Get to Know Chevy’s Diesel Engines

For some people, one engine is as good as another––as long as their vehicle can get them to where they need to go, there’s not much to worry about. But for others, especially people looking for great new or used Chevy diesel trucks, the engine means a lot more than just about any other part of the vehicle. With a powerful truck, the engine is the beating heart of the machine that not only keeps you going but is responsible for helping you get work done or for getting the most out of a weekend camping trip in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests.

While all of Chevy’s engines are impressive, the legacy of their diesel engines––particularly the modern Duramax line––is really something else. These are engines that redefine what we’ve come to expect from a diesel truck and deliver impressive power and performance for years of use. Best of all, Chevy has included these impressive engines in their trucks for decades now, so you can find a lot of them in used pickups that are still in great shape. Let’s take a look at the legacy of power and performance that goes into each of these trucks and get a sense of what they have to offer.

The Modern Duramax Lineup

One of the remarkable aspects of Chevy diesel trucks these days is that there isn’t only one engine offered across their lineup. Just looking at their consumer vehicles, not including commercial trucks and similar models, there are three different diesel engines available. This is important as it indicates that Chevy recognizes there’s no single perfect fit for all types of vehicles. Since these engines are offered on not only their trucks but also a couple different SUV models, it really creates an opportunity for each model to have the right engine.

The midsize Chevy Colorado is available with a 2.8L Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine that delivers 181 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The full-size Silverado and several SUV models, specifically the Tahoe and Suburban, are available with a 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine that offers 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque––even though these are such large vehicles, that much power makes them a lot of fun to drive. Finally, there’s the 6.6L Duramax Turbo-Diesel offered on the Chevy Silverado HD series trucks, which is paired with a fantastic Allison transmission for incredible performance and efficiency. When it comes to power, the 6.6L delivers 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque.

These engines have been offered for several years now, so you’ll find them on late-model used Chevy trucks and SUVs. There have been updates and improvements on Chevy’s diesel engines over the years, of course, so as you look at used models here at Rick Hendrick Buick GMC Duluth, you’ll want to pay attention to what is in them and how much power they can deliver. You might’ve noticed that all three engines in Chevy’s Duramax lineup are turbo-diesel options, which is not a coincidence.

Pure Power from Turbo-Diesel Design

Sometimes, when you look at information about the auto industry or certain models, it can be hard to differentiate something meaningful from marketing terms or hype. When it comes to the “Turbo-Diesel” label of the Duramax engines available on Chevy trucks, however, the term is very important and makes a difference. That’s because all of these engines feature a turbocharger that boosts their performance and efficiency for a better overall driving experience.

Without getting too deep into the technical aspects of how it all works, the turbocharger on these Duramax engines essentially uses exhaust gasses that would normally be wasted. These gasses are used to drive a turbine that forces more air into the engine, allowing a smaller engine to produce much more power than it would normally. Best of all, this boosts efficiency even further for these engines; diesel engines are already well known for their efficiency since they require less fuel for combustion, but the turbocharger improves on that.

This boost to efficiency can be pretty dramatic. For example, let’s take a look at a 2020 Chevy Silverado with rear-wheel drive and the estimated fuel efficiency it can get with the standard 2.7L gas engine compared to the available 3.0L diesel engine:

• 2.7L Gas: 20 MPG City / 23 MPG Highway
• 3.0L Diesel: 23 MPG City / 33 MPG Highway

You can see the difference, especially on the highway, is fairly massive. If you do a lot of highway driving each day, then a diesel truck is going to deliver incredible fuel economy far beyond any other standard pickup. That’s not the only benefit that a Chevy truck with a diesel engine has to offer, of course, but it can make a big difference for daily driving.

The Diesel Difference

Since diesel engines use compression combustion rather than ignition combustion like gasoline engines, they don’t have spark plugs. This is part of what contributes to their excellent efficiency, but it also means there’s one less thing to worry about for maintenance. In fact, overall, servicing and maintaining a diesel engine is just as easy, sometimes even easier, than with a standard gas engine. This is why Chevy offers a 5-year/100,000-mile warranty on their most-powerful diesel engines. You know that a used diesel truck will still have a lot of life in it.

The Duramax Legacy

Speaking of a lot of life in them, the modern Duramax lineup has been growing and changing for more than 20 years now. First introduced for the 2001 Chevy Silverado HD models, the original V8 Duramax was a 6.6L beauty that’s the ancestor of the powerful 6.6L V8 available today. Over the years, there have been numerous updates and changes to the V8, as well as the smaller but still very impressive I-6 and I-4 Duramax engines. In 2017, as Chevy launched the latest version of the V8 engine––the one you’ll find in late-model used Chevy Silverado HD trucks––they celebrated with the announcement they’ve now built more than 2 million Duramax V8 engines at their plant in Moraine, Ohio. Throughout its lifetime, the Duramax has taken over a great deal of the diesel market and proven itself as one of the most impressive engine lines ever built.

Going Back Even Further

Of course, the Silverado HD Series was not the first Chevy truck to be offered with a diesel engine, and Chevy’s diesel offerings go back more than four decades. Prior to the modern Duramax engines, Chevy offered the Detroit Diesel V8 engine in their C/K pickup series going all the way back to the 1982 model year. This started with a 6.2L V8 that was introduced in 1981, and these options remained popular throughout the years for their impressive fuel efficiency and power. A 6.5L option introduced in 1992 was the direct predecessor of the Duramax diesel engines that followed and showcased the kind of power and performance that was to come in the next decade.

Great Chevy Diesel Trucks

Where diesel engines once had a reputation for being loud, rough-running, and a bit of a niche option, the modern Chevy Duramax engines illustrate how far automotive engineering has come. The fantastic inline-six cylinder design of the 3.0L option is perfectly balanced and uses hypereutectic aluminum pistons for smooth performance that never feels rough. With great low-end performance and massive torque, these engines are perfect if you’re looking for a used Chevy truck that can handle any work you throw at it––especially if you’re interested in doing a lot of towing. No matter what you want your truck for, however, the high fuel efficiency, smooth performance, and unbridled power of these engines make them a great choice.