Diesel power can be the ideal choice for light-duty pickup truck customers, providing a combination of copious low-end twist with decent fuel economy. Now, we’re taking a closer look at the specs for the Chevy Silverado Duramax diesel engine and how they compare to rival powerplants from Ford and Ram.
For those who may not know, Chevy Silverado Duramax models are equipped with the 3.0L I6 LM2 turbodiesel engine, which produces 277 horsepower at 3,750 rpm and 460 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm. Found under the hood of both the pre-refresh 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 and fully refreshed 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500, Silverado Duramax models return upwards of 31 mpg, with a maximum payload capacity of 1,930 pounds and a max towing capacity of 13,300 pounds (both with the 2022 model year).
To note, the Chevy Silverado 1500’s corporate cousin, the GMC Sierra 1500, also offers the 3.0L I6 LM2 turbodiesel Duramax engine, but for the sake of simplicity, we opted to keep the Sierra out of this comparison, given its close similarity to the Chevy Silverado diesel in terms of specs. The only real difference between the two is with regard to fuel economy, with GMC Sierra Duramax 2WD models returning 30 mpg on the highway, as compared to the Silverado diesel’s 31 mpg.
Up next, we have the Ford Power Stroke diesel from the 2021 Ford F-150, a turbocharged 3.0L V6 rated at 250 horsepower at 3,250 rpm and 440 pound-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm. Fuel returns range as high as 27 mpg for 4WD models, while max payload is set at 1,840 pounds and max towing is 12,100. We should also mention that the Ford Power Stroke diesel is no longer available as of the 2022 model year, while the engine was only available in conjunction with 4WD for the 2021 model year, as covered by our sister publication, Ford Authority. We should also mention that GM Authority spy photographers recently captured images of Ford benchmarking a diesel-powered Chevy Silverado 1500.
Finally, we have the Ram EcoDiesel from the 2022 Ram 1500, which is also a turbocharged 3.0L V6. Output is rated at 260 horsepower at 3,600 rpm and 480 pound-feet of torque at 1,600 rpm, returning upwards of 33 mpg and providing a max payload rating of 2,090 pounds and max towing capacity of 10,010 pounds.
Check out the table below to see the specs side by side. For the sake of comparison, we also included the hybrid gasoline engines from Ford and Toyota.
| GM Duramax LM2 | GM Duramax LM2 | Ford Power Stroke | Ram EcoDiesel | Ford PowerBoost | Toyota i-Force Max | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | 2021 Silverado 1500 | 2022 Silverado 1500 | 2021 Ford F-150 | 2022 Ram 1500 | 2022 Ford F-150 | 2022 Toyota Tundra |
| Engine Type | I6 | I6 | V6 | V6 | Hybrid V6 | Hybrid V6 |
| Displacement | 3.0L | 3.0L | 3.0L | 3.0L | 3.5L | 3.4L |
| Aspiration | Turbocharged | Turbocharged | Turbocharged | Turbocharged | Twin-turbocharged | Twin-turbocharged |
| Fuel Type | Diesel | Diesel | Diesel | Diesel | Regular gasoline | Regular gasoline |
| Horsepower (hp @ rpm) | 277 @ 3,750 | 277 @ 3,750 | 250 @ 3,250 | 260 @ 3,600 | 430 @ 6,000 | 437 @ 5,200 |
| Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) | 460 @ 1,500 | 460 @ 1,500 | 440 @ 1,750 | 480 @ 1,600 | 570 @ 3,000 | 583 @ 2,400 |
| City Fuel Economy RWD/4WD (mpg) | 23/22 | 23/22 | -/20 | 23/21 | 25/23 | 20/19 |
| Highway Fuel Economy RWD/4WD (mpg) | 31/26 | 31/26 | -/27 | 33/29 | 25/23 | 24/22 |
| Combined Fuel Economy RWD/4WD (mpg) | 26/24 | 26/24 | -/23 | 26/24 | 25/23 | 22/20 |
| Max Payload Capacity (pounds) | 1,870 | 1,930 | 1,840 | 2,090 | 2,120 | 1,665 |
| Max Towing Capacity (pounds) | 9,500 | 13,300 | 12,100 | 10,010 | 12,700 | 11,450 |
With regard to sales, the Ford-150 outsold the Chevy Silverado 1500 last year. However, GM outsold Ford when combining figures for the Silverado and GMC Sierra.
Full-Size Pickup Truck Sales - 2021 - USA
| MODEL | YTD 21 / YTD 20 | YTD 21 | YTD 20 | YTD 21 SHARE | YTD 20 SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORD F-SERIES | -7.80% | 726,004 | 787,422 | 33% | 34% |
| RAM RAM PICKUP | +1.01% | 569,388 | 563,676 | 26% | 24% |
| CHEVROLET SILVERADO | -10.83% | 529,765 | 594,094 | 24% | 25% |
| GMC SIERRA | -1.62% | 248,924 | 253,016 | 11% | 11% |
| TOYOTA TUNDRA | -24.95% | 81,959 | 109,203 | 4% | 5% |
| NISSAN TITAN | +3.66% | 27,406 | 26,439 | 1% | 1% |
| TOTAL | -6.44% | 2,183,446 | 2,333,850 |
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Comments
Rather odd no mention of the exhaust brake on the Duramax.
ever use the exhaust brake on the Duramax HD’s , it’s a Frigging joke thats why they don’t mention. I do here the baby duramax gets good fuel economy.
It works well on the 2.8, but it is dependent on weight. Absent carrying/towing a heavy load it doesn’t do much. I did see Fast Lane Truck have problems on the 3.0, but I figured it was just those jokers not knowing what they were doing.
If you have no load on, you are correct there is minimum effect. With a trailer on the back, the engine brake is extremely effective in braking the combination.
I have a GMC 3500 with the Duramax and I pull a 30 foot travel trailer. I use the exhaust brake in conjunction with the tow mode. I go over the cascade mountains several times a year and except for using a little brake to set the speed, I rarely have to use the brakes.
Why do you call it a joke?
This article is about the 3.0 diesels, not the larger Duramax or the 2.8.
Kary if you read the comments he’s replying to Mickey. On that note, Mickey, why do you think the EB is a joke on the Duramax? I use it all the time pulling a 13K pound trailer up and down I70 in the Rocky Mountains. I can set cruise and the EB holds the trailer without ever touching the brakes. If I’m not using cruise I can touch the brakes and the EB will kick in and hold the truck.
RAM is to be reckoned with. I notice that Stellantis is advertising the crap out of RAM. A huge home run for them is placing their pickups in Kevin Costner’s series YELLOWSTONE.
Remember when Ford sold tons of vehicles when they placed their cars in Efram Zimbalist Jr. show the FBI, and every kid wanted to become an FBI agent.
This was in the days when America was America.
Vehicle placement in shows is a terrific marketing tool.
Old guys like me also remember when Joe Mannix drove a new Camaro back in 1967.
Or Jim Rockford and that gold Firebird!
That must have been in the very first episodes, ‘cuz he drove a dark green ‘Cuda most episodes — until the end, when he drove a blue Camaro, but it wasn’t a ’67.
Yup, loved those old Galaxies and Fairlanes.
Yes. Looks like creating the RAM division is paying off big.
Ram has a great Engine break that works. Ram is gaining for a reason each year, multiple options, colors, 5 interiors, two tone paints , air bag suspensions , HO diesel , they cater to the customer. Mary Barryass bean counts, and turns out old rehashed crap from the last decade.
mickey:
I remember Dodge pickups pre 5.9 Cummins, made and sold 80,000 pickups a year. Now look at where they are at.
Chrysler went to both Cummins and Caterpillar for a diesel pickup engine since Ford went to International with the 6.9. Caterpillar poo poo the request. Cummins said bring it on and developed the 5.9.
The success and popularity of the 5.9 was a huge win-win for both Chrysler and Cummins. The rest is history.
Cummins had to build a new plant in North Carolina to keep up with the demand.
Caterpillar had to demolish a relatively new engine plant in Mossville, Illinois.
So goes the fortunes of diesel engine makers.
Nice story, but Cummins was selling the B-series 5 years before it showed up in the Ram. Chrysler took over Rootes in the UK in the late 60’s and had been selling the engine in HD trucks in Europe. If you go to the Cummins museum, they have the first prototype where they shoehorned a B-series into a Ram.
Cummins couldn’t afford to build the plant themselves. They entered into a JV with Case. It was unwound when Case was bought by Tenneco, which also owned International.
Cummins has nothing to do with this story. The ecodiesel used in the 1/2 ton Ram, as well as the European Jeep. The ecodiesel is produced by VM Motori in Italy. This company was at one time owned by Detroit Diesel, but has been under the Fiat umbrella for a few years now.
The article really should have pointed out better that it’s about the 3.0 diesels.
You mean like pointing out that they are 1/2 ton trucks and including a table with all of the engine sizes? That would have been a good idea.
I6 is a superior configuration. Can this diesel fit in a GMC van? Great way to redesign the GMC Savanna around this engine. Just don’t make it look like a Transit. Frigg’n ugliest van around. Phew, man it’s UGHLEE.