 

[ckage83]

I Just sold my 2018 Ram 2500 cummins diesel. I wanted a diesel truck for a long time and bought exactly what I wanted. The eco diesel had a metric F-load of problems so that was off the table.

I was barely out of the dealer (out of state) before I had DEF issues which equals undriveable vehicle. I'm lucky to live in a free state so off came every stitch of DEF and emissions equipment in favor of conservative clean tuning.

I've sold my truck out of need for change and the constant threat of EPA restrictions. Regardless of peoples opinions about the politics, the DEF systems in these vehicles are failing at an alarming rate. The cost of ownership is much higher with filtration, potential of full emission system replacement and in some areas of the country, it plain costs more. I'm back in a gasser and couldn't be happier NOT WORRYING about the maintenance of it.

Either way buy what YOU want, not the internet.

 

[aegiscpo]

Either way buy what YOU want, not the internet.
[/QUOTE]

Agreed, in the end I will get what I want... I can see adv/disadv to both, just looking for different real world perspectives in helping me to make an informed decision. Thanks.

 

[Steven_B]

For work, I have off-roaded and road driven a lot of miles on the 3.6 in both JL and JTs (and 2.0T) and think all three Jeep JL/JT motors available are great. But the first time I drove a diesel, I was in love with the torque so I went with the diesel. That's after months of watching the 3rd Gen Ram and JL diesel groups. For me, the Gladiator is being built for long-distance dispersed camping. It's going to get heavy for sure with the Alu-Cab canopy camper, bumper, winch, and so on. But the fact the diesel will be able to handle the weight that much better with the torque, also made the decision better. Currently at 3200 miles and about to change my oil for the first time. Love this Jeep.

 

[RacerX00]

I'm in a similar position you are, for my personal taste I think I'm going to go with the diesel. I keep cars for a long time and when you do the math on 10 years it does in fact pay for itself. I'm selling a 2008 GTI I bought new and this is a vehicle I actually plan on cherishing for a long time, the GTI just wound up being a great car that I never felt the need to replace.

Once you get into all the ways the diesel is better, free over time becomes a pretty good argument.

I'm having faith I'm not that extreme of a modder and I'll be late enough to the game that the aftermarket part consideration won't be one...

 

[ttn333]

I'm in a similar position you are, for my personal taste I think I'm going to go with the diesel. I keep cars for a long time and when you do the math on 10 years it does in fact pay for itself. I'm selling a 2008 GTI I bought new and this is a vehicle I actually plan on cherishing for a long time, the GTI just wound up being a great car that I never felt the need to replace.

Once you get into all the ways the diesel is better, free over time becomes a pretty good argument.

I'm having faith I'm not that extreme of a modder and I'll be late enough to the game that the aftermarket part consideration won't be one...

I was actually thinking the opposite. Diesel maintenance is higher cost and the last version had lots of problems. So ownership cost will be much higher than a gasser. I got my gasser this March and is pretty happy with it despite the terrible mpg on 37s. But I knew what I was buying. Different perspectives.

 

[RacerX00]

I was actually thinking the opposite. Diesel maintenance is higher cost and the last version had lots of problems. So ownership cost will be much higher than a gasser. I got my gasser this March and is pretty happy with it despite the terrible mpg on 37s. But I knew what I was buying. Different perspectives.

I mean, how bad is it? Is this it bad enough to offset:

Average cost of diesel: $3.16
Average cost of regular: $3.03

100,000 miles / ~17 estimated mpg per tank on gas = 5,882.3 gallons x $3.03 = $17,646.90
100,000 miles / ~24 estimated mpg per tank on diesel = 4,166 gallons x $3.16 = $13,164.56

= $4,182?

I'm seriously ignorant, how much could additional fuel filters and checks possibly cost?

 

[Mr._Bill]

I mean, how bad is it? Is this it bad enough to offset:

Average cost of diesel: $3.16
Average cost of regular: $3.03

100,000 miles / ~17 estimated mpg per tank on gas = 5,882.3 gallons x $3.03 = $17,646.90
100,000 miles / ~24 estimated mpg per tank on diesel = 4,166 gallons x $3.16 = $13,164.56

= $4,182?

I'm seriously ignorant, how much could additional fuel filters and checks possibly cost?

The savings are mostly lost upfront, since the diesel is a more expensive option to get. There is also the cost of the DEF fluid, and oil changes are more expensive. Using fuel economy as a justification for buying diesel doesn't really work. The overall cost for either is about the same.

 

[pcrawfordpt]

Had the same predicament and decided to go gas Rubicon. Couldn't justify the additional $4K. Yes, there is a few MPG improvement, but the higher cost of diesel takes a long time to cover the extra expense, if that's your main reason. Consider the towing and payload capacities are reduced for the diesel, compared to Rubicon. However, I would expect the diesel would be better if you plan to tow/haul a lot on a consistent basis. Longevity of this generation diesel is unknown. I'm not sure the previous generation was all that good? Didn't want to deal with DEF and 10 quart oil changes either. However, I'm not planning to lift it and go with 40's. I already have a TJ built up for the trail. I f I had wanted a built up JT, and was going to be constantly towing, I would have wanted the extra torque of the diesel. Just think about what YOU want to do with it, and use our comments to help inform your decision. Good luck!

 

[ttn333]

I mean, how bad is it? Is this it bad enough to offset:

Average cost of diesel: $3.16
Average cost of regular: $3.03

100,000 miles / ~17 estimated mpg per tank on gas = 5,882.3 gallons x $3.03 = $17,646.90
100,000 miles / ~24 estimated mpg per tank on diesel = 4,166 gallons x $3.16 = $13,164.56

= $4,182?

I'm seriously ignorant, how much could additional fuel filters and checks possibly cost?

I'm looking at total cost of ownership, not just fuel cost. From what I've gather, you have a higher cost for oil change and DEF cost. But more importantly there seems to be some dependability issues with the economy diesel that will add to the cost in both dollars and time. I was really wanting the diesel engine but after a bit of research, I decided to go with the more proven engine.

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