The benefits of the diesel extend beyond towing/hauling. The additional torque also allows for high lifts & big tires without compromising the power band to the point that your engine is killing itself to get your big heavy truck to move. With that said, a V-10 & modified gear ratios could also accomplish this task. The diesel engine is also better suited for people who put on a lot of miles -- diesel engines are more fuel-efficient than gas engines. The discussion of how many miles one needs to drive a year before the payoff is realized, including calculations for added maintenance & up-front engine costs has been beaten to death in the Super Duty forum. Furthermore, diesel engines are known to last much, much longer than their gas equivalents.

In short, don't trash-talk on the diesel or the people who drive them, regardless of weather their truck has a tow hitch or not, unless you know all the facts.

BTW -- I drive a gas engine F-250, and also have a 5.4 V-8 Expedition in the driveway (my dad's). I would not buy a diesel Expedition, nor would my father, if that option were available. Hell, I didn't put a diesel in my F-250, either. But I'm not going to flame the guys who do like their oil burners.

 

I am by no means an expert on oal burners but what I heard about the "baby PSD" is that it was going to be very civilised. I say was b/c I have it on pretty good authority that the BPSD is dead. I have a friend or two that work at International who said Henry killed it dead. I guess Ford has been having some "financial troubles", like stock prices less than 8 bux among other things.

Anyway.

The BPSD was supposed to be a V6. Kindof a PSD with 2 cylinders lopped off. The development was going pretty good for an engine that inherently wants to shake itself to death. Obviously the Expy crowd (my self and my wife included) prolly wouldn't like the "obnoxious" (not my words) noise and smell of the diesel. But, there are vehicles out there that are diesel and not terribly loud or smelly. Anyway the engine was supposed to take advantage of the diesels relativley better economy and torque - not necessarily for pulling the Wave Runners or 26' campres around, but to more efficiently pull the lbs of the truck around.

Personally I think the idea was pretty good if Ford could pull it off. This was all before all of the problems started cropping up with the 6.0 PSD. I voted that I would not buy one but that is because I think the new ones are overpriced . To be honest, I have not looked much further than the sticker of an '03 Eddy Bauer or Limited or what ever they call it. I know it is a heck of a nice rig, but I was turned off by the $48k sticker. I will keep putting miles on my 97 expy with the 5.4 that motivates that truck nicely (12-13 MPG notwithstanding)!

Cheers,

Big.

PS I voted for Bush and I'm a pilot too, iflyabeech! Best prez since Reagan.

 

I don’t see how my disdain for diesel fumes makes me or anyone else a liberal sissy. Au contraire, those who are buying diesels for improved mileage and a cleaner environment seem more apt to be tree huggers than I. If the diesels are so much more environmentally friendly, then why aren’t they mandatory in every vehicle made? I agree a diesel engine might typically last longer than a gasoline engine, but who the heck keeps a vehicle for 200,000-300,000 miles anyway? Certainly not more than 1% or 2% of the total population.

My point is this; there is no need and no market for a diesel in a mid-sized SUV. General Motors tried to pedal diesels (cars and trucks) to the public back in the early 1980’s and it was a total flop. In fact, it took them nearly 20 years to reintroduce a diesel into very limited production in certain trucks.

 

Now who's been smelling too many diesel fumes, Matt!

Better start buying a better quality of off road mag

 

I'm one of those really bad people that own an Excursion and a diesel ! And about to get another!
Because we WANT to be comfortable, because we were ALWAYS hauling around more people/things in my Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 limited than it could hold, because the Ex gets 5 to 8 MPG BETTER than the Jeep (and probably better than a LOT of 'your' cars, because I got it @ 10K off MSRP, because we liked it !!!

The proper stance in all the previous discussion was when one said "Drive what you like" !
There's a reason that we have so many car manufacturers, so many clothing styles, so many whatevers... we get what we like... NOT need !!!
And Thank goodness that we CAN !

What do you think drives our economy? - Choice does!
What if there were a uniform clothing law that we all had to wear the same clothes? Think about it! the gov't would jump in and even though the uniform was a $20 item, with all the regulations and monopolistic practices, that same bland thing would cost us $500! And all the jobs at the stores and mills would go to the "least cost supplier" - i.e. the decision makers "friend"!

Choice allows a new entry into the "whatever" market...
because it's different may be enough to make it work - it may appeal to the segment of the population that 'needs' that version of the whatever!

Opinions are just that - opinions and if what you do infringes on me and my rights, then we have a discussion, if it doesn't, then have fun at your thing !
I may differ with it, but I won't mess with it!

 

I think that diesels are fine and make an excellent powertrain choice for some folks, in fact we have plenty of them in our work trucks, they just are not what I need for my personal use Expy.

While I do a little towing from time to time I don't need the clatter, slow acellaration, scetch availablity (believe it or not you can't get it at every station), messy nozzles and yep, those fumes.

 

Oops.....I forgot to mention the Broncos, Blazers, etc.

I have some 4 wheeling mag here on my desk, and the page that is open is some mid 80's Nissan pickup that had won every competition they had (you know, the "4 wheeling olympics")

Didn't mean to condone rice.....

XXL

 

Good post - valid points!

BTW- Welcome to FTE!

XXL

 

Just giving the gears, there, BigMattXXL

 

I am in the 1-2%. I have 103K on my '98. It will probably end up over 200K.

 

That means 89 - 99% of us SELL our vehicles...
the other 2% must wreck them )

and if the person you're selling that vehicle to KNOWS the engine has a 200K life expectancy (or you convince them of that ) )
then the resale will go up accordingly....

If you looked at some other foums in FTE where the "disel" are more prevalent, you'll see MANY miles on there rigs...

And I HATE to bring up a European reference which will probably cause you to dismiss ANYTHING I say, but they have had diesels in SMALL cars for a while... I.e. VW, renault, etc..

Which brings me to this...

WW II French rifle for sale:
Never fired, dropped once !

 

The biggest problems with driving any vehicle into the ultra high mileage ranges are, even if the engine continues to perform, nearly every other drivetrain and suspension component must be replaced or rebuilt, not to mention failure of many of the engine's other vital components. Hence, this is why most vehicles find the wrecking yards before 200K miles; it's just not practical to keep throwing good money after bad.

We don't see diesels in many of our vehicles because of our govt. They have restrictions which only allow diesels in bigger/heavier vehicles.

 

I disagree, I have many buddies whose vehicles are well over the 200k mile mark on one engine and without replace many key components. Granted you have to take care of the vehicle and service the brakes and various other things, and maybe replace an alternator here and there. The biggest problem is like you said, govt. restrictions. I don't need a bunch of whiney liberals telling me what kind of car to drive or what kind of fuel i should use or how efficient my vehicle should be. But that's just an old, South Texas farm boy talkin'. Gotta love that diesel smell!

 

Why doesn't that surprise me???

 

well, probobly because you are a liberal sissy!