As a new Diamondback Explorer owner, I really don't think it needs any further buffs. It is in a great position and has numerous advantages over the AspX:
- Superior jump range ~4-5LY more with similar outfitting. There are places the DBX can get that the AspX will never reach because of this (of course the Anaconda beats both!).
- Much better acceleration/deceleration over the AspX. You throttle to zero on the AspX and it's a long wait before you hit zero. Trying to come to a stop fast with the AspX on a High-G world is definitely a lot more exciting!
- Better heat dissipation - Landing on hot planets like 'Skardee I' should be a little easier.
- Smaller profile - Finding a spot to land on convoluted terrain is easier with the DBX.
- Much cheaper (IMO, with the new buffs in place, it should be closer to the AspX in terms of price).
Regarding the fuel scoop disadvantages, it isn't quite as bad as it seems when you consider the range advantages. As you know, fuel efficiency rapidly increases when you use less then the full jump distance.
For example my DBX can jump 58.87LY, and my AspX can jump 52.20LY (It has a light combat fit, which is why even with a superior jump drive it is > 5LY jump distance).
If my DBX jumps 58.87LY I will need to replace the 5T fuel lost with the 4A fuel scoop. At 0.342T/sec this is 14.6 seconds worth of scooping per full jump.
If my DBX jumps the same distance as my AspX (52.20LY), I will only need to replace 3.3T Fuel, which is 9.6 seconds worth of scooping per jump.
My AspX comes with a 6B fuel scoop (0.752T/sec); It's FSD is fantastic; and it comes with a buff to maximum fuel consumed (5.14T/jump instead of 5T/jump). For each full jump I make in the AspX, it needs 6.8 seconds to replace the lost fuel.
Of course, we currently do not have the in game tools to set a maximum jump distance/fuel consumption per jump (this would be awesome FD!) ...however you quickly grow used to the slower scooping rate.
In my opinion, if the DBX had a bigger scoop, the one big advantage the AspX has over the DBX vanishes; and while there are other smaller advantages the AspX holds over the DBX (for example the views are still a little nicer in the AspX IMO), there isn't really any obvious reasons for which to purchase the AspX, when you can have the DBX for cheaper with all these great advantages.
I like the balancing changes the DBX recieved. I thought at the time that the weight reduction on the DBX would make the AspX obsolete so made my way home to engineer my AspX further and build a brand new DBX. After much engineering, I found a few more things that I liked about the AspX that I never noticed until flying the DBX.
As it stands, I really like having two fantastic explorer ships that both have me scatching my head when I decide to take one out for a journey into the black (I'm currently in the DBX 8,200LY+ from home at the moment).
The DBX is a fantastic ship now, there isn't really any reason to buff it any further (Unless some new FD content upgrade has us craving an additional slot again!).
EDIT: I've been messing around with the hyperspace equation quite a bit recently, and I think that the figure I posted of 3.3T of Fuel per 52.20LY in my DBX is too low. The new numbers say it should be ~3.7T with a full tank of gas (3.4T when only enough fuel for a single jump (AKA Max jump range)), which means scooping for 10.8s instead of 9.6s. I'm not completely convinced I have the figures 100% right, so my apologies about that.
