Silverado 1500 Diesel - First impressions

[Grit_dog]

Just picked up a new company rig a couple weeks ago.
2023 Chevy half ton Z71 with the 3.0 Duramax.
Near as I can tell it doesn’t have the max towing package (only because the brochure says max towing (3.73 gears, primarily) isn’t available on a LT Z71…..so whatever, think it’s got 3.42s. Engine power was bumped up for 2023 to 300/495.
This thing scoots and the great mileage is the real deal. Pulling down about 23mpg commuting, call it 1/3 city, 1/3 sitting in traffic and 1/3 doing freeway speed limits ++.
Haven’t towed anything yet, but seat of the pants, feels just as fast or faster than my previous 2021 Trail Boss 5.3, same 10 speed and same gearing.

Will be interesting to see the reliability over a longer term, but this company has been running them since they were introduced a few years ago and continues to, claiming great reliability on the older models.
Mostly it’s the fuel mileage that is blowing me away. I don’t get good mileage in virtually anything I’m in charge of the skinny pedal on. And I can’t seem to make this thing get bad mileage, even driving it like a rental!
Hopefully GM doesn’t discontinue these since they’re the only ones offering a half ton diesel now….

[cptqueeg]

Yup, fill the DEF at the pump, it's far easier, and there are no leftovers.

[APT]

Some truck stops have DEF in a pump which open up some more options especially when towing/traveling on highways. Pilot/Flying Jay website station search lists prices including DEF for example. Maybe someday GasBuddy will add DEF to their database.

I had a 2012 VW Passat TDI for 80k miles. I just bought the jugs since 2.5g would last around 4k miles. The current model Suburban with 3.0L diesel is very intriguing, but our family is mostly outgrowing the need for such capabilities.

[deltabravo]

Grit dog wrote:
When it’s basically empty, it takes not quite 5 gal of def….whos dumb idea that was, idk. Since 99% of light truck owners buy it in 2.5 gal jugs, the only size offered…so that’s nice. It takes 4.8 gallons and then spills down the side of the truck….

Same problem with my Colorado with 2.8L Duramax. I drive it until the DIC gives me a low DEF warning, then dump in another 2.5 gallon jug.
It holds more than that, but not enough to require 2 full jugs, so I only use one.

Several Youtubers own the 3.0L Duramax. One of them tows a lot and says the DEF consumption skyrockets when towing. He said it was a huge mistake paying fuel station / convenience store prices for multiple jugs of DEF when he drove from Nebraska to Michigan and back. He mentioned it would have been too much of a hassle to go driving through town to find a Wal-Mart to buy it when needed. Next time he does a long trip when towing, he said he'd take a few jugs with him.

Both of them say the engine consumes oil as well. Both have the latest gen of the 3.0L - I think it's the LZO RPO code.

[Grit_dog]

^I haven’t towed with it yet, but I don’t think it’ll blow the doors off a 5.3, although it would be interesting to see how much higher a gear it can pull the same load up the same hill.
You’re right, it is roughly comparable though.
What I don’t understand is why GM isn’t taking advantage of the HUGE increase in mpg over gassers, in the most popular light vehicle segment that they now OWN outright.
One would think they would be advertising the shiiiit out of them and monitoring real time sales data to decide how many more baby Dmaxes they need to pump out.
They may be doing the latter, but one would expect they’d up their marketing game.

[rjstractor]

ksss wrote:
I know GM was hoping for a 10% take rate on the baby Dmax, I am not sure what they currently are at, but they are offering it in more trimlines than ever before. You could take that as either they are giving you more options to have that engine to get more people to buy it, or it's so popular that people are demanding it in more trimlines. I agree probably regardless of the take rate, that this could disappear at anytime. I think from a spec standpoint they really hit the sweet spot. Right amount of hp, torque, killer mpg and it seems pretty dang dependable. See a lot of them around here between contractors and farmers primarily it seems.

Agreed, especially since it's virtually the same MSRP as the 5.3 and probably will tow better. The guy across the street from me has one and he regularly hits the high 20s for mpg on road trips, not towing of course.

[Grit_dog]

@Fish, yeah the 4.5 Dmax never got off the ground. Between tier iv emissions issues with all mfgs and the economy, and the fact it would have been like the little Cummins in the Nissan trucks. (Too big for good mileage and not enough power to impress)
Sure it could get pulled anytime. So could all the rest of the dinosaur burners. But it would be silly for this to not be the last man standing.
Even with diesel $.80 /gal more than gas here in the ENW (expensive northwest), the break even point on todays gas prices is about 30k miles compared to my old 5.3 10speed half ton.
Same truck, same conditions and a very good comparison.

[ksss]

I know GM was hoping for a 10% take rate on the baby Dmax, I am not sure what they currently are at, but they are offering it in more trimlines than ever before. You could take that as either they are giving you more options to have that engine to get more people to buy it, or it's so popular that people are demanding it in more trimlines. I agree probably regardless of the take rate, that this could disappear at anytime. I think from a spec standpoint they really hit the sweet spot. Right amount of hp, torque, killer mpg and it seems pretty dang dependable. See a lot of them around here between contractors and farmers primarily it seems.

[FishOnOne]

Grit dog wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:
It's a shame that GM invested all the money to develop, produce tooling/automation, set up a factory, qualify suppliers and training to produce this engine that probably won't be around for long.

Well they’ve outlasted Frod and Dodge…2 years and counting once the ‘24 models drop
What’s a shame is that in the last, well, forever, no one has built a small light duty American diesel that was really worth a carp. The baby Dmax 3.0 is the most proven one of the bunch so far. Even though Chrysler had a 3.0 for like 15 years.

Remember when GM almost launched the 4.5L Duramax for their 1500 trucks back in 2010. They even had the factory in New York state ready to go, but the poor economy made GM have second thoughts and they pulled the plug on it. It won't be long and they'll pull the plug on the 3.0L because the factory probably will be retooled to produce batteries for EV's.

[Grit_dog]

FishOnOne wrote:
It's a shame that GM invested all the money to develop, produce tooling/automation, set up a factory, qualify suppliers and training to produce this engine that probably won't be around for long.

Well they’ve outlasted Frod and Dodge…2 years and counting once the ‘24 models drop
What’s a shame is that in the last, well, forever, no one has built a small light duty American diesel that was really worth a carp. The baby Dmax 3.0 is the most proven one of the bunch so far. Even though Chrysler had a 3.0 for like 15 years.

[RobertRyan]

Grit dog wrote:
Just picked up a new company rig a couple weeks ago.
2023 Chevy half ton Z71 with the 3.0 Duramax.
Near as I can tell it doesn’t have the max towing package (only because the brochure says max towing (3.73 gears, primarily) isn’t available on a LT Z71…..so whatever, think it’s got 3.42s. Engine power was bumped up for 2023 to 300/495.
This thing scoots and the great mileage is the real deal. Pulling down about 23mpg commuting, call it 1/3 city, 1/3 sitting in traffic and 1/3 doing freeway speed limits ++.
Haven’t towed anything yet, but seat of the pants, feels just as fast or faster than my previous 2021 Trail Boss 5.3, same 10 speed and same gearing.

Will be interesting to see the reliability over a longer term, but this company has been running them since they were introduced a few years ago and continues to, claiming great reliability on the older models.
Mostly it’s the fuel mileage that is blowing me away. I don’t get good mileage in virtually anything I’m in charge of the skinny pedal on. And I can’t seem to make this thing get bad mileage, even driving it like a rental!
Hopefully GM doesn’t discontinue these since they’re the only ones offering a half ton diesel now….

A 3 ltre Diesel sounding more like the vast number of Global Pickups or Utes. Presumably next Hilux will have 3.3 litre diesel 305hp and 500lbsft of torque

[FishOnOne]

It's a shame that GM invested all the money to develop, produce tooling/automation, set up a factory, qualify suppliers and training to produce this engine that probably won't be around for long.

[Grit_dog]

Time will tell but the company I work for has been buying them since they came out in 2019 or whenever it was and continues to, so presumably the reliability is there. Even though there have been improvements as well.
Been a long time since I’ve said THAT is the truck I’d buy without a doubt it in the market, but if I was going to buy a new half ton or suv tomorrow, it would be a 3.0 Dmax without question.
AND AG Diesel has 45hp plug n play downstream tuners!

[Grit_dog]

Well being the guy who generally gets low end mileage in ANY vehicle, this thing is just silly good.
Just sucked the 4th tank of diesel through it and got over 2k miles on it.
This tank was 25.4 on the readout and 26 hand calculated. If I introduce the 12V error in my ways factor, it’s still over 25mpg.
All commuting 0-90mph depending on traffic and maybe 15% city driving.
Ran the DEF down to about 50miles to empty….thanks GM. When it’s basically empty, it takes not quite 5 gal of def….whos dumb idea that was, idk. Since 99% of light truck owners buy it in 2.5 gal jugs, the only size offered…so that’s nice. It takes 4.8 gallons and then spills down the side of the truck….
Otherwise it’s flawless. Regens are quick and easy and happen even while idling and putzing around. It does an active regen every couple 3 hundred miles. (But I’m basically putzing in traffic half the time).
Mpg has gone up abiut 1/2 mpg per tank, assume breakin. I’ll be very surprised if it goes up much more.
And acceleration/power is impressive until you get above about 70mph. Full throttle pulls from freeway speeds are fine but it’s the only place the lack of HP compared to the big gassers shows up. It’ll lock up the diff and get sideways on dry pavement (tc off) from a 10-20mph roll, no problem!

[blt2ski]

Thermoguy
Somebody has the max tow diesel on here. He's pulling an 8000?;?!? Lb trailer with out issues. It's rated for more. He admits max load for him mostly chassis related. If one could find one, not built in an older style 8600/8800 gvwr 8 lug 25 series. Cats meow for a 10k trailer, decent mileage etc etc. Same basic power as the original T444e piwersyrok but 10 gears.

Marty