Is the Chevy Colorado Diesel Duramax Worth It?

The 2016 Chevy Colorado, new for this year, is one unique midsize truck. This is because in addition to all the great features it offers, it happens to be the only midsize truck option available for buyers in diesel! This means its towing max is increased to deliver on a powerful ride as well as one that diesel fans will love in a midsize option.

So is the Chevy Colorado Diesel Duramax worth it?

What’s Under the Hood?

The 2016 Chevy Colorado features a 2.8L four-cylinder turbo diesel. This cast iron engine has a steel crankshaft and weighs up to four hundred pounds more than the gasoline engine for the Colorado. This extra weight means the suspension needed to be specially tuned to make this truck deliver on power. The truck was tested in both freezing and scorching temps, so in order to accommodate the difference, ceramic glow plugs were included in addition to a special battery as well as a high-output motor. This is in addition to a control unit that’s electronically monitored and has a unique calibration setup for the cold as well as a fan with two more blades than normal to keep the engine cool in the heat.

This diesel engine happens to be, according to Chevy, one of the cleanest diesels they’ve ever done. The exhaust system is designed to have a fluid canister that needs to be replaced about as often as an oil change needs to be done. The goal was to keep emissions as minimal as possible when it comes to this truck, which is perfect for those looking to minimize their carbon footprint while still driving the diesel engine they love.

Power and Towing

The 2016 Chevy Colorado has 369 lb.-ft. of torque along with 181 horsepower and up to 7,700 pounds max towing, which is 700 more than its gas-powered model. For those who want to increase their towing capabilities, that 700 pounds adds up to be a lot. With the added torque, this truck is designed to feel more like a truck than a standard midsize version of its competitors.

What makes this truck great as a midsize truck option for buyers is the fact that it does feel a little bigger than it seems and it offers better fuel mileage than its competitors as well—up to 31 MPG. This makes the diesel seem a little more appealing than the 26 MPG the gas version offers. Chevy certainly worked hard on this truck to give buyers the best features and power for their money.

In order to reduce the noise from the diesel engine, Chevy added a centrifugal pendulum vibration absorber. So not only is your ride more powerful, but it’s also quieter.

Let’s not forget that the 2016 Chevy Colorado comes with an updated interior as well as with all the technology that Chevy is offering for 2016, including available Wi-Fi, forward collision alert, and a standard rear camera.

When it comes to midsize truck options, the 2016 Chevy Colorado makes an impressive option compared to its competitors. In fact, if you’re looking for a diesel midsize truck, the Colorado is your only option. This truck delivers on a powerful diesel engine as well as a towing maximum that’s well above its competitors. The Chevy Colorado Diesel Duramax is worth it if you’re looking for a midsize truck that has the feel of a bigger truck with some impressive towing numbers.

2021 Update

How’s the Current Colorado Look?

It’s been a few years since the Chevy Colorado came out with its available Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine, so we thought it was about time we have another glance and see how it does. Honestly, not a ton has changed since it was first introduced in terms of its engine and the kind of performance it has to offer. This year there were some exterior changes and a few other shakeups for the Chevy Colorado, but its engine options and overall performance remain largely the same as the last time we looked at it.

That being said, we’re going to take a closer look at the Colorado, its engine options, and what they mean for you. The Chevy Colorado is a fantastic midsize truck and has been a favorite for a lot of truck owners for many years, especially folks who are looking for a midsize pickup to take off-road. There’s no denying that the Colorado is one of the best off-road trucks around, particularly if you choose the ZR2 trim and its 4WD system. So let’s have a look at the engines for the Colorado and see which one could be right for you.

Horsepower and Torque

To get a sense of the kind of performance the available diesel engine provides for the Chevy Colorado, it’s important to understand the other two engines too. The standard engine on the Colorado is a 2.5L 4-cylinder that offers 200 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque, which is a great place to start and it comes paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Also available is a 3.6L V6 engine that delivers 308 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque, which comes with an 8-speed automatic, and provides you with a really great driving experience overall.

By comparison to these two gas engines, the 2.8L Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine delivers 181 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, with a 6-speed automatic. As you can see, that’s less horsepower than either of the other two engines, which can put some people off. But you have to look beyond that; the torque on this engine is fantastic, far beyond the other two options. In fact, it delivers nearly double the torque of the 2.5L engine that comes standard on the Chevy Colorado.

Do you need all of this torque? Well, that really depends on what you’re looking for, and the kind of driving you tend to do. If you do a lot of towing, then you’re going to love having this extra power pulling your trailer. Similarly, if you tend to drive in areas with a lot of hills, then the torque is going to make getting up inclines a lot easier and will ultimately feel very satisfying when you’re behind the wheel.

Towing Capacity

Obviously, if you want a huge amount of towing capacity then a full-size option like the Chevy Silverado or Silverado HD Series is a great choice. That being said, the Colorado can still hold its own quite well and is a fantastic pick if you’re looking to tow a small boat or a trailer that you don’t tend to load up with massive amounts of weight. The engine has a significant impact on the maximum weight you can pull, however, so it’s important to look at your options.

The standard 2.5L gas engine allows a properly equipped Chevy Colorado to tow up to 3,500 lbs, while the available 3.6L V6 engine increases that substantially to a maximum of 7,000 lbs of available towing. By comparison, the 2.8L Turbo-Diesel engine boosts that even further to up to 7,700 lbs of maximum towing. While that’s not as huge an increase as going from the standard engine to the available gas engine, it’s still noteworthy, and it can make a difference.

As we said before, it’s also important to keep in mind the superior torque coming from this diesel engine, which is going to feel great if you do a lot of towing. If you know you routinely push 7,000 lbs or just over with your trailer, then choosing the diesel engine makes a lot of sense. While the V6 engine can handle up to 7,000 lbs, you don’t want to cut it too close – so give yourself some extra wiggle room and get a bit more than you need just to be safe.

Fuel Economy

One of the biggest reasons a lot of people choose a diesel engine is because it typically offers better fuel economy than standard gas engines. This isn’t quite as significant as it used to be since manufacturers have spent the last couple of decades making trucks as fuel-efficient as possible. Still, the diesel engine does provide the best fuel economy for the Chevy Colorado, so it’s worth thinking about.

The standard gas engine with rear-wheel drive can get an estimated 19 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway, while the available V6 can get an estimated 18 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway. Are you really going to see that 1 MPG difference in the city? Probably not, but it could still add up over time.

By comparison, the available Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine with four-wheel drive gets an estimated 19 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway. This is significant because when you look at the other engines when paired with a four-wheel drive configuration, they typically lose a couple of miles from their estimates. But the diesel engine delivers comparable city mileage even with four-wheel drive and superior highway miles. So you get the best overall fuel economy with the diesel engine, especially if you know you want four-wheel drive and you tend to do a lot of highway driving.

Other Considerations

One thing we mentioned back in our first look at the Colorado and its diesel engine, but we wanted to reiterate again today because it’s still true, is just how unusual this option even is. Other than the GMC Canyon, which is built on the same platform as the Colorado and is about mechanically identical, there is only one other midsize truck out there that has a diesel engine available: the Jeep Gladiator. While we’re excited that Jeep has a midsize truck now, there are a lot of ways that it just doesn’t compare with what the Colorado has to offer.

For starters, the maximum towing capacity with the diesel engine for the Jeep pickup is just 6,500 lbs – more than 1,000 lbs less than the Colorado with its diesel engine. So if you are looking for a midsize truck with excellent towing capacity and a diesel option available, the Chevy Colorado is still king. It’s great that you have more options these days, but in general, the Colorado (or its cousin, the GMC Canyon) is really going to be your best pick.

Is it Worth It?

At the end of the day, is the Duramax Turbo-Diesel the right engine for you on the Chevy Colorado? That really depends on what you need from your pickup and what you’re looking for in general. As you saw, the diesel option provides the highest torque for the Colorado, as well as the greatest towing capacity and the highest fuel economy. It does have lower horsepower than you can get with the gas V6, but the increased torque still makes for a fantastic driving experience. So, for a lot of people, the performance and ease of use that this diesel engine offers make it a fantastic choice.