by Mark Hamburger

Created on: May 02, 2008   Last Updated: November 07, 2008

Diesel pickup trucks are a very good choice for a number of reasons, with few cons. Most of the problems that diesels had in the past have been resolved in newer vehicles, the new light-truck diesels are far quieter, cleaner, and powerful than in the past due to many technological advances.

Pros:

1. One of the most important advantages diesels have over equivalent gasoline engines is the efficiency of the diesel engine. Diesel engines are 20-40% more efficient than gasoline engines. This is due to the way diesels operate In a diesel, the engine draws air into the cylinders, compressing it, then injecting fuel into the combustion chamber where the intense heat caused by the compression ignites the mixture. Gasoline engines draw air and fuel into the cylinder then ignite the mixture with an electrical spark. The diesel's design allows (and requires) a very high compression ratio, which allows nearly all of the fuel injected to be burnt. This gives you more power, better emissions, and better mileage from a diesel over an equivalent gasoline engine. New technologies making their way to light truck diesels, such as turbo-charging and computer controls, are allowing even better efficiency and power.

Diesel is the most efficient of all internal combustion power systems. Because of the superior efficiency of the engine and higher energy content of the fuel, diesels generally deliver 20-40% more miles per gallon of fuel, and emit 10-20% fewer greenhouse-gases than comparable gasoline vehicles. According to the EPA, the Volkswagen Jetta can travel 36 percent more miles on a tank of fuel and save $321 per year on fuel, while using almost two fewer barrels of oil each year. The 2007 Mercedes E320 Bluetec diesel and it's E350 gasoline equivalent finds even greater savings. The diesel model can travel 43% more miles on a tank of fuel and saves $492 annually on fuel costs while using 3.2 fewer barrels of oil each year.

An example of better efficiency in diesel powered light trucks compared to gasoline powered light trucks is the 2008 Ford Powerstroke diesel versus the 6.8L V10 and 5.4L V8 gasoline engines. The Powerstroke makes 350 HP and 650 lb.-ft of torque, while the V10 makes 362 HP and 457 lb-ft and the V8 makes 300 HP and 365 lb-ft. Also, diesels make all of their power low in the RPM range, the Powerstroke makes peak torque at just 2000 RPM, which is great for towing and hauling. The Powerstroke gets an average 21.5 MPG, compared the the V8 and V10 at 17 and 12.5 MPG,

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