2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 Diesel vs 2021 Ram 1500 Diesel

• 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 Diesel

  

  Starting at

  $41,990¹

  2021 Ram 1500 Diesel

  

  Starting at

  $37,240²

  277	Horsepower (HP)	260
  10-speed Automatic	Transmission	8-speed Automatic
  23/33	Fuel Economy (city/highway)	22/32

  Although a diesel engine is not necessarily the right choice for everyone, for those truck owners who appreciate what a diesel model offers, the Chevy 1500 and Ram 1500 are ones to look at. The engine is vitally important to any truck, of course, but diesel engines bring something extra to a pickup, providing excellent power and performance, along with impressive fuel economy. Choosing the right diesel truck is not always easy, however, since there are so many factors to weigh and consider when looking at your options. Comparing two models, like the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 diesel vs 2021 Ram 1500 diesel, for example, can make the process easier by eliminating a lot of extra models.

  When you compare these two trucks and their options with diesel engines head-to-head, you can see that the Silverado has more to offer. The Ram 1500 with a diesel engine is undoubtedly a fine truck, but the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 with its diesel simply gives you more. You get a superior transmission with the Silverado’s diesel engine, making it far more responsive and enjoyable to drive, whether you need it for work, play, or both. The Silverado’s diesel engine also provides superior fuel economy, and while the difference might not be earth-shaking, it is still worth noting and can add up over time.

  Even though the Ram 1500 is well known for offering great luxury and technology features, there are a number of options the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 has available, particularly on models with a diesel engine, which the Ram cannot compete with. For example, the Ram’s available 260 horsepower just falls short when compared to the Silverado's 277 horsepower. While these are both extraordinarily safe trucks, the standard Teen Driver safety system of the Silverado makes it the perfect truck if you have a young driver learning to be safe behind the wheel – the Ram lacks any such feature. Come visit us at Raceway Chevrolet today to find out more and see the powerful and impressive 2021 Chevy Silverado with its diesel engine for yourself.

• Performance

  

  Both the 2021 Chevy Silverado and the 2021 Ram 1500 have numerous engines to choose from – in fact, the Silverado 1500 has five different engines that you can pick between. However, we are specifically looking at the diesel engine options for these two trucks. These are not the standard engines for either of them, so you will need to choose a configuration and trim level that has these engines available if you want a diesel with your pickup. That being said, the diesel engines for these trucks are available on numerous trims, not just one each, giving you quite a bit of flexibility and freedom when choosing the right pickup.

  Chevy's Diesel Offering

  The diesel engine for the Chevy Silverado 1500 is a particularly impressive piece of machinery. It is a 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine that delivers up to 277 hp and up to 460 lb-ft of torque. This engine is quite powerful and also very quiet, particularly compared to a lot of other engines with high performance. It comes paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission that makes it very responsive and surprisingly fun to drive.

  Ram's Diesel Offering

  By comparison, the 2021 Ram 1500 has an available 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 engine that offers up to 260 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. You can see that this is slightly more torque than the Chevy engine, but also less horsepower, so it is a bit of a tradeoff. Perhaps the biggest weakness of this engine, however, is that it comes paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. While this might not be a deal-breaker for every driver, it is certainly less quick and responsive than the 10-speed automatic from Chevy, and it can negatively impact your driving experience and fuel efficiency.

  Fuel Efficiency

  One of the main draws for a lot of people to choose a diesel engine rather than a standard gas engine is the fuel economy. Diesel engines are well known for providing excellent fuel efficiency to go along with the impressive power and performance they have to offer. While these are both great engines and trucks for fuel economy, the Chevy model does come out ahead.

  Drive Farther in the Chevy 1500

  The 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 with its diesel engine gets an estimated 23 MPG in the city and 33 MPG on the highway with rear-wheel drive. By comparison, the Silverado 1500 with its standard 4.3L V6 engine gets an estimated 16 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the highway with rear-wheel drive. As you can see, the fuel efficiency of the diesel engine is significantly better and can really make a difference in how often you have to stop for gas while enjoying your pickup.

  Get Where You Need to Go in the Ram 1500

  While the fuel economy of the 2021 Ram 1500 with its diesel engine is still good, it falls slightly short of the Chevy. The Ram 1500 Diesel gets an estimated 22 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway. To be completely fair, that is a relatively minor difference compared to the Chevy’s diesel engine, but the Silverado’s engine is still superior in this regard. While the difference might be pretty small, over time – especially if you own your truck for a decade – it can certainly add up and become more significant.

• Display

  

  Chevy Displays

  Both the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 diesel and the Ram 1500 diesel have great features inside, but you can get a bit more with the Silverado. For example, the standard Infotainment display on the Chevy Silverado with a diesel engine is an 8-inch color touchscreen that looks great and comes with a 6-speaker sound system. While a 4-inch color driver information center is standard, there is an available 8-inch digital driver display that you can choose and get on higher trims, letting you more easily keep an eye on important information.

  Ram Displays

  By comparison, the starting trim of the 2021 Ram 1500 with a diesel engine features a 5-inch Infotainment display – in fact, many of the Ram 1500 trims feature this small screen standard. Similarly, a 3-inch monochromatic driver display is standard for the Ram 1500, with a 7-inch color display offered on higher trims. This means that if you choose the lowest possible trim with a diesel engine for these two trucks, then you will end up with a smaller Infotainment display and a smaller, monochromatic driver screen in the Ram 1500, rather than the larger color displays in the Chevy Silverado.

• Safety

  

  While performance and fuel economy in a truck with a diesel engine are certainly important factors, you do not want to ignore safety features. Any vehicle should be able to help keep you safe on the road, whether you are looking at a sporty model for the weekend or a work truck to get you around Monday through Friday. While both of these trucks have some great safety features available, the Silverado comes out on top once again.

  Safety Inside a Ram

  Looking at the 2021 Ram 1500 with a diesel engine, you get numerous airbags, along with electronic stability control and brake assist. Available features for the Ram 1500 include blind spot monitoring with rear cross-path detection, a forward collision warning, and a lane departure warning. You can also get available front and rear park assist, along with a surround-view camera system rather than the standard rear back-up camera.

  Safety Inside a Chevy

  While those are decent features overall, the Chevy model simply has more to offer. The Silverado 1500 Diesel features numerous airbags, StabiliTrak stability and traction control, and daytime running lamps. Available features include front and rear park assist, an HD rear vision camera, and a hitch guidance system with a hitch view for easier towing. You can also get a rear cross traffic alert and a lane change alert with a side blind zone alert.

  Plus, every Silverado comes with the Teen Driver safety system, which provides you with an in-vehicle report card to let you know how your young driver is doing. This system can also enable and disable certain features, like limiting music volume, to encourage safe habits in your teen.

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