Is a Diesel Still Worth It?

With diesel prices skyrocketing out-of-control, do you still think it's worth it to buy a diesel truck? A lot of guys bought them for the power and hot-rodding potential, but with diesel fuel over $5.00 in some cases, it seems some people are having second thoughts. What do you guys think?

Would you be more likely to buy a half-ton gasser, or a 3/4-ton diesel?  

Before the prices got as insane as they have, I would have said absolutely. Now, it's a "maybe" in my book. There are a lot of factors to consider. First of all, the price premium of the diesel engine option, the price premium of the fuel, but also, the efficiency margin over a comparable gasser. These new trucks with the cats and DPFs and all that other junk aren't showing the same efficiency gains as the older diesels that didn't have all this aftertreatment stuff.

I mean, there are some guys that just love diesels from the tuning and torque aspects, and that's all they'd ever have. But for the guys that were on the fence about it, I think a lot of them are re-considering their choice of truck.  

I'm starting to see diesel come down slightly relative to unleaded in my area. Or maybe it's that unleaded keeps going up and diesel is holding steady!

There's no doubt the price of diesel fuel has become a factor for the 3/4 ton guys. I also moderate the Diesel Power forums, and a lot of those guys are buying bikes or commuting in a smaller car now.