I have a 2020 F250 with the 7.3 gasser and towing how I tow, I have not found myself regretting the decision to go with gas. Yes, I may have to stop and fill up more often, but it coincides with draining the bladder so it's a win-win for me!
That comment is dead on...... you gotta stop to pee, stretch..... i am very happy with my Godzilla. Price, maintainance it makes more sense. If not towing everyday for your job Godzilla the best choice financially.
I have a 2020 7.3 Tremor and put the upgraded aftermarket fuel tank in it. 58 gallon tank makes this truck absolutely perfect in my mind. Range loaded and unloaded was my only factory gripe which is now no longer an issue.
Tow a 30' 8000# travel trailer with my 2020 F250 7.3 and it's a perfect combo, practically stress free and the gas stops keep my coffee addiction on track. ☕
I went back to a gas engine truck in 2019, F250 with the 6.2, I just currently got back from a road trip towing a 18' enclosed trailer from Louisiana to California there and back cruise set at 70mph and average 9mpg, for the amount of towing I do for recreational gas makes more sense, I know guys that live in my area that purchased the diesel and never pulled anything yet, hell they barely haul anything in the bed but have a shiny new hitch hanging out back but Andrea is right towing every weekend yes diesel makes more sense, once a month or less the gas is a much better option in my opinion.
We're getting rid of our 6.7 in favor of a gas rig. The diesel is great when we tow our 32ft trailer, but the thought of anything going wrong with it haunts me day and night.
Sadly all the yuppies buying trucks make it hard for guys like me that tow enough to need a set of tires on my work trailer every 1-2 years. I could use a medium output diesel with longevity. Thought about a base model Nissan XD but Nissan didn't give it 8 lug axles like their nv3500 van so payload is bit light with crew cab.
I haven’t watched the video however I know for 95% of people in America a gas powered v8 with 400lbs of torque and horsepower will do everything you ever need
Yeah, but then my neighbor might have a bigger truck than me, and we can’t have that! It’s pretty obvious that people have largely stopped buying trucks to do work with them. Even on TFL, there are videos where they talk more about the exhaust sound than the towing/hauling capabilities.
@OleSevers And 95% of guys who tow know 400lbs of torque , in a gas engine , is a high reving joke. 450lbs in a half ton 3liter diesel will outperform the gasser , and a big diesel will spank it all day long..
Ive got a 23 XLT 7.3 4:30 4x4 $57,000 and it does everything I need it to do. I considered the diesel but had a hard time parting with the $$$ especially knowing I didn't reedit, If I needed it i would have gotten it, its great to have so many choices (6.8, 7.3 6.7, 6.7 HO) who else gives you that many choices? My gasser gets me from CA to AZ and launches my boat flawlessly. Happy with my choice. At the end of the day we are all driving the best HD truck on the market ;)
My dad has a construction company and had the 6.7 until he got T Boned. After he bought one with the 7.3 and he LOVES. No DEF and plenty of power for towing.
@@LemonySnicket-EUCmy old 7.3 pulled 25k, just fine .. but, the E4OD (EVEN BUILD) couldn't take the torque.... Now I have a 5.9 h.o. Cummins... 20mpg empty. 18 towing. About 14 towing 30k....
I would like to compliment the entire team here (including editors!) for how well laid out you guys present these comparison videos. It makes it extremely easy to follow and the topics you address come in a very logical layout. HIGH QUALITY VIDEOS FROM TFL
Guys, YaH The Heavenly FATHER (Genesis 1) HIMSELF was Who they Crucified/Pierced for our sins and “HERE IS THE PROOF” From the Ancient Semitic: "Yad He Vav He" is what Moshe (Moses) wrote, when Moses asked YaH His Name (Exodus 3) Ancient Semitic Direct Translation Yad - "Behold The Hand" He - "Behold the Breath" Vav - "Behold The NAIL"
My opinion: for 99% of people it comes down to 2 questions. The first is recreational towing or towing all the time? Recreational: Gas - All the time: Diesel The second question if your recreational is, do you want to waste money to drive a diesel? If yes, fine, get a diesel. There are SO many negatives now to diesels. The price of repairs and maintenance has exponentially increased the past few years, emissions systems make these trucks throw away trucks, diesel is harder to find and statistically way more expensive to buy, so any fuel mileage savings goes out the window. Diesel is more problematic in cold weather. With how great gas engines are now, Diesel is a waste of money for most people. Keep in mind I own a trucking company, I know the benefits of diesels, but for the average consumer these new gas engines are the best solutions.
I have a Cummins 6.7 in a 46 ft Trawler. A gas engine would blow up in this application. Recently purchased a 30 ft Class C, RV for recreational use with my wife. The diesel rigs are sure nice but we went with a gas (7.3 Ford.) for the reasons you noted.
I owned a trucking company for 35 years. Your comments are spot-on. The truth of the matter is, relatively few people actually NEED a diesel. It has become a status symbol. Higher initial cost, higher cost maintenance, MORE maintenance and higher cost fuel (somewhat offset by better fuel mileage). I currently own a Ford F250 Tremor with the 7.3l gas v-8. Couldn't be happier with the truck and engine.
It'll pull anything you want, just won't pass very many gas stations LOL. That's how my 88 F250 with the 7.5L 460 V8 and C6 was....it would pull anything but it required a visit to pretty much every gas station you come across LOL.
Yeah I’m no stranger to gas fill ups. However, with the cost of diesel at least a $1 more per gallon, 23+ fords using sometimes 2-3X the def fluid, and a $10-13K up front cost for diesel, when you do the math, you’re not spending much more on gas. Especially in our instance where we may drive 5000 miles a year on the truck. I did a spread sheet with what it would cost me, and even after 15 years, the gas is still cheaper by $7K. Diesel has its purpose, and if you aren’t using it for that purpose, it’s not worth the money. Yeah that instant TQ and beautiful, but it’s not worth the expense for me. I have 6 motorcycles, a 15 Tacoma, and a 03 wrangler to use besides that big ole truck for around town.
@@OleSeversHardly gets any better?!? You must have listened to a different video! Check out the discussion at 23:05! If you live in a mountainous ⛰️ part of North America, like... The West, just the ease of use/fatigue measure eg. decreased workload, very low noise, fewer fuel stops, far less braking and gearing down - both up and down hill, etc, is reason enough for many to choose diesel over gas! Then add to that all of the other benefits of diesel power and there is no longer any doubt. (for those like me) I only use my truck for personal/recreational purposes, the latter of which accounting for 95% of my total mileage (all long distance), but if I had a gas truck I'd have to carry a few Jerry cans with me for peace of mind! I'd rather not have to be focused on my gauges or listen to a big V8 in passing gear as I climb a winding mountain road for 3 miles in the dark worring if I'll make the next gas station! I think I just sold myself on the type of truck I'll be buying next 😉
tried and true diesel enthusiast here.... the diesels of today are absolute monsters, but our friends at the EPA have made it very difficult to want to stay in the game. reliability has gone south which is why most people choose to go gas now. Your "highschooler" comment isn't going to gain as much traction as you would think....@@mxerb5912
@@omardevonlittle3817 There are no gas trucks here in the Uk for good reasons...and I filled my toyota with def one a year, every November not every week
I would add that if you are towing heavy get the diesel. If you are towing below 11K the gas engine is fine. Still I love my diesel towing in Colorado for the engine brake alone.
That’s really the only thing holding me back from jumping on the 7.3 train! I just can’t wrap my head around losing the exhaust brake with my 5th wheel.
Unless you tow heavily regularly, there’s no reason to have a diesel. DPF system is super problematic, fuel is pricey and maintenance cost it unreal. My work truck was a diesel and it was such a headache and I hated that I couldn’t let it idle either. They got me a new truck with the 7.3 and I’m loving it; just wish my fuel mileage was a little better, but it’s a small price to pay.
I’ve grown to absolutely love you guys. You’re just kind, fun and really helpful and this will be the foundation (plus hard work) for your continued success…
I already made the choice a few months ago. Had to be multi purpose and I'm offroad alot we also keep are trucks a long time probably 20 years or more. Had horrible experiences with the last 2 diesels one being a ford the other gm. Repair bills maintenance and shop time are just too high. I chose the 7.3 gas also the gas engine saves several hundred pounds on the front end helping off road ability alot and not wearing the front suspension out nearly as fast. Winch and full bumper with guard is mandatory which mine weights 340 lbs combined still much less than the diesel. Diesels definitely have more power especially towing but honestly the modern gas trucks tow good enough for most loads and better then the diesel trucks from 10 or 20 years ago. What's funny is the biggest baddest f650s and such are detuned for working and durability with 500 ft lbs less torque. My experience has led me to dislike modern diesels and no way in hell I would trust one out of warranty I'm not rich enough. Just depends on how your going to work your truck which ones better. Towing isn't a race for me I just chug along nice and easy.
@casval-pj5tb Yes before the days of def system also had egr and dpf delete. Alot of people locally delete there trucks but traveling out of state for work and getting towed and 10,000 dollar fine that's not a option for me. There's a few gas engines make a million miles mostly ford 4.6 and Toyota a few chevys as well. For every engine that makes a million miles there's 100 that die before 150,000 miles. By the time you get 500,000 on just about any engine especially a diesel its likely you spent more than buying a brand new crate engine and throwing it in. I've been in the truck game for along time and personally never seen a gas or diesel that was worth a damn at 500,000 miles but most everyone I've known works there trucks hard and the whole truck will be beat to hell by then.
@@rockie307 I suppose it depends, ive worked around mining equipment that has who knows how many hours on them, rebuild after rebuild after rebuild. And when rebuilt, they run just like new, if the rebuild team doesn't suck. Point being, if a multi billion dollar mining company, along with many others rebuild and retrofit as the most cost effective way to implement equipment, why wouldn't the same apply to the guy using his truck like a piece of equipment "the way it should be used".
@casval-pj5tb I'm a millwright rebuilding the equipment your talking about. Turbines generators pumps compressors gear boxes etc. Industrial equipment is big but simple and easy to work on. It's made to rebuild alot of the reason is due to the size of the equipment it's cheaper to rebuild on site then have new huge equipment brought in. Trucks on the other hand are a pain in the ass to work on and not very cost efficient to do a rebuild when you can just get a brand new crate engine thrown in for the cost of going into a diesel engine. You can buy a brand new 7.3 godzilla straight from ford for 10,000 install it yourself in a day easy. The ford dealership spent 8,000 dollars of my brothers money throwing parts at his powerstroke after over a week in the shop he had it towed home and the problem was a 10 dollar o ring. Another thing when you tear into a older engine it's likely to create more problems and might not be the same. Not saying diesel is completely bad especially if your a good diesel mechanic but they definitely are much harder to diagnose work on high maintenance and expensive to fix. That said most people these days trade there trucks in before the warranty expires so it don't matter much either way for them.
Rocky you made my day bro!😂 cause you’re right on with the diesel v’s a gasser, no offense to anyone but I also bought myself a 7.3 liter Godzilla and so far I have 0’ regrets. Just like what Rocky said I just chug along nice and easy cause there’s no rush when towing besides with traffic in the way you can’t even drive at normal speed without running into someone who has nothing to loose.😤
I traded my F350 diesel that I used to pull an 18,000lb 5th wheel trailer for an F250 Godzilla pulling a 7500lb travel trailer because I did not need the torque of the diesel. Also, I don't have anxiety about a derated engine of diesel because of the EPA requirements that make the diesel more complex and less reliable than the gas engine. If you don't need the torque of the diesel, it makes no sense to have one. I believe the Godzilla with a 10-speed tranny designed to be a truck application makes the best towing vehicle for towing trailers less than 10-15,000 lbs.
Yep, I bought a 2016 F-350 with the 6.7l and have owned it for 3 and a half months as a daily driver to and back from work. It's been out of commission for 2 weeks because of a clogged DPF that is needing to be replaced and it only has 87k miles. It's not cheap and I'm not going to drive it and destroy my turbos which are $9k each already had the dealership force a regen twice and still clogged up. I regret my purchase. Diesels are a huge pain in the ass now with all the the emissions and regen cycles you have to micromanage. And even if you perfectly manage the regen cycles you're STILL going to have a clogged up DPF that is unserviceable and that you have to replace. $3000 brand new plus labor. This is why so many people just delete it all and the EPA doesn't give 2 shits about the people (even though, the federal government IS FOR THE PEOPLE) because they are determined to phase out diesels.
I always wanted a diesel. Then I had a job in a diesel shop while in college. Absolutely no way id buy one. Cost of fuel is higher to the point that the 3mpg benefit fades quick. Then the MAINTENANCE and REPAIR cost on a diesel is astronomical. Look up book time for a Duramax waterpump, then compare to a 6.0 gas. I'll gladly keep driving my "underpowered" 2500HD 6.0 2004 Sierra. It always gets the job done reliably. Sure with a few extra shifts here and there. A good tune helps with this a lot, though
I just got a 2023 F-250 XLT with the reg diesel for about 72k and it probably is pretty close in power to that 103k Tremor. Don’t need all of those extras. Has lots of power 👍
I agree! I am a diesel guy but that 7.3 is one hell of a great engine especially considering that it is so much cheaper to buy and fix than the Powerstoke.
100%, for my business I own 4 of the 7.3L and just ordered another one. The best gas motor I've ever had in a fleet. Impossible to beat. (and I've had all the diesels too all the way back to the 7.3)
@@jamesj6190 You should try straight in line 6 cyl. The V-8 international was garbage the day the came out. Drooling slobbering crap. They won’t start if it all cold. $700 every 2 years for batteries I had a 1991 dodge Cummins which was like a free 400,000 mile ride. 2001 Ford. Was disgusting. Costly undependable junk. Both trucks Trannies are what kills them.
I went with the 2023 F250 with the 7.3 gas this time after having diesels previously. Towing is recreational for me so the gas truck is right for me..... I do miss my diesel though when I'm towing my fifth wheel. 😊 Thanks for the good reviews.
As a truck driver and owner of only diesel vehicles, they don’t make sense for regular folk, higher entry price, maintenance, repairs and so forth, you’ll never make up on mpg when fuel is .50 to 90 cents higher. Where it pays off is the engine lasting hundreds of thousands of miles towing. The gasser won’t last as long doing the same work no matter what anyone says.
@@d0uble_O That’s because they have turbos. Diesels are awesome for towing, but if you took away the turbo it wouldn’t do nearly as well, especially at altitude.
My 6.2 gasser does everything I need it to do. No gelling or waxing to worry about in the winter. No def or dpf. No egr issues either. Love my 7.3 powerstrokes, still got a few. Wouldn’t touch a 6.7 with a ten foot pole.
@@joshuaplacka8480 A lot of variables to consider. My cousin's uncle is a construction guy that's on his 2nd 6.7. A lot of towing heavy machinery, he sold his 2016 F250 6.7 with 486k miles on it, towing loads the 7.3 could never... safely anyway.
Y'all pointed out my biggest complaint for the 7.3 ... the constant shifting. IT DROVE ME CRAZY. I think they should've stuck with a 6 speed in the gas motor. I got the 22 gasser and even with light loads like my bass boat it was always looking for a gear. I now have a 23 Tremor HO like the one here except it's a Lariat. ($82,000) I will never look back. It holds the gears so well with the power. It pulls my toyhauler great. I LOVE IT... Oh... AND my 7.3 empty the very best I could get was 13 MPGs. The HO diesel I'm getting 20 on the hwy and about 17 city....
I got a good deal on a 2022 7.3 tremor back in October with 4200 miles on it from the previous owner and so far i really like it. It pulls my 34 foot camper trailer really well and my 20 foot (25 foot trailer) wake boat no problem and it stays around 12mpg for both while pulling. My oil changes at a ford dealership has been $45 each time. The only thing ive done to it that was necessary was put a MSRP catback exhaust on it for alittle bit more rumble. I do however have a little voice in my head to trade it in for a 2024 diesel F250 tremor but this video nailed it on the head... i only pull once or twice a month and its a $30,000 dollar difference. The only thing i'd be towing around would be my ego LOL
I towed a 7x14 cargo trailer that was LOADED across the country with a 6.2 Ford and while it was probably not AS good as a diesel it never struggled even a little. Save $10k on the engine and gas is cheaper than diesel (not to mention DEF). Gasser ftw.
I think the DEF system is the real achilles heel of diesel truck when the catalytic converter needs to heat up to burn up the soot and your not a person doing long trips the catalytic converter can become plugged and need replacing and that's not cheap.
When you consider the price, and the fact that the vast majority of my travels won't include long distances at higher elevations, I definitely would go with Godzilla. I was impressed with the small overall difference between these two. Great review!
If Ford were to include an exhaust brake on 7.3L gasoline engine it would make a big difference in engine braking. It wouldn't have the nearly the torque of the turbo diesel exhaust brake, but it would likely mean little or no use of the friction brakes needed on this test run. The turbo diesel was pumping in 14 psi to 18 psi on engine braking. At 12,000 feet altitude of the Eisenhower tunnel there is only about 10 psi of atmospheric pressure verses 2/3 normal of 14.7 psi. At the cost of diesel and the efficiency they measured the Diesel was cheaper to run, but not worth worrying about at 95.5% of fueling cost of the gasoline engine at Denver average Diesel and regular gasoline prices. That's a little less than 5% more to fuel the gasoline engine per mile. The big deal is the much more powerful engine braking available from the Diesel. The turbo Diesel was much faster at accelerating in the thin air than the gasoline engine.
@@douglasengle2704 exhaust brakes on gas engines just aren't feasible- you'd be dealing with burned valves, blown head gaskets, etc. with very, very little benefit. Gassers simply can't suck enough air in to make the vacuum needed to make the system work. I agree that it would be cool if it did though!
Cost of fuel, cost of def, more expensive oil changes, way more frequent critical fuel filter changes, and no better longevity. Shame that the emissions has taken the reason to buy the diesel away. After a great three truck run with a Duramax I’m probably going gas in a f350. Also a few old school intake/exhaust mods will add some hp and a few more mpg.
Based on the mpg numbers over the 8 mile climb, 4.7mpg for the power stroke and 3.3mpg for the 7.3. It costed roughly .50¢ more in the gas truck. The gas truck costed .87¢ per mile and the diesel .82¢per mile based on national average cost of each fuel. Granted this is a very short run. On a mixed of flat and hill areas I think they would remain relatively close considering the fuel cost difference. And for that reason it would be a no brainer for me to choose gas. $12k less initial buy in, cheaper oil changes and regular engine maintenance, cheaper replacement cost if the engine were to fail.
I only tow 7k lbs with my '17 gas 350 and it does great, but anything over 8500 on a regular basis or for a few years, then diesel is a wise choice. I'm a gas guy for what I need to tow, but given the choice, I'd take a diesel for durability and longevity IF I NEED TO TOW HEAVY. Even if it's close and a 6.2 gas could do it, I'd go with Diesel. The gas just sounds like it's being worked harder than it's meant to be while the D sounded fine.
@@bielmelichartes2167 Agreed, but if I'm towing over a bout 8500-9000lbs on a regular at least weekly basis around the year, then I'm thinking of a diesel. For my current sub 10 annual trips with a 7k TT, my 6.2 gas does great, but has a little trouble keeping up with my buddy's '13 diesel towing 11k when we hit the hills. Newer diesels don't like idling like older so we'll see how that plays out in a few years too.
These head-to-head Ike gauntlets when it’s 2 really similar trucks are some of the most interesting and entertaining content on RUclips! Y’all should be proud.
I have a 2019 F650 Diesel dump truck. Need another just like it, but the only thing available nearby is a 2024 F650 with the 7.3 gas. Would you mind sharing your thoughts as your 550 sounds like it may be something close to what I"m going to be doing with the truck daily. Thanks.
@@kenevans7286 mine is a service truck so it's loaded the same every time it moves. It gets 8.5-10.5 mpg depending on terrain. It's been doing just fine, has 105k now
What people don’t realize is that this race to see who can make the most diesel torque is ruining these diesels. The more you crank up the power while still meet emissions regulations and CAFE more complex these trucks get. They are trying to build trucks that one owner might tow 25000lbs regularly, another owner might never tow with, or an owner might tow a 6000lb boat to the cottage once a year. Trying to build one diesel engine for all of those applications is incredibly difficult. All the commercial variants of these motors are always detuned. The original 5.9 Cummins that was in the ram was 200hp and 400ftlbs of torque.
Agree. The complexity of these trucks is staggering. I wouldn't dare own one after the warranty is done. The sweet spot IMO was way back in about '06-'11. The LBZ/LMM Dmax was enough for what almost everybody NEEDS. And while they were not simple, they were far less intimidating for most maintenance and repairs.
@morley3810 I agree since the emissions system is so costly and I've seen bills reach $15,000. The Era of reliable diesels is gone and the emissions system is a time bomb, it's not a question of "if" its a question of when it will fail. Gasser heavy dutys have way more lax emissions systems, as well as the repair bills being quite lower then diesel engines. Not to mention Ford made the 7.3 because of the fact they know no one wants to deal with DPF's or DEF.
I have the new 6.8 and have put 22k miles on it. It's alright but I'd go with the 7.3 instead. The 7.3 has a different 10 speed that's the same as the diesel. Not very confident in the one that is paired with the 6.8.
I have a 2020 F-250 XLT crew cab Godzilla that I work everyday. It tows 14500lbs regularly from the factory hitch and it pushes a 10 foot plow all winter. Never had any issues with it yet. Yes it’s not great on fuel but I can do my 14 hour run on $80 of gas. When I charge $100/hr, think I’m doing ok.
Not a Ford guy by any means but ive gained respect for them for coming back out with a BIG BLOCK GAS V8, exclusive to Ford at the moment. Cant believe GM is hesitant to develop their own big block considering they held on to the big blocks longer than anyone (8.1 left the market in 2006 if i remember correctly).
Why the hell would GM produce a big block when the over 400 cubic inch small block has long stroke and makes same or more power thsn a big block with kess weight...😂😂😂
What GM needs to do is offer more rear end gear options. 4.30 like ford or maybe even a 4.56. At least a 4.11. Where in the heck did that go? It's not just about fuel mileage.@@inhouseatx
@MrTonaluv FORD IS GARBAGE...THATS COMMON KNOWLEDGE BRO...ASK ANY HONEST DIESEL MECHANIC..ANY MECHANIC FOR THAT MATTER..THATS EXACTLY ONE OF THE REASONS FORD SUX! TOO MANY ENGINES..SINCE THE 60'S NOTHING INTERCHANGEABLE LIKE GM..SMALL BLOCK CHEVROLET IS THE BEST ENGINE EVER DESIGNED AND PRODUCED..NOT DEBATABLE
Great video guys! My only knock on the comparison would be when you were comparing price it’s not really 30k difference if trim levels are the same. If the diesel was in XLT trim the difference would be much closer and could influence someone’s decision. A platinum tremor 7.3 starts at 84,235. Add a couple options like the platinum you had and the 7.3 is 90k.
Well aware of the price difference to diesel, I’ve owned many. My point is at 31:14 they said it’s 30k more for the platinum with the diesel and at 32:10 for 30k less go with the gas engine. 🍎 and 🍊 on trim levels for price comparison sakes. 🙄
FYI, I went to Ford fleet and tried to purchase a low-cost towing F350 and a price me at $74,000. Crank windows, no carpet delete, base of base radio, and an AC. Didn't have a tow hook in front. Needed 4x4. And still 74,000 doll hairs. Not reasonable at all.
As always I'm with Mr Truck Godzilla all the way. That diesel may tow the best but it will never pay for itself and the fuel efficiency isn't that much better to make it worth it for me.
@@oldnumber6 you still pay more in the begining for the diesel. They all depreciate. My experience was alot more upkeep. Diesels are great, but this day in time you really have to weigh things out money wise.
@@cj7fun579it's pretty simple. Buy what suits your needs AND what you can afford. I can afford a diesel and the maintenance. It's performance suits my needs, so I have one.
50 dollar oil change vs 200 dollar oil change, same interval. My 6.2 is amazing, 12k fifth wheel 9mpg, Microlon treatment. Chassis 160k mi. It's a drag n fly, but all said and done,👍
When I ordered my Platinum I ordered it without the sunroof. They always leak and I've had to fix way to many of them in my career. I would never buy any vehicle with a sunroof.
Basically the 7.3 is good for occasional heavy towing level surfaces the 6.7 diesel is good for mountains high inclined decline heavy towing constant daily.
@@rideoutwest7885 Correct occasional heavy towing but if you're towing frequently especially heavy loads the diesel especially in the mountains would be much better.
I had a diesel, switched to a 2015 f250 6.2 gas. Awesome truck. Went back to a 2019 f350 diesel. After 120k miles the diesel has been good been good but I’ll probably go back to gas on my next one.
Just did a cross country trip towing a 32ft travel trailer with my ‘23 xlt 7.3L Godzilla. According to the trailer data I towed it 6,491 miles at 8.8mpg and I was cruise control at 65mph on most of those miles. I’m happy with that gasser, the extra $12k not worth it for me.
I bought my first diesel back in 1999. 7.3L I fell in love with it and now own 2 of them with a combined million miles. But, I would choose the gasser today.
The keypad has other hidden functions. I shut off my seatbelt minder and key in buzzer. I HATE buzzers and reminders. When I'm moving a trailer around the property, I don't wear a seatbelt. I left the key in it on purpose....
Mom's always unlock the van the throw their purse and everything in the van, start loading the kids, then go to the back to load the groceries and the 2 year old locks the doors in the 104F heat, no need to bust a window, just type in the code@@AkioWasRight we have had to bust dozens of windows in the summer in our parking lot at the mall here..
@@AkioWasRight I regularly lock the keys in my truck so I don't lose them. Last weekend, at Glamis Dunes, I left the keys in the truck as usual. Someone I was with dropped their keys in the sand. GONE! No keys. We can program our own combination so we always remember. I use the old, old phone number to the house I grew up in. Long gone 30 years ago yet I always remember. With the millions of vehicles with the combination, I'm sure someone lived because they can always get in their vehicle, keys or no keys.
Awesome fun with you guys on the Ike! One of my favorite things about Andre and Mr Truck is that they are enthusiastic about the trucks they are in regardless of which brand it is. They have a good time and talk about the job at hand and how that's going. Thanks to you both for continuing to pit trucks against the Ike!
Why don’t look at total cost of ownership over 10 years? Since the guy that would actually be pulling that skid steer up the gauntlet can’t afford either of these trucks. He’s going with the 6.8l with a 4.30 rear end and putting 200k relatively reliable miles on it.The actual cost of that diesel upgrade will be about $25k once he pays for the out of warranty repairs on the diesel and all of the unreliable Ford electronics packed into that Platinum.
The Dynamic Duo, those......Big Truck Boys!! Y'all probably the reason manufacturers are addressing vehicle issues lol. Keep up the testing and providing that all-important data!
I enjoy watching these comparisons and appreciate the effort made. As an old guy, I have pulled 5th wheels for over 30 years and compared gas v diesel back then. I had a Ford F-250 with a V8 460 CI that in its day was the largest gas engine you could get in a pickup. It would dang sure pull and oddly, it got 10mpg pulling or not pulling. While it would pull, I could still sense a strain factor and a mental stress factor on the do I pass or not pass decision. In 1999, I bumped up to a Cummins diesel, better mileage and no strain or stress factor and something about the turbo whine that kicked in some testosterone. I currently have a 2004 Dodge Cummins 5.9 HO with a 6 speed stick, 377 rears , 205,000 miles and over the scales, I’m at 18,960 lbs loaded. My rig is long paid for and I average 11.9 mpg pulling at 62 mph and bump 20 mpg not pulling. 62 mph is the mpg sweet spot with my rig but I can cruise at 70mph if I want to waste fuel money. I drive a 20 year old truck but it’s paid for, looks sharp and I get hit up all the time to sell it but why would I? When I pull up to fuel next to a new 80,000 truck, I get a charge out of thinking about the $1,500 truck payment that I’m not making. That guys $1,500 payment plus insurance will buy my fuel plus pay for my entire trip and cash left over. A paid for truck beats a new one all day and with a Cummins, I can run mine another 10 years plus if I live that long. I’ve also learned that high dollar Michelin tires are the lowest cost and maintenance is key to keeping cents per mile cost lowest.
11K flatbed and 250, good combo, now a same type comparison, but with 350 and a 14K 5th wheel. I think the Godzilla will struggle a bit getting it up and slowing it down. Aerodynamic drag and all. I tossed about an F350 DRW with 7.3 for mine, but decided on a used F450 instead, put a Derringer and Pedal Monster on it, so putting out 500 HP and little over 1100 FTLB and it maintains 70 with ease. Next year hoping to hit the Gauntlet again to see how it does.
Last year I was shopping for either a Chevy or a Ford truck and noticed all the Ford trucks on the lot if you look at the undercarriage the axles were all rusted up but only on the Ford trucks so I went with the Chevy and very happy with my decision
i would never buy the 6.8 over the 7.3 gas. assuming you are talking about the new "mini"godzilla and not the triton. the 6.8 has 10.8 compression vs 7.3 10.5 compression so theres more going on than just "destroked." the 6.8 is vastly cheaper so just have to figure out where they cut corners
@@Tay6756.8 is the engine that would likely be the best engine in an HD truck for a slide in camper hauler imo. It’ll likely haul the load just fine and get better gas mileage than a 7.3l. Diesel is a waste for slide in camper hauling imo.
Gas engine. You can buy a lot of fuel for $12000. When I was hot-shotting travel trailers, I listened to one of my coworkers tell the story about his GM truck with the 6.0L gas engine. He had 360,000 miles on his truck and the engine stuck a rod through the side of the block. Obvious disaster because in the hot-shotting business, downtime means you're not making money. One week and $2000 later, he was back on the road earning money again. In comparison, my 2008 Dodge 3500 diesel was in the shop for a solid month and cost me $5000 in emissions systems repairs during the year I ran it.
@@Pantelifts10 Resale value? All other things being equal, I bought the truck for $12000 less, so I'm perfectly fine if I get $12000 less at trade-in or in a sale to a private buyer.
Interesting comparison. Starting in 2019, the company I work for has supplied me with an F250 with a gas engine for work. I’ve always personally used diesel trucks to tow with, and for good reason. I was towing nearly daily. Typical trailer weight was 7-14K lbs. Now I’m doing less towing. I had the 6.2 gas/6sp combo in the’19. I just got a replacement that’s a’23 with the 6.8gas/10sp combo. That was a significant upgrade, and the average mpg seems to be around 1.5-2 mpg. I don’t know for certain if I would personally buy a new gas or diesel. I definitely love the torque of a diesel.
It would be very interesting when you stop at the bottom of the Ike after the downhill run to actually measure the brake temperatures. This is what your really worried about and getting this data also takes into account a lot of other factors like the size and capacity of the brakes and the cooling available.
They used to do that years ago. Andre was the brake temperature measuring guy. But you know that brake temperature will not be an issue when the driver didn't have to touch the brakes even once on the descent, as was the case with the diesel truck in this test.
@@andyharman3022 obviously. But just counting brake applications doesn’t give you the full picture. If you start off at the top and your brakes are 100F (just to invent a number) and by the time you’ve made your last stop they are 150F then even if you made 30 brake applications it’s really a non issue because obviously the brakes are shedding heat almost as fast as it’s going in.
Gasser all the way for me. 7.3L with zero turbos = 7.3 effective liters. 6.7L with 30 psi = 20.1 effective liters. But it gets worse because of the high altitude where the 7.3L is down 30% so the actual effective size would be 5.1L. So towing/performance wise, the godzilla did incredibly well, and yes the 10-speed gets a large amount of the credit. If it was comparing 6 speed transmissions, the diesel would have done even better. But, here's the real problem. Diesel fuel costs more. DEF is an added cost. Maintenance is crazy expensive with diesels because of all the EGR and particulate trap issues. Diesels are moderately harder to start in winter and fuel gelling issues, although modern fuel isn't too bad. Whereas the gas engine is pretty simple. I can't remember if godzilla has cam phasers. I'm guessing it does for low speed torque. So there is a possible problem there, but still, throw oil and spark plugs in it every now and then and you got a truck that will give you 200k miles without any eye-wincing repair bills. Now if I was leasing, then the diesel all the way because when things start to go south, you just trade it in and get another one. 20 years ago, diesel all the way. But modern emission related equipment has killed it for me. Outstanding test though. I am shocked just how well the godzilla did to be honest. And yes a roots supercharger would compliment it nicely for low speed torque and when unladen the bypass valve helping reduce losses. For $12000 you could definitely put a supercharger on it though.
I have a 2019 F350 XL Dually Regular cab 4x4 with the 6.2l gasser. It has 7100 lbs payload. I just hauled 5500 lbs in the box and 5500 lbs in the trailer through the Cascades. I love the truck, factory order, manual windows and doors. It was the cheapest truck on the lot, but had the highest payload. Only cost 50k Canadian including taxes. Thats around 36k US in 2018.
They should do the same test with a similar weight fifth wheel travel trailer to demonstrate the how much harder a truck has to work with the wind resistance.
With the cost difference and emissions etc ive always ran diesels but i run gas now and they do just fine unless you are hauling stupid heavy. Plus cost of maitenance and maitenance in general is cheaper
@@NWI_Steel probably all of them, this isn’t anything real new, its just temp sensors connected to a canbus sending data to the ECU, the IPC is just an LCD screen getting data from the ECU. How often do you hear of a complete ecu failure? It’s unlikely. If a sensor fails, plug in a scanner, it’ll tell you whats failed, most of these sensors are less than $50 at the dealer. It looks a lot fancier than it really is.
I'm more concerned about all the plastic fantastic housings, connectors and elbows that will inevitably crack with the heat and vibration generated by the diesel.
I have 4:30 gears and looking into 5th wheel recreational camper. Think i am keeping it under 14,000# as we will not be towing daily and this seems to be max for engine and safety.
@@endurancechiro2607 If you don’t tow heavy all the time just get the 3.73. Even on HEAVY 35x12.50 mud tires my 4.30 gears are jumpy at low speeds. The gear ratio meant more when the transmissions had 4 or six gears. With ten there’s so much power in every gear. Take a 3.73 for a test drive, i think you’d be surprised. Good luck.
Just an FYI, the 6.7 Powerstroke, since 2011 has had coolant running through the turbo charger along with engine oil, the H.O. Has added a cooling circuit to the compressor housing to keep intake air temperatures at a set point along with utilizing the air to water intercooler. The Duramax to this day does not have a cooling circuit through the compressor housing of the turbo charger.
Ford still uses the CP4 fuel pump. That's all I need to know to never buy one. 9% failure rate amd it usually destroys the engine when it fails. Turbos have been run for many miles for many decades without coolant running through them
I had a 2021 F-350 7.3 , 4.30 STX , geared truck . The 10 speed worked great towing in tow/haul mode . Out of tow/haul normal driving it was a horrible daily driver . Always in the wrong gear & would bog itself down all the time . Fortunately my needs changed & I no longer needed a heavy 1ton truck since I don’t tow over 10K anymore . I traded it in on a 2021 Toyota Tundra Platinum Crewmax with only 22K miles. The last year of Toyotas amazing 5.7 I Force V8. Some have gone a million miles. I just bought my last truck at 58 😊!
I have both a Dodge 6.7 and Ford gas 7.3. its unquestionable what I would rather tow with. If you tow heavy for any distance at all, get the diesel. If they were towing close to max capacity down that hill, they would find that 7.3 almost uncontrollable, and I hate having to absolutely flog the 7.3 going up a hill to try and maintain speed.
You don't think 20+ psi at 1900 RPM on that Powerstroke isn't flogging it? All you idiots think that just because it is reving lower it is working less. Well 20+psi is adding to that equation.. Think outside the box kids....
I own a 7.3 and agree with everything you said. Gas engines can tow just as well over short distances as the diesels and are rated as such, but it you’re towing heavy over long distances the diesel is a must. My truck tows my enclosed trailer with a Polaris ranger crew Northstar in it effortlessly. But if it was a 15k 5th wheel I’d for sure get the diesel. I will say most heavy duty drivers don’t tow heavy often over long distances and will be better served by the 7.3. Most HD buyers buy them for payload more than towing. That’s why everyone in my family buys them.
I don’t understand why they haven’t made the 7.3 with hybrid components. You’ll get the low-end torque of a diesel without all of the complications. I owned the newer Powerstroke for 240k miles and I feared failure more times than I want to admit.
@User.Joshua cost. It would wind up costing more than just a diesel and probably be a lot less reliable, especially being Ford. Their Hybrids and EV games is really bad. Lots or recalls and lots of products failing and a lot not measuring up to what was advertised and a lot of underperforming. Hell. If they did it right, they wouldn't even need the 7.3. They could get away with just a 5.0 Coyote in a hybrid setup. They won't, though, too much money and too much added weight. And at the end of the day just not get the sales to justify all the time and effort. They would benefit more doing a range extender generator ev setup like what ram is doing with the ram 1500. But Ford will still manage to mess it up, I am sure.
Hit the nail in the head, love my unicorn '22 F350, dually, 4x4, extended cab, 8ft bed, 4.30 rear end, 7.3 Godzilla, Lariat. Ordered Nov '21, took delivery June '22. $68K OTD. It's my wife's RV trailer dragger, she loves it, honestly she can back up the trailer better than I can at this point. Seasonal use, without all the additional diesel maintenance.
Great video gents! The 7.3L XLT is the way to go for me. As Andre said, if you don't tow 10K+ lbs weekly, the Godzilla makes most sense. I can buy an XLT and then do Katzkin leather for $3K and have an awesome interior and save a ton of $.
I own a 2020 f250/ 7.3, 3.73 gears, haul a 5th wheel (loaded right at about 10k) in good weather months and everything else rest of the year. Unloaded, or really light loads, taking it easy i average 13/16. Loaded with 5th wheel up and down canyons and some flat driving as well I've never gone under 11mpg average. In fact i wish i had the 430 gearing (im more than willing to give up 1 mpg) especially in offroad situations to help the creepy crawl speed in the rough stuff. My recommendation, if you haul here and there, campers or trailers... get the gas. If you are always hauling heavy and realistically you need that oomf.. get the diesel.
I have a feeling that a 3.5L Ecoboost would be fine or better on this test. People underrate this engine because it's a V6, but always forget the pair of turbochargers on it.
I don’t know if you meant to put “v6” but I didn’t see a v6 in this video unless I missed something I only saw a 6.7L turbo diesel V8 and a 7.3L gas V8
I purchased my F350 new in 2019 after watching the "Ike Gauntlet" test series on gas pickups. The 6.2 liter gasser has served me well pulling a 16,000 lb horse trailer w/living quarters ever since. My 2019 replaced my F350 7.3 diesel and pulls just as well (but a bit more costly in fuel - 7.6mpg gas, 12.0mpg the old diesel).
Imagine towing with a truck that has the power of the godzilla and having people in the comment section saying "as long as you stay around 10k the gas engine is fine". Amazing
You go to a rodeo and you'll see lots of old 7.3 powerstrokes and 5.9 12/24 valves that are stock and pulling 16,000 pound living quarters trailers by the time you add horses. What makes people think that around 200 less hp, around the same amount of torque, and a better power band wont max out the 24,000 gvwr before a cdl is needed?
@@d0uble_O I believe regular preventative maintenance for diesel costs are much higher than a NA V8 due to the additional hardware (turbo, DEF, diesel emissions management, etc.) and also general upcharge for any service because it's diesel
the emissions is what kills the turbo because of the recirculating exaust fumes carry all kinds of particles that clog it and jams. Just delete it and save yourself a turbo, def, oil leaks, etc..if you cant, well keeping it clean will make it last longer.@@boilerdown1
Imo, buy what fit your towing needs. Diesels are more expensive to maintain. Most need 12 or more quarts of oil on an oil change. My ram 3500 dually oil change has averaged $150-$190.00 per oil change over the five years of ownership. 80-85 % of its driven miles it is hooked to a 41 foot long fifth wheel RV weighing 15,400 pounds with a hitch weight of 3450 pounds.. weights were taken from data collected on certified CAT scales at my local Loves truck stop. I average 10.3 mpg towing in west Tn and Ga at 60 mph. IMO if you’re towing less than 12000 pounds more than 75 % of your driving miles the gas engine is a very viable option. This was a very good test with realistic tow weights. And realistically tow speeds. Only thing that would make it better would be a tow range increase to 500-600 miles. At tow weights of 12000 pounds for ga engines comparisons and increased weights of 15-16000 pounds for the RV crowd and 25000 pounds for the industrial folks.
I just ordered a 2024 F350 with the 7.3 and 4.30 gears. This is my second 7.3 Godzilla and I know they are very capable. I use my truck for daily driving, sometimes short trips and towing occasionally. That would be very hard on diesel and probably cause problems in the future. Everyone has to make their own choice what is right for them. Good news is both are great choices.
I watch regularly, i dont tow regularly so i dont need the diesel BUT im not an experienced driver with towing so i chose the diesel for the exhaust brake and other things too. I felt the diesel was a safer option. As far as price, my truck is the low end trim so i didn't pay nowhere near that price and its not a ford.
6.7 a tried and true. We have several in fleet with over 10k engine hrs with little to no issue. Lots of camshafts getting eaten by the 7.3.. My service truck has 7200hrs weighs 15k lbs all day everyday. The 7.3 would've been whipped by now.
Camshaft issues are in 1-2% of 7.3s. Emissions issues occur in nearly half of the diesels. Lots of companies in my area have switched to 7.3 motors in big trucks. Of course the diesel has more power, but there’s lots of disadvantages too.
Interesting, I have a fleet of super duty trucks, f 350-550's. I have a bunch of 6.7's and a pair of 7.3's. The 6.7's are always out of service, oil leaks, coolant leaks, dpf issues etc, the 7.3's just go and go, not one camshaft or other failure, all have 150k or more and 6-8k engine hours, these are in ambulances which either idle all day or get driven like they were stolen, the 6.7 makes good power but the upfront cost and additional maintenance combined with expected out of service time just doesn't pencil out well for alot of fleets.
The amount of fleet orders switching from diesel to gas is a pretty big number. If the diesels weren't so unreliable that wouldn't happen. My 550 7.3 is 19,200lbs everyday, it doesn't use oil and oil samples are fine at 103k. There's no chance I'd buy a diesel even if they were the same price.
Finally! This is a video I’ve been wanting to see since the 7.3L first went on sale! Long live the Ike Gauntlet! Personally, I would go with an XLT without the Sport or Tremor packages, with no sunroof, but with either engine. There is no way I would pay over $100,000.00 for a pickup truck. I don’t even want to pay more than $65,000.00 for a new 3/4 ton truck. By removing the sunroof, and adding the under hood insulation to a 7.3L truck, I think it would be a bit quieter. I would take the money I saved on the truck to buy a nice boat or a Side-by-Side.
...or do what we did: buy your dream travel trailer. Very happy with our 2020 F250 7.3 (3.55). It tows 30' and 8000# worth of RV like a dream with literally tons of margin.
Hey TFL... Here's a brilliant idea. Instead of having to choose between these up-optioned $70-100K trucks that you tested directly, maybe there's another option. Perhaps you could just say that the $103K Platinum Diesel truck is too expensive, and that your choice would be to get the Powerstroke Turbodiesel engine in a lower trim XLT configuration, with fewer bells and whistles. Then you could get the best towing truck for the price of the Godzilla truck you tested here.
I priced out a Tremor Platinum F-350 with the 7.3 and it was $14,000 less than the same truck as a diesel, even though the diesel option was only $12,500. Strange accounting by FoMoCo....
Even the worst performing modern trucks ive seen on this channel run circles around the 80s and 90s trucks I used to run...but we still made them work somehow, Im sure Mr Truck remembers. I finally joined the modern times 4 years ago and bought a brand new f250 with the 6.2L v8 and boy what a beast...and thats with less power than either of these 2 engines! Well done video guys
A lot of people seem to forget that a lot of the extra cost for the diesel engine is retained in the resale value or by the fact they will run far longer than a gas engine.
Price out a injectors and fuel pump on the diesel can buy a new long block gasser for close to the same money. Not including the emissions repairs on the diesel.
The clock on the diesel was started when the truck was at around 41 MPH. The gas was at 35 MPH. Diesel seemed faster, but the disparity wasn’t as bad as it appeared.
The diesel was handicapp with the adaptive criuse control which slows down the truck when you do not need it too when it sees something up front. At the end Andre messed up the test by helping the gas at the end by going over 60.
I can tell you , around town the feul consumptions will be very close , so from a reality point of view , the Godzilla will be cheaper to maintain and live with every day . If you are wanting to do hotshot towing , the Powerstroke HO is your answer
Great video. This is why people watch your channel.
I have a 2020 F250 with the 7.3 gasser and towing how I tow, I have not found myself regretting the decision to go with gas. Yes, I may have to stop and fill up more often, but it coincides with draining the bladder so it's a win-win for me!
That comment is dead on...... you gotta stop to pee, stretch..... i am very happy with my Godzilla.
Price, maintainance it makes more sense. If not towing everyday for your job Godzilla the best choice financially.
I have a 2020 7.3 Tremor and put the upgraded aftermarket fuel tank in it. 58 gallon tank makes this truck absolutely perfect in my mind. Range loaded and unloaded was my only factory gripe which is now no longer an issue.
The Godzilla is a really strong engine. My MIL had one in her Class C motorhome and it moved out well, even at 8000' in WY.
Very cool that you sized your truck with your bladder. Luckily as both wear out they might stay in sync :)
Tow a 30' 8000# travel trailer with my 2020 F250 7.3 and it's a perfect combo, practically stress free and the gas stops keep my coffee addiction on track. ☕
I went back to a gas engine truck in 2019, F250 with the 6.2, I just currently got back from a road trip towing a 18' enclosed trailer from Louisiana to California there and back cruise set at 70mph and average 9mpg, for the amount of towing I do for recreational gas makes more sense, I know guys that live in my area that purchased the diesel and never pulled anything yet, hell they barely haul anything in the bed but have a shiny new hitch hanging out back but Andrea is right towing every weekend yes diesel makes more sense, once a month or less the gas is a much better option in my opinion.
There is very very few people that actually need a diesel truck anymore. Maybe less than 5% of actual truck owners
We're getting rid of our 6.7 in favor of a gas rig. The diesel is great when we tow our 32ft trailer, but the thought of anything going wrong with it haunts me day and night.
Sadly all the yuppies buying trucks make it hard for guys like me that tow enough to need a set of tires on my work trailer every 1-2 years. I could use a medium output diesel with longevity. Thought about a base model Nissan XD but Nissan didn't give it 8 lug axles like their nv3500 van so payload is bit light with crew cab.
The 6.2 is super underrated, it just got ignored because it doesn't clunk clunk clunk.
Agree
When you’re comparing MPG, you should acknowledge that diesel and gasoline don’t cost the same. It’s really miles per dollar that we care about.
Gotta add DEF too, to the cost per mile.
I haven’t watched the video however I know for 95% of people in America a gas powered v8 with 400lbs of torque and horsepower will do everything you ever need
Yeah, but then my neighbor might have a bigger truck than me, and we can’t have that! It’s pretty obvious that people have largely stopped buying trucks to do work with them. Even on TFL, there are videos where they talk more about the exhaust sound than the towing/hauling capabilities.
@OleSevers And 95% of guys who tow know 400lbs of torque , in a gas engine , is a high reving joke.
450lbs in a half ton 3liter diesel will outperform the gasser , and a big diesel will spank it all day long..
Gas prices are always fluctuating so I would rather just have the information they gave us & you can do the equations yourself lol
Ive got a 23 XLT 7.3 4:30 4x4 $57,000 and it does everything I need it to do. I considered the diesel but had a hard time parting with the $$$ especially knowing I didn't reedit, If I needed it i would have gotten it, its great to have so many choices (6.8, 7.3 6.7, 6.7 HO) who else gives you that many choices? My gasser gets me from CA to AZ and launches my boat flawlessly. Happy with my choice. At the end of the day we are all driving the best HD truck on the market ;)
My dad has a construction company and had the 6.7 until he got T Boned. After he bought one with the 7.3 and he LOVES. No DEF and plenty of power for towing.
Def can fall off
Gov't Juice is an epic PITA.
He's not towing 25k lbs
@@LemonySnicket-EUCmy old 7.3 pulled 25k, just fine .. but, the E4OD (EVEN BUILD) couldn't take the torque.... Now I have a 5.9 h.o. Cummins... 20mpg empty. 18 towing. About 14 towing 30k....
Horse shit !
I would like to compliment the entire team here (including editors!) for how well laid out you guys present these comparison videos. It makes it extremely easy to follow and the topics you address come in a very logical layout. HIGH QUALITY VIDEOS FROM TFL
Thank so much for the kind words. The entire TFL team is so grateful for these kind comments.
Seriously the chapter markers on the video are a life safer and very helpful in organizing the content. Thank you tfl team
Guys,
YaH The Heavenly FATHER (Genesis 1) HIMSELF was Who they Crucified/Pierced for our sins and “HERE IS THE PROOF”
From the Ancient Semitic:
"Yad He Vav He" is what Moshe (Moses) wrote, when Moses asked YaH His Name (Exodus 3)
Ancient Semitic Direct Translation
Yad - "Behold The Hand"
He - "Behold the Breath"
Vav - "Behold The NAIL"
My opinion: for 99% of people it comes down to 2 questions. The first is recreational towing or towing all the time? Recreational: Gas - All the time: Diesel The second question if your recreational is, do you want to waste money to drive a diesel? If yes, fine, get a diesel. There are SO many negatives now to diesels. The price of repairs and maintenance has exponentially increased the past few years, emissions systems make these trucks throw away trucks, diesel is harder to find and statistically way more expensive to buy, so any fuel mileage savings goes out the window. Diesel is more problematic in cold weather. With how great gas engines are now, Diesel is a waste of money for most people. Keep in mind I own a trucking company, I know the benefits of diesels, but for the average consumer these new gas engines are the best solutions.
Good point.
Thank you
I have a Cummins 6.7 in a 46 ft Trawler. A gas engine would blow up in this application. Recently purchased a 30 ft Class C, RV for recreational use with my wife. The diesel rigs are sure nice but we went with a gas (7.3 Ford.) for the reasons you noted.
I agree…
Also agree. Just grabbed a f250 with the 6.8 and it's plenty for what I do. More than enough.
I owned a trucking company for 35 years. Your comments are spot-on. The truth of the matter is, relatively few people actually NEED a diesel. It has become a status symbol. Higher initial cost, higher cost maintenance, MORE maintenance and higher cost fuel (somewhat offset by better fuel mileage). I currently own a Ford F250 Tremor with the 7.3l gas v-8. Couldn't be happier with the truck and engine.
We picked up a 7.3 lariat DRW with the 4.30 rear end. Absolutely love it.
Nice! A DRW gasser. Don't see many of them.
It'll pull anything you want, just won't pass very many gas stations LOL. That's how my 88 F250 with the 7.5L 460 V8 and C6 was....it would pull anything but it required a visit to pretty much every gas station you come across LOL.
Yeah I’m no stranger to gas fill ups. However, with the cost of diesel at least a $1 more per gallon, 23+ fords using sometimes 2-3X the def fluid, and a $10-13K up front cost for diesel, when you do the math, you’re not spending much more on gas. Especially in our instance where we may drive 5000 miles a year on the truck. I did a spread sheet with what it would cost me, and even after 15 years, the gas is still cheaper by $7K. Diesel has its purpose, and if you aren’t using it for that purpose, it’s not worth the money. Yeah that instant TQ and beautiful, but it’s not worth the expense for me. I have 6 motorcycles, a 15 Tacoma, and a 03 wrangler to use besides that big ole truck for around town.
@@wildbill23c what’s hilarious is the diesel hardly gets any better
@@OleSeversHardly gets any better?!? You must have listened to a different video! Check out the discussion at 23:05!
If you live in a mountainous ⛰️ part of North America, like... The West, just the ease of use/fatigue measure eg. decreased workload, very low noise, fewer fuel stops, far less braking and gearing down - both up and down hill, etc, is reason enough for many to choose diesel over gas! Then add to that all of the other benefits of diesel power and there is no longer any doubt. (for those like me)
I only use my truck for personal/recreational purposes, the latter of which accounting for 95% of my total mileage (all long distance), but if I had a gas truck I'd have to carry a few Jerry cans with me for peace of mind! I'd rather not have to be focused on my gauges or listen to a big V8 in passing gear as I climb a winding mountain road for 3 miles in the dark worring if I'll make the next gas station!
I think I just sold myself on the type of truck I'll be buying next 😉
All my towing is recreational. Gasser makes the most sense financially for me, great review!
Translation couldn’t afford the diesel
@@mxerb5912there no good reason to buy a modern diesel unless you tow many times a month. Dumping piss.. i mean DEF into your truck every week lol
tried and true diesel enthusiast here.... the diesels of today are absolute monsters, but our friends at the EPA have made it very difficult to want to stay in the game. reliability has gone south which is why most people choose to go gas now. Your "highschooler" comment isn't going to gain as much traction as you would think....@@mxerb5912
@@omardevonlittle3817 There are no gas trucks here in the Uk for good reasons...and I filled my toyota with def one a year, every November not every week
@@toyotahilux2my experience was completely different. 2020 Ram 2500 needed Def every 3-4 months. Traded for a 7.3L gas Ford and never looked back
I would add that if you are towing heavy get the diesel. If you are towing below 11K the gas engine is fine. Still I love my diesel towing in Colorado for the engine brake alone.
That’s really the only thing holding me back from jumping on the 7.3 train! I just can’t wrap my head around losing the exhaust brake with my 5th wheel.
Because diesel engines 20 years ago were better? Because in 2024, that’s complete nonsense
Unless you tow heavily regularly, there’s no reason to have a diesel. DPF system is super problematic, fuel is pricey and maintenance cost it unreal. My work truck was a diesel and it was such a headache and I hated that I couldn’t let it idle either. They got me a new truck with the 7.3 and I’m loving it; just wish my fuel mileage was a little better, but it’s a small price to pay.
I’ve grown to absolutely love you guys. You’re just kind, fun and really helpful and this will be the foundation (plus hard work) for your continued success…
I already made the choice a few months ago. Had to be multi purpose and I'm offroad alot we also keep are trucks a long time probably 20 years or more. Had horrible experiences with the last 2 diesels one being a ford the other gm. Repair bills maintenance and shop time are just too high. I chose the 7.3 gas also the gas engine saves several hundred pounds on the front end helping off road ability alot and not wearing the front suspension out nearly as fast. Winch and full bumper with guard is mandatory which mine weights 340 lbs combined still much less than the diesel. Diesels definitely have more power especially towing but honestly the modern gas trucks tow good enough for most loads and better then the diesel trucks from 10 or 20 years ago. What's funny is the biggest baddest f650s and such are detuned for working and durability with 500 ft lbs less torque. My experience has led me to dislike modern diesels and no way in hell I would trust one out of warranty I'm not rich enough. Just depends on how your going to work your truck which ones better. Towing isn't a race for me I just chug along nice and easy.
There's a guy you can youtube, his 2011 f250 6.7l has 1.3million miles, yes million.
@casval-pj5tb Yes before the days of def system also had egr and dpf delete. Alot of people locally delete there trucks but traveling out of state for work and getting towed and 10,000 dollar fine that's not a option for me. There's a few gas engines make a million miles mostly ford 4.6 and Toyota a few chevys as well. For every engine that makes a million miles there's 100 that die before 150,000 miles. By the time you get 500,000 on just about any engine especially a diesel its likely you spent more than buying a brand new crate engine and throwing it in. I've been in the truck game for along time and personally never seen a gas or diesel that was worth a damn at 500,000 miles but most everyone I've known works there trucks hard and the whole truck will be beat to hell by then.
@@rockie307 I suppose it depends, ive worked around mining equipment that has who knows how many hours on them, rebuild after rebuild after rebuild. And when rebuilt, they run just like new, if the rebuild team doesn't suck.
Point being, if a multi billion dollar mining company, along with many others rebuild and retrofit as the most cost effective way to implement equipment, why wouldn't the same apply to the guy using his truck like a piece of equipment "the way it should be used".
@casval-pj5tb I'm a millwright rebuilding the equipment your talking about. Turbines generators pumps compressors gear boxes etc. Industrial equipment is big but simple and easy to work on. It's made to rebuild alot of the reason is due to the size of the equipment it's cheaper to rebuild on site then have new huge equipment brought in. Trucks on the other hand are a pain in the ass to work on and not very cost efficient to do a rebuild when you can just get a brand new crate engine thrown in for the cost of going into a diesel engine. You can buy a brand new 7.3 godzilla straight from ford for 10,000 install it yourself in a day easy. The ford dealership spent 8,000 dollars of my brothers money throwing parts at his powerstroke after over a week in the shop he had it towed home and the problem was a 10 dollar o ring. Another thing when you tear into a older engine it's likely to create more problems and might not be the same. Not saying diesel is completely bad especially if your a good diesel mechanic but they definitely are much harder to diagnose work on high maintenance and expensive to fix. That said most people these days trade there trucks in before the warranty expires so it don't matter much either way for them.
Rocky you made my day bro!😂 cause you’re right on with the diesel v’s a gasser, no offense to anyone but I also bought myself a 7.3 liter Godzilla and so far I have 0’ regrets. Just like what Rocky said I just chug along nice and easy cause there’s no rush when towing besides with traffic in the way you can’t even drive at normal speed without running into someone who has nothing to loose.😤
I traded my F350 diesel that I used to pull an 18,000lb 5th wheel trailer for an F250 Godzilla pulling a 7500lb travel trailer because I did not need the torque of the diesel. Also, I don't have anxiety about a derated engine of diesel because of the EPA requirements that make the diesel more complex and less reliable than the gas engine. If you don't need the torque of the diesel, it makes no sense to have one. I believe the Godzilla with a 10-speed tranny designed to be a truck application makes the best towing vehicle for towing trailers less than 10-15,000 lbs.
Yep, I bought a 2016 F-350 with the 6.7l and have owned it for 3 and a half months as a daily driver to and back from work. It's been out of commission for 2 weeks because of a clogged DPF that is needing to be replaced and it only has 87k miles. It's not cheap and I'm not going to drive it and destroy my turbos which are $9k each already had the dealership force a regen twice and still clogged up. I regret my purchase. Diesels are a huge pain in the ass now with all the the emissions and regen cycles you have to micromanage. And even if you perfectly manage the regen cycles you're STILL going to have a clogged up DPF that is unserviceable and that you have to replace. $3000 brand new plus labor. This is why so many people just delete it all and the EPA doesn't give 2 shits about the people (even though, the federal government IS FOR THE PEOPLE) because they are determined to phase out diesels.
@@kiasta1I bet you the previous owner knew that stuff was coming and that is why he traded it in.
I always wanted a diesel. Then I had a job in a diesel shop while in college. Absolutely no way id buy one. Cost of fuel is higher to the point that the 3mpg benefit fades quick. Then the MAINTENANCE and REPAIR cost on a diesel is astronomical. Look up book time for a Duramax waterpump, then compare to a 6.0 gas. I'll gladly keep driving my "underpowered" 2500HD 6.0 2004 Sierra. It always gets the job done reliably. Sure with a few extra shifts here and there. A good tune helps with this a lot, though
I just got a 2023 F-250 XLT with the reg diesel for about 72k and it probably is pretty close in power to that 103k Tremor. Don’t need all of those extras. Has lots of power 👍
The 7.3L is impressive. It got the job done in these extreme conditions so under pretty much any normal conditions it would easily handle the job.
I agree! I am a diesel guy but that 7.3 is one hell of a great engine especially considering that it is so much cheaper to buy and fix than the Powerstoke.
Absolutely love my 7.3L
A couple of years ago, I drove a UHaul with the detuned 7.3L and was hard to keep it anywhere between 70 and 80. It was incredibly powerful.
100%, for my business I own 4 of the 7.3L and just ordered another one. The best gas motor I've ever had in a fleet. Impossible to beat. (and I've had all the diesels too all the way back to the 7.3)
the biggest problem is diesel motors used to go 300k miles and now your lucky to get 150k without a big problem.
@@jamesj6190
You should try straight in line 6 cyl. The V-8 international was garbage the day the came out. Drooling slobbering crap. They won’t start if it all cold. $700 every 2 years for batteries
I had a 1991 dodge Cummins which was like a free 400,000 mile ride. 2001 Ford. Was disgusting. Costly undependable junk. Both trucks Trannies are what kills them.
That is just simply not true.
I went with the 2023 F250 with the 7.3 gas this time after having diesels previously. Towing is recreational for me so the gas truck is right for me..... I do miss my diesel though when I'm towing my fifth wheel. 😊 Thanks for the good reviews.
Was the difference that much to notice or miss it ? Or is it just the higher rpms and lower mpg .
As a truck driver and owner of only diesel vehicles, they don’t make sense for regular folk, higher entry price, maintenance, repairs and so forth, you’ll never make up on mpg when fuel is .50 to 90 cents higher. Where it pays off is the engine lasting hundreds of thousands of miles towing. The gasser won’t last as long doing the same work no matter what anyone says.
The Godzilla is no slouch, but that Powerstroke is absolutely bonkers.
Where they do this test turbos are super important because of the elevation. The Godzilla is much better around sea level where most people live.
@cliffordmontana4562 true but diesel engines for some reason love towing 😂 it wakes up and becomes alive when you haul heavy stuff..weard.
@@d0uble_O That’s because they have turbos. Diesels are awesome for towing, but if you took away the turbo it wouldn’t do nearly as well, especially at altitude.
@@cliffordmontana4562& would still be no match for the powerstroke
@@cliffordmontana4562 Most people do not live around sea level that's for damn shirt
Andre and Mr. Truck are my favorite reviewers on TFL trucks!
Thank you for watching.
My 6.2 gasser does everything I need it to do. No gelling or waxing to worry about in the winter. No def or dpf. No egr issues either. Love my 7.3 powerstrokes, still got a few. Wouldn’t touch a 6.7 with a ten foot pole.
You must've never driven a newer 6.7 towing heavy. They walk the dog on everything. Especially once deleted with a small tune
@@abc123hshdhd8wCool story.
6.7 Power stroke is a beast. Get your head out of your a**
That 7.3 powerstroke will be running when that 6.7 is in the junk yard. That is a fact.
@@joshuaplacka8480 A lot of variables to consider. My cousin's uncle is a construction guy that's on his 2nd 6.7.
A lot of towing heavy machinery, he
sold his 2016 F250 6.7 with 486k miles on it, towing loads the 7.3 could never... safely anyway.
Y'all pointed out my biggest complaint for the 7.3 ... the constant shifting. IT DROVE ME CRAZY. I think they should've stuck with a 6 speed in the gas motor. I got the 22 gasser and even with light loads like my bass boat it was always looking for a gear. I now have a 23 Tremor HO like the one here except it's a Lariat. ($82,000) I will never look back. It holds the gears so well with the power. It pulls my toyhauler great. I LOVE IT... Oh... AND my 7.3 empty the very best I could get was 13 MPGs. The HO diesel I'm getting 20 on the hwy and about 17 city....
I wish they’d go back to Powerglides. Low and high is all I need.
Ya gotta Pay for DEF and 17 QTS Oil Changes . Just Put your Tranny in Manual Mode for the Gasser .
I got a good deal on a 2022 7.3 tremor back in October with 4200 miles on it from the previous owner and so far i really like it. It pulls my 34 foot camper trailer really well and my 20 foot (25 foot trailer) wake boat no problem and it stays around 12mpg for both while pulling. My oil changes at a ford dealership has been $45 each time. The only thing ive done to it that was necessary was put a MSRP catback exhaust on it for alittle bit more rumble. I do however have a little voice in my head to trade it in for a 2024 diesel F250 tremor but this video nailed it on the head... i only pull once or twice a month and its a $30,000 dollar difference. The only thing i'd be towing around would be my ego LOL
Great show I just traded 6.7 Cummins for this 7.3 gas I’m happy only pull about 5 times a year Very pleased
I towed a 7x14 cargo trailer that was LOADED across the country with a 6.2 Ford and while it was probably not AS good as a diesel it never struggled even a little. Save $10k on the engine and gas is cheaper than diesel (not to mention DEF). Gasser ftw.
A Ford ranger could have towed the same trailer and had zero issues. Of course a super duty wouldn't care.
I think the DEF system is the real achilles heel of diesel truck when the catalytic converter needs to heat up to burn up the soot and your not a person doing long trips the catalytic converter can become plugged and need replacing and that's not cheap.
are the rear ends the same, since you are using an XLT instead of a Platinum?
The best way to start a Saturday morning...cup of coffee, Andrea, Mr Truck and a TFL Ike Gauntlet video!
Where is Andrea, is she hot?
comparing the biggest and the baddest in the truck world 😎
Don't let Andre hear you call him Andrea. 😂
When you consider the price, and the fact that the vast majority of my travels won't include long distances at higher elevations, I definitely would go with Godzilla. I was impressed with the small overall difference between these two. Great review!
If Ford were to include an exhaust brake on 7.3L gasoline engine it would make a big difference in engine braking. It wouldn't have the nearly the torque of the turbo diesel exhaust brake, but it would likely mean little or no use of the friction brakes needed on this test run. The turbo diesel was pumping in 14 psi to 18 psi on engine braking. At 12,000 feet altitude of the Eisenhower tunnel there is only about 10 psi of atmospheric pressure verses 2/3 normal of 14.7 psi.
At the cost of diesel and the efficiency they measured the Diesel was cheaper to run, but not worth worrying about at 95.5% of fueling cost of the gasoline engine at Denver average Diesel and regular gasoline prices. That's a little less than 5% more to fuel the gasoline engine per mile. The big deal is the much more powerful engine braking available from the Diesel. The turbo Diesel was much faster at accelerating in the thin air than the gasoline engine.
@@douglasengle2704 exhaust brakes on gas engines just aren't feasible- you'd be dealing with burned valves, blown head gaskets, etc. with very, very little benefit. Gassers simply can't suck enough air in to make the vacuum needed to make the system work. I agree that it would be cool if it did though!
Cost of fuel, cost of def, more expensive oil changes, way more frequent critical fuel filter changes, and no better longevity. Shame that the emissions has taken the reason to buy the diesel away. After a great three truck run with a Duramax I’m probably going gas in a f350. Also a few old school intake/exhaust mods will add some hp and a few more mpg.
Based on the mpg numbers over the 8 mile climb, 4.7mpg for the power stroke and 3.3mpg for the 7.3. It costed roughly .50¢ more in the gas truck. The gas truck costed .87¢ per mile and the diesel .82¢per mile based on national average cost of each fuel. Granted this is a very short run. On a mixed of flat and hill areas I think they would remain relatively close considering the fuel cost difference. And for that reason it would be a no brainer for me to choose gas. $12k less initial buy in, cheaper oil changes and regular engine maintenance, cheaper replacement cost if the engine were to fail.
I only tow 7k lbs with my '17 gas 350 and it does great, but anything over 8500 on a regular basis or for a few years, then diesel is a wise choice. I'm a gas guy for what I need to tow, but given the choice, I'd take a diesel for durability and longevity IF I NEED TO TOW HEAVY. Even if it's close and a 6.2 gas could do it, I'd go with Diesel. The gas just sounds like it's being worked harder than it's meant to be while the D sounded fine.
@@bielmelichartes2167 Agreed, but if I'm towing over a bout 8500-9000lbs on a regular at least weekly basis around the year, then I'm thinking of a diesel. For my current sub 10 annual trips with a 7k TT, my 6.2 gas does great, but has a little trouble keeping up with my buddy's '13 diesel towing 11k when we hit the hills. Newer diesels don't like idling like older so we'll see how that plays out in a few years too.
@@ThePackDadThe 7.3L is worlds better than the 6.2L. Its not even close.
These head-to-head Ike gauntlets when it’s 2 really similar trucks are some of the most interesting and entertaining content on RUclips! Y’all should be proud.
Best thing of the 7.3 is it’s simple. Just a huge pushrod V8
My F550 with 7.3 has 103k on it now and it's been great. No towing but its about 19,200lbs everyday.
I have a 2019 F650 Diesel dump truck. Need another just like it, but the only thing available nearby is a 2024 F650 with the 7.3 gas. Would you mind sharing your thoughts as your 550 sounds like it may be something close to what I"m going to be doing with the truck daily. Thanks.
@@kenevans7286 mine is a service truck so it's loaded the same every time it moves. It gets 8.5-10.5 mpg depending on terrain. It's been doing just fine, has 105k now
Best series to watch among all the other TFL channel series. Much love.
What people don’t realize is that this race to see who can make the most diesel torque is ruining these diesels. The more you crank up the power while still meet emissions regulations and CAFE more complex these trucks get.
They are trying to build trucks that one owner might tow 25000lbs regularly, another owner might never tow with, or an owner might tow a 6000lb boat to the cottage once a year.
Trying to build one diesel engine for all of those applications is incredibly difficult. All the commercial variants of these motors are always detuned. The original 5.9 Cummins that was in the ram was 200hp and 400ftlbs of torque.
Agree. The complexity of these trucks is staggering. I wouldn't dare own one after the warranty is done. The sweet spot IMO was way back in about '06-'11. The LBZ/LMM Dmax was enough for what almost everybody NEEDS. And while they were not simple, they were far less intimidating for most maintenance and repairs.
@morley3810 I agree since the emissions system is so costly and I've seen bills reach $15,000. The Era of reliable diesels is gone and the emissions system is a time bomb, it's not a question of "if" its a question of when it will fail. Gasser heavy dutys have way more lax emissions systems, as well as the repair bills being quite lower then diesel engines. Not to mention Ford made the 7.3 because of the fact they know no one wants to deal with DPF's or DEF.
De-tuners should be a thing.
I'm dying to see the new 6.8 do the Ike. Comparing the 7.3 and 6.8 will help a lot of people make a decision on a work truck.
I couldn't agree more
The only catch is the 6.8 is only available in an XL trim. Once you move to XLT it defaults to a 7.3 as the base engine
They should have just updated the 6.8 v10 and kept making it or make a pushrod version because they're awesome
@@noosh8316I'm an xl work truck kinda guy
I have the new 6.8 and have put 22k miles on it. It's alright but I'd go with the 7.3 instead. The 7.3 has a different 10 speed that's the same as the diesel. Not very confident in the one that is paired with the 6.8.
I have a 2020 F-250 XLT crew cab Godzilla that I work everyday. It tows 14500lbs regularly from the factory hitch and it pushes a 10 foot plow all winter. Never had any issues with it yet. Yes it’s not great on fuel but I can do my 14 hour run on $80 of gas. When I charge $100/hr, think I’m doing ok.
Not a Ford guy by any means but ive gained respect for them for coming back out with a BIG BLOCK GAS V8, exclusive to Ford at the moment. Cant believe GM is hesitant to develop their own big block considering they held on to the big blocks longer than anyone (8.1 left the market in 2006 if i remember correctly).
Why the hell would GM produce a big block when the over 400 cubic inch small block has long stroke and makes same or more power thsn a big block with kess weight...😂😂😂
What GM needs to do is offer more rear end gear options. 4.30 like ford or maybe even a 4.56. At least a 4.11. Where in the heck did that go? It's not just about fuel mileage.@@inhouseatx
And a manual transmission! @@kevinnilsen590
GM sux man. Ford got the gauges on the dash for towing and so many different engines and so many diff ratios.
@MrTonaluv FORD IS GARBAGE...THATS COMMON KNOWLEDGE BRO...ASK ANY HONEST DIESEL MECHANIC..ANY MECHANIC FOR THAT MATTER..THATS EXACTLY ONE OF THE REASONS FORD SUX! TOO MANY ENGINES..SINCE THE 60'S NOTHING INTERCHANGEABLE LIKE GM..SMALL BLOCK CHEVROLET IS THE BEST ENGINE EVER DESIGNED AND PRODUCED..NOT DEBATABLE
Great video guys! My only knock on the comparison would be when you were comparing price it’s not really 30k difference if trim levels are the same. If the diesel was in XLT trim the difference would be much closer and could influence someone’s decision. A platinum tremor 7.3 starts at 84,235. Add a couple options like the platinum you had and the 7.3 is 90k.
They stated at 25:30 that the diesel upgrade costs about $12.5k
Well aware of the price difference to diesel, I’ve owned many. My point is at 31:14 they said it’s 30k more for the platinum with the diesel and at 32:10 for 30k less go with the gas engine. 🍎 and 🍊 on trim levels for price comparison sakes. 🙄
And $90k to $103k is $13k difference =diesel upgrade cost. Not $30k
They repeatedly stated the diesel premium was $12.5k.
There's no need for your comment.
The return of the dynamic Duo.!!!
FYI, I went to Ford fleet and tried to purchase a low-cost towing F350 and a price me at $74,000. Crank windows, no carpet delete, base of base radio, and an AC. Didn't have a tow hook in front. Needed 4x4. And still 74,000 doll hairs. Not reasonable at all.
As always I'm with Mr Truck Godzilla all the way. That diesel may tow the best but it will never pay for itself and the fuel efficiency isn't that much better to make it worth it for me.
Diesels pay you back when you trade them in. That's been my experience.
@@oldnumber6 you still pay more in the begining for the diesel. They all depreciate. My experience was alot more upkeep. Diesels are great, but this day in time you really have to weigh things out money wise.
Im looking to order truck with gas. Im not towing often so gas will be good for me in Michigan.
@@cj7fun579it's pretty simple. Buy what suits your needs AND what you can afford. I can afford a diesel and the maintenance. It's performance suits my needs, so I have one.
50 dollar oil change vs 200 dollar oil change, same interval. My 6.2 is amazing, 12k fifth wheel 9mpg, Microlon treatment. Chassis 160k mi. It's a drag n fly, but all said and done,👍
When I ordered my Platinum I ordered it without the sunroof. They always leak and I've had to fix way to many of them in my career. I would never buy any vehicle with a sunroof.
I call the sunroof the Rain Forest option.
I have had 2 of them…zero issues and love the view.
It’s good to see Mr Truck )…fun, knowledgeable and honest reviews…
Thanks
Basically the 7.3 is good for occasional heavy towing level surfaces the 6.7 diesel is good for mountains high inclined decline heavy towing constant daily.
Not necessarily. 7.3 does amazing for occasional towing evn in mountains. Works perfectly here in Colorado with the 4.30 gears for weekend haulers.
@@rideoutwest7885 Correct occasional heavy towing but if you're towing frequently especially heavy loads the diesel especially in the mountains would be much better.
I had a diesel, switched to a 2015 f250 6.2 gas. Awesome truck. Went back to a 2019 f350 diesel. After 120k miles the diesel has been good been good but I’ll probably go back to gas on my next one.
Do you use your truck for work or recreation with your towing?
I went with 7.3 the government has destroyed the diesel engine with all the epa crap to much stuff to go wrong
Yep!
That’s why you delete them.
Fckn EPA making Diesel EAT their OWN SOOT Exhaust Back into the Intake .
Just did a cross country trip towing a 32ft travel trailer with my ‘23 xlt 7.3L Godzilla. According to the trailer data I towed it 6,491 miles at 8.8mpg and I was cruise control at 65mph on most of those miles. I’m happy with that gasser, the extra $12k not worth it for me.
I bought my first diesel back in 1999. 7.3L I fell in love with it and now own 2 of them with a combined million miles. But, I would choose the gasser today.
I am for sure sticking with Ford to keep the keypad entry on the driver's door- a true life saver and so handy!!!
The keypad has other hidden functions. I shut off my seatbelt minder and key in buzzer. I HATE buzzers and reminders. When I'm moving a trailer around the property, I don't wear a seatbelt. I left the key in it on purpose....
Who's died from not having a keypad on their vehicle?
Mom's always unlock the van the throw their purse and everything in the van, start loading the kids, then go to the back to load the groceries and the 2 year old locks the doors in the 104F heat, no need to bust a window, just type in the code@@AkioWasRight we have had to bust dozens of windows in the summer in our parking lot at the mall here..
@@AkioWasRight I regularly lock the keys in my truck so I don't lose them.
Last weekend, at Glamis Dunes, I left the keys in the truck as usual. Someone I was with dropped their keys in the sand. GONE! No keys.
We can program our own combination so we always remember. I use the old, old phone number to the house I grew up in. Long gone 30 years ago yet I always remember.
With the millions of vehicles with the combination, I'm sure someone lived because they can always get in their vehicle, keys or no keys.
@AkioWasRight no one has died not having a keypad. As a previous Ford owner, it is the single feature that I miss the most! Very good option indeed.
Awesome fun with you guys on the Ike! One of my favorite things about Andre and Mr Truck is that they are enthusiastic about the trucks they are in regardless of which brand it is. They have a good time and talk about the job at hand and how that's going. Thanks to you both for continuing to pit trucks against the Ike!
Thanks
Why don’t look at total cost of ownership over 10 years? Since the guy that would actually be pulling that skid steer up the gauntlet can’t afford either of these trucks. He’s going with the 6.8l with a 4.30 rear end and putting 200k relatively reliable miles on it.The actual cost of that diesel upgrade will be about $25k once he pays for the out of warranty repairs on the diesel and all of the unreliable Ford electronics packed into that Platinum.
No more diesel for me. Simply too many problems that cost too damn much. Got the 7.3 and not looking back. Love it!
The Dynamic Duo, those......Big Truck Boys!! Y'all probably the reason manufacturers are addressing vehicle issues lol. Keep up the testing and providing that all-important data!
Thanks
I enjoy watching these comparisons and appreciate the effort made. As an old guy, I have pulled 5th wheels for over 30 years and compared gas v diesel back then. I had a Ford F-250 with a V8 460 CI that in its day was the largest gas engine you could get in a pickup. It would dang sure pull and oddly, it got 10mpg pulling or not pulling. While it would pull, I could still sense a strain factor and a mental stress factor on the do I pass or not pass decision. In 1999, I bumped up to a Cummins diesel, better mileage and no strain or stress factor and something about the turbo whine that kicked in some testosterone. I currently have a 2004 Dodge Cummins 5.9 HO with a 6 speed stick, 377 rears , 205,000 miles and over the scales, I’m at 18,960 lbs loaded. My rig is long paid for and I average 11.9 mpg pulling at 62 mph and bump 20 mpg not pulling. 62 mph is the mpg sweet spot with my rig but I can cruise at 70mph if I want to waste fuel money. I drive a 20 year old truck but it’s paid for, looks sharp and I get hit up all the time to sell it but why would I? When I pull up to fuel next to a new 80,000 truck, I get a charge out of thinking about the $1,500 truck payment that I’m not making. That guys $1,500 payment plus insurance will buy my fuel plus pay for my entire trip and cash left over. A paid for truck beats a new one all day and with a Cummins, I can run mine another 10 years plus if I live that long. I’ve also learned that high dollar Michelin tires are the lowest cost and maintenance is key to keeping cents per mile cost lowest.
11K flatbed and 250, good combo, now a same type comparison, but with 350 and a 14K 5th wheel. I think the Godzilla will struggle a bit getting it up and slowing it down. Aerodynamic drag and all. I tossed about an F350 DRW with 7.3 for mine, but decided on a used F450 instead, put a Derringer and Pedal Monster on it, so putting out 500 HP and little over 1100 FTLB and it maintains 70 with ease. Next year hoping to hit the Gauntlet again to see how it does.
I agree. I own a 7.3 but if I pulled what you pull I’d get the diesel.
Last year I was shopping for either a Chevy or a Ford truck and noticed all the Ford trucks on the lot if you look at the undercarriage the axles were all rusted up but only on the Ford trucks so I went with the Chevy and very happy with my decision
I'd like to request more videos on the 6.8, especially the Ike. Thanks!
We hope to do this soon!
Definitely want to compare the 6.8 to the GM 6.6gas
i would never buy the 6.8 over the 7.3 gas. assuming you are talking about the new "mini"godzilla and not the triton. the 6.8 has 10.8 compression vs 7.3 10.5 compression so theres more going on than just "destroked." the 6.8 is vastly cheaper so just have to figure out where they cut corners
@@Tay6756.8 comes with 10R100 tranny 7.3 comes with 10R140 so cost difference might be there
@@Tay6756.8 is the engine that would likely be the best engine in an HD truck for a slide in camper hauler imo. It’ll likely haul the load just fine and get better gas mileage than a 7.3l. Diesel is a waste for slide in camper hauling imo.
This channel is THE SOURCE for someone that wants to purchase a truck. The best info (and fun) out there.
so true! i got my 6.7 because of tommy! No one else on YT can keep it as real as it gets.
Gas engine. You can buy a lot of fuel for $12000.
When I was hot-shotting travel trailers, I listened to one of my coworkers tell the story about his GM truck with the 6.0L gas engine. He had 360,000 miles on his truck and the engine stuck a rod through the side of the block. Obvious disaster because in the hot-shotting business, downtime means you're not making money. One week and $2000 later, he was back on the road earning money again. In comparison, my 2008 Dodge 3500 diesel was in the shop for a solid month and cost me $5000 in emissions systems repairs during the year I ran it.
@@Pantelifts10 Resale value? All other things being equal, I bought the truck for $12000 less, so I'm perfectly fine if I get $12000 less at trade-in or in a sale to a private buyer.
Interesting comparison. Starting in 2019, the company I work for has supplied me with an F250 with a gas engine for work. I’ve always personally used diesel trucks to tow with, and for good reason. I was towing nearly daily. Typical trailer weight was 7-14K lbs. Now I’m doing less towing. I had the 6.2 gas/6sp combo in the’19. I just got a replacement that’s a’23 with the 6.8gas/10sp combo. That was a significant upgrade, and the average mpg seems to be around 1.5-2 mpg. I don’t know for certain if I would personally buy a new gas or diesel. I definitely love the torque of a diesel.
It would be very interesting when you stop at the bottom of the Ike after the downhill run to actually measure the brake temperatures. This is what your really worried about and getting this data also takes into account a lot of other factors like the size and capacity of the brakes and the cooling available.
They used to do that years ago. Andre was the brake temperature measuring guy. But you know that brake temperature will not be an issue when the driver didn't have to touch the brakes even once on the descent, as was the case with the diesel truck in this test.
@@andyharman3022 obviously. But just counting brake applications doesn’t give you the full picture. If you start off at the top and your brakes are 100F (just to invent a number) and by the time you’ve made your last stop they are 150F then even if you made 30 brake applications it’s really a non issue because obviously the brakes are shedding heat almost as fast as it’s going in.
Gasser all the way for me. 7.3L with zero turbos = 7.3 effective liters. 6.7L with 30 psi = 20.1 effective liters. But it gets worse because of the high altitude where the 7.3L is down 30% so the actual effective size would be 5.1L. So towing/performance wise, the godzilla did incredibly well, and yes the 10-speed gets a large amount of the credit. If it was comparing 6 speed transmissions, the diesel would have done even better.
But, here's the real problem. Diesel fuel costs more. DEF is an added cost. Maintenance is crazy expensive with diesels because of all the EGR and particulate trap issues. Diesels are moderately harder to start in winter and fuel gelling issues, although modern fuel isn't too bad.
Whereas the gas engine is pretty simple. I can't remember if godzilla has cam phasers. I'm guessing it does for low speed torque. So there is a possible problem there, but still, throw oil and spark plugs in it every now and then and you got a truck that will give you 200k miles without any eye-wincing repair bills.
Now if I was leasing, then the diesel all the way because when things start to go south, you just trade it in and get another one.
20 years ago, diesel all the way. But modern emission related equipment has killed it for me. Outstanding test though. I am shocked just how well the godzilla did to be honest. And yes a roots supercharger would compliment it nicely for low speed torque and when unladen the bypass valve helping reduce losses. For $12000 you could definitely put a supercharger on it though.
I have a 2019 F350 XL Dually Regular cab 4x4 with the 6.2l gasser. It has 7100 lbs payload. I just hauled 5500 lbs in the box and 5500 lbs in the trailer through the Cascades. I love the truck, factory order, manual windows and doors. It was the cheapest truck on the lot, but had the highest payload. Only cost 50k Canadian including taxes. Thats around 36k US in 2018.
They should do the same test with a similar weight fifth wheel travel trailer to demonstrate the how much harder a truck has to work with the wind resistance.
Agree, i have 4:30 gears and upgrading to a 5th wheel. What max 5th wheel is everyone saying safe and not stressing the motor ??
With the cost difference and emissions etc ive always ran diesels but i run gas now and they do just fine unless you are hauling stupid heavy. Plus cost of maitenance and maitenance in general is cheaper
Lots of cool sensors on that truck. All I can think of is the repair bills when they go out.
its all just temp sensors, nothing really that expensive. just happens to have an abundance of them.
How many of those sensors and electronics will be working 12 yrs from now? 🤔
@@NWI_Steel probably all of them, this isn’t anything real new, its just temp sensors connected to a canbus sending data to the ECU, the IPC is just an LCD screen getting data from the ECU. How often do you hear of a complete ecu failure? It’s unlikely. If a sensor fails, plug in a scanner, it’ll tell you whats failed, most of these sensors are less than $50 at the dealer. It looks a lot fancier than it really is.
Ok boomer
I'm more concerned about all the plastic fantastic housings, connectors and elbows that will inevitably crack with the heat and vibration generated by the diesel.
If you can get the towing capacity with a gas rig it is better, No DEF issues with a gas engine.
For my needs, 7.3L and 4.30 gears would be just fine.
That’s what I have. I average 13mpg and it tows great. But if I towed over 12k often I’d get a diesel.
I have 4:30 gears and looking into 5th wheel recreational camper.
Think i am keeping it under 14,000# as we will not be towing daily and this seems to be max for engine and safety.
Finding the 4.30 has been dang near impossible in my region. Everything is 3.73. Frustrating.
@@endurancechiro2607 If you don’t tow heavy all the time just get the 3.73. Even on HEAVY 35x12.50 mud tires my 4.30 gears are jumpy at low speeds. The gear ratio meant more when the transmissions had 4 or six gears. With ten there’s so much power in every gear. Take a 3.73 for a test drive, i think you’d be surprised. Good luck.
Just an FYI, the 6.7 Powerstroke, since 2011 has had coolant running through the turbo charger along with engine oil, the H.O. Has added a cooling circuit to the compressor housing to keep intake air temperatures at a set point along with utilizing the air to water intercooler. The Duramax to this day does not have a cooling circuit through the compressor housing of the turbo charger.
Ford still uses the CP4 fuel pump. That's all I need to know to never buy one. 9% failure rate amd it usually destroys the engine when it fails. Turbos have been run for many miles for many decades without coolant running through them
@@jeffhall768
A CP4 failure hardly "destroys the engine.."
I had a 2021 F-350 7.3 , 4.30 STX , geared truck . The 10 speed worked great towing in tow/haul mode . Out of tow/haul normal driving it was a horrible daily driver . Always in the wrong gear & would bog itself down all the time . Fortunately my needs changed & I no longer needed a heavy 1ton truck since I don’t tow over 10K anymore . I traded it in on a 2021 Toyota Tundra Platinum Crewmax with only 22K miles. The last year of Toyotas amazing 5.7 I Force V8. Some have gone a million miles. I just bought my last truck at 58 😊!
It won’t be your last vehicle.
@@pryme2013why not?
@@ALMX5DP Odds are, at only 58, this individual will buy another vehicle. 68, maybe! 58? No chance.
@@pryme2013 sounds like you're certain about that for some reason. What are the odds, and why isnt it possible for them to defy it?
I have both a Dodge 6.7 and Ford gas 7.3. its unquestionable what I would rather tow with. If you tow heavy for any distance at all, get the diesel. If they were towing close to max capacity down that hill, they would find that 7.3 almost uncontrollable, and I hate having to absolutely flog the 7.3 going up a hill to try and maintain speed.
You don't think 20+ psi at 1900 RPM on that Powerstroke isn't flogging it? All you idiots think that just because it is reving lower it is working less. Well 20+psi is adding to that equation.. Think outside the box kids....
I own a 7.3 and agree with everything you said. Gas engines can tow just as well over short distances as the diesels and are rated as such, but it you’re towing heavy over long distances the diesel is a must. My truck tows my enclosed trailer with a Polaris ranger crew Northstar in it effortlessly. But if it was a 15k 5th wheel I’d for sure get the diesel. I will say most heavy duty drivers don’t tow heavy often over long distances and will be better served by the 7.3. Most HD buyers buy them for payload more than towing. That’s why everyone in my family buys them.
Making the gasser a hybrid would be a smart move because you'd be able to take advantage of the regen braking on those down hills.
I don’t understand why they haven’t made the 7.3 with hybrid components. You’ll get the low-end torque of a diesel without all of the complications. I owned the newer Powerstroke for 240k miles and I feared failure more times than I want to admit.
@User.Joshua cost. It would wind up costing more than just a diesel and probably be a lot less reliable, especially being Ford. Their Hybrids and EV games is really bad. Lots or recalls and lots of products failing and a lot not measuring up to what was advertised and a lot of underperforming. Hell. If they did it right, they wouldn't even need the 7.3. They could get away with just a 5.0 Coyote in a hybrid setup. They won't, though, too much money and too much added weight. And at the end of the day just not get the sales to justify all the time and effort. They would benefit more doing a range extender generator ev setup like what ram is doing with the ram 1500. But Ford will still manage to mess it up, I am sure.
Hit the nail in the head, love my unicorn '22 F350, dually, 4x4, extended cab, 8ft bed, 4.30 rear end, 7.3 Godzilla, Lariat. Ordered Nov '21, took delivery June '22. $68K OTD. It's my wife's RV trailer dragger, she loves it, honestly she can back up the trailer better than I can at this point. Seasonal use, without all the additional diesel maintenance.
Great video gents! The 7.3L XLT is the way to go for me. As Andre said, if you don't tow 10K+ lbs weekly, the Godzilla makes most sense. I can buy an XLT and then do Katzkin leather for $3K and have an awesome interior and save a ton of $.
Thanks
I own a 2020 f250/ 7.3, 3.73 gears, haul a 5th wheel (loaded right at about 10k) in good weather months and everything else rest of the year. Unloaded, or really light loads, taking it easy i average 13/16. Loaded with 5th wheel up and down canyons and some flat driving as well I've never gone under 11mpg average. In fact i wish i had the 430 gearing (im more than willing to give up 1 mpg) especially in offroad situations to help the creepy crawl speed in the rough stuff. My recommendation, if you haul here and there, campers or trailers... get the gas.
If you are always hauling heavy and realistically you need that oomf.. get the diesel.
I have a feeling that a 3.5L Ecoboost would be fine or better on this test. People underrate this engine because it's a V6, but always forget the pair of turbochargers on it.
I don’t know if you meant to put “v6” but I didn’t see a v6 in this video unless I missed something
I only saw a 6.7L turbo diesel V8 and a 7.3L gas V8
I purchased my F350 new in 2019 after watching the "Ike Gauntlet" test series on gas pickups. The 6.2 liter gasser has served me well pulling a 16,000 lb horse trailer w/living quarters ever since. My 2019 replaced my F350 7.3 diesel and pulls just as well (but a bit more costly in fuel - 7.6mpg gas, 12.0mpg the old diesel).
Imagine towing with a truck that has the power of the godzilla and having people in the comment section saying "as long as you stay around 10k the gas engine is fine". Amazing
Towed close to thay w/ 2006 Nissan 5.6L with bolt ons and tune. Zero issues even on 9% grades
You go to a rodeo and you'll see lots of old 7.3 powerstrokes and 5.9 12/24 valves that are stock and pulling 16,000 pound living quarters trailers by the time you add horses. What makes people think that around 200 less hp, around the same amount of torque, and a better power band wont max out the 24,000 gvwr before a cdl is needed?
I have been listening for years and appreciate the new content !
And the Videos with Mr.Truck are the best .
He's the Man
Great classic TFL video! Was surprised in the conclusion that much higher diesel maintenance costs weren't mentioned?
when you say maintenance cost, what do you mean?
@@d0uble_O I believe regular preventative maintenance for diesel costs are much higher than a NA V8 due to the additional hardware (turbo, DEF, diesel emissions management, etc.) and also general upcharge for any service because it's diesel
the emissions is what kills the turbo because of the recirculating exaust fumes carry all kinds of particles that clog it and jams. Just delete it and save yourself a turbo, def, oil leaks, etc..if you cant, well keeping it clean will make it last longer.@@boilerdown1
Imo, buy what fit your towing needs. Diesels are more expensive to maintain. Most need 12 or more quarts of oil on an oil change. My ram 3500 dually oil change has averaged $150-$190.00 per oil change over the five years of ownership. 80-85 % of its driven miles it is hooked to a 41 foot long fifth wheel RV weighing 15,400 pounds with a hitch weight of 3450 pounds.. weights were taken from data collected on certified CAT scales at my local Loves truck stop. I average 10.3 mpg towing in west Tn and Ga at 60 mph.
IMO if you’re towing less than 12000 pounds more than 75 % of your driving miles the gas engine is a very viable option. This was a very good test with realistic tow weights. And realistically tow speeds. Only thing that would make it better would be a tow range increase to 500-600 miles. At tow weights of 12000 pounds for ga engines comparisons and increased weights of 15-16000 pounds for the RV crowd and 25000 pounds for the industrial folks.
I just ordered a 2024 F350 with the 7.3 and 4.30 gears. This is my second 7.3 Godzilla and I know they are very capable. I use my truck for daily driving, sometimes short trips and towing occasionally. That would be very hard on diesel and probably cause problems in the future.
Everyone has to make their own choice what is right for them. Good news is both are great choices.
I watch regularly, i dont tow regularly so i dont need the diesel BUT im not an experienced driver with towing so i chose the diesel for the exhaust brake and other things too. I felt the diesel was a safer option. As far as price, my truck is the low end trim so i didn't pay nowhere near that price and its not a ford.
6.7 a tried and true. We have several in fleet with over 10k engine hrs with little to no issue. Lots of camshafts getting eaten by the 7.3.. My service truck has 7200hrs weighs 15k lbs all day everyday. The 7.3 would've been whipped by now.
Camshaft issues are in 1-2% of 7.3s. Emissions issues occur in nearly half of the diesels. Lots of companies in my area have switched to 7.3 motors in big trucks. Of course the diesel has more power, but there’s lots of disadvantages too.
Interesting, I have a fleet of super duty trucks, f
350-550's. I have a bunch of 6.7's and a pair of 7.3's. The 6.7's are always out of service, oil leaks, coolant leaks, dpf issues etc, the 7.3's just go and go, not one camshaft or other failure, all have 150k or more and 6-8k engine hours, these are in ambulances which either idle all day or get driven like they were stolen, the 6.7 makes good power but the upfront cost and additional maintenance combined with expected out of service time just doesn't pencil out well for alot of fleets.
The amount of fleet orders switching from diesel to gas is a pretty big number. If the diesels weren't so unreliable that wouldn't happen.
My 550 7.3 is 19,200lbs everyday, it doesn't use oil and oil samples are fine at 103k. There's no chance I'd buy a diesel even if they were the same price.
Finally! This is a video I’ve been wanting to see since the 7.3L first went on sale! Long live the Ike Gauntlet! Personally, I would go with an XLT without the Sport or Tremor packages, with no sunroof, but with either engine. There is no way I would pay over $100,000.00 for a pickup truck. I don’t even want to pay more than $65,000.00 for a new 3/4 ton truck. By removing the sunroof, and adding the under hood insulation to a 7.3L truck, I think it would be a bit quieter. I would take the money I saved on the truck to buy a nice boat or a Side-by-Side.
...or do what we did: buy your dream travel trailer. Very happy with our 2020 F250 7.3 (3.55). It tows 30' and 8000# worth of RV like a dream with literally tons of margin.
The 7.3L Godzilla is not bad at all but that H.O. Powerstroke makes other diesels look bad much less any gas engine.
finally someone with some common sence!
Hey TFL... Here's a brilliant idea. Instead of having to choose between these up-optioned $70-100K trucks that you tested directly, maybe there's another option. Perhaps you could just say that the $103K Platinum Diesel truck is too expensive, and that your choice would be to get the Powerstroke Turbodiesel engine in a lower trim XLT configuration, with fewer bells and whistles. Then you could get the best towing truck for the price of the Godzilla truck you tested here.
I priced out a Tremor Platinum F-350 with the 7.3 and it was $14,000 less than the same truck as a diesel, even though the diesel option was only $12,500. Strange accounting by FoMoCo....
The diesel would have much better resale value.
Even the worst performing modern trucks ive seen on this channel run circles around the 80s and 90s trucks I used to run...but we still made them work somehow, Im sure Mr Truck remembers. I finally joined the modern times 4 years ago and bought a brand new f250 with the 6.2L v8 and boy what a beast...and thats with less power than either of these 2 engines! Well done video guys
A lot of people seem to forget that a lot of the extra cost for the diesel engine is retained in the resale value or by the fact they will run far longer than a gas engine.
Price out a injectors and fuel pump on the diesel can buy a new long block gasser for close to the same money. Not including the emissions repairs on the diesel.
@@banffdigger or just don't be a tard and put DEF in your fuel and change the fuel filter when you're supposed to, you won't have issues.
Has Ford finally fixed the valve issue with the 7.3l engine?
The clock on the diesel was started when the truck was at around 41 MPH. The gas was at 35 MPH. Diesel seemed faster, but the disparity wasn’t as bad as it appeared.
The diesel was handicapp with the adaptive criuse control which slows down the truck when you do not need it too when it sees something up front. At the end Andre messed up the test by helping the gas at the end by going over 60.
@@kenwolf2431 my platinum has both regular cruise control and adaptive cruise control. We can’t tell from the video if he had the adaptive on or not.
I can tell you , around town the feul consumptions will be very close , so from a reality point of view , the Godzilla will be cheaper to maintain and live with every day . If you are wanting to do hotshot towing , the Powerstroke HO is your answer
I don't know, for 30000 dollars I can buy a lot of gas to make up for the lower MPG.