The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 arrives on the heels of a ground-up redesign that debuted for the 2019 model year, with a few minor updates and changes compared to its predecessor. Now, we’re taking a look at the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy figures in the following GM Authority Comparison.
Of all the engine options offered, it comes as no surprise that the most fuel-efficient of the bunch is the Duramax turbo-diesel 3.0L LM2 I6, mated to the GM 10-speed automatic transmission, which returns 23 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined when paired with 2WD. When connected to 4WD, the diesel returns 23 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined.
While the diesel engine is expected to be the most fuel-efficient when it comes to the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy numbers, what about the most fuel-efficient gas engine? For that, buyers should turn to the turbocharged 2.7L L3B I4, which is rated at 20 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined when connected to 2WD, and 19 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined when connected to 4WD. The L3B relies on the GM eight-speed automatic transmission for cog swaps.
As for the least efficient engine, that would be the naturally aspirated 6.2L L87 V8 when connected to 4WD and the GM 10-speed automatic transmission in the Custom Trail Boss, showing just 14 mpg in the city, 18 mpg on the highway, and 15 mpg combined. The least efficient configuration with 2WD is the naturally aspirated 5.3L L82 V8 with E85 capability, which connects to a six-speed automatic transmission, and returns 15 mpg in the city, 19 mpg on the highway, and 16 mpg combined.
Looking over the numbers, a few interesting things jump out. For example, although the 6.2L L87 produces far more output than the naturally aspirated 4.3L LV3 V8, laying down 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque compared to the ‘six’s 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque, their respective fuel economy numbers are nearly identical. Of course, we should also mention that GM recommends the use of premium 93-octane fuel with the L87.
What’s more, the atmospheric 5.3L L84 V8 gets the same highway fuel economy rating as the turbocharged 2.7L L3B I4. Throw in the L84’s Fuel Economy Package (RPO code XFE), which includes 18-inch six-spoke machined aluminum wheels (UHN) with Dark Grey Metallic accents, all-season blackwall tires (QDF), and a Premium soft-roll tonneau cover (VPB), and the L84 actually bests the L3B’s highway rating by a single mpg.
Check out the complete 2020 Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy numbers in the table below:
| RPO Code | Engine | Aspiration | Fuel | Power (hp / kW @ RPM) | Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ RPM) | Transmission | Drive Wheels | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LV3 | 4.3L V6 | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 285 / 212 @ 5300 | 305 / 413 @ 3900 | 6-speed auto | 2WD | 16 | 21 | 17 |
| L3B | 2.7L I4 Turbo | Turbo | Gasoline | 310 / 231 @ 5600 | 348 / 471 @ 1500 | 8-speed auto | 2WD | 20 | 23 | 21 |
| L3B | 2.7L I4 Turbo (Work Truck) | Turbo | Gasoline | 310 / 231 @ 5600 | 348 / 471 @ 1500 | 8-speed auto | 2WD | 19 | 22 | 20 |
| L82 | 5.3L V8 AFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 6-speed auto | 2WD | 15 | 21 | 17 |
| L82 | 5.3L V8 AFM E85 capable | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 6-speed auto | 2WD | 15 | 19 | 16 |
| L84 | 5.3L V8 DFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 8-speed auto | 2WD | 17 | 23 | 19 |
| L84 | 5.3L V8 DFM (XFE Fuel Economy Package) | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 8-speed auto | 2WD | 17 | 24 | 20 |
| LM2 | 3.0L I6 Turbo Diesel | Turbo | Diesel | 277 / 206.6 @ 3750 | 460 / 623.7 @ 1500 | 10-speed auto | 2WD | 23 | 33 | 27 |
| LV3 | 4.3L V6 | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 285 / 212 @ 5300 | 305 / 413 @ 3900 | 6-speed auto | 4WD | 15 | 20 | 17 |
| LV3 | 4.3L V6 (Custom Trail Boss) | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 285 / 212 @ 5300 | 305 / 413 @ 3900 | 6-speed auto | 4WD | 14 | 18 | 16 |
| L3B | 2.7L I4 Turbo | Turbo | Gasoline | 310 / 231 @ 5600 | 348 / 471 @ 1500 | 8-speed auto | 4WD | 19 | 22 | 20 |
| L82 | 5.3L V8 AFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 6-speed auto | 4WD | 15 | 20 | 17 |
| L82 | 5.3L V8 AFM E85 capable | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 6-speed auto | 4WD | 14 | 18 | 16 |
| L82 | 5.3L V8 AFM (Custom Trail Boss) | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 6-speed auto | 4WD | 14 | 18 | 16 |
| L84 | 5.3L V8 DFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 8-speed auto | 4WD | 16 | 22 | 18 |
| L84 | 5.3L V8 DFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 10-speed auto | 4WD | 16 | 22 | 19 |
| L84 | 5.3L V8 DFM (LT Trail Boss) | Atmospheric | Gasoline | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 10-speed auto | 4WD | 16 | 21 | 18 |
| L87 | 6.2L V8 DFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline* | 420 / 313 @ 5600 | 460 / 624 @ 4100 | 10-speed auto | 4WD | 16 | 20 | 17 |
| L87 | 6.2L V8 DFM (LT Trail Boss) | Atmospheric | Gasoline* | 420 / 313 @ 5600 | 460 / 624 @ 4100 | 10-speed auto | 4WD | 15 | 19 | 17 |
| L87 | 6.2L V8 DFM (Custom Trail Boss) | Atmospheric | Gasoline* | 420 / 313 @ 5600 | 460 / 624 @ 4100 | 10-speed auto | 4WD | 14 | 18 | 15 |
| LM2 | 3.0L I6 Turbo Diesel | Turbo | Diesel | 277 / 206.6 @ 3750 | 460 / 623.7 @ 1500 | 10-speed auto | 4WD | 23 | 29 | 25 |
- * Premium fuel recommended
The Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy numbers coincide with variable engine availability, as outlined in the table below:
| RPO Code | Engine | Aspiration | Fuel | Work Truck | Custom | Custom Trail Boss | LT | RST | LT Trail Boss | LTZ | High Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LV3 | 4.3L V6 | Atmospheric | Gasoline | S | A | S | |||||
| L3B | 2.7L I4 Turbo | Turbo | Gasoline | A | S | S | S | ||||
| L82 | 5.3L V8 AFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline | A | A | A | |||||
| L84 | 5.3L V8 DFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline | A | A | A | A | A | |||
| L84 | 5.3L V8 DFM (XFE Fuel Economy Package) | Atmospheric | Gasoline | A | |||||||
| L87 | 6.2L V8 DFM | Atmospheric | Gasoline* | A | A | A | A | A | |||
| LM2 | 3.0L I6 Turbo Diesel | Turbo | Diesel | A | A | A | A |
- * Premium fuel recommended
What’s your engine of choice? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevrolet Silverado news, Chevrolet news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Really proud of my 2020 LTZ 3.0 diesel. Best fuel mileage 34.1. Of all the chevy p/ups starting w/a 1972 Custom Deluxe this one really beats them all except for the ride and seats in my 2012 Avalanche LT 4/wd that i traded in on the 2020.
Yes, if you pay $5k more for the engine and $0.50 more per gallon, you can get better mileage.
Whether or not it’s worth it is debatable.
lol some of us buy used and SAVE you know
Terrible mileage except for the diesel, why the hell is mileage so bad?
Wondering that myself. I can only assume the crappy aerodynamics are a large part.
Also I wonder if the gearing that allows them to claim insane towing capacity is partly to blame.
Because the EPA changed fuel economy testing procedures and GM has always been conservative with their truck fuel economy estimates.
If you buy the 6.2 gasoline and it uses premium fuel to get the same torque as the 3.0 i would call that a toss up. Plus the 3.0 max/torque comes in at 1500 rpm and the 6.2 is somewhere around 3400/rpm’s. That being close they both share the 10 speed automatic.
Nate, $2,500.00 not 5k is the cost of the engine.
It was about $5k more than the 5.3L when I was just looking at their site. I suppose with so many possible trim levels that varies though.
Anyway, I’d probably compare it to the 5.3L personally, given how much more horsepower the larger gasoline engines have.
I’m not trying to nitpick prices or whatever, just stating that when considering a diesel because of the better mileage, you need to think about how much more that fuel costs as well as how much more the engine costs.
Hell, the oil changes alone are about twice as much on mine.
I am upset that they are getting worse fuel economy with the v8’s. My 2017 6sp 5.3 2wd. Crew cab was rated for 16 city 23 hwy and 19 combined. Now it’s 15city 19hwy 16 mpg combined. How did we lose 3 mpg efficiency? They must be playing with the higher gears or the aerodynamics must be worse than the last generation. Love my 2017, love the style… it’s been to both coasts… and an absolute joy on the hwy over long distances. Just wish it had rear air vents for the kids…
Come on GM. You are supposed to be getting better with each new model not back stepping and adding gimmicks
My 2019 RST 5.3 blows my 2014 Silverado 5.3 out of the water when it comes to fuel economy regardless of what BS EPA estimate they give. I’ve repeatedly gotten 26 MPG with my 2019 when cruising at 65-70 mph.
Glad to see you are basing this off the truck computer (probably using the 25-50 mile instead of the 400mi which would explain the better implied gas mileage) and not real world figures.
Actually the hand calculated number was higher than the computer by 0.2 MPG. Go piss up a rope you mouth breathing, knuckle dragging simp.
What do you get at highway speeds?
My 2019 running summer fuel will easily do 25 MPG all summer long with the cruise set at 60. We have a lot of rolling hills and commonly have a strong breeze that probably hurts my numbers a tad. The computer’s estimates have always been within 1/10th of a mile per gallon. Very accurate. Blows away what my 2015 Silverado 5.3 could do. When I set the cruise control to 55 mph, I managed to hit 28 MPG. Plenty of guys on GM trucks posting the same fuel economy numbers. DFM is amazing.
Are these secondary roads? Who on earth drives 65mph on the highway?
Question? Are you running on mostly flat areas or lots of hills to get 26mpg?
I dug out my window sticker. Under options & pricing Eng; Duramax 3L Turbo-Diesel 2,495.00. My fuel costs around 25 to 30 cents more than reg/unleaded. As for oil changes, i only have about 3,000 on it. This is of little consequence but my first oil change is free. My Avalanche had the 5.3 and it held 6/qt’s the 3.0 hold’s 7qts. I don’t think that extra quart will kill me. I was really surprised when i was talking w/my friend who has a 2014 Tundra V8 and it holds 9/qt’s. He said 15 to 17 was the best he got. I not here to ruffle feathers but i ordered mine back in Aug/2019 and did get it until Jan/2020. GM strike didn’t help. Good luck to everyone and be happy w/what you bought and take care of it.
From what I have read from GM, the newer engines are more efficient, but the trucks are so much bigger. Takes more energy to punch that hole in the air, hence the mileage suffers.
If the trucks are that much bigger, it doesn’t seem like that’s improved them in any noticeable way.
The new trucks have a HUGE advantage in cab space. The previous crew cab was cramped compared to the new trucks. They finally raises the seat height so it didn’t feel like some kind of low rider truck and you can see over the hood now. Plus more head room. The 2014-19 trucks rode way too low, like GM wanted the trucks to look “slammed”.
Wow! I get better mpg with my 5.7 hemi in my Ram 1500. Average 18.6 in town and 23 hwy. With a tail wind on Interstate 40 headed east I got 27 mpg at 70 mph.
LMFAO the Ram 1500 struggles to get more than 22 MPG *WITH* a 70 mph tailwind. Total trash when it comes to powertrain. Junk 5.7.
I have yet to see any 5.7 2019 Ram 1500 do better than 21 mpg highway regardless of tail wind. Most of them struggle to even get close to 20 mpg. Mostly due to the fact that FCA is still using a 12 year old port-injected, speed velocity tuned iron block V8. All while moving a truck that (despite a claimed weight loss) still weighs more on average than the equivalent Ford or GM truck. To claim a modern Ram 1500 can average 27 MPG these days is hilarious BS.
I have an ’05 2WD 2500 6.6l Duramax with 6th gear activared: Running a CTS2 Edge on ‘Extreme’ I average 24.5 mpg @80+ on the highway … She has 205k miles on her
i agree with the posts here … Added weight over time + areodynamics of a block = MPG Mediocrity ….
I have a 2018 6.2 with the bad transmission and i get 24.2 on 87 non ethenol octane, mostly highway with a best of 30.4 with a tailwind.
Steven, is that the 8/speed transmission? Does your engine knock or ping on regular unleaded? I was looking at a 2020 w/the 6.2 and when the sales guy said the recommend fuel was premium i backed off.
Premium fuel is “recommended”, just like it’s “recommended” for the 3.5 Ecoboost. The knock sensors can adapt to any fuel a 6.2 is running on. Yeah yeah its running “high compression” of 11.5:1. The 5.0 Coyote is running higher yet compression and Ford still only “recommends” premium.
Yes it is an 8 speed. I use 89 octane that book recommends, but u can run 87 as acceptable. Better performance with 89 though. Mine is a 2017 and has never had the said to have ping. 37000 miles no pinging. Buch of bs. Pinging would either come manifold bolts or using wrong grade of oil recommended by Ram
I don’t drive nine hard nor do i have a lead foot. I even pull a 38 foot trave trailet often. My wfe & i live in. love my Ram 5.7 hemi.
The LM2 is my choice. But, why does GMC not have as high mileage ratings?
The GMC has more weight due to additional sound insulation and more standard premium materials.
I’m so skeptical of their reports. My 2015 V6 gets worse mileage than my 2000 V8 did. And the computer/dash display is NEVER even close to reality, it’s always off in GM’s favor by 10%. I’m so disappointed in my purchase, ill never buy GM again. I get 12 in the city while pulling a small work trailer and the dash routinely reports 15. I have never gotten better than 20 highway towing nothing.
You’ve learned a valuable lesson that I too have learned; the smaller motors are hyped up by the manufacturer as being capable and efficient. They aren’t. If you put any sort of gasoline powered, small displacement truck to work, be prepared for the fuel mileage to be in the toilet. As cranky as I am at GM now for all the problems with the 3.0L Duramax, I’m sorry, but on your issue, I think you’d have that with any manufacturer.
I love my 2019 5.3. DFM is amazingly smooth and if you drive the truck at typically speeds, the fuel economy blows the EPA garbage estimates away. The computer told me 26.2 over 400 miles. My hand calculated number was actually 26.31.
2018 Sierra, 5.3 non-E85. 1600 mile round trip. Half towing a trailer. With trailer-17.9 mpg. Without trailer-25.5 mpg. That’s with the cruise control set at 73mph for the majority of the trip. I consistently get mileage like this plus around 20 mpg in city driving. I don’t know how the EPA tests, but I always get better mileage than they estimate.
They test all the way up to 80mph, which is one of the reasons EPAs numbers are more believable than other standards out there. If you’re driving around at 73mph on the highway, then you’ve certainly noticed that your not driving the way people normally do.
Hell, you’re not even going the speed limit, at least where I live.
What i read and heard why the Jimmy’s are a shade less on mpg than the chevy’s was because of the front of the truck is more flat than the chevy. Less drag better mpg but the are only about 1 or 2 mpg difference.
My 2014 Silverado WT reg cab short box 2wd 4.3, gets around 19 mpg combined. As much as 24 mpg long strictly highway. As soon as weather warms up the combined can be 21 mpg. Much better than my old S10 with old 4.3.
The EPA is as untrustworthy as usual. The Ram gets away with overstating the Hemi’s highway figures on regular 2WD/4WD models and doesn’t have to adjust figures on the Rebel with it’s raised suspension and off road tires. At Ford the 2.7/3.5 Ecoboost engines are capable of getting there MPG ratings but you have to work at it. Over at GM the city/combined figures are usually pretty close but the highway figures are often rated far less than reality. Then you have the bizarre 3 MPG city/highway difference between the Silverado and Sierra using the same exact diesel engine and 10 speed automatic which is utter bollocks!
I own a 2020 WT 5.3 4wd. I have seen 24 mph running around 60-65 or so. According to the the average mpg gauge , the average is in the 18 range with and hwy combined. IMO pretty dang good.
Now the real kicker what person in their believes if you start and stop your engine at every light and stop sign you will get better MPG? Come on get a program to program around that starter eating option that we are stuck with.
Thank goodness my 3.0 diesel has a stop switch for that function. I see more harm than good stopping and restarting a 15 to 1 comp/ratio diesel engine. Sounds like someone found a good way to sell starters.
Has anyone run a definitive test on the exact same truck With and Without a tonneau cover relative to MPG.
My best is 34.1 w/no load and ac/running. Worst is 12.4 pulling a 27′ travel trailer 282 miles. The tonneau might be good for1/mpg but mine is hard 4/piece cover so w/the added weight it probably cancelled out any gain by having it.
I have a 6.2 L 2019 High Cpuntry 31,386 miles. My average milage is 18.6 mpg. My best 50 miles is an unbelievable 31.3 mpg. My best 25 miles was 32.6 mpg. And my best 400 mile range is 24.1 mpg.