5 New Diesel Trucks With The Best Rated Fuel Economy
One of the many factors for anyone looking to purchase a diesel-powered vehicle over a gas-powered one is going to have to be is its fuel efficiency. Generally, these engines are for larger vehicles hauling heavy loads that need to use more fuel to get where they're going, and the cost of diesel fuel is going to be higher than traditional gasoline because it is not in as high of demand.
Some people, whether it be for professional reasons, or just find themselves hauling large loads on a frequent basis, need a diesel-powered truck no matter what. They don't want their fuel spending to cost them an arm and a leg — even those who don't have vehicles with diesel engines can relate to that.
None of the trucks that are recommended here are going to get you anywhere near the top-end mileage opportunities afforded by gasoline-powered or electric vehicles. However, there are trucks with diesel engines that put up respectable mileage numbers that shouldn't scare you away from purchasing them. What these trucks may lack in maximizing diesel miles per gallon, they make up for in generally having much larger tanks to hold that diesel fuel. These pickup trucks afford you the best options for diesel fuel efficiency.
Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado is the second best-selling vehicle in the United States, dwarfed only by Ford's unstoppable F-Series. While the standard models of the Silverado comes with the company's four-cylinder TurboMax engine, they do offer plenty of options for engines depending on the truck's cab and truck bed size, along with other features and packages.
Starting with the Silverado 2WD LT with a double cab, you are able to get Chevrolet's 3.0 L, six-cylinder Duramax Turbo diesel engine — at a starting price of $52,385. Out of all the trucks, this is the one that will get you the best fuel efficiency with diesel, according to the United States Department of Energy.
The Silverado with this diesel engine is able to get you 23 mpg in the city, and 29 mpg on the highway — making for a combined mileage of 26 mpg. This puts the truck in the same range as the gas-powered Ford Maverick, which is a compact pickup truck, and even is more efficient than the Ford F-150 or Toyota Tacoma.
Its mileage places it at seventh place on the Department of Energy's ranking of the most fuel efficient trucks, also making it the third-highest on the list that isn't an electric vehicle. You would hope that a truck as popular as the Silverado would be able to seamlessly transition over into the diesel space if necessary, and by these metrics, it certainly does.
GMC Sierra
If the Chevrolet Silverado comes in first in the Department of Energy's diesel truck efficiency ratings, it makes perfect sense that just behind it is the GMC Sierra. Both made under the umbrella of General Motors, the Silverado and Sierra are essentially the same pickup truck in nearly every facet. There are some aesthetic design differences and unique interior feature options, but the bones of the vehicles remain the same. Both trucks also offer the same 3.0 L Duramax Turbo diesel engine.
The city and highway mileage are also the same for the double-cab Sierra with two-wheel drive, with 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, but the overall combined average comes in just a smidge behind the Silverado at 25 mpg. The estimated overall range of a full tank of diesel is also reduced over the Silverado, from 624 miles to 600.
As these results are so close to one another, there really isn't a full-on practical drop in efficiency. Different variations of the Silverado and Sierra are all mixed together according to the Department of Energy's rankings — sometimes the Silverado comes out on top, and sometimes it's the Sierra. Either way, these two pickup trucks come out collectively on top for diesel fuel efficiency.
RAM 1500
Not too far behind the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra for diesel efficiency is actually the third best-selling vehicle in the United States. The RAM 1500 is another incredibly popular pickup truck that has its own diesel option. Well, it did have a diesel option until the 2023 model year, which is when the company decided to get rid of it in favor of a more electric-focused line of trucks. That being said, there are still models of the 2023 RAM 1550 EcoDiesel out there.
This 3.0 L EcoDiesel engine performed just as well as the Silverado and Sierra with its highway mileage at 29 mpg, but it does fall behind when it comes to city miles, managing just 21 mpg. Considering diesel fuel is used more on trucks for long haul trips — as using it for short bursts is rather inefficient — that highway mileage still being equivalent with the best in the game is what you really want to see.
Jeep Gladiator
Yet another vehicle where the most current model version no longer comes equipped with a diesel engine option, but the 2023 Jeep Gladiator did offer a diesel engine. Several different variants of the 2023 Gladiator are able to have the company's 3.0 L V6 EcoDiesel engine, with the most modestly priced being the Jeep Gladiator Willys 4x4.
According to the Department of Energy, this version of the Gladiator is able to get 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway — for a combined mileage of 24 mpg. These numbers pretty much put it in a similar same range as the 2023 RAM 1500. Taking a bigger look at all of the diesel-powered pickup trucks so far, all of these half-ton vehicles are all quite comparable when it comes to diesel fuel efficiency, all of which use some variation of a 3.0 L diesel engine. For the most efficiency, this is the range you are going to want to stay in. However, some buyers may need larger vehicles.
Ford Super Duty F-250
Every full-size pickup truck mentioned so far has been a fairly standard, half-ton pickup truck. However, when it comes to Ford, you are going to need something much bigger in order to get a diesel engine in a modern trim. Your smallest option from this automaker is going to be the 2024 Ford Super Duty F-250 XL. It used to make diesel engines for variations of its more popular F-150 truck, but that is no longer the case as of the 2022 model year and above.
Equipped inside the diesel variant three-quarter ton trucks is Ford's 6.7 L Power Stroke V8 Turbo diesel engine, and because of the large size of the vehicle, the Department of Energy doesn't actually test the Super Duty F-250. However, Car and Driver came to the conclusion that it averages 20 mpg in its fuel efficiency testing. That is quite a step down from the previous entries on this list, but taking into account the considerable size increase of the vehicle, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that it is less fuel efficient in comparison. For its size and capability, though, not a bad sacrifice if you need the extra heft.