Life Expectancy of a 6.5 L Diesel

[bmac]

You see alot of pre-owned H1s advertised that have realtively low mileage for that particular model year vehicle. 30K, 40K, 50K miles on a vehicle that is 4 to 8 years old. Personally, I have only purchased 1 used vehicle, but it was only for fun - not a daily driver (MGB). But I don't think I would ever consider buying a used vehicle with a gas engine with this type of mileage.

I know historically, diesels have a reputation for lasting a long time. 200K miles and more is not unreasonable. Are the 6.5 l turbo diesels in the H1 likely to enjoy a similar life expectancy if properly maintained? Hummer seems to have used the same engine for some time so I would guess that durability has factored into this. My thoughts are that a diesel is just getting broken in good at 30K miles.

I've been on the fence re: buying an H2. Just out of curiosity,(as a response to some posts I have seen on this forum) I've been checking E-Bay and have seen some 97 to 2001 models with realitively low mileage that appear in the photographs to have been well-cared for. Many of these can be purchased for the same or lower price than a new H2. So, the idea of owning a brute-force, take-no-prisoners, you-don't-see-one-everyday truck like the H1 for a price in the mid $50K is on the surface appealing. And I am fully aware of the reputation the H1 has for being a money pit, rough riding, noisey behemoth. But they look so cool I'm having a hard time putting these crazy thoughts to reat. I put less that 8K miles/year on a vehicle so its not like I've got a long commute to work each day. Parking is a non-issue (at work) and my kids would love it (can't say the same for the wife).

Would 70K miles on a 97 model scare you? 50K on a 99 model? In other words, at what point do you consider the mileage risky on the H1?

I know that a vehicle that is intended for off-road use could have a history that may make generalizations impossible. I also realize that there are probably many of these trucks that have only seen asphalt. Therefore, I hope some meaningful feedback is available here.

Thanks in advance.