How To Get 30 Mpg With A Duramax

Last Updated on October 25, 2021

The Duramax diesel engine is predominately found in GMC trucks. It was introduced in 2001 and has gone through many updates. The current version (2017+) is a 6.6L turbo-diesel V8 which has some of the best torque and horsepower you could ever want in a diesel engine.

Looking for a good online repair manual?
Click Here for the 5 best options.

There is also a smaller 2.8 liter version of the Duramax diesel turbo-diesel engine that can be found on 2016+ Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups.

Rather than the 910 pound-foot of torque found with the 6.6L engine, the 2.8L 4-Cylinder Turbodiesel offers 369 pound-foot of torque. However, both give users great gas mileage as well as the power you would expect from a diesel engine.

See Also: 10 Best Diesel Engines (Duramax vs Cummins vs Power Stroke)

Duramax engine fuel economy

Duramax MPG for 5 Most Common Trucks

When people shop around for trucks of any size, in addition to torque and towing capacity, they likely want to know the miles per gallon that they'll get out of it. Duramax diesel engines are made to enhance fuel efficiency so that you get the most miles per gallon out of your truck that is possible.

Below are 5 common vehicles which have a Duramax diesel engine in them. Because manufacturer based MPG numbers are usually unrealistic, the fuel mileages shown below are taken from hundreds of actual owners of the vehicles themselves, millions of miles driven, and actually putting the trucks through typical days of work (courtesy of Fuelly.com).

Note: Obviously, the actual fuel economy achieved is based on many factors (speed, driving style, weight, towing, etc.) so your results may vary but this should give you a good idea of "real-world" usage.

See Also: 6 Best Truck Bed Liner Kits

#1 – Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD

Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax Diesel

Year	Average Miles Per Gallon	Year	Average Miles Per Gallon
2001	15.4 MPG	2002	15.0 MPG
2003	14.9 MPG	2004	14.3 MPG
2005	13.9 MPG	2006	14.3 MPG
2007	14.6 MPG	2008	14.5 MPG
2009	13.4 MPG	2010	14.7 MPG
2011	13.7 MPG	2012	13.3 MPG
2013	14.9 MPG	2014	14.3 MPG
2015	14.2 MPG	2016	14.3 MPG
2017	14.3 MPG	2018	13.8 MPG
2019	14.5 MPG	2020	13.1 MPG

Read Also: Truck Bed Size Charts

#2 – GMC Sierra 2500HD

GMC Sierra 2500HD Duramax Diesel

Year	Average Miles Per Gallon	Year	Average Miles Per Gallon
2001	14.2 MPG	2002	15.0 MPG
2003	15.2 MPG	2004	15.5 MPG
2005	13.6 MPG	2006	14.7 MPG
2007	14.3 MPG	2008	14.4 MPG
2009	14.6 MPG	2010	15.0 MPG
2011	13.9 MPG	2012	13.7 MPG
2013	13.4 MPG	2014	13.7 MPG
2015	13.9 MPG	2016	14.4 MPG
2017	14.2 MPG	2018	15.3 MPG
2019	14.4 MPG	2020	14.9 MPG

Related: V6 vs V8 (Which is Better?)

#3 – GMC Sierra 3500HD

GMC Sierra 3500HD Duramax Diesel

Year	Average Miles Per Gallon	Year	Average Miles Per Gallon
2007	13.6 MPG	2008	13.3 MPG
2009	15.1 MPG	2010	13.2 MPG
2011	13.7 MPG	2012	13.3 MPG
2013	12.5 MPG	2014	12.2 MPG
2015	14.3 MPG	2016	12.6 MPG
2017	13.3 MPG	2018	11.8 MPG
2019	11.2 MPG	2020	13.8 MPG

#4 – Chevrolet Colorado

Chevy Colorado Duramax Diesel

Year	Average Miles Per Gallon	Year	Average Miles Per Gallon
2016	23.8 MPG	2017	23.6 MPG
2018	22.7 MPG	2019	22.3 MPG
2020	20.1 MPG

#5 – GMC Canyon

GMC Canyon Duramax Diesel

Year	Average Miles Per Gallon	Year	Average Miles Per Gallon
2016	24.0 MPG	2017	24.3 MPG
2018	24.8 MPG	2019	22.0 MPG
2020	24.5 MPG

General Motors owns the brand and rights to the Duramax diesel engine. The company currently has a joint venture with the Japanese motor company called Isuzu. This joint venture is referred to as DMAX, which is the manufacturer of Duramax diesel engines.

Related: Best Synthetic Oil For Diesel Engines

The engine became popular after they were first installed in the 2001 GMC and Chevrolet trucks. Ever since then, GMC has given people the option to have a Duramax diesel engine in all the medium-sized trucks, vans, and pickup trucks that they sell. If you come across this option, be sure to take it.