Used Diesel Trucks Buyers Guide

Diesel Performance

Not all diesel engines are the same, even if they have the same number of cylinders in the exact same configuration. Some have greater horsepower, while others produce more torque. In addition, some of the diesel trucks can tow heavier trailers or carry more payload, depending on the overall weight and configuration of the truck.

For the most part, a truck with rear-wheel drive will provide greater towing and payload capability than one with four-wheel drive. The same goes for ones with a regular two-door cab with one row of seats as compared to cabs with four doors and two rows of seats. However, you can boost a truck’s towing capacity by buying one with additional equipment, like a gooseneck hitch and a fifth wheel.

With respect to the two used midsize trucks with diesel engines, their capabilities will not compare to those of larger pickups, but they are great if you only need to haul occasionally. The 2.8-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel I-6 available on the 2020 Chevy Colorado and 2020 GMC Canyon produces 181 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. While the two trucks have the same engine, the overall performance is not the same. Both trucks can tow up to 7,700 pounds of trailer, but the Canyon can carry up to 1,593 pounds in its payload, while the Colorado has a maximum payload capacity of 1,480 pounds.

This same difference carries over to the half-ton trucks produced by Chevrolet, the 2019 Silverado 1500 and 2019 Sierra 1500. Both offer an available 3.0-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel I-6 that produces 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. However, the Silverado 1500 has a maximum towing capacity of 9,500 pounds while the Sierra 1500 tops at a slightly lower 9,300 pounds of trailer. The opposite is true when it comes to carrying cargo, as the Sierra 1500 with the Turbo-Diesel has a payload capacity of 1,830 pounds compared to 1,780 pounds on the Silverado 1500. Again, the choice of cab style, drivetrain, and gross vehicle weight will have an impact on both of these numbers.

The 2018 Ford F-150 with the Power Stroke Turbo Diesel can produce 250 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque, which is slightly less than that of the two General Motors trucks. Yet, it has the greatest payload capacity of 3,270 pounds among the four full-size trucks while also providing the ability to tow up to an impressive 11,500 pounds of trailer. The 2019 Ram 1500’s EcoDiesel produces 260 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, the largest amount of the quartet. It also has the greatest maximum towing capability of 12,560 pounds of trailer while also providing the ability to carry up to 2,302 pounds of cargo in its payload.

The capabilities of the heavy-duty trucks depend in large part on their size and weight: the bigger the truck, the more it can tow and haul. The Duramax Turbo-Diesel on the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty trucks can produce up to 445 horsepower and an impressive 910 lb-ft of torque. The 2020 Silverado 2500HD has a maximum towing capability of 18,500 pounds and carry up to 3,715 pounds of cargo, while the 2020 Silverado 3500HD can tow up to 35,500 pounds of trailer and carry 7,145 pounds of cargo in its payload bed. The GMC trucks provide similar capabilities. The GMC Sierra 2500 can tow up to 18,500 pounds of trailer and haul 3,862 pounds of cargo, and the Sierra 3500 has a maximum towing capability of 35,500 pounds and a maximum cargo capacity of 7,442 pounds.

Ford’s Turbo-Diesel V-8 produces up to 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. These are the largest numbers of any of the diesel engines available on these used trucks. The 2020 F-250 can tow up to 15,000 pounds of trailer and carry up to 4,323 pounds of cargo in its bed, while the 2020 F-350 can tow 18,000 pounds of trailer and carry 7,033 pounds of cargo. The most impressive figures are on the 2020 Ford F-450, which has a maximum towing capability of 21,200 pounds and a payload capacity of 6,210 pounds.

Probably the most surprising figures are on the Ram heavy-duty trucks. Despite going with an I-6 diesel instead of a V-8, the 2020 Ram 2500 is the champ of its weight class, while the Ram 3500 makes a very impressive showing. The Ram 2500 can tow up to 19,680 pounds of trailer and carry 4,010 pounds of cargo, the largest capacities of any of the four trucks. The larger 2020 Ram 3500 can tow up to 35,100 pounds of trailer and carry up to 7,680 pounds of cargo. The cargo capacity figure is the largest of any used diesel truck reviewed, and the trailering capability is second only to the GMC Sierra 3500 and Chevy Silverado 3500HD.