In the market for a late model F-250. Convince me one way or the other between diesel or gas. Will be used 90% of the time as a daily driver around town. Just want the ability to hook onto a heavy trailer when I need to without doing a wheelie or the truck screaming through the gears. Thanks in advance for your input.

How heavy is "heavy trailer" and how often are you pulling it?

Do you already have the heavy trailer? If not and no plans to buy one then I would buy something different. If you just want to drive a big truck then go big or go home 4x4 diesel crew cab deleted with stacks.

I have 6 - 6.7's & 3 - 6.2"s, 10 - 7.3's,,, they are completely different animals.

When towing heavy the 6.2 must rev high into its RPM range to produce the power necessary to accelerate the load to your desired cruising speed.
They have to down shift more frequently than a diesel to maintain your desired cruising speed to raise the RPM back into the engines power band which is at a higher RPM than the diesel.
The 6.2 is an extremely reliable engine, as is the transmission both designed to work, rev high & up/down shift when necessary with zero reliability or longevity concerns.
Also the engine sounds sweet when revving high under load.
One of mine (6.2) has 302,400 miles, I bought it with 100,800 miles on it with no past service records, cheap.

My daily driver is a 6.2 ~ 4:30, sometimes it is hooked to a gooseneck 1-3 times per month & a few dozen to a few hundred miles, sometimes a gooseneck stays behind it for a week or two & a few to several thousand miles.
I can pick whatever I want to drive from my Peterbilt's, one Mack to f750, f550, f450, f350, f250's.

Nothing I can say to convince you one way or the other.

If I needed a diesel I wouldn't buy a gas engine, if I didn't need a diesel I would buy a gas engine.
If I just wanted a diesel powered pickup I'd buy a diesel engine.
The whole need vs want thing.

I have 35 years worth of meticulous repair, maintenance & CTO/O records on all my vehicles if you had a specific question.

Higher purchase price. Higher maintenance price. Higher repair costs. And no need for a diesel. That covers about 90 percent of the diesel owners in the metroplex.

If it's what you want, buy it. But it sounds like it's not what you need.

Have you noticed a significant difference between the 6.2/4.30 versus the 6.2/3.73? From what I've read, the performance difference far makes up for the mileage difference.

Rustler pretty much just summed it up to a tee.

I’m biased because My daily driver had been diesel (5.9, 6.0, 6.4, 6.7)for last 20 years, but I have used the 6.2 gas a bunch.

I can tell you if you are use to a 6.7 the 6.2 will feel gutless but adequate once you get RPMs up.

Go with the 6.2 very nice motor. Drove a NEW one about 180 miles at speed of 75 to 80 2 weeks ago and got 16 miles per gallon.

Thank you all for the great comments, and you are right, I am fighting that whole want/need thing.

IMO, the 4:30 vs 3:73 for the 6.2 is night & day. 4:30 being far more work suited, no unbiased person that has driven any of the 3 of mine would say anything about being sluggish or doggy. On the other hand I'd even say 3:73 feels sluggish until you get the rpm up.
Understand except for my daily driver these are work vehicles that tow / haul everyday all over TX & the western US.

A good friend of mine has a 6.2 3:73 SC 8' 4wd, he lives directly in the middle of BFE Nm, he drives like he has an egg between his foot & the accelerator, I doubt the pickup has ever seen 70 mph, his actual / true mpg is substantially better than anything any of mine will ever get.

Good to know, thanks. I've had a 6.0 GM and (2) 5.4 Fords, and they were all pigs. The 6.0 because of 3.73s and lousy programming by GM, and the 5.4s because, well, they're 5.4s. My next truck, I'm willing to sacrifice a little mileage to get a truck that'll get out of it's own way. I hate, *hate* this trend of having to wind out a motor to get anything out of it.

Sounds like you want a diesel, like I said the 6.2 has to rev high when under load to be in its power band, its the way gas engines have been, for ever.
Driving around empty or with 1000lbs in the bed my 6.2 4:30 is quite peppy, no slouch, even with 1000lbs in the bed going towards Denver it will downshift into 5th - 4th at times & rev high if you want to maintain a set speed.
Doesn't bother me to hear the engine & see the tach swing up, if it bothers you, probably won't be happy.

There is no free lunch, gas power = RPM, torque / hp curve is much higher in the rpm band than diesel.

Need vs. want...

The price of diesel has come down quite a bit and I have seen parts of the state where the price was the same as regular unleaded. I drove the 6.7 2013 that I have posted. Plenty of power and when running between 60-70mph, I averaged 20.5 and never below 16.5 regardless of speed. Have not driven the 6.2 so I can not speak to it.

Good luck!

I've owned both, 2011 6.7 F250 KR 4x4, exact same truck in a 2015 with the 6.2.

The 6.7 was more fun to drive. But the 6.2 did everything I needed a truck to do. As I started to see more and more fuel system issues with the 6.7 and other motors I began asking myself the question, am I willing or can I at the time, write a check for 10-13K for a fuel system replacement if it grenades on me or bad fuel, or somehow/someone put gas instead of diesel in it?

There are plenty of people who've experienced this, some have gotten lucky and insurance covered it, some not so much. The fuel systems in the newer trucks are very sensitive and when it goes, you're looking at an extremely expensive repair. Not so with a gas motor.

This was the deciding factor which pushed me from the want to the need side of the argument. I traded the 6.7 for the 6.2. It took some adjusting but I grew to really like the truck. The 6.2 is one of the most reliable gas motors out there and will run harder, longer than any newer diesel motor and for less $.

If you legitimately need the diesel then get it, if you don't then you'll be happy with the 6.2.

I have been in the 6.7 for work truck even though I didn't really need it for my job title. I am a project manager now, but before that I was the guy hauling our trailers of equipment around so that's why I had the diesel. I have my 2011 6.7 as my work truck, and personally bought a 2017 6.7 for my everyday driver...I also use it to haul my tractor, or anything else that needs to be hauled. Came in handy after this flood, when I had to borrow a car hauler for a move.

The 6.2 will get the job done. Ive got 165,000 on mine and I would buy another in a heartbeat. Its 90% daily driver, tho. If I were towing over 8-10k regularly, I would want a diesel. Anything less than that is nothing for the 6.2

Diesel. Because diesel.

I have a 13/ f-250, CC, 4x4, 6.2 and just about to turn 100k and the only issue I have had is a AC Compressor under warranty and driver side exhaust manifold leak and 350.00 replacement cost. I went to the gas truck after getting out of the hotshot business and running diesels for years, with my first being an 84 F-350/6.9. With the new regs and dpf, 10k upcharge, higher maintenance, fuel at the pump higher than gas on average. Made going gas a no brainer for me. I had a hard time adjusting to the power range being in the upper RPM range vs the Cummins Diesels when pulling heavy loads in the beginning. Once you get used the RPM range, the truck is flawless IMO. I average 12k on my gooseneck with tractor or hay bales in tow. I tow many trailers per month and have no complaints. On the highway with no trailer, this thing will idle 90 mph, I really have to watch it. I did have mine tuned about 10k miles ago and it really woke it up. My next truck will be a 6.2/f-350/4x4/4.30 gears as I plan to move up to a 40' GN and pulling more weight. I am very pleased with the 6.2 truck

Diesel hands down. Don't pay that much for a gas burner

I am curious how the diesel makes the better buy. Don't pay that much for a gasser? I think it should be don't pay that much for a diesel. With diesel you basically have a 10k up charge right off the bat. Unless you are paying cash, you need to consider the interest rate on the loan for the extra 10k you are financing, that's going to add up also. Then you need to compare maintenance such as oil changes, def fluid, filters compared to a gasser. Then consider that at any given time of the year, diesel can be as much as .70 per gallon higher over gas. Some times they maybe close to even but that is far a few between. I have compared my gas truck to a coworkers 6.7 and the MPG were anywhere from 2-4mpg different. Both trucks stock at the time, in that scenario there is no way a diesel is the better buy. From what I understand and read, deleting these trucks will increase the fuel mileage. So you spend 10k upcharge along with the finance charges for the life of the loan. Then drop 2k plus deleting it to get better MPG?? I am just having fun here, as I am diesel fan. I just cant see paying all those up charges unless I am hauling some heavy or tall wind catching loads. I will be a gasser for a long time due to all the emissions that have castrated the diesels. Todays gas trucks are running about the same torque numbers as the late 90's diesel trucks. My 6.2 has no issues pulling 12k and even 15k is in its wheel house. Don't underestimate the gasser. When you crunch the numbers, I fail to see how you can ever come out driving a diesel. I mean you would have to run the truck well over 500k to make it wash out.

I don't do car debt. I just think diesel is more reliable in the long haul and is surely better in towing, and generally has better resale. To be frank, I am driving a gasser right now and it's more than I need for towing, but it does burn the gas when I do tow and I am getting tired of all the new eco-improvements on gas engines (yes I know diesel's have some of this too now). That may be contributing to my bias

Personally think with modern diesels short term is where stock trucks shine because factory warranty has you covered. With current emissions be I think gassers easily take short and long term reliability by a large margin.

The two major factors tilting strongly in favor of a diesel engine are better fuel efficiency and substantially better retained value at resale.

Can you share some of the resale value figures you mention here? How much of the initial extra diesel cost do you recoup at resale?

Not claiming its the rule, but I looked at 2 crew cab 4x4 F-250s last weekend at the same dealer. Both same year model both same trim package and cab/bed configuration both like new, the diesel had 40k miles the 6.2 gas had 30k miles and they were asking right at $3000 more for the diesel.

For fuel mileage, it looks like the diesel in over all average gets about 15% better mpg's. Diesel generally runs about 10-15% higher than gas in my area.

What is "heavy"? The 6.7 diesel F250 pulls a 12,000+ pound 31' travel trailer so easily, I could forget it was back there, truly. My wife's F250 gasser required a heavier foot to make a heavy trailer move.

Asking and getting are very different numbers in selling and buying a truck. kbb.com is a pretty good yardstick, ebay is even better. Check the completed sales for prices.

Identically equipped trucks with only the difference in engines, diesel costs about $7,000 after tax (on a Ford) more when new than the exact model with gas. That difference or more is covered on the back end in retained value.

The last one I traded in was a 2011 F250 Lariat Crew Cab 4wd, with just shy of 150,000 miles, a bent frame and the front end needing a few parts replaced from an unfortunate encounter with hole in the middle of a field. The dealer was aware of the issues. I gave that truck and $26,000 bottom line out the door for a brand new one with more options and an extended warranty. Real price with the add-ons and tax was in the low $50's, so the tradein value was in the upper $20's. My wife had a gas F250 2WD with less than a 100,000 on it and the used retail value was only about $12,000, in the same year. The aftermarket demand is much stronger for the diesels. Her gasser, which was a 2WD, was 12 - 14 mpg real world on the highway without a trailer, but a load in the bed. Mine was a 4wd Crew Cab and legitimately 17 - 18 mpg on the highway at 70 mph around the Hill Country with a load in the bed. The dollars and cents difference in fuel consumption is one thing to consider, but also the reality of distance between fuel stations in the West is another potentially important factor. I was pulling a 31' travel trailer, which drops mileage down to about 10 - 11 mpg on the diesel, and 8 with the gas, and then fuel range really begins to matter in a huge way out west or some areas of South Texas.

One minor detail, my last one was a 3.31 ratio and pulled the travel trailer without any effort. My current is a 3.55, and the mileage is a touch lower and nothing really gained. The next one will be a 3.31 again. If you are pulling bulldozers, then that is a different issue, but for a travel trailer and highway driving, the extra 1+ mpg with the 3.31 was nice.

The negatives on the diesel are higher maintenance costs and lower reliability. An oil change is $76 every 5,000 miles for off pavement use, or 7,500 for mostly highway use, and some places charge $100. Fuel filters need to be changed every 15,000 miles. Dust can cause real problems on a diesel if the air and fuel filters are not maintained regularly. The gas engine is pretty well trouble free and only requires minimal maintenance. The other negative for off pavement is the diesel weighs a lot more and so is not as good on soft ground. If you go off pavement, and especially pull a trailer off pavement, definitely buy 4wd. I've watched a few folks spinning wheels trying to pull a trailer up wet dirt inclines with 2wd.

If you are buying used, then buying a gasser might make sense as you should be able to buy one a substantially lesser cost than a comparable diesel. Watch ebay. I bought my wife's last truck off of there with 81 miles and more than $10,000 below the best quote of any dealer in the Austin, Houston, or Dallas area including fleet pricing. It had some very minor hail damage in transit to the dealer's lot, (less than $500 to fix) so they sold it off on ebay and it still had all of the original stickers on it. We picked it up from a wholesale auction lot somewhere in the vastness of the DFW complex, even though the dealer was in Kansas. It did not have all of the dealer prep and shine, but for $10,000 bucks, I'll pull off the plastic and wash it myself.

Let me re-iterate, if you are looking at vehicles, watch ebay. Used cars are a dealer's highest profit margin item, service is next, and new car sales are just to draw in customers so they can buy used cars and sell service.

Thanks JeffBird. Useful info.

You're welcome.

I agree with everything jeffbird said, great post!

Keep in mind redchebby's numbers are stock. You should expect at least 3mpg increase if you delete all the EPA trash on the 6.7.

Also keep in mind by deleting you are breaking the law, you are jeopardizing whatever warranty you have, deletes are not free.

I HAVE A 2012 6.7 DIESEL NOW PULING A 31 FT 5 TH WHEEL 11,500 LBS THINKING ABOUT GETTING A 6.2 GAS WITH 373 GEAR BUYING USED A 2017 WILL IT PULL 5 WHEEL.

You’ll be disappointed after pulling with 6.7 powerstroke

I went from a 2008 6.7 Cummins with 3.73 gears to a 2015 6.4 Hemi with 3.73 gears. I pull a 35 ft. Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite with it. There was some noticeable difference in the two. We pulled the trailer to Delaware last summer and it was fine. The motor is designed to go to the higher rpms on hills. Our dealer in Bonham said "let it wind up, it's supposed to" and he was right. It did so without losing much going through Tennessee and it went up most hills at 60-65mph. The mileage was around 8-9 mpg most of the time. It gets around 12-14 mpg the rest of the time. We have put 73K miles on it. The maintenance is way way cheaper. But, YMMV....

THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION I GOT A 2007 5.9 DIESEL FROM BONHAM NEVER WENT YO THE SHOP THIS FORD 6.7 BEEN 7 TIMES TO DEALER THE DODGE WAS BEFORE DEF ON ENGINES WARRENTY RUNNING OUT SOON ON FORD PROBELY GOING BACK TO GAS THINKING LOOKING A DODGES AGAIN ALSO. I REALLY LIKE THE FORD TRUCKS BETTER BUT DONT WANT TO DEAL WITH REPAIRS THAT WHY LOOKING HARD A 6.2 FORD AND 6.4 DODGE.

I would say this is pretty accurate...where did you find it? its neat

legalities aside I didn't feel like it was worth paying the $3500 to delete mine.


its fine, nice and quiet. the DEF sucks but not enough to cough up $3500.

Screen shots of a website called fuelly. It is an online database of people who log their fuel mileage on dang near every vehicle imaginable. Just google it and you will find it.

To me if you are going to own it for the long haul then it makes sense to delete it as the cost to replace the scr/dpf/etc. will be as much or more than the cost to delete and you will get a little better economy and potential for more power and longevity.

On the other hand if your going to drive it for 100k and get into a new truck again I don't think it makes much sense.