All kidding aside - I disagree with you - well, at least I THINK I do; I am not familiar with the power-plant in the Chrysler Corp. family of diesel trucks.

Yes, I like my V-10, but I would be the first to admit that all other things being equal, a well-designed and maintained "compression ignition" (diesel to you guys who like it simple) motor is probably going to out-torque by a substantial margin, a typical "spark ignition" (gasoline motor to you guys who like it simple) motor.

My choice of a gas as opposed to the superior diesel was limited by money, not by preference !

 

When you are in the far left lane (The fast lane) on "The Grapvine" just south of the interstate HWY 5 & HWY 99 split in Kali and you have to move a lane to the right to pass the traffic. Then the look on the passengers in the other vehicle was Huh? What? How can this be?

I have had several times in my 7.3L PSD that I have had to do this. I do not know the grade percentage of the Grapevine, but, it is steep. I am going along at 70, the limit is 65, which is what "the traffic flow" typically is in Kali in a 65 zone, and there are those who do not believe that anyone can out perform their car, much less an SUV.

You can tell that they have their foot to the floor, they are loosing speed, they refuse to move a couple of lanes to the right.

So I turn on the 7.3L PSD turn signals, move over a lane, and easily walk past them. And the others like them.

It is true that in a couple of locations I may have to turn off the overdrive because it is shifting in and out too often. But, this truck just keeps on giving. And, I still have two additional settings left on the chip.

My setting are Stock, Stock w/ a high idle for cold weather, plus 50hp, plus? I have forgotten, plus? I have no clue. I do know that on the last, highest, setting I can smoke the tires like a dragster, I did that once when I was about to get new rubber.

 

When you are out hunting and all the other 4x4s get behind you to lead the way through the snow/mud.

When you get home at night and the wife asks you to turn off your lights because they are waking her up (on the 2nd floor).

 

...When you can end a truck conversation with the guys at work by simply stating...
"That's a nice truck... ...Mine's bigger!"

 

When the tree huggers and granola eaters scoff at you, women look puzzled, and the real men just smile.

 

You don't REALLY know a car until you've seen it's driveshaft!

 

When your friends/family plan a ski trip around your schedule knowing that everyone is riding in the X. Everyone just feels safer in the X.

 

When your liberal friends start whining about global warming, and you say "oh, all right...i will stop driving it around for a while....."

 

Or, you tell them that you are doing your part to use up all that carcinogenic oil that infects mother earth.

 

When you pull onto a ferry that hold three vehicles, you are the second, and the attendent tells the third vehicle that he'll have to wait for the next ferry.

 

You have been going to the same drive thru car wash forever and the attendant asks "Will that thing Fit in here?"

 

We had been going through the same wash for a couple of years. One day, as we pulled up to the entry, the attendant (I believe the franchise owner) came out an told us no longer. We were too big. We showed her we were under the safety bar. We told her we had been doing so for a long time. But, to no avail. We were no longer welcome.

So now we go to another.

 

Got to agree with you on this. When I was looking to buy my superduty I did the math and most of the arguments for diesel don't hold up for the average person.

The average person will not own a vehicle long enough for the maintenance advantages to become a factor. Odds are the vehicle will rot away long before the engine gives up. At least for us east coasters. For you left coasters, see the part about the average person not owning a vehicle long enough.

The average person will not own a vehicle long enough or drive enough miles for the MPG advantage to offset the increased cost of the fuel AND the huge purchase price premium over a gasser.

For the most part unless you are towing heavy heavy loads and doing it ALL the time and/or putting on huge mileage numbers compared to average, the cost payback is just not there. When I bought my first V10 the premium for an upgrade to the diesel was pushing $5000. I don't imagine it's gotten any better. I ran the numbers and there was just no way it was going to pay back. I don't tow near enough or drive near enough. The V10 was more than sufficient to tow whatever I was likely to tow at the frequency I would probably tow it.

 

I agree. I was looking for excursions a little over a year ago for my growing family. I wanted a diesel, but I don't tow anything more than a single atv trailer. I wanted a V10, but couldn't find one for cheap enough. I drove an 04' with 4x4 and a 5.4 V8. It's all my family needs to get around and still have room behind the third row for stuff. It has 4:10 gears and moves just fine for us for now. The oil burners were just too expensive for a nice, low mileage one. I got mine for $12K with 64K on it.

 

Though this is an interesting line of discussion I was really enjoying the initial topic of "You know you drive an Excursion when..."