Hey Guys,

I heard on the news, new cars sales are at a record high since the economic turn down. As such, 1-3 year old used cars are a "deal" now.

I've been interested in a Mega-cab diesel for awhile. What MPG have you guys been getting with the 5.9 and 6.7 engines? I heard the 6.7 got worse, and higher maintenance cost's with the new emissions stuff.

Is there a preferred year for the 5.9 for power/economy/reliability? 6.7?

While most of my usage will be towing, I was considering 4WD for the rare instance I get stuck in the mud. What is the mileage difference if you add 4WD?

Thanks for your input!!

Since you are looking for a mega cab you have to buy an 06 or early 07 to get a 5.9. Mileage will vary depending on how fast you drive and how heavy of a load you are pulling. On a stock truck Id expect 12 to 14 towing and 15 to 20 mpg empty. This is actual mileage and not what the lie-o-meter says on the overhead. A 6.7 will get less mileage than a 5.9 in stock form due to the emissions crap on them. If you dont have emmissions testing in your area and end up with a 6.7, by all means delete the DPF and EGR. You will not regret it. Mileage will jump to 5.9 levels or better. I own a 6.7 4x4 6spd after owning 5 previous 5.9s and have no complaints with it. The first thing I did was remove all the emmisions garb. Installed a H&S tuner and it gets great mileage with plenty of pulling power. The only downside is the initial cost of the the tuner. You will need a Smarty, H&S XRT pro, or EFI live to make the truck function properly with the emmissions crap removed. The tuners have went up in price significantly in the last year or so. As for the 4x2 vs. 4x4, Id go with the 4x4 for resale reasons, and secondly because a 2wd diesel pickup will get stuck on level ground if its the least bit slick. They are helpless. .

My opinion is Jason nailed it. I got an 06 mega cab specifically for the 5.9 without all the crazy emissions. I'm running efi live and my truck runs stronger, cleaner and better on mileage if I can stay out of it.

Thanks guys!!!

w/ what they said. Definitely get a 4x4...a 2wd diesel will nearly get stuck on wet grass. Not to mention resale value...2wd trucks take a huge hit.

My only input is that the G56 6-speed is junk, it cannot handle the torque of the 6.7 if you do any heavy towing at all. I sure loved the power and smoothness of the 6.7 and really didn't notice much of a difference in MPG. I really hate the 06-up interiors compared to the 04-05 and the looks of the bugeye headlights don't help the 06-up too.

I've owned mine for 2 months now. Love it.

06, 5.9, Megacab, 4x4. previous owner lifted the front end via leveling kit, added 12.5x35" tires.

I bought it with 87k miles, right at $30k.

This thing is a tank. with these tires, it rolls right through anything and keeps on going. Mileage seems to be around 16, although the lie-o-meter says 19.5 at times. I did add a smarty jr POD within 2 weeks of owning it because I got a good deal on it. I'm leaving it on level 2 for now, because the guys on the cummins forums say that with a bone stock auto trans, level 2 is safe, level 3 has potential to break the trans. On level 2, it picked up a tad on mileage as long as you keep the RPM below 1800, even when accelerating. mash the go-pedal, and it'll spit out a small cloud of smoke then clear up once the turbo spools, and it pulls smooth and strong all the way to 80 (and would keep on pulling, but I have no need to take a 7,000 lb truck faster than 80)