It's not me personally asking this. I am just throwing this question out there to get responses from people for a friend. I'm planning on printing it out and just giving it to him. I tried giving him pros and cons of F150s, SD's, and Diesels.

He wants to get a brand spanking new F250 diesel, but he can't justify it. But he really thinks he's going to save money by having a diesel.

Here's what he does: Lives at home with his parents. Owns no property because he lives in a city. Tows my little 5x8 trailer when I let him. Works at a desk job.

What he's got now for a truck: 2008 Nissan Frontier Nismo edition 6 speed standard, with 4x4, diff locker, etc... fully loaded. Awesome truck for him. Only has 32k on the odometer. Basically a brand new truck.

I really think he should just get a nice new FX4 F150 with the 5.4l v8 or just stick with what he's got.

But he really wants that F250 diesel... in fact... this one:



Awesome looking truck, isn't it?

There really is no point in getting a workhog for using as a daily driver. Especially a diesel.

Basically... can some of you guys just give your 2 cents on what I'm talking about?

 

Tell him to buy that f250 and I'll buy it from him a year from now, when it depreciates, to tow my 3800 lbs TT. Oh forgot, my f150 does just fine with my TT...

Seriously, buying an f250 for daily driving without owning anything heavy to use it as a tow vehicle doesn't make much sense. You said he lives in a city, wait till he has to park that beast in a tight spot!

 

Keep the Nissan.

He will be lucky to get 20 mpg in a diesel. You have to keep the urea tank full at 12 bucks a gallon, unless you are near one of the 47 truck stops in the whole country that has it in pumps for 3 bucks a gallon. Oil changes are 15 quarts. It has a huge fuel filter AND a water separator with an element that has to be changed. They don't like starting in cold weather if you don't keep them plugged in. Diesel fuel is more than premium gas in most places. I don't have to tell you this crap, you lived with that POS Dodge for a while.

Tell him to get a maintenance schedule with prices from the Ford dealer.

Diesels are for people who NEED them.

 

I bought my diesel as a daily driver. I live in a city, but I own my own house. I personally never owned a brand new vehicle until after I bought a nice house. I would never make payments on a vehicle while living with my parents or in an apartment. With that said, I don't regret buying my truck for one second. I enjoy every minute I am driving my Tonka truck!

 

I tried breaking it down to him... even showing him people's expenditures. It doesn't even come close to what he'd be spending on that Nissan -- and that is just basic maintainance across the board. Now throw in some other repair work, and I know diesel repair work is not the cheapest thing in the world.

I don't mean to flame him, since he's going to be reading this, he's thinking of keeping the truck and getting tons of miles on it. I told him, you can easily do that on that Nissan and the total cost of ownership in repairs, fuel, etc would be far less.

The higher the miles on a diesel is mucho dollars spent. And yes glc, I know from experience from that Dodge diesel I had and wasted hard earned money on.

The funny thing is, I got a good memory. When he bought his Nissan two years ago, he swore up and down that he was going to keep it until it rusted in half. Now he thinks it's junk. AFAIK, I'd take it if it was junk... it's a perfectly good truck, and for what he needs, it's suites him well.

He doesn't own the house he lives at -- it's his parents. At least I own a house and got a good, permanent job, and I have the common sense that I don't need some huge truck, even though, it would be handy. Funny thing about it, I could use that truck a lot more than he does. But you don't see me buying one.

 

their are CNG kits for diesels that will put them at 40-45 mpg as long as your willing to give up a few feet of bed space. They run around $3500

 

For the added cost of maintence of a diesel, the price you pay for a diesel, and the cost of diesel fuel it'd be about 8 years before he started saving money with all the more miles he puts on. Plus, to my understanding if you're not working a diesel like it should be worked you'll have nothing but problems with them. I wouldn't get one unless I was towing something heavy all daye everyday.

 

I'm trying to figure out what type of idiot would spend $50K on a truck who lives in his parents basement.

 

He could live in the attic.

 

one who can afford to do it because he has no other bills

 

The only reason I bought mine is tow our fifth wheel and if I have put more money into this thing to make it run right than I care to think about. If he wants buy one let him and he will figure out that it costs more to run a diesel when he goes to the dealer for an oil change and it costs him $150. Also there are the fuel filters that add about another $75 on top of that. Oh and dont forget the new exhaust fluid that has to used in the new trucks.

 

Yeah this has me puzzled too...

 

sounds like a car would be suited to him. That diesel won't be too happy getting started and run for 10 mins twice a day either. He should keep the truck he has or sell it and buy a hybrid

 

Doesn't make a lot of sense, but if that is what he wants....AND....he can pay for it, more power to him.

However, priorities will probably change in a couple years if he is that young to be living at home and will end up getting rid of it before it is paid for. Good choice in color, btw!

 

this is funny because i was listening to one of my sisters friends, she is about to turn 16 and she insists on getting a 2005 f250 PSD, 4 door, 4x4. for what reason??? she thinks its cool. her grandparents would be the ones buying it for her, when i heard this i said "are you ****ing serious?? getting a diesel for NO reason at all?!?!" i tried to explain the cost of a diesel, fuel filters, air filters, oil changes, and just the cost of diesel itself!!

after a long argument that went nowhere, almost 16 years old, of course it went nowhere. i gave up and told her she will see for herself. she thinks she can keep up with the cost of a diesel, but we all know she wont be able to