If you've owned a diesel powered vehicle in the past or if you own one now, you no doubt appreciate the qualities this engine provides you with. More torque, better fuel economy, and easier maintenance are but a few of the attributes of owning diesel powered vehicles.

However, there are some motorists that still complain about the engine's weak power, especially when accelerating from a full stop. What you may not be aware of is the fact that a diesel engine can be tweaked to give more power without harming the fuel economy.

Diesel engines use air compression to create combustion versus the fuel/air mixture that is required by gas engines. This attribute means that diesel engines don't require spark plugs and therefore don't need to be tuned up.

Diesel fuel has a much high fuel density than gas, which results in fuel economy increases of 20 - 30% over gasoline powered vehicles. Diesel engines are also cheaper to maintain as they have less parts than that of a gasoline powered engine. The life span of a diesel engine is also much longer.

If you're looking for torque, for pulling a boat or other equipment, then the diesel engine has the supreme advantage. Diesel engines are surely slower, especially when starting from a dead stop, although when you climb hills or go over bridges, the diesel engine is surely up to the task.

With trucks, diesel is normally the leader over gas engines in terms of performance and miles per gallon. Diesel trucks will get more miles than gas trucks, and the price for diesel is a bit cheaper than gas these days. And with gas prices on the rise, diesel will continue to dominate for a long time to come.