What pickup would you get if you were in my shoes???

Not bad mouthing, just simply stating facts. The EPA has a specific way they test vehicles to provide baselines. If you want to compare, you compare the standards which is the EPA numbers. But as I mentioned before, fuel economy is typically a wash. When gas prices fell the diesel prices stayed high much longer before they finally came down, but they are still more than regular gas costs. Its like me comparing the MPG of my supercharged civic that requires premium fuel. Yea it gets 29-30mpg, but the gas always costs more. So the cost per mile ends up being more or about the same. If you are comparing the Taco to the regular Colorado, then you have a valid argument for efficiency, but in this case the difference is neglible and would not result in a savings. Oh and for the record I WANT a diesel and considered the Twins as an option. But the MPG would in no way be a savings and the little bit I tow would not warrant me needing a diesel. Cant compare apples to oranges and then say grapes are better

 

I can tell you here Diesel is the same price as regular, and it will be going lower each year. Because all New England states including New York are now running incentives to convert homes from Heating Oil to CNG. That means millions of barrels of Diesel will not be used in winters, but Diesel production will have to stay up because of government. Diesel in couple years will be dirt cheap fuel.

 

If I wanted a truck for towing and payload I wouldve bought an older used full size. I never tow even close to that amount or load the bed down with tons of crap. Theres no burn there

 

Where is "here" because everywhere I have been between pennsylvania and georgia, diesel is more expensive

 

I don't know about PA but "here" is the same price. Today was $2.40 a gallon in my local place same as regular that I bought for my truck.
And It will keep going down. Heating oil (Diesel with out road Tax) is $1.89 right now.

 

Gas here is around 1.99-2.05/gallon. Diesel is about 2.29

 

When I quit the construction biz, I got rid of my 3/4 Ton....and honestly, even that wasn't big enough for our biz...used box vans and 2.5 ton dumps mostly for carrying materials, and Tri-Axle Macks for hauling the earth moving equipment.

Even when I did work construction, I started buying Toyota Trucks for a DD, and an off-roader play rig. Even today it does fine for 98% of the stuff I do, except for traveling/camping. Think I am just going to buy a dedicated camp/travel rig, for what I want/need to carry I blow past payload on the Tacoma's and even the 1/2 tons.

 

So that your difference but here we get most fuel from Canada and Europe and we pay higher taxes to not have tolls. Also I bet your fuel does not have to work at Cold temps like ours.
With cold winter I get almost 30% drop in MPG on my gasoline vehicles (due to blend, cold temp affecting viscosity etc) and just 2-3 winter months would blow my Gas mileage. To give you idea. My CR-v goes from 30-28 MPG in July to 20-19 MPG at the end of January and thats a 4 cylinder.

 

Going to have to ring its' neck to get that thing up the hill.

 

Oh GOD..... Listened to 10 seconds of it. It was too long.

 

Yeah, for towing I think I'd buy a used 2nd Gen 4.0 and save myself a bunch of money.