Gas vs Diesel: Which Truck is Right for You?

We tackle an age-old debate and attempt to clear the air about the real differences between gas and diesel.

The gas vs. diesel debate has raged in showrooms, breakrooms, and online forums for decades. Fans of both fuel types believe their brand of pickup propulsion is superior. A recent forum thread revisited this classic debate, and we decided to cover it for the homepage to try and settle things once and for all.

Spoiler alert: we don’t. As it turns out, both sides are right when they lay claim to various bragging rights. The short version is that it all comes down to your specific needs and preferences. Keep reading to find out the strengths and weaknesses of each fuel type.

Purchase Price (New & Used)

Whether you’re buying new or used, diesel trucks tend to cost more than similar gas-powered trucks. Let’s compare two engines available in the 2021 Ford Super Duty, the 6.2-liter gas V8 and the 6.7-liter PowerStroke turbodiesel V8. Let’s talk about cost first. The 6.2 liter gas V8 is standard, and a larger 7.3-liter gas V8 is available for $1,705. Equipping the 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel raises the truck’s price by a whopping $10,495. As far as cost is concerned, the gas engines have an advantage.

This price difference extends to used trucks, too. We used Kelley Blue Book’s trade-in valuation tool to price out a pair of hypothetical used trucks. Both were seven-year-old F-350 XLTs, with identical options and 100,000 miles. The only difference was the engine. The gas truck received a trade-in value of $23,678, while the diesel truck was valued at $29,186. The diesel truck was worth over 23% more than its identical gas twin.

Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.

He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.

In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.

You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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