"-It would be my daily driver for now. Work commute is 70 miles round trip at 90% highway
-I drive 15,000-20,000 miles/year"
OP's Words.
Buy at vehicle that "meats" your needs for 70 miles a day commute, 90% highway and 15K-20K miles a year. Not the other 10%!
You don't need a DIESEL to that.
You already own a vehicle that will do far more than the 90% discussed above AND the other 10% can be a compromise when you need it. You already know the 3 Jeeps you had/have are far more capable vehicle to do what you want than you really need for that commute and 90% highway driving.
Sounds like once again you want something NEW and the idea of a "Bigger Vehicle" is a good way to justify in your mind that change to a diesel powered vehicle and the costs that go with that change.
Stay with a GAS vehicle set up for your 90% driving needs!
I look at the same scenario (70 mile commutes @ 90% highway, 15k-20k miles annually) and I have the exact opposite opinion that you do. I think a diesel truck is perfectly suited for that kind of driving style. Diesels, with or without emissions controls, fare better when they have longer drives (as opposed to shorter, stop-and-go trips). That 20k miles annually, while it's not the same mileage that a hot-shotter would see, will realize a tangible benefit with the diesel in the next 5-6 years.
If the OP were doing daily commutes of less than 10 miles and drove less than 10k miles per year, I'd totally agree that diesel would add no value to the OP's experiences. But for his current situation, I think a diesel would work out just fine. That's not to say that he couldn't make a gasoline Ram or Ford work for that same scenario...it comes down to user preference.
OP, my only recommendation is to do your research on the different brands, model lineup's within those brands and different engine options. Pretty much all of the 3/4 ton diesels, and gassers, are well proven at this point, though each one has its inherent quirks. Some of the 1/2 ton diesels have had some hiccups, and honestly so have some of the 1/2 ton gassers. Diesel maintenance will cost slightly more, but if you're considering a 3/4 ton in lieu of a 1/2 ton or midsized truck, that extra maintenance cost will be close to negligible in the grand scheme of things. Repair costs
can be higher for a diesel, but the thing of it is if you don't act like a fool and tune the crap out of your diesel, it should last a very long time before any major work is required. People use that issue as a scare tactic, but the trucking and transport industry will see many of these engines get to 400k-500k miles (consisting of hard towing and work) with little to no problems.
If you're planning to keep the truck for a very long time and anticipate lots of long distance trips, the diesel makes a lot of sense. If you're going to trade this truck in a few years and focus more on short-range/local driving, the gasoline will work and can still offer good performance for the occasional overland trip. Drive a diesel and gasoline variant of which ever truck you're considering and see which one suits you better.
