A plus for me having an F-150 with a small diesel is that it would fit in my standard two car garage. The 250 is too large.

If I had a larger garage, I would go for the 250 w/6.4 but
I do not.

Bring on a 4.? diesel w/turbo

 

an f150 diesel with the correct or proper sized trans and rear end would be able to get far better gas mileage. this would offset the difference in gas diesel pricing. the engine like most diesels would run for just about ever. people that have fleets of diesels would be able to integrate this in for uses that dont need the hd 250.

plus it burns jet fuel. no more trips to the fillin station

 

I don't see the obsession with a diesel F-150. The possible mileage increase will never offset the extra cost of the diesel engine, especially considering that diesel costs more than gas.

 

i see what you are saying. however say the diesel was 5k more and you kept the truck for 6 years spread the cost of the diesel over that 6 years and it doesnt look as bad considering what you have.

now say you do 30k miles a year. gas at 3.00 per gal and diesel at 4.00 a gal. gas engine 16 mpg and diesel 22 mpg. gas would cost you 6000.00 and the diesel 5454.00.

but the best is if there is ever a gas shortage theres never a line at the diesel pump. and the way that things are going who knows if a shortage is coming.

 

Well, your math for the gas engine is slightly off. 30k miles @ 22 mpg and $4/gallon diesel is $5454. 30k miles @ 16 mpg and $3/gallon gas is $5625. So in that case having the diesel saved $171 in fuel per year.

Doing the same math using 15k miles per year. 15k miles @ 22 mpg and $4/gallon diesel is $2727. 15k miles @ 15 mpg and $3/gallon gas is $2812 for a savings of $85.

Now spreading the 5k cost of the diesel engine over 6 years is $833/year. This is why I don't understand why people are excited about a diesel F150. Over the course of 6 years you'll spend an extra $5k plus interest if you finance, in order to save less than $1k in fuel.

Add in to all of that the increased maintenance costs of a diesel, and consider that the new diesels aren't much if any better on fuel than their gas powered counterparts and the numbers really just don't add up. I guess there are those that will be willing to pay extra simply for the novelty of owning a diesel though.

 

I think that lot of people that are excited about the F150 diesel are in the same boat as me. They do a fair amount of towing loaded around 6000-8000 lbs like car trailers, travel trailers, boats, ect. But they still want a vehicle that is easy to park, will fit into thier standard 20X20 2 car garage and will get better mileage than what the current trucks are getting both towing and as a daily driver.

Me personally, unless Ford ups the tow rating of the 09's and they have a diesel option my next truck will more than likely be a F250/350 only because when I have to use our gooseneck I have to borrow my fathers F350. But for the 8-9 times a year that I use the trailer it is very hard to justify a superduty, when my current truck does 97% of everything else that I want it to do. My main reason for hoping for a diesel is for better mileage and more power while towing.

 

Bah! I guess it is a diesel Super Duty diesel post graduation after all.

I just wish they had not quit making the 7.3. Those were great powerplants. These new 6.0 and 6.4s have had so many issues, that I am hesitant to buy one.

 

It may never add up $ and cents wise if you don't tow. If you tow a lot though it can add up quick. Think 40-50% better fuel economy when towing compared to gas.

Consider the power needed to pull up hills. The 5.4 is a great engine but pulling a ~7500lb trailer is a bit tedious. THAT's why I want the diesel.

Also, don't forget diesel powered vehicles usually have much better resale.

Plus if congress would ever get their **** straight they would realize diesel is a more efficient fuel and quit taxing the living sh*t out of it. The only reason diesel is more expensive than gas is because the GOVT decided to tax it much more. Fact is diesel costs LESS to produce than gasoline. Europe is the exact opposite of US. They tax gasoline higher than diesel. Makes sense if you want people to use the more efficient fuel.

 

It is possible, but it largely depends on the difference in diesel and gasoline, but more importantly how long you keep your vehicles. In addition, if you live in an area Biodiesel is available (or you make you own...) the use of alternative fuel can also have a significant impact on lowering the cost of ownership.

I have an Excel worksheet that allows you enter data such as MPG, maintenance cost, fuel prices, and diesel upcharge that allows you to graph the cost over the life of the vehicle.

I believe I got it off this very site, but it may have been another Ford enthusiast forum. If anyone would like it, I can email to to you.

FYI-- For those of you that have not had a math class or conducted research in a while, the point at which the lines on the graph intersect is the breakeven point. Anything beyond that indicates a high cost to operate a gasoline and lower for diesel.

 

Not any more. We can thank the EPA and the ultra low sulfur regulations for that.

 

I hope they don't shelf the diesel. Its such a good idea. If they shelf it then I'm moving to the Chevy 2500 when my lease expires or a nice used Superduty diesel.

I have a FX4 5.4 now and it tows horrible. I pull my 21ft bass boat and it feels like it struggles to pull it down the highway and up hills. I know a diesel will be the perfect fix to this problem.

 

At only "9 percent more power, 15 percent more torque and 20 percent better fuel economy than the F-150's 5.4-liter V-8 gas engine", I'd say you're right about the F150 diesel being a niche market. It'll still be on a half-ton class chassis and just because it's a diesel I doubt the hauling and towing capacities will be that much more than the chassis is currently rated at.


But hey......

 

I'm betting that unless the diesel option mill is graphite composite construction, the tow ratings and payload will go down because of the weight of the motor. Had Ford introduced the diesel with the 2009 redesign, we'd probably have seen a difference in ratings between the gas and diesel mills. I doubt Ford will "derate" the ratings on the gas chassis once they introduce a diesel mill - however, it is possible they built enough "fluff" into the current 2009 ratings that the same new 2009 frame/suspension will actually boast higher numbers with the diesel mill. That would mean the new 2009 tow and payload ratings are WAY UNDER their actual capacity.

The way I see it, the new 2009's are so close to the F-250 ratings already, that by the time you add the diesel mill cost in an F-150 (which will never add the $7,000 cost you see with the 6.4L Stroke now - actually I could see a $700 adder in the F-150, though), you will be spitting distance from the cost of the F-250 anyway. The only favors then will be if the F-150 diesel actually gets a substantially better fuel economy rating, the F-150 rides that much better, and the F-150 is easier to park because of length. Note, the difference between a shortbed F-250 and a longer bed F-150 is actually peanuts, so where is the major size difference then?

I tow 7,000# a minimum of a dozen times a year and the same quantity for a 3,000# trailer, but drive 50-60,000 miles a year. I'm a good diesel candidate. The Ecoboost looks good, too, but the increased cost for that opyion is probably not worth the minimal gain. We'll see what it actually puts out when it hits the market. At $0.70 more a gallon for diesel, I'd need to see a substantial MPG gain with the diesel for the Boss to approve that message.

Right now, the V-10 in a Superduty is looking better all the time. It would cost me the $530 for the engine and about $1,000 more for fuel than my current F-150, but the trucks themselves (F-150 to F-250) are so close, it's almost worth the added expense to go with a Superduty. Unless the 2009 F-150 with the six-speed really makes some power towing and gains the close to 20mpg numbers, the Superduty will reign next time around.

 

I agree. The F250 Crew 6.5ft bed is 2.5" longer than a F150 Crew 6.5ft bed. Big deal.

The diesel would have to improve fuel economy far more than the 20% estimate to make it worth it, and with the new low-sulfur diesels not getting near the mileage the last gen diesels got that seems highly unlikely.

 

- baby diesel DOEs have graphite block.
- For me its about
i) length F150 crew 5.5ft box vs F250 crew 6.5ft box, &
ii) turning circle
iii) overall height (parking garage)