A Fuel-Friendly Truck

If your business can't function without a full-size pickup, you might want to consider Ford's 2008 F-350 Super Duty vehicle, which houses the industry's first clean-diesel truck engine. (Although costlier than gasoline in some parts of the country, ultra-low sulfur, or clean, diesel fuel is 30 percent to 35 percent more fuel efficient than gasoline.) Diesel engines also have greater power and acceleration, and the F-350's 6.4-liter, V-8 turbo-diesel engine pumps out 350 horsepower with 650 pounds per foot of torque at 2,000 RPM, tows 24,000 pounds and has a payload capacity of more than 6,000 pounds. The 2008 model starts at $38,990. Some good alternatives include the Dodge Ram 3500 and GMC Sierra 3500.

Jill Amadio is an international award-winning automotive journalist and author

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