Cars.com Test Real World Fuel Economy For Silverado 1500 Duramax Diesel

Most people think of diesel vehicles as either massive, heavy-duty work trucks or European sedans. However, Chevrolet has offered their much loved 3.0-liter Duramax diesel in more “normal” trucks, such as the Silverado 1500 and the Colorado, over the past few years. Buyers have been warming up to the idea of a truck that can get 20 or more miles per gallon in the city and nearly 30 mpg on the highway. That being said, some people prefer conventional gas engines because of the price of diesel versus gasoline or some outdated stereotype of diesel cars from way back when.

A Battle Of The Engines

So which should you buy, a Turbo 4-cylinder, V8, or inline-six diesel Silverado? Cars.com took that exact question as a challenge to know which engine they would prefer if they were shopping for a new Silverado 1500. They decided to take the new ZR2 off-road monster equipped with the 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel inline-6 that produces 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque after already having tested the fuel economy of the 6.2-liter V8 option previously. 

The Driving Route

Cars.com chose a 200-mile loop that saw a mix of normal traffic with some 70-75 mph highway cruising for their test. Not long after the journey began, Cars.com noted, “After the first 46 miles of suburban street stop-and-go, the trip computer was telling me I’d achieved 25.8 mpg with an average speed of 38 mph, considerably better than the truck’s official 20 mpg rating. A quick reset of one of the two trip computers and the next 162 miles registered at 22.2 mpg at an average speed of 72.7 mph, pretty much matching the 22 mpg the EPA says the truck should achieve. Overall, the 207.5-mile loop saw the truck return a vehicle-calculated 22.9 mpg at an average speed of 58 mph, better than the rating of 21 mpg.”

Is The ZR2 The Right Truck?

Would the Silverado ZR2 be the right truck for you then? Cars.com seems to think so: “So yes, the big diesel-powered off-road 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2, with its aerodynamic-killing lift kit, knobby 33-inch Goodyear Territory M/T off-road tires, scoops, flaps, and flow-through Bow-Tie-badged grille actually does achieve some right decent fuel economy out in the real world. The city number is particularly impressive, averaging nearly 26 mpg in steady around-town driving on suburban Detroit streets; that’s better fuel economy than a 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI is rated to get in the city in a far more massive vehicle (with admittedly different capabilities).”

Diesel Or Gas?

When tasked with making a final decision, it didn’t seem like the review website had much deliberation to do, saying, “Unless diesel fuel is ridiculously expensive or hard to come by where you are, the Duramax version of the new ‘24 Silverado 1500 ZR2 is the one to get. Spending extra for the gas engine, which makes nearly the same power and gets worse fuel economy, doesn’t make much sense — especially when the diesel is just so outstanding to drive, on-road or off.”

The Silverado Is Safe

The Chevy Silverado comes standard with Chevy Safety Assist, which features Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Following Distance Indicator, Forward Collision Alert, and IntelliBeam auto high beams.

No matter the Silverado you decide on, Chevrolet of Spring Valley will have you covered. 

At Chevrolet of Spring Valley, we take great pride in offering the best Chevrolet cars, trucks, and SUVs for you. We have dozens of new and used vehicles to choose from, and our fantastic sales team and finance department will work to help you get the best price possible. Our excellent service department will work tirelessly to ensure your car is kept in the best condition. 

We look forward to serving you soon.