My youngest is about to get his license and he would rather drive my F-150 than the Tacoma his brother drove…..which is a great reason for me to upgrade. I would like to have a diesel half ton. Hate the Titans, so that is not an option. Dodge is ok, but I really like the styling of the Silverado. Anyone have experience/opinions on the 3L Duramax?

You gonna sell the Taco?

Goodest Poster said:

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You gonna sell the Taco?

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I am. 2013 with 110k miles and lots of add ons (Nfab steps, 3-2 leveling lift, red Jerry can, red jack, bull bar, LED fog and high beam bars on bull bar, LED lights on back bumper). My older son did put a Magnaflow exhaust on it….which I don't consider a plus, but some might.

6.2

silverado_lover said:

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6.2

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Diesel

A friend has the GMC version and loves it.

f burg ag said:

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silverado_lover said:

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6.2

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Diesel

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I feel like he was wanting a more modern pickup, but IDK.

I had the 3.0 diesel for awhile. Good gas mileage, quick off the line. Not too fast after that, but fair.

I love the 3.0. Plenty of power and gets great mileage. With the price of diesel, not really benefitting from the 40ish% improvement in mileage though.

Only at 17k miles, no issue with the engine, even in sub-zero temperatures.

2021 Silverado RST

What do you get on average for mpg? Even with the cost of diesel, I'd come out way ahead vs my current 13-14mpg

I have a 2022 Trail Boss with the 3.0, sitting at about 2800 miles. The best I have gotten with it on the highway is 28, and my normal driving average is 26ish. I got out of a Ram Power Wagon with the 6.4 getting a whopping 12 mpgs, so I am loving it.

PS, all other manufacturers have dropped their small diesels, so GM is the only ones offering one in the half ton segment at all, except for the used market.

Go to fuelly.com and you can search GMC's and Chevys and then select that engine to see what people are getting for fuel efficiency. You'll get a pretty good idea even though you can't sort for four-wheel-drive, lifts, bigger tires, etc..

Yes, you will come out ahead on fuel costs but when you factor in the large price tag for the diesel option, you will never come out ahead

El_duderino said:

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What do you get on average for mpg? Even with the cost of diesel, I'd come out way ahead vs my current 13-14mpg

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Averaged a hand calculated 26.0. That's a lot of 35-50mph driving on pretty steady...not a lot of stop and go...driving. Driving about 1,000 miles on the highway next week, first long highway trip since the summer. Should be a good indication of current highway mpg.

I am also curious what kind of real-world mileage these are getting. My 6.6L will get 18-20 mpg on long highway driving, but for my usual around town driving it's more like 11-13 mpg.

The 3.0 duramax is the only new half ton truck I'd drive these days, so the incremental cost of that diesel doesn't bother me. it's only $1400 or so more than the 5.3 and cheaper than the 6.2 all while avoiding the lifter issues

I have a little over 39k miles on my AT4 with 3.0. My normal driving is a solid mix of city/highway. I don't hand calculate mileage all the time but when I do it repeatedly falls in the 25.5-26 range. So far I'm pleased with the 3.0 and truck altogether.

This offends me. I have two 5.3s and I like them. Please take it back.

Changed it for you

Oh I thought it was like a $5k premium over the 5.3L. $1400 isn't bad

I have one for work that I picked up on 12/31/2021. I have 73k miles on it so far. Hand calculated I am getting between 24-26 mpg normally with a lot of highway driving but I do idle the truck a lot too. I will probably be the first here to get the oil pump belt replaced. Maintenance so far has just been oil changes, air filter, fuel filters, and I went ahead changed the transmission fluid @60k. The check engine light has come on 4 or 5 times for an aftertreatment sensor reading out of range but it goes away with a new tank of diesel. It's been great but I question if it's enough of an improvement over a 5.3.

At the time of purchase I was using a 3.5 boost with 36 gal tank so the main thing I wanted was 500+ mile range and the 3.0 was the best option in a Chevy.

I work along side other companies in my field and one guy also had a 3.0. This past week we caught up and he said it lit like a Christmas tree with what ended up being a NOx sensor going out that has a 9 month lead time. Just something to consider.

I'll bring up the tiny elephant in the room. The 2.7 4 cylinder might end up being the most reliable engine in the lineup.

I've been really interested in thr 3.0, especially in a Tahoe but I'm pretty sure I'll just get a gasser 2500 next time to avoid all the useless CAFE stuff in the 1500. The 4 cylinder is interesting. Would love a single cab with that engine.

I wishvwe could just go back to the old 5.3 without AFM. It was a great engine in my 06.

Interested in the 3.0 too. That engine seemed like the only small diesel that was modern and not repurposed from a euro truck. Have had a 3.0 gmc yukon xl base model with a front bench on order since August. Heard they are giving preference to the 1500s on diesel engine allocation. Looking forward to replacing the 1999 ranch Navigator when it finally gets here.

TSJ said:

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I'll bring up the tiny elephant in the room. The 2.7 4 cylinder might end up being the most reliable engine in the lineup.

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Don't want to derail but do you know anyone with the 2.7?

mm98 said:

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TSJ said:

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I'll bring up the tiny elephant in the room. The 2.7 4 cylinder might end up being the most reliable engine in the lineup.

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Don't want to derail but do you know anyone with the 2.7?

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The guy that just had his NOx sensor take down his 3.0 duramax.

He stopped at a dealer to get it fixed, they said 9 month wait on the part, so he said he needed a new truck and ended up with a 2.7 they had on the lot. I'll run into in a couple months and find out how it's working for him.

For what I do (lots of highway, a little bit of 4wd, and only filling the bed no towing) the 2.7 is probably the best choice.

I purchased an RST 3.0, July of 21. It's been a great truck for me and my wife. The o'le girl gets 23-25 on average, where towing got me 12 - 15 mpg. The only minor inconvenience I've ran into during my ownership, is a crank no start on three occasions. Other than that, it starts cold or hot.

Let me add towing information. I towed a 72 Chevy pickup on a 32' trailer recently. It was the first time I hauled somewhat heavy and went easy on it to get comfortable. Testing the load before the trip, it easy growled to 80mph with no problems. During the trip, I maintained 70mph up and down the hill country with no problems. This truck is suited well for this such task.

EDIT: added towing experience

JoeAggie1010 said:

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I purchased an RST 3.0, July of 21. It's been a great truck for me and my wife. The o'le girl gets 23-25 on average, where towing got me 12 - 15 mpg. The only minor inconvenience I've ran into during my ownership, is a crank no start on three occasions. Other than that, it starts cold or hot.

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I've had the crank/no start happen probably about 7-8 times in 20 months of ownership or so. Almost happened this morning for the first time in a long time.

Only other issue I have had is with the infotainment system or whatever it's called. It has froze up a couple of times, only resets with a full engine shutdown. And the blue tooth connection to my iPhone annoying, it cuts out all of the time. But those aren't 3.0 issues, just Chevy issues.

I have a 21 Silverado with the 3.0 diesel. Love it. I great mileage out of it and it tows like a champ. No issues towing a 6500 pound 32' travel trailer. I also tow a 20' bay boat with it and it's a perfect fit. Get about 26 on the highway unloaded. About 15mpg when towing. It's perfect for what I use it for, which is commuting and light reguarly towing.

Thanks for the input!!

Nice!!

Best looking truck on the road these days. Love the AT4

AT4 is better than the Denali tbh. Those magnetic suspension things on Denali go out every 50k miles. The styling and performance of AT4 is much better. Congrats on the new whip

….now time to clean out that garage to keep her safe and sound in

NWE said:

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….now time to clean out that garage to keep her safe and sound in

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It's not nearly as messy as it looks. The the stuff at the front of the garage is only a couple feet deep. Pretty clean behind that.

Prove it.

El Chupacabra said:

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El_duderino said:

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What do you get on average for mpg? Even with the cost of diesel, I'd come out way ahead vs my current 13-14mpg

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Averaged a hand calculated 26.0. That's a lot of 35-50mph driving on pretty steady...not a lot of stop and go...driving. Driving about 1,000 miles on the highway next week, first long highway trip since the summer. Should be a good indication of current highway mpg.

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Drove 875 miles this week. 850 was Highway. 22.1 mpg. Averaged about 72mph, headwind going, tailwind coming. Never got over 25 degrees (not sure if that impacts mileage). Also had lots of warm up time…