Hey y'all. Stumbled onto this site today. I have a '96 K1500 LT Suburban with the 5.7 gasser (116K miles). I found a '98 GMC K2500 SLT Sub with the diesel. Truck appears to be in great shape and has 74k on the ticker. Dealer asking just under $16k and will give me $7k for mine. I use my truck to haul family and 6'x14' enclosed trailer containing an HD Road King, kids bikes, fishing poles, etc. at least twice a year from VA to FL. Looking for any advice, things to watch out for, etc. Also wondering if anyone here would take this deal. All help would be appreciated. Thanks..

In all honestness......stick with a gasser.

The 6.5 has some reliability issues that you'll never see in a gasser.

Look for a late model 6.0 or 8.1 and enjoy a reliable Suburban with just a few less mpg that runs on cheaper fuel.


I've seen too many mid '90's 6.5's die an early death while your 5.7 can easily surpass 250K miles without removing a valve cover.

SubFan, i know what your going through with the thoughts....gas or diesel. i had the same dilemma and needed to pull a trailer.

you can do alot to a gas motor for about the same price as a diesel motor, but with anything else, what do you want in the end as a result?

I started playing with my burban early this year and LOVE it. to be all honest, i am a Ford man at heart, right down with the Ford logo tattoo!

this question you have gas or diesel will be looked at from both sides all the way to the end.

I would honestly have to say if i was to buy another vehicle, i would look for a late model burban as the one your looking at. there is SOOOOO many good points with them. don't be afraid of it, as with ANYTHING that has a motor, it all depends on how you take care of it.

if you get this new ride, maintenance it and have a few hundred thousand miles ahead of you. i put 35K on mine in a year, and only had to change a PMD (Pump Mounted Driver) that was out of any scheduled maintenance i was planning on. this does not mean to drop 2K in it when you get it, but just make sure it is up to date. with that low of miles, your new burban will be in the family and your kids will be driving it to school in 10 years.

my 94 suburban has 207K on the clock, and i am not afraid to drive it around the good olé USA at the drop of a dime.

let us know what you decide to do.

just a few less mpg that runs on cheaper fuel.



I disagree. I average over 16 mpg with a lot of around town driving. Try that with a gasser suburban.

There are some threads on this already here (http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39476) and here (http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39495).

How much wieght is your trailer? Sounds like it's not much challenge for your gasser at the moment.

Fuel prices are so unstable, it's hard to pin point out from here what will be cheaper, and what won't be. About 18 months ago, diesel was way cheaper than gas, then it spiked higher, now it's back around the middle grade price (at least in this geographic area.) MPG's will depend upon driving style and rear gearing.

With the experience we've had with a 6.5 in my Fathers '95 Suburban, and the same experiences seen by MANY on these forums, there will NEVER be a day that I recommend a 6.5 diesel over a gasser.

Ask me this same question 4-5 years ago, and I was just the opposite. If you look at the money these 6.5 guys spend over the life of the truck just to keep them reliable and up to the power level of a big block, it's just sad. It's not until you step back and look at the whole picture that you see these things.

Sure, you'll never see 16mpg city with a gasser. But SubFan never asked about fuel mileage, and with his light trailer, I feel a diesel isn't a necessity.

Subfan, I was in the same delema that you are in, except that my trailer is 7,000 lbs. I made the switch and have not regreted it for a second. 1994 350 TBI 1500 to a 1995 6.5 Turbo 2500. The 1995 has 217,000 miles on it and runs like a champ. I am a tinkerer, I love to work on cars. This is a good combination for this vehicle. If you are the type who takes your car to the dealer every time it burps you may want to stick with the gasser. Since my 1995 has 4.10 gears the mileage is about the same as the gasser, but a lot better than a 454 with 3.73 and I have better power. But I have upgraded mine and am a diesel fanatic, that is just my 2 cents.

Since it's a '98 get a service history report. GM will sell you a truck that's known for blowing the engine ('97-'00 with the oil channels) and if it's an original it could have cracks in the block waiting to go on you and then GM will act like it's your problem as far as I know they don't replace blown engines for free. I'd make them drop the oil pan and whipe the block with thinner to see what cracks there were.

In all honestness......stick with a gasser.

The 6.5 has some reliability issues that you'll never see in a gasser.

Look for a late model 6.0 or 8.1 and enjoy a reliable Suburban with just a few less mpg that runs on cheaper fuel.


I've seen too many mid '90's 6.5's die an early death while your 5.7 can easily surpass 250K miles without removing a valve cover.

Hmm. Well, maybe good ol Lawnbow should do some more research on how these things work. With the right guages, and a few enhancements the 6.5 is an excellent motor. If you drive any diesel like a gasser, it will give you problems. Have you priced out parts for you 6.0 or an 8.1 lately???:eek:

Hmm. Well, maybe good ol Lawnbow should do some more research on how these things work. With the right guages, and a few enhancements the 6.5 is an excellent motor. If you drive any diesel like a gasser, it will give you problems. Have you priced out parts for you 6.0 or an 8.1 lately???:eek:

i totally agree! just maintance what you get, and any diesel on the market will out last a gasser motor.

With the experience we've had with a 6.5 in my Fathers '95 Suburban, and the same experiences seen by MANY on these forums, there will NEVER be a day that I recommend a 6.5 diesel over a gasser.

lawnboy, do you have a diesel motor to play with, or are you going by 2nd hand knowledge from your dad?

i know that the actual diesel owner/user has a different outlook than a stander-by watching the maintnance or upgrades.

I disagree. I average over 16 mpg with a lot of around town driving. Try that with a gasser suburban.

I get 18 with my 1/2 ton 1999 5.7 gasser. And that with 6 kids and the wife, loaded with luggage at about 65-70 MPH.

BUT I'd still rather have a 3/4 ton diesel one myself

ALSO If it is coming from a Dealer you might get a warrenty plan thrown in to boot in case the worst things happen. I did that on my 1999 gasser just in case.
I have owned 5 suburban's over the past 15 yeare or so and loved them all. (3 diesels and 2 gassers)

Aren't the prices a bit odd? I don't know much about the prices on the US market, but giving only 7k for your gasser with only 116k on it and taking 16k for the Diesel (With how many miles on it?), being only 2 years younger, doesn't sound like a great deal.

How long will it take for you until the deal would pay out? If your looking for reasoning, that would be something to consider. I can't tell anything about how much trouble a Diesel will give you compared to a gasser considering Suburbans, but regardless of that, my experience is that when buying a used car, it takes about 1-1/2 to 2 years to get it into the condition you want it to be in, both by doing repairs and, if you are inclined to, by doing minor and/or major mods to it. Switching cars is always the same story of giving away a vehicle you know for getting another one that's unknown.

When comparing gassers and Diesels in general, I'd say that a Diesel engine gives you much less trouble. There's every now and then something coming up anew that needs to be repaired on a gasser while a Diesel will just run, once initial problems, so there, have been thoroughly fixed.

Think of it as a Diesel engine being able to run on itself once it has been started and of a gasser as an engine constantly needing the help of ignition by spark plugs and such. Diesel engines are for working --- gassers are, well, for going fast, maybe? If the Diesels won't work, you won't find them virtually everywhere where work is to be done and reliability a serious premise.

Have you ever been passenger on a larger ship (a ferry, for example) and experienced the feeling of the large Diesels, running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, somewhere deep beneath your feet? Imagine some gassers running there instead ... (Though ship engines are burning heavy oil, they are still Diesels.) It's a great feeling and the reason why I like riding on ferries in the first place :)

What's that about 97-00 engines blowing up? Damn it I thought it was al good to have the 97 as It has the cooling all the pre 97'ers upgrade to and the round air filter and stuff... Is the 97 up engine something i shouldn't think too much about upgrading?

Thats exactly what I have. My gas mileage averages about 16 mpg.

If you do decide to purchase it, GET AN EXTENDED WARRANTY from the dealer. Of course then you wont be able to do much (if any) mods or they will void the warranty, as they are always looking for an out it seems.

Here's what I've come up with... I went back and took another look at the truck.. I started to go through the paperwork in the glove box and found 6 receipts from state inspections. 4 of the six had different license plate numbers on them but all had the same VIN number as the truck. This leads me to believe that there have been at least 4 different owners in the last 6 years. That does not bode well for the truck. It appears that several people were unhappy with it and may be the reason that a 7 year old diesel only has 74,000 miles on it. Most of my friends with diesels drive the dog pee-pee out of them.
It is hard for me to justify getting rid of my '96 gasser. I have only spent about $700.00 in repairs outside of standard maintenance (Wiper motor, leaking rear axle seals, turn signal circuit board)!! I took the gasser out when I went to look at the diesel but ended up falling in love with the old girl once again. :) What I have decided to do (and unbelievably talked my wife into) is to keep my beloved gasser and get a pickup. Man, life is good right now! I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you who responded! You folks are the ones that make this site what it is. Thanks again...

P.S. Anybody know of a good used diesel pickup truck for sale?

at least your not afraid to get a diesel now! you will be totally happy with one.

I get 18 with my 1/2 ton 1999 5.7 gasser. And that with 6 kids and the wife, loaded with luggage at about 65-70 MPH.

BUT I'd still rather have a 3/4 ton diesel one myself
Best I have done is 8 people, 2200 lb. trailer, everyone's luggage, going 70-80 mph with the air conditioning on, and those goddam long hills thru Maine and New Brunswick on the way to Nova Scotia, I got a little under 19 mpg. Gotta love it

Try getting 22 mpg in a gas Burb packed with 5 people and towing a small boat over Stevens Pass. My 6.5 Burb went 400 miles on half a tank during my latest road trip. Believe it.

On the flip side I have well over $2000 worth of parts in her since buying her a year ago. Good thing I do all my own work, otherwise I would have over $10000 in repairs invested in her by now. If you enjoy working on your own car, then by all means buy a 6.5 TD. If on the other hand you are looking for reliable tow vehical then I would steer clear. The 6.5 is a light duty diesel, suitable for daily driving, not heavy towing.

Of course, I own two 6.5 TD’s, so I must b e a gluten for punishment. I have a Burb and a Yukon, and I love them both.