It’s a shame politics have ruined what would be a more efficient and long lasting system

I love my 2006 5.9 Cummins in my 3500 mega cab dually. No DEF required & I get 17-21 mpg depending on terrain & towing weight. 14 mpg pulling loaded 4 horse trailer with living quarters. 221,000 miles on it & still runs like a top.

The Cummins makes sense if you need to tow heavy and often. For all the reasons you list out, I choose the 6.4 Hemi when I ordered my 2020 Ram 2500 MegaCab with 4.10 rear end. I absolutely love it. Plenty of power towing my 9000 pound TT. If I needed the Cummins I would have went with a 3500 as you lose too much payload in the 2500 with the Cummins. Now to be fair I just donated my old 2009 Scion xB, that I purchased new with a small 4 cylinder engine, to Kars for Kids. I had a bit over 313,000 (mostly highway but some nasty stop and go in Chicago rush hour traffic) miles on the odometer and the engine was still running fine, but it needed some costly repairs to keep it going (I would have needed to replace the exhaust system and one of the two catalytic converters to the tune of 3,800 USD). Prior to that I had a Chrysler PT Cruiser that I put over 260,000 miles on before I sold it. Modern engines are just so much more durable than back in the day. So it is not unreasonable for that Cummins to see 435,000 miles or more. As an old guy I have driven a lot (first car was a 1970 Chrysler Newport with a 383 V8) and really appreciate all the modern advances. But you can take those BEV appliances masquerading as cars and .... An ICE vehicle provides a visceral experience that can not be duplicated in a BEV. Dodge's thought to create sound (Banshie concept) is like fake hood scoops. Or worse, Fords lame excuse to pump a V8 sound into the twin turbo V6 F150. Give me real and functional or nothing at all.

Diesel costs 51% MORE vs gasoline in my area: Diesel = $4.39/gallon Unleaded (87 octane) = $2.89 7.3L Godzilla ❤️

I bought a 6.4 hemi. First time I pulled a trailer with it it's screaming its guts out and couldn't find a gear. Constantly changing gears. I felt like I was going to blow up the motor. I know the nature of a gas motor is to work at higher RPMs but this thing felt like it was going to explode at any moment. I traded it in and cut my losses and bought the ram with the 6.7 Cummins in it. To each their own

Great comparison video. I purchased a 2003 Ram 2500 with the 5.7 HEMI, with 4.1: gears and the 545RFE transmission, the first year they came out. I currently have just over 153,000 miles on the odometer. I have used Mobil 1 10W-30 oil for all 30 oil changes, yes I have all maintenance logged. I have had NO engine or transmission problems. It is my daily driver, and is used for pulling my camper. I am on my 4th camper with weights ranging from 5,000 lbs. to 9,500 lbs. plus a golf cart in the 8' bed. The last 2 years I have logged gas usage. In 2022 I drove 3,700 miles using 321.65 gallons of mid grade gas for a 11.5 average. In 2023 I put 4,100 miles the odometer using 344.24 gallons of mid grade gas, averaging 11.91 m.p.g. I also use top tier gas, (Shell). I change my own oil and filter with an average cost of $50, (7 quarts at ~$40 and $10 for the filter). Not the best gas mileage, however, I haven't had a truck payment in 15 years either. At the time of purchase, I was considering the Cummings, but in the end went with the HEMI. I know the old advise of never buying the first years production of a new engine but after talking to the local Dodge dealership owner, I decided to take a chance. I am glad I did. In the interest of full disclosure, both I and my Dad worked at the local Chrysler - Plymouth dealership in the 60's and 70's and I have been a Mopar fan for many decades.

Great video. Thanks for breaking down the numbers in such detail. My only other comment would be if you’re towing heavy…THEN the calculation would be much more in the diesel’s favor.

When you do revisit this, another factor to include is the other maintenance cost comparisons like transmission fluid, coolant, spark plugs,etc. And if you really want to get in the weeds, the difference in fluid change intervals between the 68rfe and Aisin.

Had the 6.4 hemi and went to the cummins. If your pulling any rv over 28ft go with the diesel. The hemi was always working hard the the rv. The cummins just pers along.

love your video , Excellent info A couple of others things that are a simple FACT 1) within 200,000 miles on the diesel you WILL replace the egr valve and cooler, with 430,000 miles < US measurement. that's a minimum of 2 replacements 2) DEP or DEF you WILL be replacing the pick up unit i/e def head ( as we call it ) you can count on a minimum of 2 to 3 of those over 430,000 miles 3) correct me if I'm wrong but your particulate filter will not last 430,000 miles let alone 750,000 miles < and those puppy's are stupid Pricey 6.4 Gasser: 1) you WILL be replacing your camshaft and lifters if you keep this truck over the long run . If you do not you will lose your entire engine. but you can count that as a 1 time fix if you eliminate the VVT altogether. which is not illegal as deleting the Def would be. ( If i keep mine i will change my cam at 100,000 ) < warranty runs out. and will probably effect fuel mileage to a little less 2) you will be reupholstering your front seat before 200,000 miles 4 rams same problem . but diesels are the same so that is a Push. 3) you will change the oil almost twice as much. 4) you might have to change your dial a shift knob. from being so utterly pissed at that stupid thing you rip it out light it on fire and piss on the remains. :) lol also you are going to find it very very hard to maintain a 22 mpg average on your diesel truck. especially towing . My company 4x4 truck 6.7 diesel loaded with tools driving 70-80 mph, hours and hours of off-roading every week is 12.5 mpg of course you have to factor margin of error because that is based of fuel economy readings on the truck. Although a street driven diesel should get much better like 15mpg average, < i base that on my buddys babied 3500 diesel that does pull a 14000 lb 5th wheel my personally owned power wagon averages 10.5 mpg and i for the most part baby it . I didn't buy it to go play Rubicon i bought it to pull my toys for camping and, my boat. But i do remote camp sometimes and need every 4x4 aid the PW has to get me there pulling a 10,000 lb trailer plus gear. but my PW does show a low number in MPG as i do very little freeway driving in it, mostly been around town i/e stop and go. when i do put it on the freeway with cruise on 70mph, empty, flat ground, i have got 18 mpg

I have the 6.4 and would agree, using it mostly for about a 7K fully loaded travel trailer and transfer stations duties...but there are other factors as you note at the end of the vid. It you tow a lot and heavy weights, there is no question its the Diesel. But, there are also costs associated with buying a new truck that are a big deal also. IF you INTEND to drive a truck for a decade workin it hard, then the Diesel is also for you probably as the Hemi isn't going to last that long at YOUR break even points so you either put in new engines or buy a new truck on a road hard put away wet truck and HOPE for a decent trade in or re-sell value. But if you are like most "rich" North Americans (me being one, you too) buying trucks needing an HD for some reason, you will be buying a new truck every three to five years and don't really care what they cost since well, we are what we are... Oh, I just came back from Kanaskis country (Alberta), loved the sign, "More Alberta, Less Ottawa." Right now at 5500 miles on mine, around 45% is towing, the rest is 500 miles from the dealer, transfer station and occasional National Forest driving, light off road.

Great video. I like breaking the numbers down like that. I will add owning a diesel truck like this is very expensive. Every time you start this machine and drive it, money is flying out the window. That said, if you're buying a machine like this to fetch groceries, commute, or you just think its cool, well, you're doing it wrong. These machines are made to work. Period. Last thing about that Hemi, 14000 pounds? I highly doubt that thing is going to haul 14000 efficiently....at all. 10000 is a breaking point for a gas engine, especially one with an automatic transmission. I don't care what the owners manual tells you either. I'm talking about rubber to the road, real results. I've owned both types. Pulling 14000 pounds in a gas engine while going up a grade out west where we have real mountains, you'll be crawling up that grade with an overheating engine and tranny.

These videos are why i just picked up a new ram 1500 5.7L big horn sport crew cab with tow package when i WAS going to buy the diesal instead. Thanks, loving my truck.

The upfront cost to get into the diesel seems to mostly come back to you on resale value. Did a back 5 year KBB comparison on both. Also, the exhaust braking in the mountains where I live has huge value to me.

Well, anyone who drives a diesel and doesn’t use a fuel discount card is not taking advantage. The diesel cost would be lower with discount at pump. Also, if you are an OTR driver. It’s a no brainer. The savings on Diesel engine to gasoline is by far greater. This vid only applies to drivers that only stay in town and put the 12k a year down. I pulled OTR for four months with a 6.4 HEMI and now have a CUMMINS. I’ll easily be saving $15,000 a year on diesel compared to gasoline. And that’s just talking saving at the pump. I’ll never own a gas truck again if I can help it.

As someone who had a 22 2500 cummins and now a '24 power wagon (some other vehicles inbetween) - get the hemi - the cummins isn't worth it all the emissions crap you have to deal with etc, and if you tow with it every day its still not worth it as a work vehicle your better off with the 3500. All the new emissions stuff really makes it hard to live with. Add on top of that the cheapening out of the new CGI blocks (removed material from main saddles) hydraulic lifters that are prone to failure (mine failed at 16k miles). Get the Gas/Hemi truck instead.

Great video, good information. I agree, pre-emission diesel is the way to go (or if you are able to get away with it, delete the emissions).

Don’t worry about the initial cost Future repairs are the real thing to worry You’ll be spending twice as the initial cost And if you keep it long enough it will happen no matter what truck you have

Thanks this was a very informative interview I think this helped me make my decision between the engines. The EPA regulations are destroying the diesel trucks.

For those who use the truck in their business, the Section 179 deduction, where you can deduct the full value of your pickup in the first year, buying a diesel which holds its resale value more, basically made it where you could drive your truck for 3 years, trade it in/sell it and it didn't cost you a thing to drive that truck other than fuel / maint. It's nice to get a brand new truck every 3 year :)

I own a small fleet of diesel trucks. I need these because with the work I do they idle to run equipment that is mounted on the back. I have learned a few things that dramatically reduce maintenance costs. Firstly shop for fuel filters and they are quite easy to change. If you are not handy buy your own oil, oil filters and fuel filters then take that to one of the oil change chains and cost out what it is to do the labor. I have found it is much much cheaper that way. Also the fuel filters do not need to be changed at the frequency that they specify. I run 40000 km with ALOT of idling and filters come out just fine and are not even dirty. Also if you buy your DEF in bulk one can pay a third of the price. Perhaps if you only have one truck get a few buddy’s together and go in on a barrel and split it up. I am lucky as I get wholesale pricing and buy OEM filters but I get my oil at Canadian Tire. Huge huge saving to do these few things I have mentioned. I change oil at 7000 km ( lots of idle time) and am not a fan of going with these 15000 km intervals. Oil is cheap. Anyway best of luck and the above tips greatly change the diesel equation in my opinion.

So, essentially you would have to change the 6.4 Hemi oil 2x to the 6.7 diesel 1x so the breakeven would not be 430,000. Great video!

Good dispassionate logic. I guess it boils down to the old wisdom, do you haul anything or not. Love your vids.

Nice job. Next comparison??? Yes please, you did well enough on this one to warrant the next comparison!

Diesel fan here but your numbers don’t lie

Another mention, too, is if you leave your truck out in the winter, you have to put more #1 diesel in and even worse on mileage. I pull 29000 pounds with my Cummins and for everything else I run around in my 5.7 1/2 ton.

I wanted a diesel so bad when I ordered my 2022 Ram 2500. I was talked out of it by a guy. Who had just sold a 3500 ram diesel. For the 6.4 Hemi HD. When I build the truck. The diesel was just over 9k more for the diesel. For maybe 800 lbs more towing and wayyy less payload. I went with the 6.4L. I haven't regretted that decision one bit. I tow a 15k gooseneck dump trailer just about every weekend. Doing firewood, trash removal, and mulch/stone delivery. The trailer is 4,200lbs empty and can weigh up to 16000lbs. I have had a problem with pulling.

If you were to buy a new 2500HD, and only needing to tow a 12k trailer a few times per year would you buy a diesel or gasser? Do you think the new gas power train are reliable enough to trailer long distance on occasion

Good breakdown! Any PW specific wear items? Wish you had used a large sample size for fuel economy number (ex: Fuelly says most recent model year PW gets 11.8 Ave mpg and 6.7 2500 gets 15.1). I’ve also done this using discounted cash flow analysis and it pushes the ball further towards using gas on HD trucks. You make a good point about large gas engines in another video about fords new 7.3L. 100% sure engineers at OEMs are crunching the same numbers and know that with exhaust treatment bullcrap increasing the upfront cost AND operating cost of diesels, gas has become more competitive.

Only reason to buy a diesel truck is because they pull a trailer, if you’re buying a diesel as a grocery getter you must be making up for something. I’ve always owned pickups and never a diesel until I started pulling a 5th wheel . The trucks don’t last ANY longer than gas pickups the motors will work more miles harder.

Great breakdown. My power wagon arrives in a month! I can't wait. The only other financial factor I can think of is resale value and depreciation. Awesome video as always.

What about after factoring in resale value?

Good analysis, but you didn't factor tune ups on the gas engine, I believe earlier oil changes, differences in mileage when hauling something. I know that a Ford would have already smoked the cam phasers, Mopar if equipped will have trouble with cylinder deactivation, gas engine probably would be changed.. If you want to employ your vehicle to haul, most companies will not sign on non diesel powered trucks, RV hauling etc

What about driveability of diesel vs gas with heavy load? High rpms for the gas, no exhaust braking, etc. Also, what about towing capacity? 17.5k lbs. for gas and 20k lbs. for diesel.

Considering a 2006-early 07 5.9 cummins with 200k+ miles is over 20k, and sometimes even 30k, and by no mean a stock truck I think the pre emissions trucks are still way too much.

Subjectively..... Would I buy a used GAS truck with over100,000 miles = No. Would I buy a Diesel with over 100,000 - Any day of the week. But your $$ assessment is good.

Those fuel prices are absolutely INSANE for a place that has their own deposits. WTF? Unless I am doing the math wrong, I do believe those are price per liter, so multiply by roughly 3.79 to get price per gallon.........making the diesel...............$8.127 USD per gallon. Why this has not caused a revolution is beyond me, our neighbors to the north are far too nice lol.

I'm lucky enough to live where diesel is around 40% cheaper than petrol. The Cummins makes loads of sense if you're planning to tow, or in my case, the love of diesel idle clacking.

Your prices on fuel and maintenance prices made me cry. Down here it’s $3.49 for diesel right now or $0.92 L. As well as the T6 I picked up from the auto-zone cost me $65 for 10 quarts. Also, I buy fleetguard filters and that totaled $130 for the fuel filters and oil filter. So I’m closer to $200 for maintenance down here in the US.

I have 3 Ram trucks all diesel tow heavy. I tried 6.4 and will pay the difference for a diesel.

My 2021 Ram 2500 is 6.4L HEMI & Its a work horse even with a 17k lbs load the engine handles load really well. If you are not towing constantly on highway roads diesel is overkill.

Would love to learn more on the Eco engine ! Great info

My GF's bro is a dealer for RAM. He said only buy the Cummins if you need it to make money. He drives the 6.4. He sells a lot of Cummins to rodeo cowboys who pull their horses and mobile homes on the road

You should do some comparison in the two motors mpg/kpg cost while say pulling a load of 8,000lbs

435k miles in EITHER the hemi or the cummins will require so much in repair costs that the diesel will be out of the question. I can PROBABLY make a cummins affordable soon, I could POSSIBLY afford the maintenance, but the cost of a repair is out of the question... Add in the lack of payload with the cummins in a 2500 and the fact they dont really like being a daily driver Im forced into the hemi. During my 5-10 RV trips I might be a little sad, but the other 95% of my driving Ill likely be happier. The hemi will make the truck more affordable on many fronts, easier home repairs, and the big hits wont be as big. I do however want a diesel so bad I can taste it. I drive them at work and LOVE the way they work over gassers, but the emissions equipment essentially kills any possibility of being able to own one. After I pay $10k more for the truck I have the looming payload issue constantly and then the idea of not if but when the emissions stuff will take a dump on me....then the fuel system...too much to consider. 6.4l 4.10 for me or maybe by the time I buy itll be the hurricane engine.

FWIW, if you are considering a 2023 Longhorn or Limited, get used to the costs for the Cummins. No Hemi is currently available for order in those trims. Ram had less than 5% take rate on the Hemi in Longhorn and Limited trucks so they dropped it. Maybe when the Rebel is announced, it will be possible to option it similar but nobody knows yet.

Interesting analysis. I know you were trying to be conservative, but your financing amount (at $ 500) was way too low. Consider: $ 10700 (the difference in cost) financed at a reasonable 7 % over 72 months (a typical loan term for many people) comes in at just under $ 2400 in interest. With that said; that changes your calculation in favour of the gas vehicle even more. FYI.

Yeah, I believe you are over estimating the fuel mileage on the gas. I have a 2023 diesel and get 22 mpg, my buddy has the 6.4 in his power wagon and the best he sees is 9.8 mpg.

With the no charge diesel (until the end of May) in CA, would you recommend the diesel?

Here's the real problem. Depreciation is by far the largest cost of ownership for an automobile. Second is fuel cost. So while it might take 400,000+ miles to recoup fuel savings. The real savings come with less depreciation which comes far sooner than fuel break-even.

Ya for sure over all upfront cost is a difference but the resale as stated a few times already you get majority of that value back even with 200k miles on them esp if they both have 200k each hands down no question whos the winner on that good break down still tho very interesting

Excellent video and a lot of good points. You did fail to mention resale value though.

I disagree with some of your numbers. The 6.4 Hemi takes lot more oil than most v8's. Also I had a 14 6.4l with the 3.73 gears and could not get over 12.6 MPG. Towing my empty camper on the interstate was 4-5 MPG. Also most people don't change all of those filters on every oil change interval on the diesel, and the diesel interval is longer than the gas. Also the hemi is going to need spark plugs and some gas treatments.

Nice video Really the diesels are going to be bought by those who need them. Those who tow/haul regularly. That’s where the savings will really be. Let’s say both trucks are hauling 13000lb/5600kg then check mileage between gas/diesel. The farmer/rancher will still need a diesel tow vehicle but the weekend adventurer would benefit more from heavy duty gas. Now on a side note a Diesel engine can run on kerosene, JP8 and more people own gas vehicles so diesel is easier to find/scavenge fuel in emergency situations but that’s going to extremes

Very cool Video. Very informative! Would love the see a comparison video on the 5.7 vs the Ecodiesel.

In eastern Canada perhaps. I have never seen a spread that wide in the west in my life.

So has anyone an answer for the premium price on diesels? The cost is actually higher because the petrol you are replacing doesn’t get deducted from the purchase price when it has to be worth something.

You will recoup the diesel upcharge when you sell it. Gas trucks also depreciate faster and deeper.

Good video, but since I tow a fifth wheel in the Texas Hill Country there is no comparison with a gas engine. So, I stick with my 2022 Ram 2500 68RFE Cummins.

After treatment numbers are only eligible to be calculated for the first 100k miles...after that MOST of the time they just fall off the truck 😀 And in which case it still makes sense to go diesel over gas

Cool video and breakdown! I don’t tow more than 8 times a year between my boat and 7k camper trailer..thinking I’ll go with the hemi 6.4

I’m wondering how tough each motor is, a semi using a cummins motor can go about 600,000-800,000 miles before it needs a rebuild. I have no idea how long a hemi or the cummins in a ram 2500 can go. I’m planning on getting my final vehicle so putting 600-800,000 miles on it is within my projected use.

A full 200k warranty, 1.38 a litre rez gas, no taxes on the Cummins… gonna delete everything when the warranty is up

My buddy just got 450k out of his Cummins. Ive seen 392s in a 25 and 3500 going 350 to 450k used as hotshots. The government screws up everything

Another good video getting into the real world aspects of owning an HD Ram. I've seen some PW owners replacing their brand new 6.4 intake supposedly to increase HP and fuel economy. They're buying brands like K&N, Volant, S&B, etc. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. Does it actually work and if so is it worth it?

Thanks for the info. I am on the fence of the 6.4. I’ve always been a Cummins guy since 1997. I just don’t tow that heavy anymore.

I'm going to buy a cargo trailer for regular towing soon. The questions I have are how big (wind block) and how heavy the trailer until it makes sense to buy a 3/4 instead of a 1/2 ton. Also has vs diesel, at what point does diesel make more sense?

Hey ram is selling 2500's on sale, no charge diesel engine. Do you think this is worth it?

I don't know if it makes a difference or not, but I change oil and filters on my Cummins every 6000 miles and on my hemi every 4000 miles.

Under heavy load the Cummins will win!

I think you missed that the Cummins recommendation for oil change intervals is 15k miles or one year. I had a 14’ hemi and the oil change interval was 7500 miles.,.double the oil changes….

You should do the numbers towing.

A comparison between the Ecodiesel and Cummins would be interesting.

Yeah i gotta say diesel is just more of an investment and resale is where you get paid back

Elephant in the room.. resale on a diesel vs gas ram (atleast in my area) is double for the diesel beyond a certain age.. If you tow, the fuel costs change drastically between the two leaning in diesel favor. I can see the gas being better for say lighter trailers, shorter distance. Since your talking about cost of ownership, you finance a brand new ram diesel, I'll make out better after just a short 5 years when I get rid of it. with total cost, maint, fuel, def etc. Than the gas version. The swing here is about 20k$ difference between a used gas and diesel 2500 5-8urs old

Today the only reason to buy a diesel engine truck is the need for towing not fuel efficiency.

Did you take into account the oil change intervals of each vehicle? I don’t know the Hemi’s but the Cummins oil change interval is 15,000 miles

Why do you need to “pay for the cost of the diesel option” but not leather seats, night package, power wagon package, big horn over tradesman, Laramie over bighorn, etc….? Whether you want or need the diesel, the diesel will always be worth more than the Hemi, including when traded or sold. By your line of thinking, people should only buy a basic tradesman, because a Laramie, Limited or any other trim above that will never pay for itself. All of that said, after 20+ years of owning diesels (Cummins) my next truck (prob a ‘23) will be gas powered. Primarily due to the emissions systems the less than ideal reliability along with excessive parts delays going on the past couple years.

I tow and I will keep my Cummins!

Love the channel! Can I request you do a video on different between ram commercial cummins and regular ram? One is detuned? Will commercial last longer? Get better mpg? Change the calculus?

It’s not about the price of diesel fuel, there are a lot of advantages to a diesel and the 6.4 Hemi has had a lot of problems. Cummins is a proven engine and fuel mileage is actually very good.

Love my 2020 6.4

for the avrage joe gas 2500 best bang for the buck.

Those gas and diesel prices are amazing. We’re paying $4-6 a gallon still

Great video, but the oil prices you had for the diesel were whack, $62 for a single jug? It’s actually $25 at Walmart. And for everyone watching trying to make the decision, you need to take these factors into consideration. The diesels need to be run, and they need to be hot. You can’t commute jt to and from work 5 miles away from your house. You will destroy the emissions system. AND the gas engine is just more pleasant to daily drive. Doesn’t take long to warm up in the winter etc.

Yeah plus, I do not believe diesel is more durable than gasoline motors. Diesels are hellishly complicated and hard to certify in the US/Canada. Do not expect Hemi V8 to break before the diesel. Thats unlikely. The Hemi is simpler and they rarely break.

Did you factor in the higher costs of the diesel service work, was just quoted (dealer prices) $800 bucks for my 6.7 oil change along with both fuel filters being changed...

Can you do A video on the recall on the ram transmission problems

Hello, the reason that Diesel is more expensive then gas now is because the oil companies have to refine the fuel more to keep the sulfur content down,

Has nothing to do with how far you have to drive. I get that but what about resale? Pleasure of drive with the extra power. But strongest point is resale.

does the 6.4 call for plus or premium gas like the 5.7 does?

I just need a Ram truck that can tow a 10,000lb 5th wheel trailer for about 3 years. I don't want to buy new. Cummins or Hemi?

Always thought you were not supposed to use 87 octane in the hemi? I always use 91 which is only slightly cheaper than diesel. Also consider that hemi probably will last half as long as the cummins.

I’d love to see stuff on a ecodiesel, I have one and it’s been a headache, fun as hell truck some of these engines give you nightmares. As a fellow HD diesel mechanic follower :)

BUT, does the Hemi PULL as good as the Cummins??

Awesome food for thought since I just test drive a 2018 ram diesel today..

I'm new to your channel What do you think about the ram 3500 heavy duty 6.4 hemi

Great job super thorough

AWESOME VIDEO!!!!!!!

yes, please do the eco diesel comparision!!