Last week we returned home from a two-week trip to visit family in Georgia. In the middle of this visit we rented a Mercedes Benz 15-seat passenger Sprinter van with a high roof and a diesel engine. Tall vehicles suffer on mileage due to the additional wind resistance, which sparked my curiosity as to what the fuel consumption (miles per gallon) would be.
We rented the van to make a trip from Atlanta, Georgia to Orlando and then St. Petersburg, Florida. Over 1,000 miles of freeway driving and a couple hundred of city driving. I was somewhat surprised to see our mileage was right at 23 MPG. This was on the dash trip computer and and verified by some old fashioned math on my part.
It got me thinking about the decision I made back in 2020 when we bought our Ford F-250 Super Duty truck, primarily for camping and hauling the occasional heavy or bulky items. At the time I did my research and decided to buy a new truck with a gasoline engine, not a diesel. Today I stand by that decision — it was the best option for us. But for some folks a diesel engine is a better choice.
This article will review the pros and cons of both diesel and gasoline engines in tow vehicles. At the end of this post is included a 100,000 mile cost analysis of the Ford F-250 diesel (6.7L Power Stroke HO) vs gas (7.3L Godzilla). Keep in mind there is no “best” option, only the best option for each individual situation.
