Vehicle purchase ( possible eco diesel)

[C17loadclear]

Hey guys,

I am starting to research getting a second vehicle that gets better gas mileage than my f150 but has a little ground clearance for our dirt road that becomes mud in the spring.

I drove a highlander yesterday but was not really impressed and then I got to thinking about the eco diesel trucks.

Anyone have some real world experience on mileage and dependability? Diesel is a buck more here so I need to keep that in mind too.

I am also open to any other ideas but am hoping to get something that gets upper 20’s overall but it will need to be awd or 4wd.

Thanks!!

 

[Bsquad]

What year f150?

That's a tall order, an eco diesel or baby Duramax would fit the bill. You'll likely spend a nice chunk getting it and all the diesel maintenance isn't going to save you any $, not for a few hundred thousand miles anyway.

The only other avenue, baby trucks. Those only get mid 20s in the right configuration.

Have you considered an f150 with the 2.7? Those get decent mileage, towing, and decent reliability.

 

[choc dogs]

Shouldn't the answer always be Subaru?

 

[Bsquad]

Shouldn't the answer always be Subaru?

Actually, yeah.

Spending 40-50k for a diesel truck to save 6mpg would take decades to break even.

 

[mtmuley]

Shouldn't the answer always be Subaru?

No. mtmuley

 

[pabearhunter]

I have a 2019 f-250 6.7 diesel with about 16,000 miles on it I get 18 mpg empty and about 15 mpg pulling loaded trailer.

 

[buckbull]

Ford maverick AWD with FX package (locking diff).

 

[C17loadclear]

So I told my wife that there are only 2 things I would leave her over.. fooling around on me and buying a Subaru...

Yeah this second vehicle purchase is a tough one. Our f150 is a 5.0 and actually gets an average of 19 and that’s with an e rated tire.

No matter what we buy we will be waiting hoping that vehicle inventory and pricing comes back to “normal”

 

[tim629]

19mpg, not sure if you're going to meet your needs and really beat that once you put pencil to paper. with the diesels you have the added cost of fuel, def fluid, higher cost of repairs, have to worry about fuel gelling, advantage you have is your vehicles don't rust out like ours do in the northeast so you have a better shot at getting the higher miles on to get closer to that break even point.

no clue when inventory will get back to a normal spot of having a few vehicles on the lot to choose from and i suspect that the prices are here to stay. on the ford side of things, the super duty trucks they are just offering less options than they did in previous years to try and help their backlog, we will see if that is a winning or losing strategy.

 

[SO7mm]

I have a 2018 Ram Eco Diesel and it's not high 20's overall on mileage, more like 22mpg. It will get high 20's on the highway without a load. It's the first Ram I've owned and I'm not impressed. It's spent a lot of time in the shop with various computer issues and they currently can't figure out why my ABS goes out every time it rains. It is a very sensitive truck.

 

[C17loadclear]

Thanks for the input guys..we will see how things look this spring and go from there

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Dodge says they’ll offer an EV as well as plug in hybrid RAM 2024. If you can wait, that PHEV may be good with Fed rebates too.

 

[np307]

I mean if you already have a truck and literally just want something AWD that gets mid-high 20s then yeah, you might want to rethink refusing to get a Subaru.

I know it's a running joke around here and I like to play it up too, but my Forester really is a phenomal commuter and "soft-roading" vehicle. They have their drawbacks but I think they're the best thing in their class of vehicles.

 

[grizzly_]

I know it's a running joke around here and I like to play it up too, but my Forester really is a phenomal commuter and "soft-roading" vehicle. They have their drawbacks but I think they're they were the best thing in their class of vehicles.

FIFY

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

This is the last model year Ford Broncos were worth a goddamn.

 

[elkduds]

FIFY
View attachment 250525

View attachment 250526

Legendary Ford durability. Forester for the win.

 

[bisblue]

I did a huge deep dive on the ecodiesel, I wanted it to work out so bad, but it just seems like a motor plagued with issues and possible issues that could wipe out any financial benefit quickly.

My wife has a hybrid AWD RAV4 that gets 35-40 mpg and it pretty slick. We run studs in the winter and it's a beast.

 

[Flylo]

Do NOT buy an eco diesel. Trust me. They finally just discontinued that terrible idea. No more more as of 23. After 8 years they just couldn’t figure it out. The baby duramax? Yes please! That will definitely be my next truck.

 

[bisblue]

I almost wonder if the issue isn't modern diesel. They are so efficient and powerful, but the emissions systems just seem like a constant headache. My buddy just had his 19 for diesel in the shop for 4 months chasing an issue.

I love diesel, have a 2001 cummins and 2005 vw TDI wagon, but not sure I'd buy a modern one.

 

[nrpate05]

I almost wonder if the issue isn't modern diesel. They are so efficient and powerful, but the emissions systems just seem like a constant headache. My buddy just had his 19 for diesel in the shop for 4 months chasing an issue.

I love diesel, have a 2001 cummins and 2005 vw TDI wagon, but not sure I'd buy a modern one.

Yup, loved my baby duramax until it the emissions system went awry at about 60k. It was in and out of the shop for a few months and they struggled to figure out the culprit. Cost >3k to get it figured out. Sold the truck after that. Back to gas.