Pro Pickup

April 2013

Propickup Digital Magazine

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EDITOR'SNOTE propickupmag.com W ½TON DIESELS: WORTH THE PRICE? hen Ram announced this past Let's say the Ram 1500 Hemi gets 17mpg February they will be the first combined, and for the sake of argument, manufacturer to offer a diesel let's say the new Ram diesel gets 25mpg. in post-2000 ½-ton pickups, I smiled with Those numbers plugged in the calculator anticipation. shows the diesel version would save $1,047 The 2014 Ram 1500 Fiat V-6 diesel finally annually, or $5,235 over five years. opens the door that all of the Big Three The ½-ton diesel option will had planned on opening back in probably cost about $3,000 more 2010. At that time, as we all than the Hemi. But at trade-in or know, the economy tanked re-sale you'll probably get 2/3 of and vehicle sales, as well that back because diesels are as plans for 1/2-ton in high demand. diesels, took the hit. So when it's all said and Now those small done, the ROI for the diesel displacement diesel should start paying off V-6s and V-8s are being around 70,000 miles, and dusted off as attention that's taking into consideris once more shifting toation the added mainteward meeting the wishes nace costs of diesels. of ½-ton pickup owners Another diesel bonus: It across the country. has at least twice the life of Wishful Thinking: 4.5L Duramax But will a ½-ton a gas engine. diesel be a good business GM's Duramax 72-degree 4500, which So here's where I see a is said to have developed 310hp and investment? diesel ½-ton making a lot of 520 lb-ft of torque, was projected to A heavy-duty pickup business sense: Landscapbe available as a 1/2-ton diesel option diesel typically gets ers, or in any business in 2010 trucks. The idea was scrapped about 30-percent better when the economy tanked. But Chevy/ where pickups tow light- to "unladen" fuel economy mid-weight trailers daily. GMC lovers can still dream. The V-8 diesel engine was said to deliver 25 when compared to a A diesel in this situation percent better mpg than the gas similar displacement gas could cut real-world operatsmall-block under normal driving engine. ing costs by maybe 30-perand a 40 - 70 percent increase in fuel That mpg jumps to cent over a comparable gas economy when towing/hauling. about 40-percent better V-8, all things considered. than a gas engine with a trailer in-tow or Regardless of brand loyalty, every ½-ton hauling a heavy load. pickup buyer will be figuring the numbers. The new light-duty diesels may get even Right now Ram is in the driver's seat. better fuel mileage. So fuel savings alone Who will be next is the big question. makes a diesel option a no-brainer for Will GM revive the small-block V-8 4.5L business. Duramax LMK shelved back in 2009, or use Yes, diesel fuel is more expensive than the same 3.0L V-6 diesel as Ram (GM owns gas. By how much varies by state. As I write 50-percent of VM Motori)? this the price of gas here on the Mississippi Will Ford roll out a 4.5L V-6 Power Stroke Gulf Coast is hovering around $3.50/gallon. in future F-150s? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, the prices on the pumps with the green handles are showing $4.10. That means diesel fuel is costing about 17-percent more than regular unleaded. A month earlier diesel was 20-percent higher. Just for fun, I went to www.fueleconomy. gov and plugged numbers in the website's fuel cost calculator to see the difference between a 5.7L Hemi and Ram's 3.0L diesel over 25,000 miles of highway driving. Bruce W. Smith, Editor /ProPickup-magazine @ProPickupMag Editorial Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Editor: Bruce W. Smith Executive Editor: Tom Jackson Associate Editor: Larry Walton Managing Editor: Amy Materson editorial@propickupmag.com Design & Production Art Director: Richard Street Advertising Production Manager: Sheana Sexton production@propickupmag.com Construction Media Senior VP, Construction Media: Dan Tidwell VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com Corporate Chairman/CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Process Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Administration Officer: David Wright Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Alan Sims Vice President, Audience Development: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Director of Marketing: Julie Arsenault 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com ProPickup is a registered trademark of Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC., 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Copyright © 2013 Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC. 6 PROPICKUP April 2013 PP0413_Editors Note.indd 6 3/7/13 9:31 AM

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