So, I broke down and bought a new truck last month. I had been internet shopping and pricing on & off for the last year or so, since I had heard about this engine. A little over a month ago I was internet browsing and the Chevy site had an NADA link right on the truck build page, so I looked my current truck up, and the value was a lot higher than I expected. On the way home from work that Saturday I stopped at a local dealership and talked figures to see if those numbers were what I could really get, and they actually went a little better. I digested it all over the weekend and on Monday I checked against another local dealer who was horribly off in comparison, so I went back to the first dealer and pulled the trigger, and picked it up the following night. They didn't even have what I wanted on the lot so they had to go get it from another dealer for me.
4 years ago I had bought a diesel Colorado to replace the 6.0 gas that I had for a decade. I loved that 6.0 truck and it had been bulletproof, but around here there is a fine line where a vehicle still has good value, and where it is a rusty as-is money pit of a trade-in, so it was time to go while the money was still there. I didn't have the need to tow like I had a decade prior, so the diesel Colorado looked like a good fit - good fuel economy to cover a 100 mile a day round trip and still modest truck-like capability. The Colorado was a good vehicle, but after over 20 years in a full size, I really did miss the interior room. When we go away for a day trip we seem to be packed like we're off for a week, and if we go for a week you'd assume we were moving cross-country. Enter the Silverado 1500 Diesel...
On paper this full size was advertising the same 29mpg that my Colorado stated, though I was never able to get over 27-ish, with a 4 year average of 25.4 cumulative, including empty, loaded, plowing, and a little towing, but it was overall mostly just body cargo. The Silverado certainly isn't going to be a towing monster, but it will cover the overall need for me. I sure do enjoy the interior space it has, and the whole package. I have to say the Colorado was more fun to drive - the Silverado is kind of like driving your living room couch - I guess I like to feel all the bumps and cracks in the road, and after the 2500HD followed by the Colorado, it is a lot different ride.
Around Christmas 2018 I had an emissions issue with the Colorado. The biggest issue with a small-market vehicle like that is the knowledge base and part availability. I knew this going in and took the gamble and lost this time. Apparently the entire batch of replacement parts GM had were also faulty, so I was without the truck for 7 weeks while I waited on a slow boat from China (or wherever...). it was all under the emissions warranty, so no major worry. During that time I had a couple nice loaners, including a brand new off the lot 2019 Silverado 1500 5.3. Since I had this truck for an over 2000 mile test drive, I was able to calculate what a new gas engine would do for my driving. I got 18.6mpg for the entire time, but that was only empty trips to and from work. With the price of diesel in comparison to gas here at certain times, diesel is hardly justifiable, so you really have to want it. When I bought the Colorado, diesel was only about 10% higher at local stations, but there have been times where it was 50% higher.
I was talking about the Silverado somewhere back there wasn't I? So anyways, I'm 5 tanks into the little I6 diesel and my calculated average is 28.6mpg cumulative, with a best single tank of 30.8 and a worst of 27.3. the on-board mpg calculator seems to be a half mpg plus on the low side compared to hand calculating the mileage. I'm still not sure if its justifiable to have the diesel, but it's certainly not horrible. The sicker difference between a 5.3 and a diesel is about $2500, so it's not a price killer like when you go the 2500/3500 route and need different transmissions too. I think my favorite thing is the once-a-week fuel ups. I had to fuel up about every 4 days with the Colorado, and the 2500HD would only get me 2.5 days between fuel-ups. With the 24 or 26? gallon tank - I forget, I'm easily able to go at least 600 miles of routine driving before a fill up now.
With any luck I'll be bringing home a new (used) tractor tomorrow too, so I will kill the fuel economy, but for a good reason
4 years ago I had bought a diesel Colorado to replace the 6.0 gas that I had for a decade. I loved that 6.0 truck and it had been bulletproof, but around here there is a fine line where a vehicle still has good value, and where it is a rusty as-is money pit of a trade-in, so it was time to go while the money was still there. I didn't have the need to tow like I had a decade prior, so the diesel Colorado looked like a good fit - good fuel economy to cover a 100 mile a day round trip and still modest truck-like capability. The Colorado was a good vehicle, but after over 20 years in a full size, I really did miss the interior room. When we go away for a day trip we seem to be packed like we're off for a week, and if we go for a week you'd assume we were moving cross-country. Enter the Silverado 1500 Diesel...
On paper this full size was advertising the same 29mpg that my Colorado stated, though I was never able to get over 27-ish, with a 4 year average of 25.4 cumulative, including empty, loaded, plowing, and a little towing, but it was overall mostly just body cargo. The Silverado certainly isn't going to be a towing monster, but it will cover the overall need for me. I sure do enjoy the interior space it has, and the whole package. I have to say the Colorado was more fun to drive - the Silverado is kind of like driving your living room couch - I guess I like to feel all the bumps and cracks in the road, and after the 2500HD followed by the Colorado, it is a lot different ride.
Around Christmas 2018 I had an emissions issue with the Colorado. The biggest issue with a small-market vehicle like that is the knowledge base and part availability. I knew this going in and took the gamble and lost this time. Apparently the entire batch of replacement parts GM had were also faulty, so I was without the truck for 7 weeks while I waited on a slow boat from China (or wherever...). it was all under the emissions warranty, so no major worry. During that time I had a couple nice loaners, including a brand new off the lot 2019 Silverado 1500 5.3. Since I had this truck for an over 2000 mile test drive, I was able to calculate what a new gas engine would do for my driving. I got 18.6mpg for the entire time, but that was only empty trips to and from work. With the price of diesel in comparison to gas here at certain times, diesel is hardly justifiable, so you really have to want it. When I bought the Colorado, diesel was only about 10% higher at local stations, but there have been times where it was 50% higher.
I was talking about the Silverado somewhere back there wasn't I? So anyways, I'm 5 tanks into the little I6 diesel and my calculated average is 28.6mpg cumulative, with a best single tank of 30.8 and a worst of 27.3. the on-board mpg calculator seems to be a half mpg plus on the low side compared to hand calculating the mileage. I'm still not sure if its justifiable to have the diesel, but it's certainly not horrible. The sicker difference between a 5.3 and a diesel is about $2500, so it's not a price killer like when you go the 2500/3500 route and need different transmissions too. I think my favorite thing is the once-a-week fuel ups. I had to fuel up about every 4 days with the Colorado, and the 2500HD would only get me 2.5 days between fuel-ups. With the 24 or 26? gallon tank - I forget, I'm easily able to go at least 600 miles of routine driving before a fill up now.
With any luck I'll be bringing home a new (used) tractor tomorrow too, so I will kill the fuel economy, but for a good reason
