The benefit is the higher torque and the greater fuel efficiency. To trade just for the fuel economy is a losing proposition.Is anyone trading a gas gladiator for a diesel. Trying to understand the benefit for going with diesel vs gas.
I agree that it’s never a “it will pay for itself over time” thing. I’m just trying to figure out who the diesel is made for if towing and payload are both less and there is an overall higher cost of ownership.We've hashed this out so many times it hurts. But from a post in this forum a year ago, updated with more accurate numbers:
According to the U.S. EIA, the avg. national price for 87 octane pump gas is 2.62 and diesel is 3.01 as of today. That's a $0.39 price difference per gallon.
Using numbers from a current EcoDiesel Ram vs. Pentastar Gladiator, there is a 5 MPG difference between the gas and diesel (taken from fueleconomy.gov) and that "combined" figure on the window sticker most closely matches what the average U.S. driver will see.
Let's do basic math:
15,000 miles per year/24 MPG = 625 gallons of diesel @ 3.01/gallon = $1,881 annually
15,000 miles per year/19 MPG = 789 gallons of gasoline @ 2.62/gallon = $2,067 annually
EcoDiesel is +$186 annually at this point
Then:
EcoDiesel oil change = 9 quarts @ $7/ea = $63 + Mopar oil filter @ $45 x twice annually = $216
Pentastar oil change = 5 quarts @ $3/ea = $15 + Mopar oil filter @ $10 = $25 x twice annually = $50
EcoDiesel is now +$20 per year (but we've not accounted for the $40 fuel filter annually to keep it simple, and, this assumes doing the oil change at home with the least expensive materials that meet manual specs)
Then:
Upfront cost of EcoDiesel $4,000 / 7 years (average ownership length of a new car in the U.S.) = $571 annually (This assumes the buyer would have ordered the auto trans. regardless of engine)
EcoDiesel is now -$551 annually
So, if you keep the EcoD for 7 years, you end up paying over $500 EXTRA yearly to drive the EcoDiesel over the Pentastar, which doesn't seem as bad as I expected. But, you certainly will not ever save money with the EcoDiesel. It's an expense, not a savings to go diesel.
The wildcard we haven't mentioned here is average cost of repairs. A lot of owners of diesels with the Bosch CP4 injection pumps have said that when theirs failed, the automaker denied warranty coverage and claimed "bad fuel" as a way to get out of paying for it. The $8,000 to $12,000 tab was then picked up by the insurance company in some cases, which surely would lead to a "hit" on your policy and a subsequent increase in rates. There are a lot of things like injection pumps, injectors, emissions controls, etc. on the diesel that simply cost more over time.
Many 2020 EcoDiesel owners have already reported timing cover failures, CAC hose leaks, turbo errors, EGR issues, and a couple of blown engines.
So the bottom line is, NEVER ever go with the diesel because of money. You'll spend more, you will never save. With the EcoDiesel, payload is less, towing is less, fuel is harder to locate, and expense of ownership is more. So, the only real reason to buy it is subjective, i.e. you like the feel of the engine when you drive it.
It's made for the enthusiasts who remember the 1980s and 1990s when diesel was THE way to go and they've been begging Jeep for a diesel since then.I agree that it’s never a “it will pay for itself over time” thing. I’m just trying to figure out who the diesel is made for if towing and payload are both less and there is an overall higher cost of ownership.
I agree.I traded my Colorado Diesel in for my JT.
I loved the torque. Loved the fuel economy. But emissions made it a very expensive truck right at the 70k mark. So while it was cheaper at the pump, in all ways it was more of a hassle and a cost. Diesels have a pretty grim outlook with hybrids coming in. As the electrics give you that torque boost, and then the mileage boost, but don’t have crippling and very expensive emissions.
Diesels are really awesome. Love em. But after treatments and ultra low emissions requirements really causes long term durability concerns.
This is where I'm at with the Gladiator at the moment. I like the idea of the diesel for the added torque and ease of towing vs the 3.6, but the complexity of the exhaust is a downside. I leased mine, and still have a few years on it so I can see what's out then, but I would be really happy if they decided to put a 5.7 hemi in it as an option from the factory. I think the higher HP V8 would be better for the fire roads and dessert trails I'd prefer to run instead of rock crawling.It's made for the enthusiasts who remember the 1980s and 1990s when diesel was THE way to go and they've been begging Jeep for a diesel since then.
Unfortunately, Jeep waited about 20 years too late. Now, the EGR, DPF, SCR, backpressure valve, etc. in the exhaust system has destroyed every reason to go with diesel from an objective standpoint. They're problematic, expensive, and don't get the fuel efficiency they should.
If you delete the entire exhaust system and have the powertrain calibration tuned, then you've got something very special. But, the EPA hates that and it can lead to problems.
I picked up the new diesel because I like to experience new things and do YouTube reviews on them. This will likely be my last diesel ever. The K.I.S.S. principle applies here and I'm going with a port injection, push rod, V8 next time around whether it be a Hemi in a Jeep (hopefully) or whether I have to jump ship and switch brands.