The Cheapest Diesel Pickup Truck Is Dead, Here’s What You’ll Pay for a Diesel in 2024
The cheapest 2023 diesel pickup truck is the Jeep Gladiator equipped with Ram’s EcoDiesel V6 ($47,240). But Jeep finally killed that engine option. In 2024, you’ll pay $55k+ for a diesel pickup truck–whether you go with a light-duty or heavy-duty. There’s an interesting reason these vastly different truck classes will start at nearly identical prices.
Jeep just killed the diesel Gladiator
Jeep announced it’s killing its diesel Gladiator pickup truck by the end of 2023. The Gladiator was the last vehicle available with Stellantis’ “EcoDiesel” engine and the last diesel midsize pickup truck on the market. This signals the end of an era, to say the least.
Since 2014, Ram has offered a 3.0-liter “EcoDiesel” turbocharged V6 in its half-ton trucks. Jeep briefly offered the third-generation EcoDiesel (2020-present) in its Wrangler SUVs. It stretched the Wrangler into its midsize Gladiator pickup truck, and offered the Jeep Gladiator with an EcoDiesel as well.
The lowest trim Gladiator available with the EcoDiesel is the Willys Sport. True to its name, the EcoDiesel V6 gets 22 city/28 highway mpg (24 combined) in the Gladiator pickup truck. This engine only makes 260 horsepower, but also boasts 480 lb-ft of torque and a 6,500 lb maximum tow rating.
How much does a 2024 diesel pickup truck cost?
Manufacturers have yet to release their 2024 MSRPs, but you likely won’t be able to get into a diesel pickup truck for under $55k in 2024. Currently, the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado–with its 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel I6–starts at $54,635. The heavy-duty 2023 Silverado 2500 upgraded with a 6.6-liter Duramax will set you back $55,910.
One of these trucks is a light-duty full-size with an engine co-developed by Opel for maximum fuel efficiency. The other is a heavy-duty monster with a maximum towing capacity of 18,500 lbs. How could their prices be so similar?
While Chevrolet does build a stripped-down Silverado 1500 Work Truck (WT), you can’t upgrade it with the 3.0-liter Duramax I6. To get this engine, you must opt for the Silverado 1500 LT, which only comes with larger four-door cabs. As a result, you’re looking at $54,635 minimum. We fully expect this number to come up $1k or more for the truck’s 2024 MSRP. But the Silverado 1500 will almost certainly still be the cheapest diesel pickup truck.
Heavy-duty Silverado 2500 customers, on the other hand, are much more likely to opt for a diesel. You can order the 6.6-liter Duramax V8 turbodiesel on a range of trims, including two-door work trucks. So even though it’s a $9k+ option, you can get into one for $55k.
How much do Ram and Ford diesel trucks cost?
A 2023 Ford Super Duty with the 6.7-liter PowerStroke turbodiesel V8 starts at $55,860. A 2023 heavy-duty Ram 2500 with the Cummins 6.7-liter turbodiesel I6 begins at $57,165.
It’s no mistake that all the heavy-duty diesel pickup trucks on the market have such similar MSRPs, and even engine sizes. Their outputs are neck-and-neck as well. The truth is that while private truck buyers may have an allegiance to one brand or another, the fleet operators buying most heavy-duty trucks can’t afford to be so sentimental. They must make their decisions based on bottom line alone.
This is also why work truck prices have stayed relatively low for several years. After the global supply chain issues of the past two years, 2023 MSRPs finally shot up several thousand–across the segment. Let’s hope prices don’t increase too much more for 2024’s diesel pickup trucks.
Next, find out the cheapest full-size 4WD pickup truck available or see General Motor’s 3.0-liter Duramax’s towing capacity tested in the video below:
