I just saw my first "buy the '06 diesel" ad on tv. A local truck dealer is advertising that the '07 diesels with upgraded emission controls will be very expensive over gas engines. The ad stated to buy on '06 while they last AND if you did not specifically need a diesel for the torque to consider a gas '07 instead UNLESS you drive over 30k miles/year.

It certainly could be his hype to try and move out the last of his '06 models, but he is giving warning about the cost of the '07 engines. Seems to me that the same costs will strongly impact the proposed gc diesel and may make it so expensive vs gas that it is only worth buying if you put on the 30k per year.

It may also clearly demonstrate why DCX killed the Liberty CRD as there is no way to sell a 22k vehicle plus an added 5k (my estimate) for a diesel.

Sounds like just another way to get people buying cars.

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'06 White Limited CRD born on 08/05 37k miles F37'd
mods:: vented, exhausted, ORM, cat 2, Lifted
Other Rides:: CJ7 Limited, and many bikes

Your estimate is extremely wrong.

Even the MB Diesel E-class is just slightly more (not even 2,000) than the Gas version. Nowhere near 5k and never will be. There would be no case what-so-ever to buy a Diesel, or for the Car Companies to push Diesels.

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'05 CRD, Midnight Blue. Every option. Nice ride, idles like a garbage truck

This dealer is just trying to get rid of last year's inventory. Unfortunately, a lot of people are going to accept this as gospel. To quote part of the old saying, "You can fool some of the people all of the time".

At least at Freightliner, they're working to hold down any price increase due to the added electronics and emissions to 4K per truck. That's not too bad when you consider that a Class 8 semi costs an average of 150K out the door. That's from Freightliner, if you're talking Volvo, Mack, Peterbilt, the price is even higher (if I can believe the managers I work for )

Even with that info available, there's still all sorts of wild rumors floating around the plant as to what the '07 trucks will end up costing.

IMHO, there is one valid reason for getting an '06 while you can - the ability to run other than ULSD. While 80% of the on-road diesel sold by mid-October is supposed to be ULSD, the drop dead date for it ALL being ULSD isn't until 2010. There's still the possibility on a long trip out in the boonies that you'd get stuck someplace with only LSD available, because that particular station didn't do enough business selling diesel to bother switching over until they were required to.

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Mitchell Oates
'87 MB 300D Diamond Blue Metallic
'87 MB 300D - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Sport CRD Stone White
Provent CCV Filter/AT2525 Muffler
Stanadyne 30 u/Cat 2 u Fuel Filters
Fumoto Drain/Fleetguard LF3487 Oil filter
V6 Airbox/Amsoil EAA Air Filter
Suncoast TC/Shift Kit/Aux Cooler
Kennedy Lift Pump/Return Fuel Cooler

I think the important point to note is that the dealer is telling everyone in his ad: do not buy a diesel in '07 unless you put on over 30k/yr miles. I am not smart enough to figure the economics, but 30k is a lot of miles and alot of dead dinosaurs flowing into the engine of a truck. So, if it takes over 30k miiles to be economically correct, what will the cost for the '07 diesels be? I don't know myself, but I still think that DCX has made the decision that a "premium" engine will only work in their high profit "premium" vehicle-the GC

Not to go on with this thread beyond what it needs, but I just checked the Dodge site and they are showing $ 5,500 EXTRA for the diesel engine in an '07 2500. 5,500 is a hell of alot of money extra (even on a 30,000 truck). Seems the Chevy dealer I quoted in the original thread was right on the money: don't buy unless you put on over 30k miles per year as the economics of the purchase make no sense at low miles.

That would seem to make our "cheap" diesel even more of a bargain, and more wanted in the used car market.

5500 is the usual premium charged for the cummins on a ram truck.

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66K
Jeep Liberty Limited CRD Silver
Front tow hooks, rock rails
Skids, lift, 235x85 Toyo Open country A/T
Glasspack Exhaust

On a Cummins truck that driven in real commercial duty or farm useage will pay for itse;f the first year. Most diesel trucks bought for "real work" as they are designed instead of pulling a camper a couple of times a year is what a diesel is designed for and will quickly pay for itself in the fact that it can pull more of a load for a 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of a gasser, and do it for 3 times the engine life. Know a bunch of people some are even related that no more drive a gas work truck, then they would a gas big rig or farm tractor.

The '05 CRD was priced the same as a V6 gasser in case you don't remember. The '06 with the way D/C changed the equiptment package it was I believe about $1100 extra and depending on fuel cost and miles driven (24k per year is national average) would take about 1 to 2 years for pay back. For us it might longer at 15,000 miles per year, but it bought for long term ownership in mind and with possibility of using biodiesel.

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91 MB 300D 2.5L Turbo. Her's

05 MB E320 CDI. Mine