Diesel or Gas: Looking for a Used 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500 trucks are a great buy. And 2019 is an especially good year to look into as it was the first year of a new generation of Silverado 1500 production. With a number of engine choices, it is also the first year for the revived diesel engine option. But do you need a diesel, and what are the other choices available in 2019? Let’s look. And let’s see how they compare to a rival pickup also in the first year of an all-new design, the 2019 Ram 1500.
Chevrolet offered six engines for 2019. Two 5.3-liter V8s, a 4.3-liter V6, a 2.7-liter turbo four-cylinder, the big 6.2-liter V8, which Chevrolet said was “the largest and most powerful gas V-8 in the segment,” and the new 3.0-liter Duramax Turbodiesel. Here’s a chart showing horsepower and torque ratings for each one.
What are the 2019 Silverado engines and towing specs?
| Displacement | 4.3L | 5.3L | 2.7L | 5.3L | 6.2L | 3.0L |
| Power (hp / kW @ RPM) | 285 / 212 @ 5300 | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 310 / 231 @ 5600 | 355 / 265 @ 5600 | 420 / 313 @ 5600 | 277 @ 3750 |
| Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ RPM) | 305 / 413 @ 3900 | 383 / 518 Nm @ 4100 | 348 / 473 @ 1500-4000 | 383 / 518 @ 4100 | 460 / 624 @ 4100 | 460 @ 1500 |
Mostly, your preferred engine choice is based on towing and payload capacity. It goes back to what you plan on using your Silverado pickup for. Below are the two specs for each of the six engines from 2019.
| Displacement | 4.3L | 5.3L | 2.7L | 5.3L | 6.2L | 3.0L |
| Max Towing (lbs) | 8,000 | 11,000 | 7,200 | 11,600 | 12,200 | 9,500 |
| Max Payload (lbs) | 2,500 | 2,430 | 2,280 | 2,190 | 2,100 |
What were the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado trims?
One of the advantages of a diesel engine is fuel economy. If for no other reason, if engine economy is your priority, then you might be looking at these numbers.
| Displacement | 4.3L | 5.3L | 2.7L | 5.3L | 6.2L | 3.0L |
| EPA MPG estimates (City / Hwy / comb) | 16 / 21 / 17 | 17 / 23 / 19 | 20 / 23 / TBD | 17 / 23 / 19 | 16 / 20 / 17 | 23 / 33 / 27 |
One way to narrow down your search is to know which engines are available with certain trim packages. Some engines are only available either in the lower trims or higher trims. In other cases, certain engines may not be available for lower trims unless they’re fleet trucks. The 2019 trims are Work Truck or W/T, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, and High Country.
The 4.3-liter V6 is only available in the W/T, Custom, and Custom Trail Boss. GM’s 5.3-liter V8 with Active Fuel Management and six-speed automatic is the only other engine you can get with these three lower trims. And these two engines are only available in these trims.
For the LT, the standard engine is the 2.7-liter Turbo four-cylinder, but optional engines are the 5.3-liter V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management and an eight-speed automatic. You can also get the 3.0 diesel in this trim. In fact, these three engines are also found in RST trims.
What engines were offered in the top Silverado trims?
If you find an LT Trail Boss, the only engine Chevrolet offered is the 5.3-liter and eight-speed automatic combo. The highest trims, LTZ and High Country can be found with the 5.3-liter V8, 3.0-liter diesel, and 6.2-liter V8. Both the diesel and big V8 come hooked to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
So this lays out the engine options and specs for 2019 Silverado trucks. Going used saves you money, while still having the current generation of Chevrolet pickup.
