1991 Suburban or 1987 Ford F250 6.9 IDI?

I'm looking for a new truck, it would be my first truck and second vehicle.

I have a friend that is selling his 1991 Suburban 2500 for around $1500, it has the fuel injected 350 and around 189k miles

I'm also looking into getting a 1987 Ford F250 with the 6.9 IDI diesel, the prices I have found for some near me is around $1500-$2000

Which of these would be a better choice for a second vehicle? I know neither will get very good gas mileage, though the diesel will get better mpg than the gas 350 but, how about towing capability? I won't need to tow anything massive, probably nothing more than like a flatbed with 2-3 ATV s on it, but I d like to have the capability to tow something should the need arise, how would the Suburban fare against the F250?

Don't start a Ford vs Chevy flame war either please, I know people can be very passionate about these things, I personally prefer Chevy but after driving my dad s 1999 F350 7.3 I have grown more fond of Ford.

I would go with Ford, I'm sure it's still a great truck. Originally appearing as the F-2 in 1953, the Ford F-250 has been a fixture on the truck scene for over 50 years, engaging drivers with its burly image and workmanlike capability. An uncompromising favorite, the F-250 is that full-size pickup that does more than just carry its weight; it also carries with it a long-standing tradition of providing the strength and availability that its drivers find to be absolutely necessary.

What are you going to mostly use this truck for? Hauling people or stuff?

You did not state whether they were 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive.

The Suburban with a 350 engine your looking at single digits in mpg around town if 4x4. 2 wheel drive will get you 14 mpg if everything is tuned up correctly and there's no injection problems. You also forgot to mention if the Suburban was a 150 or 250, and there were a few 350 floating around as well. This will not only change the mpg but will definitely change what you can tow.

The Ford F-250 is a work truck. If it is 2 wheel drive, and not many of them were, it could get you up to 28 mpg if you install a turbo. You're looking at 17 mpg if your not willing to throw on a turbo though. Towing capacity even though it is a 250 can be really ramped up though, with a couple thousand dollars and a days work. You can put on the turbo and add Jake brakes to the engine, then put on a set of overload springs as you now have a truck that can pull it and stop it.

My neighbor had an F-250 that he done this to, and he could haul a 40 foot gooseneck horse trailer with 18 700-800 pound cows in it with no problems at all. Which is nearly 8 tons = 16,000 pounds. You will not get any Suburban to do that.