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Thinking about a Diesel?

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If you’re not really going to pull something and really use this truck do not buy one. The truck over all is ok, big, lots of room and will pull. On the other hand for the last 4 months diesel fuel has been about a 40 cent higher in VA (DC area). When you pull out of the dealer your truck payment went up at least an extra $100 and your insurance will be much higher. Then you have property tax... In VA to drive my 2004 I pay $400 dollars every 4 months to drive a $40,000 + truck back and forth to work and fish on the weekends. Then the gas mileage, I heard about the 18-22 mile per gal stories but I’m not getting anything close. My over head on a fill up says I can go 475 miles. I have over 10,000 miles and you would think that it would get better then 15 miles per gal but it doesn’t. Last week I checked my mileage (Hand Cal) 14. 5. If the reason for buying this truck is for the mileage do not do it. The truck is a rough ride (although better then ford or Chev my opinion), Noise but I like the sound of the diesel, cold natured rough starting takes for every to warm in the winter and it vibrates when you drive it.



Again this is not to knock the truck or anyone that drives a diesel. If you’re not going to pull and not a Bass boat on the weekend think before you buy a new truck. For those who have a lot of money more power to you but if you’re on a budget like me and you plan to finance look at this and think:



a. I fill up my 35 Gallon tank a minimum of 5 times per Month. It cost about $65 to fill up. 5x $65 = $325 ( dose not include fishing trips)

b. To finance $39,000 your payment =for 72 month will be around $634

c. Your insurance on this beast will be around $150 a month if you have a clean record

d. Property tax (in VA) about $1200 per year or $100 a month.

e. I do drive a lot and chance my oil every 3500 miles $69 at the dealer.



So to drive this truck per month is about $1278 and I told my wife that I was going to save because of the mileage and I could drive it for 300000 miles. What a joke! This is not an investment the truck depreciates every day.



Anyone that is still looking for nice diesel truck with out a scratch I have one for sale.

:confused:
 
I would say you need to move out of your state, I pay no more for insurance on my 2005 3500 dually then I do for my 2001 Diamonte, property tax on a vehicle, no such thing where I live, price of fuel, well lets just say that we are all being taken advantage of because Diesel does not take the same amount of processing to make as does gas and should be far cheaper, as for the payments, once it is payed off it is yours and that is when the real savings start.



As for the rest of the post, my truck rides very nice and the engine runs very good not a single problem. I went with a 5 year loan at 4. 9%, yes I am paying a lot now, but once that loan is payed off, I will be ahead of the game as this truck will last me for years.



Face it a gas powered truck is good for about 100,000 miles, Diesels are good for at least 350,000 and if you take care of it and service it you could go as much as 600,000 to 700,000 before needing major engine work. Find me a gas powered truck that will do that. :--)
 
It just goes to show you that everyone's situation is different. Now, I need a truck capable of hauling 18,000 lbs GCW in extreme mountainous conditions, so I compared the diesel to the 8. 1 Chevy and V-10 Ford so it was a no-brainer, but even so,



- diesel is consistently cheaper than gasoline here. As much as 10 - 15% cheaper.



- the last gasser I had was an F-150 2x4 swb with a 5. 8l (351W for you older guys) that averaged 12. 3 mpg empty on the highway. My Dodge gets 12. 7 mpg fully loaded at 18,000 lbs.



- I pay no more for insurance than a comparatively priced gasser



- I have found that I usually get double the price of the diesel engine (or better) in increased value at selling or trade-in time.



- I purchased my truck from DC on a 0% 48 month purchase plan. I could have just paid for it, but I make more than 0% on my investments!



- I do all my own fluid changes and buy the stuff bulk.



- having a 1 ton truck (or heavier) means you're exempt from the "luxury tax" here that's charged on vehicles with a purchase price over $40,000. My truck listed for $50,850. 00 (the DRW) and I paid $47,000 and change.







I do agree that if you don't need a HD truck, you can save substantial up-front money by buying a 1/2 ton gasser, but if you tow or haul anything of any size, I believe the diesel (in a Dodge, anyway) makes more financial sense than the same truck with a gas motor.

I'm not really disagreeing with you, HootieF, just illustrating how different peoples situations can be.



Cheers,

Dave
 
Yeah... my insurance only went up $8 a month. I AM getting 17 city 21+ hwy hand calc. On my current tank I just hit 400 miles and it is dead on the half tank mark. I'm only filling up 1-2 times per month... and I;ve put on almost 9,000 miles in the last 5 months. I do not baby this truck and I do A LOT of stop and go as well as start the truck... run it for 10 minutes ... shut it off for half hour and then repeat. IMO this is the PERFECT vehicle for me.



I got my diesel BECAUSE I use it as a daily driver... I needed a truck AND a family vehicle and I needed it to be BIG. I probably bought more truck than I need BUT it costs me a fair bit less to drive this than it did my dodge dakota. PLUS this truck will last me 300,000+ miles provided I maintain it properly and I can DRIVE it without having to worry about mileage... heck I'm trying to put more miles on it as it is getting better with time.



As far as the ride goes... this is gonna sound like a jerk BUT if you want a better ride than buy one of these car/suv things running around like the honda pilot or the like. They ride great, AWD, very economical AND can tow your bass boat.



NO... a 3/4-1 ton diesel rig is NOT for everyone and that's fine... but if you are this unhappy with it then get out of it... simple as that.



And I agree with the above post... move the heck out of your state if those truly are the fuel and insurance prices.
 
I ended up getting the truck in my signature for a variety of reasons. It's a daily driver that happens to pull stuff occasionally. Just like a specialty tool, you may not need it often, but when you do, there's no/few substitutes. I could've gotten away with a 3/4 ton and a gas engine but then I'd have to deal with truly poor MPG. I still get better MPG with my little ~4000lb boat than my old chevy gas powered truck got empty. As to the ride, of course it'll be a little rougher than a Cadillac or BMW, etc. Although it's a heavy duty truck I prefer the ride quality in this to the ride of my old 92 Chevy 3/4 ton.



Why not up the oil change interval to the recommendations found in "Section B" of the service booklet (7500 miles)? I suspect it'll help you run a little more economically. Have you tried going a little easier on the throttle and backing off on the top speed slightly? I've noticed that when I drive it reasonably (rare for me to do) my MPG goes up significantly. Seems like I rarely do that though, and just figure that's the price you pay to play the game... I can get 17mpg if I don't abuse the fuel pedal and keep the speeds 70 and less. And that's on blended fuel no less. It requires accelerating a little slower, adding roughly 1. 5 minutes to my typical overall trip time. For that sort of extra MPG empty I can handle not getting crazy on the go pedal...



Finally the resale/trade in value of a truck at 100k+ miles should easily make up for initial purchase price. That's the reason I ended up with a new truck, I looked at prices I could've gotten some slightly used ones for and realized for a few thousand more I could get something completely new, my way and with a new warranty... Resale on diesels is very impressive compared to the gas engine trucks, and if resale isn't the concern, in terms of longevity, it'll probably last longer than you care to own it...
 
With today's prices 45K for a vechical is about par. When you consider what I payed for my wifes Jeep Grand Cherokee, 42K for my 05 was a steel when you consider what you are getting just in steel alone. As for use I wouldn't care if the only thing I hauled was grocery's I love the piece of mind that a diesel affords. Now I know what you guys are thinking right about now (This guy has to be about five foot or has a small ****) but I stand 5'17" and would never go back to a gasser.



Remember gentlemen "Life is not a dress rehearsal" grab what you can when you can!!.

Mac
 
HootieF said:
a. I fill up my 35 Gallon tank a minimum of 5 times per Month. It cost about $65 to fill up. 5x $65 = $325 ( dose not include fishing trips)

b. To finance $39,000 your payment =for 72 month will be around $634

c. Your insurance on this beast will be around $150 a month if you have a clean record

d. Property tax (in VA) about $1200 per year or $100 a month.

e. I do drive a lot and chance my oil every 3500 miles $69 at the dealer.



Taking your points in order...



A. I put about 2100 miles per month on my truck. I'm a lead-foot, but I'm still getting around 17-18MPG for my combined driving. Considering that I my previous vehicle was a Ford with a 5. 8 and netted me about 9MPG, I can't complain--I've at least doubled my fuel economy.



B. Payments are what they are. My truck pulled off the dealer's lot for right at $32K. The payments are supposed to be $429/month, but until this year I'd been paying $600/month because I hate making a monthly payment for anything. The last payment was $800, and I am going to try to stick with that until the truck is paid off. Bottom line is that you pay the full amount due, and I'd rather pay it quickly with a minimum of interest. They went through the whole thing with the low monthly payments, but that jacked up the overall amout due, and I didn't want to pay it.



C. My insurance is about $100/month, full coverage. Can't complain.



D. One of the best reasons to live in Texas: No state income tax and no state property tax on vehicles!
 
Crunch said:
D. One of the best reasons to live in Texas: No state income tax and no state property tax on vehicles!





Some of you guys pay "property tax" on vehicles? We only pay it on property; ie. land with or without buildings on it and its only a municipal tax.



Dave
 
DPelletier said:
Some of you guys pay "property tax" on vehicles? We only pay it on property; ie. land with or without buildings on it and its only a municipal tax.



In terms of state property taxes it's the same--only on land with or without buildins and other improvements (improvements such as utility services). But I believe the cities can impose a local property tax, and I think the city of Dallas actually does. Not in Fort Worth, though. I can own 10 cars and trucks, a dozen airplanes, a handfull of boats, quads & motor cycles and all I pay property tax on is my house and lot. I've had relatives in Missouri ask if they can register their stuff in my name in Texas. The downer for us is that we have to give up a thumb print whenever we transact for our drivers license.
 
For you that live in a great state that dosn't pay property tax I wish I was thier. I live near DC and I wish I didn't. Again most of you use your trucks for pulling. And no I'm not short nor was I trying to insult anyone. I sold a Z-71 LT that was a nice truck and a got about 16. 5 miles to the Gal. Again not knocking the truck, and I agree with the resale. I have read many post about the milage some get it and so don't. I guess it's the driving conditions. But for eveything else that I posted was true.
 
HootieF said:
For you that live in a great state that dosn't pay property tax I wish I was thier. I live near DC and I wish I didn't. Again most of you use your trucks for pulling. And no I'm not short nor was I trying to insult anyone. I sold a Z-71 LT that was a nice truck and a got about 16. 5 miles to the Gal. Again not knocking the truck, and I agree with the resale. I have read many post about the milage some get it and so don't. I guess it's the driving conditions. But for eveything else that I posted was true.



The mileage seems to vary by truck configuration. If you have a 4X4 with big tires, the 4. 10 rear end, lift kit or stuff like that you have the low-mileage configuration. Other than that it sounds like it's just where you live. Are your insurance rates being calculated with DC demographics? If so, the combination of high crime, poor people and shady politicians my be jacking your rates up. Same for fuel prices and property taxes. If you live in California it's just something you have to deal with. If you make $50K/year in Texas it's a decent living. Make that in New York City and you're going to have trouble finding an apartment bigger than my bathroom.



Then there is this solution: Start using your truck to make money so that it pays for itself. $20 to move a friend's couch is a start. A few hundred to tow a trailer and move a friend to another part of town helps out (and if they don't declare it to the IRS... ). The occasional run of bootleg cigarettes up to NYC... Every penny your truck brings in helps. Even though you may never work your truck to the point where you are making money, or even breaking even you can at least pay for your fuel and insurance each year by doing the little things--like changing the oil yourself for less than half of what the dealer is charging you (and getting higher quality oil and filters, too).
 
There are many reasons to justify a truck even if you seldom tow. I have a long commute and consider the safety my ram provides worth the price. If or when I have an accident with some body driving a mercedes, I plan to be alive and able to drive away after his car is on the wrecker.
 
Geeze, and I thought CA was bad. No property tax on vehicles here but my insurance does run 900 per yr. Diesel is currently below premium but above regular and does fluctuate. My MPG is one mpg better than my old Ford Ranger mini Pick Up at 19+.



For me it was still a good move cuz my 02 1500 with 4. 7 wouldn't even pull what it was rated for. Empty its still a good choice as mpg is about the same as the wifes Turbo PT Cruiser and she has to run premium.
 
HootieF said:
For you that live in a great state that dosn't pay property tax I wish I was thier. I live near DC and I wish I didn't. Again most of you use your trucks for pulling. And no I'm not short nor was I trying to insult anyone. I sold a Z-71 LT that was a nice truck and a got about 16. 5 miles to the Gal. Again not knocking the truck, and I agree with the resale. I have read many post about the milage some get it and so don't. I guess it's the driving conditions. But for eveything else that I posted was true.
I, hope your chevy Z-71 was better than the one I owned,about 13-14 mpg,s Major issues. To me this dodge diesel is a hell of good investment IMHO. Better mileage (mine is 18-20 driving 60-65 mph unloaded)than the chevy gasser,better resale,all in all this has been one heck of a truck. No issues yet,never been back to the dealer for any problems,17,800 on the od,and running great. This has been my first dodge purchase since 1977,no regrets here. coobie Oo.
 
It's a 4 speed,auto, 410 rear, stock 4x4 and for the NY deal I'm a COP don't think that would work. The cost of living in VA is something else. A new house starts around $380,000 and up. I paid over $700 on proerty tax on my 2003 bass boat. I do beleive the 3. 73 makes a difference in the miliage. I had 4 Z-71 and had no problems and the gas miliage was about the same in all of them. I guess no matter what you have in VA, if it's new it will cost. I'm an implant here and should be back in KY.
 
Hey Matt and Klopp!

Wait untill you see the price of CARB diesel this summer :eek: . enjoy the prices while they last :-{} .

Oh I make Diesel for a living!!!!!!!

Mac
 
Shop around, check truck stops (prices are often on their web sites). You want to find truck fuel, not Mercedes fuel :rolleyes: Lots of urban/suburban fuel stations think their #2 is for Mercedes and charge accordingly.
 
Matt400 said:
Geeze, and I thought CA was bad. No property tax on vehicles here.....



Matt400, Couldn't let that slip by without comment, we do have a property tax on our vehicles in California, remember the VLF fee you pay at registration, I just checked my renewal notice for 2005, $173. 00 VLF fee, that is an in lieu of personal property tax. Oo.
 
What I want to know is where in the heck are you guy's finding that cheap auto insurance. Matt saying $900. 00 a year, I believe Crunch said $100. 00 a month. Heck my truck alone is little over $800. 00 every six months for full coverage. My 03 truck an wifes 99 GMC Jimmy both full coverage is $1680. 00 every six months, last ticket I got was in 1986 an last fender bender was late 70's or early 1980 I can't remember. My wife never has ever got a speeding ticket. I'm getting screwed sounds like to me big time. We have State Farm Insurance for now. :confused: :eek: :mad:



Did not mean to hijack the thread but that's B. S. I need some phone numbers or referrals on some better auto insurance.



BTW to add to the thread I like my truck,my mileage,etc.



Tony
 
Sorry about Virginia, Here in Tx vehicle registration was 74 dollars. Insurance 1200. Boat registration (Ranger) 48. Mileage 20+ unloaded and 16-17 loaded (518).

My truck has been paid for a couple years. My boat will be this summer. Life is good but I have my youngest starting college this fall... ..... AND I'M OLD.



PS... have you looked to see if there is a flash for your vehicle that will improve mileage? There was one for some 2004's.
 
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