And now there are three!
Diesel engines have practically disappeared from the passenger car market — chiefly because their high buy-in cost is harder to justify when gas is cheap, as it has been for several years now.
But diesel engines are making a big comeback in the light truck department — where other considerations, such as towing grunt and mileage, are desirable regardless of the price of fuel.
Chevy is the latest to ante up — or, rather, catch up.
Ford and Ram already offer diesel engines in their half-ton trucks, the F-150 and Ram 1500.
And now the Chevy Silverado does, too.
What It Is
The Silverado, like the F-150 and Ram 1500 (and the Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra), is a full-size pickup available in regular, crew and double cab configurations — and with three different bed lengths.
Prices start at $28,300 for a base-trim, two-wheel-drive regular cab work truck with the standard 6.5-foot bed, a 4.3-liter gas V-6 engine and a six-speed automatic transmission.
A top-of-the-line High Country crew cab with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine, four-wheel drive and a ten-speed automatic transmission costs $60,090.
A 3.0-liter turbo-diesel six-cylinder is now available optionally as part of a bundled package that includes a heavy-duty six-speed automatic transmission and a high-output alternator and battery, plus heavy-duty cooling, an engine block heater and a 3.23-axle ratio. So equipped, the Silverado can pull 9,300 pounds — and is capable of 33 mpg on the highway.
The price varies from $2,495-$3,890 — depending on which trim you start out with.
What's New
In addition to the new diesel engine, the '20 Silverado now offers adaptive cruise control and an updated trailer-towing system that transmits 15 different closed-circuit camera images to the LCD display inside the truck.
What's Good
Chevy buyers no longer have to buy a Ford or a Ram to get a diesel.
It's the most powerful diesel in the class.
It has the highest highway mileage in the class.
What's Not So Good
The diesel engine isn't available with the regular cab/work truck versions of the Silverado.
The competition's diesels can pull more.
Under the Hood
The Silverado already offers the widest range of engines in the class, ranging from a turbocharged, 2.7-liter four-cylinder (the only four-cylinder engine in the class) to the biggest V-8 in the class: a 6.2-liter, 420 horsepower asphalt-ripper borrowed from the current Corvette that can get this full-sized truck to 60 mph in just six seconds.
In between are the standard 4.3-liter gas V-6 without a turbo, a mid-sized 5.3-liter V-8 and now the new 3.0-liter diesel six-cylinder with a turbo.
It produces 277 horsepower and 460 foot-pounds of torque — the power of a much larger gas V-8, with a much smaller appetite.
Its 33 mpg capability (in the two-wheel drive version) beats that of the much less powerful base 4.3-liter gas V-6 by an impressive 13 mpg ... while almost doubling its tow rating.
However, the rival F-150 diesel is the best in the class, towing over 12,000 pounds.
On the Road
Diesel power is about being able to pull — and haul.
And not have to stop.
With its tank topped off, the 2020 Silverado can go an incredible 600 miles before it has to peel off the highway for fuel. That's farther than a Prius hybrid, and the Prius can't pull almost 10,000 pounds.
The diesel also makes the right sounds for the situation. There's a light burble at idle and an audible whistle as the turbo boost picks up.
And just like the Big Rigs, the Silverado's diesel features a Jake Brake. You can use the engine's compression to slow the truck on downhill runs — with attendant Big Rig sounds.
At the Curb
The Silverado — like its rivals — is huge; even a large man will feel small beside it. These trucks are available with ladders built into the bed for just that reason.
Not kidding.
Once you're in the thing, though, you are king of the world.
One of the appeals of these big trucks is riding higher than anyone who isn't behind the wheel of a Kenworth — and the knowledge that if anything less than a Kenworth hits you, you'll probably be fine.
The only thing not big about the Silverado is its in-between-the-seats space, much of which is taken up by the huge center console.
The Rest
Chevy recently lost its perennial slot as the second-bestselling vehicle in the country (after the F-150) to the recently redesigned Ram 1500.
This means Chevy dealers will be eager for your business in order to recover the No. 2 slot, and that means you can make a better deal on a new Silverado.
The Bottom Line
Though it doesn't pull quite as much as its diesel-powered rivals, it does go farther.
And it still pulls a lot more than anything else that can go 33 miles on a gallon of fuel.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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