Diesel vs. Gas

If you're searching for a Diesel or a Gas Truck in the Columbiana, Ohio area, Cornerstone Trucks is the place to start your search. We offer one of the largest selections of HD trucks in the area.
One of the questions we get the most, which is better Diesel or Gas?
We figured we would take some time and answer that question here, while you are looking at our site and viewing trucks.

Power 

When comparing a Gas and a Diesel truck with similar engine displacement, the gas engine will generally offer more horsepower. But as the technology in these engines change over the years it is getting closer and closer to being the same. The gas truck used to offer up to 50 horsepower more but it is closer to 25 horsepower now. Horsepower is not what everyone thinks it is. These trucks are not sports cars. You are buying these trucks to haul things- Boats,Campers,Trailers. You are buying them to get work done not race each other. Torque is the real factor. Diesel trucks have a big advantage here. Diesel's have significantly more torque. Unlike the horsepower, the gap between torque is growing. That is why you see so many people out there hauling things with diesels and not gas due to this. Torque is important. Torque determines how much stuff or how heavy items can be that you can pull. Customers considering heavy duty hauling or towing should lean towards a diesel vs gas.

Fuel Economy  

It is true that diesel trucks offer superior fuel economy then their HD counterparts with gas engines. Up to 30 percent in examples over the last two decades. But the gas engines are starting to catch up with technology borrowed from diesel engines. Some manufactures are starting to use turbochargers, this boosts horsepower while keeping displacement lower resulting in better fuel economy. Transmissions and transmission technology also have an effect on fuel economy. Because it takes a heavy duty transmission to handle the trucks workload fuel economy has suffered. Now with new designs and technology such as eight and nine speed transmissions, fuel economy is on the up swing. Even with all of this being said, the diesel trucks still have a small advantage but that gap is closing.

Cost and Resale Value   

As everyone knows, the diesel engine has a higher initial cost over a gas truck. Normally in the used market there will be a difference of a thousand dollars from gas to diesel. The difference in the upfront cost plays out as you own the diesel truck. The fuel will generally be cheaper and the fuel economy is better. The other difference is a HD gas motor is rated for up to 250,000 mile service life. A diesel motor service life is 500,000 so the longevity is almost double. So in the long run diesels will win the cost battle over the life time of ownership. On the subject of resale, due to supply and demand, there are far more gas trucks produced than diesel trucks. Due to that, the market is always higher on a diesel truck. In the end, if you try to sell or trade one in, the value is always higher on a diesel. So, if you are a customer who trades vehicles frequently this will benefit you. This is also why diesel trucks justify the money when being resold. Dealers pay more at auction and from customers to take in trades. 

As you can see, diesel trucks offer many benefits to customers. Come talk to our expert sales team at Cornerstone Trucks to find out more about the advantages of diesel vs. gas. We would like to extend an offer to all customers that read this, to come in and ask us questions, take some trucks for a ride and let us help you find your next truck. Give us a call 330-482-3115 or stop by and talk to us in person.