Could The Diesel Advantage Be Gone? New Study Has Shocking Results

2015 Ram ProMaster

A new study was just released notes that 11 diesel-powered vehicles scored better than their gasoline-powered counterparts when it came to total average cost of ownership. The study also ranked diesel vehicles against each other by class (Passenger Cars; Utility Vehicles, Crossovers, and Vans; and Pickup Trucks) in the same total average cost of ownership comparison.

2014 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD LT Crew Cab PickupThe study was carried out by Vincentric, a third-party data analysis company that measures and analyzes the overall cost of owning and operating vehicles and its impact on the value provided to buyers.

The Vincentric Diesel Analysis was performed in November of 2014 and based on a weighted average of fuel prices over the previous five months, to help ensure that the analysis reflected current market trends, not market extremes.

The report assumes that the vehicles were driven 15,000 miles annually, and that the vehicle was owned five years. The data in the analysis is for U.S. averages, but Vincentric stated that the same analysis can be done for any state. In most cases studied, the diesel vehicle had a higher market price than its gas alternative, which causes several cost factors to increase, including finance, opportunity costs, and fees and taxes.

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2014 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty

The Diesel Analysis also shows that diesels typically have slightly higher insurance, repair, and maintenance costs as well. However, in most cases diesel-powered vehicles had lower fuel expenses than their all-gas counterpart due to their improved MPG. As well, diesel-powered vehicles had lower depreciation on a percentage basis, but due to their higher initial purchase price, their total depreciation costs are higher.

Unfortunately for diesel truck buyers, only one of the 11 that bettered their gasoline-powered counterparts was a truck, and it wasn’t even a pickup truck. It was the 2014 Ram ProMaster Diesel 1500 with a savings of $518 in total average ownership costs. The remaining 10 were all diesel-powered cars. As to how diesel pickup trucks ranked against each other, the Ram Diesel 2500 Tradesman Regular Cab had the lowest total average cost of ownership.

Make Model Trim Diesel Total Cost Gas Total Cost
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 W/T Reg Cab LWB $52,242 $48,070
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 W/T Crew Cab SWB SRW $60,897 $54,553
Ford F-250 XL Reg Cab $56,189 $52,428
Ford F-350 XL Reg Cab SWR $57,647 $54,965
GMC Sierra 2500 W/T Reg Cab LWB $56,256 $53,001
GMC Sierra 3500 W/T Crew Cab SWB SRW $60,594 $59,244
Ram 2500 Tradesman Reg Cab $51,371 $49,137
Ram 3500 Tradesman Reg Cab $52,676 $50,194

 

However, there was essentially a three-way tie between the Chevy Silverado 2500 Diesel Work Truck Regular Cab LWB, Ford F-250 Diesel XL Regular Cab, and the GMC Sierra 2500 Diesel Work Truck Regular Cab LWB pickup trucks for the lowest total average fuel cost. For all the details about the Vincentric Diesel Analysis, check out the company’s website.

Vincentric Diesel Analysis

About the author

Stuart Bourdon

A passion for anything automotive (especially off-road vehicles), camping, and photography led to a life exploring the mountains and deserts of the Southwest and Baja, and a career in automotive, outdoor, and RV journalism.
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