Diesels

aren't diesels much more expensive to service and maintain?

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in. Although the trucks I drive for work (HVAC) aren't Ford diesels, they are still diesels. The low mileage for the trucks we drive is 240K. The bodies are at this point held together with sheet metal, screws, duct tape, and baling wire. The engines are still running strong. So, I would from my own experience concur with those who say buy a diesel if you want the engine to last.

Plasyd

is this extra cost worth it?

Like he said, the truck, all except the engine, is a pile of crap. With Ford gas engines now running 200,000 miles or more if serviced properly, who really needs a diesel, unless you are towing heavy loads.

Tom J

It is true about the miles obtained on an engine. The 5.8L in my '92 Bronco has 177,000 miles on it and it doesn't even smoke. It just keeps purring. However, if you pull >10,000 lbs, get the diesel.

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in. Although the trucks I drive for work (HVAC) aren't Ford diesels, they are still diesels. The low mileage for the trucks we drive is 240K. The bodies are at this point held together with sheet metal, screws, duct tape, and baling wire. The engines are still running strong. So, I would from my own experience concur with those who say buy a diesel if you want the engine to last.

Plasyd

I just got a 2003 F250 XLT with the 6.0 PSD and 5-speed automatic. On my first two tanks of fuel I averaged 14-15 mpg. (around town, short trips, light loads) I am very pleased with the performance. The torque is unbelievable, and the acceleration is surprisingly good - much better than I ever expected from a diesel.

If you bought that same truck with the V-10, all those points would be about the same. The point that would be different would be the financing and the added cost you will run up over the life of your payment schedule for the about $5,000 engine upgrade cost.

Either way, the rest of the truck would be shot before the engine.

Tom J who did have diesel Fords

I lived in Montana for years. Diesel always appealed to my sense of better fuel economy when pulling heavy loads BUT, experience during the winter really soured me against diesels. When the temp gets to zero and below, diesel is a liability. Fuel gels even with additive, start time is much greater even with glow plugs and Lord help the shmuck who forgets to plug in his battery heater and his block heater. Here in SoCal though, I'd take diesel over gas if I were hauling a 5th wheel or one of those big Lance campers. The difference in fuel economy is significant. Real case in point: For several years I drove my F250 Ford (89) with a 460 V8 and a Lance camper up to Montana and back during the summer. Each time I averaged 7 mpg for the whole trip. On a typical trip I would drive 2,568 miles and use 367 gallons of gas. At an average cost of $1.90/gal the trip would cost $697 in gas alone. Now I have a diesel. The last trip averaged 13 mpg using the same camper over the same route. Figuring the cost of diesel at the same $1.90/gal. the cost would now be $375, a savings of almost 50%. If I extrapolate that out over the run of an average year I would pay for the upgrade in fuel inside of 2.5 years based on an average of 18,000 miles per year. So, I guess all things are relative. If I kept the camper off the truck, the 460 would get around 10 mpg. The diesel gets around 16 mpg without the camper. Obviously, the savings depends on the load. Another factor is that the 460 was using 80s technology and was pretty inefficient. I would be willing to bet that today's V-10 gets better mileage. So, I guess that unless one is hauling heavy loads cross country and racking up the miles, diesel won't pay off in fuel savings over the life of the truck.

I have a V10 and agree with your points. The one added point is that you get almost all of your diesel investment back on resale. If you have already received your diesel investment back on fuel mileage, then the resale return is gravy.

BTW, the V10 mileage is significantly better than the 460.

: > > >

: > > >is this extra cost worth it? : > > >

: > > >Like he said, the truck, all except the engine, is a pile of crap. : > > >With Ford gas engines now running 200,000 miles or more if serviced : > properly, : > > >who really needs a diesel, unless you are towing heavy loads. : > > >

: > > >Tom J : > > >

: > >

: > > I just got a 2003 F250 XLT with the 6.0 PSD and 5-speed automatic. On my : > first : > > two tanks of fuel I averaged 14-15 mpg. (around town, short trips, light : > loads) : > > I am very pleased with the performance. The torque is unbelievable, and : the : > > acceleration is surprisingly good - much better than I ever expected : from a : > > diesel. : >

: > If you bought that same truck with the V-10, all those points would be : about : > the same. The point that would be different would be the financing and the : > added cost you will run up over the life of your payment schedule for the : > about $5,000 engine upgrade cost. : >

: > Either way, the rest of the truck would be shot before the engine. : >

: > Tom J : > who did have diesel Fords : >

: >

: :

I figured that the V-10 had to get better mileage. My old 460 got that 7mpg only AFTER I added headers and an after market cam and intake manifold. Before that, 5-6mpg was standard at 60 mph with the camper on. The dang thing was a pig.

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in. Although the trucks I drive for work (HVAC) aren't Ford diesels, they are still diesels. The low mileage for the trucks we drive is 240K. The bodies are at this point held together with sheet metal, screws, duct tape, and baling wire. The engines are still running strong. So, I would from my own experience concur with those who say buy a diesel if you want the engine to last.

Plasyd

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in. Although the trucks I drive for work (HVAC) aren't Ford diesels, they are still diesels. The low mileage for the trucks we drive is 240K. The bodies are at this point held together with sheet metal, screws, duct tape, and baling wire. The engines are still running strong. So, I would from my own experience concur with those who say buy a diesel if you want the engine to last.

Plasyd

Ford did sell a diesel Ranger through 1988. They were 4 cylinder diesels, 2.2L non-turbo 83-84 and 2.3L Turbo 85-88. They were Mazda engines. They did not sell well in the US. Diesel powered "Rangers" are available in other markets, although they are actually a Mazda design.

Ed

Until recently, Ford had teamed up with Navistar on a V6 diesel project for small trucks. Ford canned it last year, citing low marketability potential.

"Nukie Poo @verizon.net>" >

Darn! That would have been my engine of choice!

Plasyd

hi i have an 86 ranger with a factory turbo diesel 216k engine still going strong but body is falling off i get about 35 mpg around town afraid to go on the road may have the body fall off

I too would love to buy a small diesel Ford truck. I currently have a Explorer Sport and like its maneuverability (relatively speaking). Would be great if they made that with a diesel. I was even looking forward to (heresy!) the Jeep Liberty diesel that was supposed to come out this fall; didn't happen as well I guess :(.

AB.

Ford will be kicking themselves in the ass for this decision. With baby diesels showing up in Jeeps soon, I think we are going to see that consumers will fully support new, clean and reasonable-performance diesels in their vehicles.

Matt

Matt, you're absolutely right about that. The Ford Focus is a prime example of marketing stupidity. In Europe, the Ford Focus Tdi is a hot seller. Not only does it outperform the gasoline engine hands down in fuel economy, torque, HP and quietness, as well as meeting European emissions standards, it represents approximately 65% of the Focus sales throughout Europe.

Europe has climates similar to those found in North America. Yet, Ford in North America refuses to sell the diesel Focus, citing emissions concerns and consumer apathy towards diesels in general. My Powerstroke and the heads it turns shows me how much apathy there is!

They cornered the market in Europe and thumbed their collective noses at the North American market.

Go figure!

Kent

-------------- Orig> >

Kent you big dummy, they hear you coming and wonder what the garbage truck's doing there that time of day etc or maybe it's a lost semi- truck driver or something, so they feel a need to look. It's not in admiration, sorry. ;)

I have a neighbor that has one and I've learned to distiquish the sound from the garbage trucks, propane trucks, FedEx/UPS trucks and water bottle trucks and not to look at the noisy P(o)S. :)

Just kidding, we wave at each other (of course).

Alvin in AZ ps- the straight-through muffler on my gas engine prob'ly makes my old hunk of junk louder :/ pps- but at least it's a "cool sounding" louder :)