When you want a powerful truck that pulls a lot of weight, you don’t look at the horsepower number? Towing and acceleration come from the torque number and in your 2022 Chevy pickup truck, which can mean using a diesel engine instead of a gasoline model.

What Chevy trucks have diesel engines?

All four Chevy truck models offer a diesel engine. The Chevy Colorado has a 2.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder model, while the Chevrolet Silverado gives you a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine. The big boys, Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD, both use a 6.6-liter Duramax V8 incredibly powerful engine.

1. A diesel engine lasts a long time

Typically, diesel engines have a longer lifespan than gasoline engines. Oards Automotive Hub tells us a diesel model should last a few years longer than gasoline models. The Duramax engine does even better, surviving long after other diesel models have stopped functioning altogether.

2. Your Chevy truck is more efficient when powered by diesel

Looking at the numbers, you can easily see the difference in efficiency between a truck powered by a gas engine and the same one using a diesel power plant. For the Chevy models, here’s what you’ll find:

• Colorado – 20 city/30 hwy mpg 2WD, 19 city/28 hwy mpg 4WD
• Silverado 1500 – 23 city/31 hwy mpg RWD, 22 city/26 hwy mpg 4WD
• Silverado 2500HD/3500 HD – combined 15 mpg

Compared to the gasoline models of these trucks, the diesel numbers are much better. The massive gas engine in the 2500HD and 3500HD models only achieves 12 mpg combined.

3. Using a diesel engine increases the towing number for your Chevy truck

The Chevy Colorado is a prime example of this fact. The diesel powertrain for the Colorado tows up to 7,700 pounds compared to the V6 engine maxes out at 7,000 pounds. The four-cylinder powertrain has a lower tow rating at only 3,500 pounds. Both the V6 and gas-powered four-cylinder engines have more horsepower than the diesel, but the Duramax offers a much higher torque rating at 369 lb.-ft., translating to this impressive tow rating.

4. The exhaust brake saves your regular brakes

When slowing down on a decline, the exhaust brake of the Duramax engine helps you slow the vehicle down using engine compression. This reduces the wear and tear on your regular brakes, making them last a lot longer than they would if you had a gasoline engine in your Chevy truck.

How much does a Chevy Duramax cost?

For the heavy-duty Chevy truck models, you’ll pay more for the diesel-powered model than for versions with the gasoline engine. According to Kelley Blue Book, adding the Duramax engine to either model costs about $10,000 more than when you have the gasoline engine.

Is the Chevy Duramax a good engine?

According to Pro Source Diesel, the Duramax engine is an extremely stout engine that lasts a long time. Some models can go for more than 100,000 miles without ever showing any problems at all. The latest LB7 version of this engine is more advanced than previous models and addresses any of the issues owners found in their early diesel Chevy trucks.

Will you drive a Chevy truck with a diesel engine?

If you need the most towing power and want the highest efficiency rating in a truck, you’ll want to drive one with a diesel engine. Chevy offers the Duramax engine lineup to give you plenty of low-end torque to pull heavy loads, accelerate well, and bring you the higher efficiency numbers you desire. These trucks are a bit more expensive than their gasoline counterparts, which is an expected cost when looking for more power.