Yeah, this was the point I was trying to make... back in the 90's, a diesel pickup could easily get 25 mpg or more compared to about 14 for a gasoline model, and that's including the fact that the gasser would typically have 3.10 gears in a lighter half-ton pickup, versus the diesel weighing an extra couple thousand pounds (due to the heavier engine and drivetrain) as well as being mounted in a 3/4 ton or 1 ton (heavier) truck chassis and typically have 4.10 gears...
Not so any more... a diesel truck today MIGHT get 20-22 mpg, but a gasser can do that well nowdays. Back in the 90's, diesel was quite a bit CHEAPER than gasoline at the station as well. Now it's considerably higher than gasoline. The diesel engine generally cost you $4,000 to $6,000 more than a comparable truck with the gas engine, but the diesels only came in 3/4 or one ton models, which usually ran several thousand more than a half-ton model, so overall you were looking at probably $10,000 more (at least) for a diesel pickup versus a half ton gasser model... which is why we never bought a diesel pickup! (I actually bought a used Dodge but while the Cummins engine was top notch, the rest of the truck was complete CRAP so I traded it very quickly on a new 92 F-150 six cylinder 5 speed standard shortbed with overdrive, which I drove for over a decade).
Now, the Europeans have some TERRIFIC little turbodiesels that get OUTSTANDING mileage in a "small car" body... but they won't sell them in the US... and until there is a comparable vehicle to these European turbodiesels available in the US, capable of getting around 70 mpg like they do, I'm not "trading down" from the pickup... certainly not for a stupid 10-15 mpg boost over what I'm getting now with the pickup...
As for hybrids... I wouldn't touch that crap with a ten foot pole...
Later! OL JR
