

At current pricing of $2.80 in my area for diesel fuel, a Dmax 2500 would have to average 25 mpg for all miles. The mpg is lousy, at 10 mpg average for all miles, but that equates to about 11 cents a mile. My 2500 6.0 has been living on E85 which I am getting now at $1.12 a gallon. While Dmax mpg numbers might be good, the actual cost per mile of fuel quite possibly is worse. The mpg thing is not a good measuring stick. well it's up to whatever you want to put up with.Ĭlick to expand.Yeah, because with the emissions stuff related to the Dmax, you might need to be in a position where you can throw lots of cash around.īut seriously, it is really all about what you are trying to do. If you used your truck heavy and ran a hot shot or something the diesel is there for a reason. The shops like it because the junk is a fortune to keep running so it works in a lot of peoples favors. so if your goal is a race car buy a race car. I have been in the duramaxes, drove a few and they are still a slow boring truck. Sure a diesel is better on fuel but the cost difference of the truck buys a lifetime of economy difference.

But it's still "slow" when you have a 700 whp car to compare it too. I don't find it stressed while towing and on the steeper shorter grades with about 6500 lbs behind had no issues keeping it at around 3000 rpm. The truck is fun to drive and I have no issues with that. I plopped in 4.56 gears as opposed to the stupid 3.73s it had and have a tune and a muffler. I tow a few times a year and now use my 2017 HD to do it. duramaxes just cost more in every single way for utterly zero benefit to me. The LLY has 300hp just like the LQ4.Īll I run is 6 liters. The higher torque and higher fuel mileage don't offset the maintenance and initial cash outlay.

IMHO a diesel isn't worth the much higher initial price or the much larger cash outlay for maintenance. Gasoline engines are easier to service and the service parts are easier on the wallet than the diesels. The 6L90 and 8L90 six and eight speed transmissions bump up the fuel mileage in comparison to the four speed 4L80 in my GMT800.īoth of the iron block 6.0L truck motors have a reputation for long term reliable operation that's better than the old 350 smallblock. towing is unknown right now but I'd hazard a guess at 10-11mpg. The 6.0L LQ4 in my 2005 2500HD 4x4 has more HP and about even torque with that old 454. I could count on 10-11mpg towing and 13-14mpg empty on the highway. My 1979 K20 had an LS9 350 with 175hp and 275ft-lb of torque. I could count on 8-9mpg towing and 11-12mpg empty on the highway. My 1982 K30 had an LE8 454 with 230hp and 360ft-lb of torque. I towed with 350 & 454 pickup trucks in the 80's & 90's For the ’11 model year, a detuned version of this engine with 260 hp and 525 lb-ft of torque, called the LGH and mated to the 6L90 automatic, was added to the powertrain options for the Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans.Fuel is not the big ticket cost in vehicle ownership. This exhaust brake has different modes of operation when the truck is in Tow/Haul mode or when the cruise control is activated.
CATEYE DURAMAX DRIVER
The LML also added a “smart” exhaust brake built into the turbo, which is activated by the driver using a button on the center console. The new engine design also came with a B20 rating, allowing owners to use fuel blends with up to 20 percent biodiesel content without voiding their warranty or risking damage to the engine or fuel system. This was accomplished with the use of multiple new features, including super-fast-reacting piezo-controlled injectors (which are capable of multiple injections per cycle for optimal combustion), a ninth injector mounted downstream from the turbo to help DPF regeneration, a new EGR system with a cooler bypass, and a new selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system with urea injection. Once again, engineers were able to squeeze out another 105 lb-ft of torque while making the engine run dramatically cleaner than the previous generation. 2010 to Present – The current version of the Duramax, known as the LML, brings to market a massive 397 hp and 765 lb-ft of torque and meets the most stringent emissions laws to date.
