This poll is a topic sure to stoke the fires of gearheads and has likely caused many arguments at family backyard barbecues. Are you a gas or diesel fan? Both have their definite advantages off-road. Both have their definite disadvantages off-road. Both have their staunch defenders.

Gas powered machines can keep the revs high in the power band, perfect for slicing through desert dunes. Go-juice enjoys wider availability and can be found at nearly every filling station in the country. A jerry can of the stuff can not only provide a few extra miles of travel if you drain the main tank but can also be used in the many other toys you’ve likely taken along on the trip.

Diesel rigs can take advantage of prodigious torque at engine speeds barely off idle, allowing drivers to simply flex their big toe in order to make their way over that rock. Diesel die-hards will argue that their machines can go more miles on a gallon of their stuff, not to mention the manly spectre of a diesel engine note.

Disadvantages? Diesel ownership isn’t easy on the wallet, with dealers charging a premium for the powertrain upfront. Running costs will also leave a smoking hole in your wallet. It’s not uncommon for a simple oil change to be twice the price of the same service provided to a gasoline-powered engine.

Gasoline has its minuses as well, primarily in their inability to haul and tow compared to their diesely cousins. It is also a commonly held belief that a gas powertrain will give up the ghost long before a diesel machine stops adding miles to its odometer.

It’s easy to say that there’s no right answer … but this topic will likely prove otherwise. Hardcore fans exist on both sides of the fence. What side are you on?