Keeping the Duramax Diesel Sets the Chevy Silverado Ahead
We’ve had to say goodbye to so many diesel engines. However, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 decided to keep the Duramax diesel around while providing significant improvements. Now the Chevy Silverado 1500 Duramax diesel has a crucial advantage.
The 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500 Duramax diesel has the best fuel economy
The numbers are in and the 2024 Chevy Silverado Durmax diesel is the truck with the best fuel economy. It’s the most fuel-efficient full-size truck you can buy. It gets better mileage than the Ford F-150 Hybrid and the Toyota Tundra Hybrid.
The Silverado Duramax diesel gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg in the city, up to 29 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg combined.
With the Ford F-150 Hybrid, you get an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city and up to 26 mpg on the highway. The Toyota Tundra Hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 19mpg in the city and up to 23 mpg on the highway.
Also, the Duramax has a range of about 528 miles between fillups, allowing you to skip the gas station more often.
The turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six Duramax diesel engine cranks out 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. With the Duramax, you can tow up to 13,000 lbs and carry a payload of up to 2,280 lbs.
While the 2024 Silvardo has an MSRP of $36,800, the cheapest model with the Duramax diesel is the LT 2WD model. It starts at $49.995, then upgrading to the Duramax engine increases the cost to $52,385.
So that’s a $15,585 upgrade cost to go from the basic Silverado to the most affordable option with the Duramax engine. It could take years to break even with gas savings. Adding 4×4 is another $3,300.
The 2024 Silverado is primarily a carryover model, but the Duramax engine is now available with the ZR2 off-road oriented trim.
In 2023, the Duramax engine was retuned to provide more power, gained new pistons, a revised combustion bowl, and new fuel injectors to enhance its performance.
While keeping the diesel engine alive provides the best fuel economy, it does come with expensive upgrade costs.
