Dan Cummins Chevrolet Buick Paris

Dec 11, 2020

A silver 2020 Ram 1500 diesel is parked in front of a shop covered in Christmas decorations.

There are trucks, and then there are diesel trucks. Sure, it seems like practically every automaker is offering a high-quality pickup truck for sale these days. These great vehicles have roomy cabs, great payload beds, sturdy construction, and solid dependability. But, unless you’ve got a diesel engine under your hood, you’re just not getting the power you need from your truck. The key is that great torque that only a diesel engine can produce. That’s why some of the best truck builders in the world offer their trucks with a diesel engine and why you should consider used diesel trucks the next time you’re in the market to buy.

What’s more, diesel engines tend to last longer than engines that run on gasoline. This has something to do with the internal combustion from gasoline as opposed to the natural lubricating qualities of diesel oil. The odds are that a used truck with a diesel engine has more miles left on it than the one with the conventional engine. Also, that diesel engine is going to give you greater towing capability as well as better fuel economy, which is a great combination for you to have. So, you need to know what diesel powertrains to seek out when you’re shopping for your next used trucks. Here’s a hint: focus on engine torque, towing capability, payload capacity, and fuel economy. At Dan Cummins Chevrolet Buick in Paris, we offer a great inventory of Used Diesel Trucks. We can’t wait to see you and get you behind the wheels of one of these amazing vehicles.

Midsize Used Diesel Trucks

If you are looking for a used midsize truck with a diesel powertrain, you are basically limited to a choice between the Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon. These two are part of the General Motors family and share a common diesel engine and frame. But don’t let that lead you into thinking that these two vehicles are the same. Nothing could be further from the truth, as the Colorado is all Chevy and excels at off-road performance while the Canyon has the upscale looks and luxury that folks immediately associate with GMC trucks.

The two trucks come with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and share a common 2.8-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel. This engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, giving you the control you need whether you’re towing a heavy load or just out cruising with friends. Talking about towing, the Canyon and Colorado can tow up to 7,700 lbs, which is quite a feat for a midsize truck. This is because the diesel powertrain is capable of producing 181 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. When it comes to fuel economy, if you choose a used Colorado or Canyon with the Turbo-Diesel engine, you can expect to get up to 20 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway.

While they have all these things in common, these related vehicles do have a number of key differences. For instance, the GMC Canyon can carry up to 1578 lbs of payload, while the Chevy Canyon tops out at a still impressive 1550 lbs pounds. More importantly, the Colorado offers the high-performance ZR2 trim, while the Canyon provides the luxurious Denali trim. While many of these differences are slight, they are something to keep in mind when buying your next used diesel midsize truck.

A white 2019 Chevy Colorado RST diesel is parked under a rusty bridge.

Used Half-Ton Trucks With Diesel Powertrains

All of the big four truck manufacturers, Chevy, Ford, GMC, and Ram, make a full-size half-ton truck with a diesel engine option. As can be expected, the diesel trucks provide superior torque and fuel economy when compared to the standard gasoline powertrains on the same truck.

For example, a 2020 rear-wheel drive Ford F-150 with the standard 3.3-liter Ti-VCT V-6 gas engine can get 19 MPG in city driving and 25 MPG on the highway, while the same truck with a 3.0-liter Power Stroke Turbo Diesel V-6 beats that with 21 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway. What’s more, the Ford F-150 with the Turbo-Diesel can tow up to 11,500 lbs as compared to only 7,700 lbs of trailering capability for the truck with the V6 engine. This is because that Turbo-Diesel can produce 440 lb-ft of torque, giving the Ford F-150 more strength than the 265 lb-ft of the standard engine.

The same holds true for the 2020 Ram 1500 with its optional 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine that produces 480 lb-ft of torque. This truck can tow up to 12,560 lbs, overpowering the already impressive F-150 diesel. The diesel option also improves fuel economy on a used Ram 1500, with 22 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway with rear-wheel drive or 21 MPG in city driving and 29 MPG when you choose four-wheel drive.

The leaders in the fuel economy category for used full-size diesel trucks are the GMC Sierra 1500 and the Chevy Silverado 1500. These two trucks use the same 3.0-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel I-6, which produces 460 lb-ft of torque. However, the Silverado 1500 is the clear champion when it comes to fuel economy. A diesel 2020 Silverado 1500 can get 23 MPG in the city and 33 MPG on the highway with rear-wheel drive. In comparison, a diesel rear-wheel drive 2020 GMC Sierra gets 23 MPG in city driving and 30 MPG in highway driving. The 2020 Sierra 1500 diesel can tow up to 9,100 lbs, while the 2020 Silverado 1500 diesel has a maximum towing capability of 9,300 lbs.

A newer used diesel truck, a black 2020 GMC Sierra SLE Elevation, is parked in front of a cabin in the woods.

Used Heavy-Duty Diesel Trucks

Ford, Chevy, Ram, and GMC all make heavy-duty trucks, and the ones with diesel engines are known for their unmatched power. The 2020 Ram 2500 with its 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo-Diesel I-6 can use its 850 lb-ft of torque to pull up to 19,680 lbs. The 2020 Ram 3500 with the same engine uprated to 1,000 lb-ft of torque exceeds this and can tow up to 35,100 lbs. Ford makes three different heavy-duty trucks that it calls Super Duty, the F-250, F-350, and F-450, each equipped with an optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke Turbo-Diesel V-8. This engine produces 1050 lb-ft of torque and can tow up to 35,750 lbs in the 2020 F-450.

General Motors has four heavy-duty trucks to offer, the Chevy Silverado 2500HD, the Chevy Silverado 3500HD, the GMC Sierra 2500HD, and the GMC Sierra 3500HD. Each features a 6.6-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel V-8 engine that can produce 910 lb-ft of torque. The 2500HD models can tow up to 18,500 lbs, while the 3500HD can easily surpass this figure and are able to tow up to 35,500 lbs when equipped with a gooseneck or fifth wheel hitch.

When you are looking to get the job done right, you should consider a used diesel truck. From great fuel economy to the incomparable towing capability that comes from high torque, diesel drivetrains give you the ability to do things that trucks with gas engines can only dream about. Best of all, a diesel engine in your used pickup truck will give you years of solid performance and pay for itself in the long run.