Nationwide diesel price $2.92 vs regular unleaded $2.27/gal

[Hersbird]

I loved getting 21 mpg with my 6 speed 5.9 cummins but in reality getting 17 mpg with my 6.0 gas is costing less per mile. It used to be diesel was less before the ultra low sulfur days, then it creeped up to about 10% higher but this 28% premium is getting silly. Is this the new norm? Is it going to get even worse?

I noticed this as I was thinking about looking for a used BMW 328d X drive as it gets the best highway MPG of any AWD out there, but the lowly gas Impreza is really better when you factor in the cost difference at the pump.

Also an Ecodiesel has been my dream truck, but that as well doesn't make as much sense lately.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I loved getting 21 mpg with my 6 speed 5.9 cummins but in reality getting 17 mpg with my 6.0 gas is costing less per mile. It used to be diesel was less before the ultra low sulfur days, then it creeped up to about 10% higher but this 28% premium is getting silly. Is this the new norm? Is it going to get even worse?

I noticed this as I was thinking about looking for a used BMW 328d X drive as it gets the best highway MPG of any AWD out there, but the lowly gas Impreza is really better when you factor in the cost difference at the pump.

Also an Ecodiesel has been my dream truck, but that as well doesn't make as much sense lately.

Paid $2.44/gal for Diesel in MO. just last weekend.

[rjshiflet]

$2.49 in Terrell, Texas last night heading home. Regular unleaded is running about $1.88.

[formerFR]

2.45 in Perry GA, with unleaded 1.99 maybe

[Hersbird]

I'm just going by the readily available, scientifically researched national average. You know the prices you will see if you say were traveling with an RV.

[rjshiflet]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I'm just going by the readily available, scientifically researched national average. You know the prices you will see if you say were traveling with an RV.

OK - I guess I just missed "national average" in your initial post. I'm not doubting your research but if that's the national average - we here in Texas the the post from Missouri must be on the far bottom end...and somebody is really paying high prices.

[formerFR]

I'll challenge the notion of an 'exact' National Average, as just accumulating the $$$ from each available station has no bearing on whether folks are actually PURCHASING fuel there ... I really don't care what the national average is, as I'm right HERE, not everywhere else. And, if I'm traveling and concerned about the price I'm about to pay for fuel, I will seek out the best pricing for that area - I'm always amazed at the price differences there can be between two different interstate exits, or how far the station is from a major interstate, or the competition in certain geographical or local areas.... without a 'gas buddy' or similar app, it's a real crap shoot, of sorts.

We have a local 'new' truck stop, of the major branding type, with $3.03 diesel...
while one exit later you will have many different local / branded fuel stations, all in the $2.75 range, and a little farther down the road, several in a hot competition area at close to $2.45 ...
if the 'National Average' is using the $3.03 price in their statistics, with an equal weighting to the others, then it's certainly possible that any 'average' is going to be artificially high.

The fact that you, yourself, are questioning fuel prices, tells me that you are like most anyone else - you seek out the best practical price.

[67L48]

Here in Colorado, gasoline is around $2.09/gal and diesel is around $2.79/gal. 6 months ago, gas was in the $2.59 range. It plummeted to as low as $1.80 a few weeks ago, but diesel stayed flat. Yes, it was nearly $1.00/gal more expensive for diesel.

Seems like normal is in the $0.20 - $0.40/gal range. However, since about mid-Nov, gas went down and the gap has been in the $0.60 - $0.90 range. Brutal.

I don't understand commodities, fuel taxes, oil grades, and distillation well enough to understand why gas prices bounce all over the place while diesel stays constant.

[rjshiflet]

Originally Posted by 67L48

I don't understand commodities, fuel taxes, oil grades, and distillation well enough to understand why gas prices bounce all over the place while diesel stays constant.

Nor do I care to understand all that, because even understanding it - it wouldn't change the price by a penny.

[Ejs4029]

Diesel in my area of NC is around $2.59 and regular is $1.99...I still like to compare prices on Gas Buddy to where we lived in Southern CA 2 years ago and It's about a $1 a gallon more for either diesel or gas That is one thing I don't miss about CA.

[Hersbird]

Gas buddy or AAA publish ongoing national averages. Even some of the Texas differences posted above still show an over 25% difference which still makes the initial post valid even if the diesel is below national average, so is the unleaded so the percentage difference is similar. I'm in Montana and it holds up here as well even though our diesel is about $2.80/gal our unleaded is under $2.20.

My big question is this here to stay? The previous big dollar difference in the price was something like $.70/gallon but that was back when both prices were in the $4/gal plus range. That's not as bad a percentage hit, but now that gas is low, the diesel premium is brutal.

[dieselguy]

Most all of us talk about fuel and operating cost, but re-telling what an older guy mentioned to me once … if you are genuinely worried about fuel price and maintenance costs … the RV life is not for you. Not starting the usual banter, but I prefer a diesel no matter what the fuel or maintenance cost is. Having a larger fiver, there's nothing like raw torque of a diesel. Horse Power wins races … torque pulls the load. Now if you pull a 6000# TT, then my preference grows weak.
Diesel here in southern Kansas is $2.49 -$2.59 gal.

[Gsykora]

$2.39 for diesel in Allen Tx yesterday. That was at a station without big rig access. At the big rig station down the block, it was $2.79.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I loved getting 21 mpg with my 6 speed 5.9 cummins but in reality getting 17 mpg with my 6.0 gas is costing less per mile. It used to be diesel was less before the ultra low sulfur days, then it creeped up to about 10% higher but this 28% premium is getting silly. Is this the new norm? Is it going to get even worse?

I noticed this as I was thinking about looking for a used BMW 328d X drive as it gets the best highway MPG of any AWD out there, but the lowly gas Impreza is really better when you factor in the cost difference at the pump.

Also an Ecodiesel has been my dream truck, but that as well doesn't make as much sense lately.

I have never owned a diesel and never will due to not driving a enough miles a year to justify it. Between the extra cost of fuel and the initial cost of the diesel. I'd say a lot of folks here have a need for a diesel for what they tow and miles they may drive. Later RJD

[Gsykora]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I loved getting 21 mpg with my 6 speed 5.9 cummins but in reality getting 17 mpg with my 6.0 gas is costing less per mile. It used to be diesel was less before the ultra low sulfur days, then it creeped up to about 10% higher but this 28% premium is getting silly. Is this the new norm? Is it going to get even worse?

I noticed this as I was thinking about looking for a used BMW 328d X drive as it gets the best highway MPG of any AWD out there, but the lowly gas Impreza is really better when you factor in the cost difference at the pump.

Also an Ecodiesel has been my dream truck, but that as well doesn't make as much sense lately.

I drive an F350 dually and my wife drives a BMW 335D. It's an awesome car. 35MPG, 255HP and 450FT/LBs of torque. Needless to say, it hauls when you put your foot into it. An allwheel drive diesel version would be a great car.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

Most all of us talk about fuel and operating cost, but re-telling what an older guy mentioned to me once … if you are genuinely worried about fuel price and maintenance costs … the RV life is not for you. Not starting the usual banter, but I prefer a diesel no matter what the fuel or maintenance cost is. Having a larger fiver, there's nothing like raw torque of a diesel. Horse Power wins races … torque pulls the load. Now if you pull a 6000# TT, then my preference grows weak.
Diesel here in southern Kansas is $2.49 -$2.59 gal.

I agree with you on the towing side, but the day to day side is where I live and where I really noticed this was shopping for a high MPG highway commuter car. Diesels are the best but not in a cost per mile (again talking not towing) I'm pretty happy with my under 6500 pound camper, heck I think it's too big but the wife is happy. So I don't really need a 3/4 ton or bigger Diesel tow rig.

What sort of ticks me off with these diesel prices is I think they are here to stay and complements of federal government programs trying to discourage averge Joe diesels.

[SailorSam20500]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

My big question is this here to stay? The previous big dollar difference in the price was something like $.70/gallon but that was back when both prices were in the $4/gal plus range. That's not as bad a percentage hit, but now that gas is low, the diesel premium is brutal.

I read an article a while back that talked about this. As I recall, the article claimed that the ratio of regular gas to diesel from fracked oil is significantly different than oil from the "pooled" oil. With fracked, you get more regular. With fracked oil making an increasing percentage of fuel in the US, the article led me to believe that the premium charge for diesel will probably increase.

[ronheater70]

Running about 50 cents +/- a gallon more here than regular unleaded. Worth every extra penny to me. Im amazed at how much price fluctuates between stations here though (just fuel in general).

[Jim34RL]

Originally Posted by aceinspp

I have never owned a diesel and never will due to not driving a enough miles a year to justify it. Between the extra cost of fuel and the initial cost of the diesel. I'd say a lot of folks here have a need for a diesel for what they tow and miles they may drive. Later RJD

I am sorry you feel this way. My wife and I both drive diesel engine vehicles. She has a VW Jetta TDI which in town will get regularly between 30 and 33 MPG. It is our town car, this is over 60,000 miles of fuel data.

I drive my 6.7L Cummins Dodge Ram truck and I see around 14MPG in town and towing I will get between 9.5 and 12 MPG's. The 9.5 MPG fuel mileage was when I cross the Rockies at the Eisenhower tunnel, towing my 34RL Cedar Creek. This is for 124,000 miles of data with 47,000 miles of this data towing.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by SailorSam20500

I read an article a while back that talked about this. As I recall, the article claimed that the ratio of regular gas to diesel from fracked oil is significantly different than oil from the "pooled" oil. With fracked, you get more regular. With fracked oil making an increasing percentage of fuel in the US, the article led me to believe that the premium charge for diesel will probably increase.

The refining process is amazing really. People think we could get rid of "fossil fuel" but the fuel part is less than 1/2 what is in a barrel of crude oil. Basically we need all the other things just as much if not more, and the regular unleaded gas is sort of a byproduct. If we all drove electric cars we would end up still with a lake of gasoline. What saved the whales wasn't a bunch of Greenpeace boats, but the technology advances with crude oil. Also although diesel is an early product in the refining process that doesn't make it less valuable because it is easier. The other products that come off between diesel and gasoline are valuable in their own right. It's better to almost think of diesel being gasoline with expensive additives even though that is backwards.