Okay you diesel owners.......

[Tremor Therapy]

It cost $96.92 to fill up the 6.0 'Burb last night, and I fill up about every 6 days. The price of gas is really a pain in the butt, so I guess its time to more than consider the change.
So...diesel owners what are you really getting as far as mpg? And would you consider a used diesel? The best deal I have run accross so far is a 2003 F350 4x4 FX4 Lariat 6.0 with 70k miles that was used as a freeway commuter car, and the guy wants 28k. Is this a good enough deal, and would you have any headache with the mileage?

[Lightning]

That seems reasonable, however the mileage is a little high for my tastes. I have a Chevy and get a 3-5 miles a gallon more than my gas counterparts.

[riverbound]

I dont remember the '03s coming with the 6.0.
But if you are really concerned about gas mileage you should buy a little commuter car. I bought a little Toyota Corolla that i drive every day and the f-350 gets used for river trips and weekend stuff. The price of the little car will be paid off in the first year of not using the truck everyday.

[GHTRIM]

Seems like a good deal. My neighbor jus bought the same F-250 two wheel drive (lifted Fab Tech / looks like a 4x4) 2004 with 38k. And he spent 28k. I handed down my old Ford Power Stroke to my Superintendent and it now has 140k and is still running strong.

[WILDERTHANU]

Growing up all we owned were diesels, easy to work on. I forget what MPG our diesels got but I know for the time it was alot better deal then all the gas guys towing with us.

[Bre]

That's pretty high mileage for an 03. Our Excursion is an 00 and we maybe have 60K on it.
We just filled up last night too... almost $100 :cry: But it will get Andy all the way to Havasu and then some so.. can't complain too much.

[cobrarazor]

It cost $96.92 to fill up the 6.0 'Burb last night, and I fill up about every 6 days. The price of gas is really a pain in the butt, so I guess its time to more than consider the change.
So...diesel owners what are you really getting as far as mpg? And would you consider a used diesel? The best deal I have run accross so far is a 2003 F350 4x4 FX4 Lariat 6.0 with 70k miles that was used as a freeway commuter car, and the guy wants 28k. Is this a good enough deal, and would you have any headache with the mileage?
I have an 04 chevy duramax and I get 17 mpg towing. 70k miles seems to high for an 03.http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/2466100_0003-med.JPG

[PHX ATC]

2001.5 Dodge, ext cab, long box, 60,000 miles
Daily driver average (70% highway/30% city)
6 speed, 3.54 gears, chipped, no muffler, huge ass air filter, one size bigger tires
21.5 hand calculated
towing 18 hand calced
2004 Dodge, crew cab, short box, 15,000 miles
Daily driver average (5% highway/95% grocery getting)
4 speed auto, 3.73 gears, chipped, 4"SS exhaust w/ free flowing muffler, huge ass air filter, one size bigger tires
18.5 hand calculated
On Cali trips (highway) it gets 20 straight up hand calced
towing 17 hand calced
Like anything, the more you keep the skinny pedal off the mat, the better the mileage. With a diesel, you'll be stomping it, fumigating the cars behind you (convertibles are the best), and losing mpg. Don't say that I didn't warn you :D

[Freak]

It cost $96.92 to fill up the 6.0 'Burb last night, and I fill up about every 6 days. The price of gas is really a pain in the butt, so I guess its time to more than consider the change.
So...diesel owners what are you really getting as far as mpg? And would you consider a used diesel? The best deal I have run accross so far is a 2003 F350 4x4 FX4 Lariat 6.0 with 70k miles that was used as a freeway commuter car, and the guy wants 28k. Is this a good enough deal, and would you have any headache with the mileage?
How about a small car to drive every day and keep the burb for towing? Any large truck is going to be expensive as a daily driver now.

[PHX ATC]

If it must be diesel and trust me, I've thought about this, try looking into a VW Jetta diesel.
To me, those are the shiat!

[WYRD]

I have a Cummins and get about 16 or so but keep in mind I get about 10-12% better than a gas engine but Diesel is about 12-15% higher priced than reg unleaded right now ( why I dont know) so I think it kinda equals out :notam:

[Ziggy]

It cost $96.92 to fill up the 6.0 'Burb last night, and I fill up about every 6 days. The price of gas is really a pain in the butt, so I guess its time to more than consider the change.
So...diesel owners what are you really getting as far as mpg? And would you consider a used diesel? The best deal I have run accross so far is a 2003 F350 4x4 FX4 Lariat 6.0 with 70k miles that was used as a freeway commuter car, and the guy wants 28k. Is this a good enough deal, and would you have any headache with the mileage?
When I run a blue book on this, and without knowing what exact equipment is in it(Std cab, super or Crew cab, etc, etc.), the numbers say between 20K low and about 26K high book.....
If you want to give me a ring I would be happy to book it out and tell ya whether the price is in line or not. 760-722-1868
In addition, the 03 with the 6.0 was the more problematic unit. One of my techs had one with multiple visits to the dealer for various problems, Ford finally replaced it with a 05.

[Dave C]

LMAO good, I'm not the only one doing this. ;) :) I thought I was an a-hole.
wait I am an a-hole.... never mind.
With a diesel, you'll be stomping it, fumigating the cars behind you (convertibles are the best), and losing mpg.
BTW, 05 duramax, 4x4 crew... 16-17 mpg city. Its still expensive to fill it up.
why don't you buy this? I hear it comes with a free peace sticker and a pair of birkenstocks with every purchase.
http://www.toyota.com/images/vehicles/prius/gallery/exterior/photo_5.jpg

[AzLakeLizard]

If it must be diesel and trust me, I've thought about this, try looking into a VW Jetta diesel.
To me, those are the shiat!
We have a friend in PX who got one and they said the gas mileage was AMAZING.. I can't remember but it was between 46-60??? :2purples:
My jaw dropped and we sat in the back seat of this thing.. (both of us being rather tall!) and we FIT.. with extra room to spare!

[life's a river]

If it must be diesel and trust me, I've thought about this, try looking into a VW Jetta diesel.
To me, those are the shiat!
Can it tow an 8000 lb boat at 70 mph in 120 degree weather with the a/c on full blast?
I have an 03 2500 Duramax, bone stock with 285's and I get 15.5 everyday driving and 19 on the highway.
I had an 01 F 350 4x4 lifted with 35's prior and it rode like crap. I could't drink my coffee on the freeway. :frown: I think all the diesel's are good these days. Drive all 3 and see which one you like best.
LAR

[NorCalCat]

good, I'm not the only one doing this. ;) :) I thought I was an a-hole.
wait I am an a-hole.... never mind.
BTW, 06 duramax, 4x4 crew... 16-17 mpg city. Its still expensive to fill it up.
whey don't you buy this? I hear it comes with a free peace sticker and a pair of birkenstocks with every purchase.
http://www.toyota.com/images/vehicles/prius/gallery/exterior/photo_5.jpg
Aside form all the tree hugging comments, you do the math...almost 50 mpg, cost $10k to buy. 87 max no need to put 89 or 91. $40 to fill up and will last you about 700 miles.
Honestly, I have thought about it as a commuter. Even though I would look like an ass hole in it.
Just my $.02

[cdog]

[QUOTE=Dave C]good, I'm not the only one doing this. ;) :) I thought I was an a-hole.
wait I am an a-hole.... never mind.
BTW, 06 duramax, 4x4 crew... 16-17 mpg city. Its still expensive to fill it up.
06 Duramax....Are they out allready? How did you find this out? Is the 06 the same body style?

[Freak]

We have a friend in PX who got one and they said the gas mileage was AMAZING.. I can't remember but it was between 46-60??? :2purples:
My jaw dropped and we sat in the back seat of this thing.. (both of us being rather tall!) and we FIT.. with extra room to spare!
The wife has one. Check this out 36 city on average and 50 highway. Her trip to work is highway so it pulls 600 miles to a tank and she runs 2 weeks on a tank.

[Mardonzi]

We recently got rid of our 1997 F-350 Crew Cab and got an '05. The 97, with 190,000 miles on it was getting exactly the same mileage that I am getting with the '05 (16-17). I ended up selling it for 14,000, which was High KBB.
In retrospect, I should have held onto the 97 and spent the other 35,000 upgrading to a bigger boat..... :hammerhea

[1Shockwaveguy]

I have an 05 Excursion with the turbo diesel and I get great gas mileage even with the weight on that vehicle. To and from the river without towing I get between 16-17 and I cruise 80mph. City I get around 13-14. Costs about $85 to fill up and it's good for around 700 miles or so. It also has an 11000 pound towing capacity. Mine is a 4x4 so if you get a 2x4 I am sure your mpg will be better than mine.
Not to mention diesel is cheaper most places

[XtrmWakeborder]

LMAO good, I'm not the only one doing this. ;) :) I thought I was an a-hole.
wait I am an a-hole.... never mind.
BTW, 05 duramax, 4x4 crew... 16-17 mpg city. Its still expensive to fill it up.
whey don't you buy this? I hear it comes with a free peace sticker and a pair of birkenstocks with every purchase.
http://www.toyota.com/images/vehicles/prius/gallery/exterior/photo_5.jpg
LOL! a peace sticker...thats pretty funny. My econ teacher raves about his, and the tax break he gets.

[Dave C]

C-dog.... sorry can't type today, too many goose/tonics last night... typo its a 2005!!
NORCAL.... no kidding, 40-50 mpg would be nice though. Pretty soon SF will outlaw all cars and/or SUV's except hybrids and electrical so we will have to buy them. ;)
Plus I think there is a tax credit for getting one also.
Prius are like mopeds/fat chicks... its all good until your friends see you in one!...

[ROZ]

Get your ass on a bicycle.... You only live about 6 miles from the office :D
Think of the cardiovascular improvement! :D

[Dave C]

so does that mean he wears birkenstocks and he has "I hate George Bush" bumper stickers all over it? ;) :rollside:
LOL! a peace sticker...thats pretty funny. My econ teacher raves about his, and the tax break he gets.

[cdog]

As far as the duramax trucks go my friend says to wait until june to buy because the rebates are gonna be real good this summer due to GM's business ordeal. I'm for sure gettin one but am having a hard time deciding on what color. I'm thinking about the black/metallic charcole color. My real beef is the wheel fairings being painted. My sub has the black plastic and after a while they look like sheit.

[Tremor Therapy]

Get your ass on a bicycle.... You only live about 6 miles from the office :D
Think of the cardiovascular improvement! :D
That may well be true skinny boy....but in the 5 years I have been driving on Melrose, I have seen at least a dozen bicyclists taken out by the Shadowridge soccer mom's. Car versus 'Burb....I win! Car versus Motorcycle...paraplegic. Car versus Bicyclist.....you die!

[GBLASER]

I saw diesel cheaper than reg. at a couple of stations...Could it be possible that diesel is finally comming down. Or is reg just going that high. Just payed 2.56 last night and reg was just a couple pennies cheaper.

[Eliminator 4 Life]

To answer your question the 6.0 first came out on 2003. I wouldnt buy a 6.0 cause I feel there are alot fo bad ones and whos to say you wont have trouble down the road. The service manager also told me they are doing like 50 buy backs a month. Dont get me wrong I had one and I loved it except it was in the shop all the time and then it was lemon lawed. The SM also told me this motor will not be used after 2006 and that in 2007 they are gonna have a 6.4 he says. Good luck with your truck shopping Im content right now with my 2004 GMC 2500HD Duramax maybe in 2007 it will be a different story :)

[Dave C]

that may be good advise.... they didn't give me shiat!!!... bought 3/7/05.
color.. I got white.
BTW, they paint the fender flares now, mine are white and not the fugly plastic. Also some folks on here told me to order Denalii/Cadillac door handles that come painted as well. :D gets rid of the plastic. :D
so now you are out of excuses so its time to spend that tax refund. ;)
As far as the duramax trucks go my friend says to wait until june to buy because the rebates are gonna be real good this summer due to GM's business ordeal. I'm for sure gettin one but am having a hard time deciding on what color. I'm thinking about the black/metallic charcole color. My real beef is the wheel fairings being painted. My sub has the black plastic and after a while they look like sheit.

[riverroyal]

2 weeks ago i traded the V10 excursion for F250 crewcab 4X4 long bed,6.0 diesel,,,i cant be happier,no idea what the milage is yet,the excursion got 12mph not towing,7mpg towing our 30ft trailer,,,,,the new one hauls ass so far,mpg im guessing is 17 on the freeway,next trip I will check it,diesels about 8 to 10 cents more a gallon here,not to bad,but towing the V10 only like 92oct,,,we looked at chevys but my excursion never gave me one problem,no reason to stray from a ford,plus look at whats towing at the river and desert,mostly fords,not everyone could be wrong..........go get one,im sold

[ROZ]

2 weeks ago i traded the V10 excursion for F250 crewcab 4X4 long bed,6.0 diesel,,,i cant be happier,no idea what the milage is yet,the excursion got 12mph not towing,7mpg towing our 30ft trailer,,,,,the new one hauls ass so far,mpg im guessing is 17 on the freeway,next trip I will check it,diesels about 8 to 10 cents more a gallon here,not to bad,but towing the V10 only like 92oct,,,we looked at chevys but my excursion never gave me one problem,no reason to stray from a ford,plus look at whats towing at the river and desert,mostly fords,not everyone could be wrong..........go get one,im sold
So does Toby mow his own lawn, or does he have a landscaper? How about the golfcart screech marks, people complaining about that yet? ;) :D

[riverroyal]

he has a gardener now cause its a rental til his mansions done,,,I really havent seen him,he has a new job,tons of hours I think,,,i have chatted with his great wife and baby girl(mini toby),,oh and my kids petted his 3 mini dogs!,,

[ROZ]

he has a gardener now cause its a rental til his mansions done,,,I really havent seen him,he has a new job,tons of hours I think,,,i have chatted with his great wife and baby girl(mini toby),,oh and my kids petted his 3 mini dogs!,,
You talkin about the mansion of the hill, community that has lake access, and has an ocean view? How about 32' DCB parking? :D He's soooo money ;) :D

[riverroyal]

thats the HOOD,,,always one step ahead,,damn it

[HammerDown]

Unless your going to *work* that DIESEL the way it is intended I wouldnt get it. Reason, at least in my part of the country >>> Diesel fuel is way higher than Premium grade Gas for several years now almost a $3.00 a gal. It doesn't pay to own the Diesel unless ya really have the need and are going to work that engine all the time!
I've owned a Ford Diesel's since 1988...but don't think I will get another for the maybe once a week boat tow to the ramp 6 months out of the year. Kinda sick of the high fuel prices/engine noise/smell and actually burned out on the hole diesel deal.
Diesel's are ment to work...not get grocerys, unless it's a VW TDI :wink:

[Tahiti350]

"93 Dodge Cummins, turned up to 248 RW hp (factory was 112 rw hp). Just turned 120K, gets 18-19 no load hwy, 17.5 no load city, and 15 towing my 30' 5th wheel (11,000 lbs) :rollside: :rollside: .
Just fixed the 2.8l v-6 in my '85 S-15 Jimmy 4x4, 19 mpg around town on 87 octane, not sure on the highway (last time I had it on the highway it spun a rod bearing!! :yuk: ).

[slotracer]

04 duramax got 66k on it. gets 17-18 mpg always. and i fill up about every 2-3 days. :burningm:
pat(slotracer) :idea:

[rmarion]

It cost $96.92 to fill up the 6.0 'Burb last night, and I fill up about every 6 days. The price of gas is really a pain in the butt, so I guess its time to more than consider the change.
So...diesel owners what are you really getting as far as mpg? And would you consider a used diesel? The best deal I have run accross so far is a 2003 F350 4x4 FX4 Lariat 6.0 with 70k miles that was used as a freeway commuter car, and the guy wants 28k. Is this a good enough deal, and would you have any headache with the mileage?
Becareful the 03's had some probelms??????????
Check out this site..............
thedieselstop.com

[Huckleberry]

I've got a new 05 F350 4X4, Long bed, with the 6.0 diesel. The instrument cluster has a MPG function on it. It shows me getting 16 to 16.2 MPG running around town with mixed freeway driving. If I take it on long freeway trips it shows me getting 17 MPG.
I traded in my 3/4 ton 01 Yukon XL with the 8.1 motor. It got only 12 MPG on a good day, coasting downhill with a tailwind. It also did not tow nearly as well as the new beast!

[boatnam2]

i have a 04 dodge dsl 4x4 lifted 37's get about 14.0 to 14.5 mpg not factoring in the big tires.it is off by about 7 mph at 70mph so i just say i get 16 to make myself feel good.i can tell you one thing that hurts the milage really bad a plugged air filter,i started getting 7mpg a few weeks ago and found the filter to be plugged installed new one and it went back to normal.

[JetBoatRich]

Cost me $99 two nights to fill my truck :yuk: the bike idea earlier is sounding better :cool:

[Squirtin Thunder]

http://www2.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76625

[Trash]

TT,
Here are some thoughts based on my experience and calculations.
I've got a 2000 Ford Excursion Limited 4x4 with the 7.3 diesel. Using hand calculations for mileage I get about 15-16 mpg city/highway mix not towing. Pure highway I get 18-20 mpg. Truck has 3.73:1 gears. Towing 5000 lbs. with all the kids and gear I get 12.5-14 mpg going 65 mph (I know, I know... 55 is the CA limit....)
Previous tow vehicle was a 95 full size Bronco with 351 and 3.55:1 gears. It gets 12-14 city/highway mix and about 15-16 mpg if purely highway driven. Towing it gets 10 mpg flat at 55 mph.
Couple of items to address first. I would not rely on the in-dash mileage readout as the sole indicator of your actual mileage. It calculates mpg differently than a top-off to top-off method and its averaging is dependent on how long it has been between 'resets.' The top-off to top-off method will give you the best tank-to-tank average.
Now I didn't get the diesel soley based on mileage alone. BUT it was a factor. At the time I bought my truck diesel fuel was about $.30/gal cheaper. Not so today. I bought the diesel for mileage, durability, engine life, resale and most importantly its ability to maintain rated power (via the turbo) when climbing grades and going into higher elevations. The Excursion will pull at 65 mph in OD up a pass at about 1900 rpm where as the Bronco would do 55 mph in 2nd gear spinning close to 4000 rpm. You tell me which engine is going to last longer!
When I purchased my truck I calculated it would be 66,000 to 70,000 miles to recoupe the $4500 retail cost of the diesel option based on mpg alone (and that was also assuming equal fuel costs between gas and diesel). Until recently diesel has been cheaper for 95% of my fill-ups and thus recouped my additional purchase cost much sooner.
With diesel fuel costing roughly the same as mid-grade these days (at least where I live), it may take longer to recoupe the additional cost of the diesel option and in fact may never break even. But using some of my numbers which are very close to yours we can calculate what the savings will be, if any.
The diesel will net you 'about' 3 mpg better whether towing or not. It may be less, it may be more at times. But for arguments sake, I believe a 3 mpg difference between the two is realistic. Let's also assume that a gallon of gas costs $2.50/gal and diesel the same.
Let's assume you drive 15,000 miles/year with the gas Burb and you get 12 mpg overall. This will result in 1250 gallons of gas consumed costing you $3125 per year. Assuming the diesel would get 15 mpg overall driving the same 15,000 miles would result in 1000 gallons of fuel consumed costing $2500 per year.
That is a mere $625/year difference or only about $52/MONTH.
I am a HUGE diesel fan, but with the escalation of the price of diesel fuel it as narrowed down the advantage for the average guy like me.
SO, based on mileage ALONE, I would say you could pass on the diesel option for now. IF you factor in all the other items I mentioned such as durability, towing ease etc. it still might be worth it. Only you can decide.
Now lets say you just want a car for daily driving and better mileage. How much will that car cost you? How much gas could you have bought with the money you spent on the car? There's a lot to ponder and unfortunately not always an easy answer.
Trash
Note: I make no claims of accuracy for my public math :D

[SDLifesaver]

We have 2 fuel guzzling vehicles. 2004 Excursion 6.0 Diesel that get 20-22mpg. Cost $113.00 to fill up in the eastern portion of San Diego and it cost us $98.50 to fill up in Havasu last weekend. Now my truck is 2002 6.0 Chevy 1500HD and I get anywhere from 11 to 14mpg because it's lifted and it sucks. Cost me $65.00 to fill it with 87. Holds 26 gallons total and the Excursion holds 44 gallons.

[Wicky]

Unless your going to *work* that DIESEL the way it is intended I wouldnt get it. Reason, at least in my part of the country >>> Diesel fuel is way higher than Premium grade Gas for several years now almost a $3.00 a gal. It doesn't pay to own the Diesel unless ya really have the need and are going to work that engine all the time!
I've owned a Ford Diesel's since 1988...but don't think I will get another for the maybe once a week boat tow to the ramp 6 months out of the year. Kinda sick of the high fuel prices/engine noise/smell and actually burned out on the hole diesel deal.
Diesel's are ment to work...not get grocerys, unless it's a VW TDI :wink:
With a world economy, more items are shipped overseas everyday. With more world wide shipping, comes a larger demand for diesel. With that demand increasing, diesel prices will react to that demand with an increased cost. I don't think diesel will ever be less than Gasoline imo. It's 30 cents a gallon more in Boise.
Wicky

[Moose]

I have a Cummins and get about 16 or so but keep in mind I get about 10-12% better than a gas engine but Diesel is about 12-15% higher priced than reg unleaded right now ( why I dont know) so I think it kinda equals out :notam:
We live in Sacramento and the Diesel is cheaper than reg gas. We own a Ford 2004 SD-250 Crew cab FX-4 Diesel and we love it. We drove to kansas last week and averaged around 450 on a tank.
Good Luck.
Mrs. Moose :)

[98 Vector 21]

I dont know how we got by all these years with out our Duramax 17mph up the hills down the hills a/c on a/c off, Kids crying, kids sleeping?? just dosent matter....

[Lake Ape]

Aside form all the tree hugging comments, you do the math...almost 50 mpg, cost $10k to buy. 87 max no need to put 89 or 91. $40 to fill up and will last you about 700 miles.
Honestly, I have thought about it as a commuter. Even though I would look like an ass hole in it.
Just my $.02
$10K to buy, have you been smoking crack or what? My brother owns a dealership and he can't even buy that car for $10K with 100,000 miles on it! You show me that car for $10K and will buy a dozen of them!