Normally the terms “fuel-efficient” and “pickup truck” don’t mesh well with one another. After all, trucks have usually been powered by large engines that are necessary to move weight and carry sizable workloads. Most recently, gas prices have been doing what they’ve always done best and are unpredictable. While this has led to many consumers opting for smaller vehicles to take advantage of lower fuel consumption, some people don’t have that option. This isn’t necessarily due to a budget constraint but of necessity. Some people need a pickup truck for not just their daily commute but their occupational duties as well. With gas prices being what they are and more people attempting to resume a life of relative normalcy, we’ve taken the time to examine some of Chevy’s 2022 pickups you can find at your neighborhood truck dealer, their powertrains, and which ones are the most efficient fuel-wise.
Chevy Colorado (2WD)
For those of you ’90s kids who are all grown up with families and responsibilities, you might remember a vehicle called the Chevy S-10. For many years, it was Chevy’s answer to the Ford Ranger and, in many ways, surpassed it in terms of quality. Since 2004, the Chevy Colorado has assumed this role and has taken to it like a duck to water. Your fuel efficiency greatly depends on which drivetrain you opt for, so we’ll begin with the 2WD version of the Colorado.
There are three engine options altogether for the Colorado, and we’re going to begin our comparison with the two gasoline options with 2WD. The standard engine is a 2.5L four-cylinder engine that gets 19 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway. For those who wish to bolster the truck’s performance, a 3.6L V6 is available, and it is remarkably efficient. Highway fuel economy stays the same as the 2.5L, and driving within the city drops just 1 MPG to 18 MPG. While these numbers are considered good for a pickup, the winner of this bout goes to the 2.8L diesel engine in Colorado, which gets 20 MPG while in the city and an astonishing 30 MPG when it takes to the highway. Maybe it’s time to see what diesel can do for you…
Chevy Colorado (4WD)
If you live in a geographical location that warrants it, 4WD can mean the difference between being stuck in the mud, snow, and ice or going about your day completely unimpeded. If you need a vehicle with this capability, the Colorado can certainly provide. While utilizing this drivetrain can increase fuel consumption, the 4WD Colorado is still capable of being fairly economical. Much like the 2WD model, both gasoline engines produce results, with the 2.5L four-cylinder engine achieving 19 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway. The V6 has similar results, with an identical 24 MPG in highway driving and 17 MPG in the city. Once again, the diesel engine yields the best results, with 19 MPG in the city and 28 MPG while on the highway.
However, it should be noted that these fuel economy figures are for the standard 4WD Colorado models. If you opt for a beefy off-road truck like the Colorado ZR2, then the higher ride height and aggressive off-road tires will increase fuel consumption. When equipped with the gasoline V6 engine, the ZR2 is rated for just 16 MPG driving in the city and 18 MPG out on the highway. Opting for the diesel engine will make the ZR2 more efficient, but its 18 MPG in the city and 22 MPG on the highway is still far short of what the standard Colorado 4WD can achieve.
Chevy Silverado 1500 (2WD)
Few trucks have had the popularity from year to year as the Chevy Silverado 1500. Since this model is a truck that Americans rely on, it’s only natural that Chevy would tailor its most popular product to the growing need of consumers when it comes to fuel consumption. Starting with their 2WD drivetrain, we’ve done some homework when it comes to saving you some much-needed pennies at the pump.
Of all the available Silverado 1500 engines, we found out rather quickly that when it comes to getting more per gallon, diesel does it best. A 2WD Chevy Silverado 1500 equipped with the 3.0L Duramax inline-six turbo-diesel gets 26 MPG combined and has a range of well over 600 miles on a full tank. The EPA estimates that when everything is properly broken down, the Duramax allows the Silverado to obtain 23 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway. Quite impressive, if you ask us.
For engines that are powered by gasoline, the Silverado equipped with its economical 2.7L four-cylinder engine provides exquisite fuel economy with a combined 20 MPG. This accounts for 19 MPG while driving in the city and 22 MPG while on the highway. In third place is the 2WD Silverado equipped with its 5.3L V8. A range of up to 432 miles on a full tank is impressive considering the size of the engine, and achieving 21 MPG on the highway proves more than adequate for the daily driver.
Chevy Silverado 1500 (4WD)
Much like the Colorado that we previously examined, the Silverado 1500 comes in two available drivetrains, which can have a substantial effect on the fuel consumption of the powertrain. However, for many drivers, depending on both their occupational duties and geographic location, a 4WD truck is the only option they have to sustain their quality of life. And, as expected, there are plenty of fuel-efficient Chevy trucks that are available. As we’ve seen, Chevy’s Duramax diesel engine gets the most out of a full tank. This engine is rated for up to 24 MPG combined, with the ability to achieve 22 MPG in the city and 26 MPG when traveling by highway.
When it comes to the 4WD Silverado models that are gasoline-powered, it was once again the usual suspects. The Silverado 1500, when equipped with a 2.7L four-cylinder engine, managed to put up some impressive numbers despite being hindered by its 4WD drivetrain. These amounted to 17 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway for 18 MPG combined. It was also estimated that the vehicle in question could travel 432 miles on a full tank. Combining 4WD and the Silverado’s 5.3L V8 yielded some impressive results, with a combined 18 MPG, which included the Silverado achieving 20 MPG on the highway. No matter what your needs (or job description) might be, there’s a Silverado for that.
Efficiency Runs in the Family
There are some manufacturers who assume you’ll buy their products whenever possible because of name recognition and brand. However, there’s much to be said for a manufacturer that continues to strive toward improvement. Chevy continues to strive to make the impossible become possible. A wonderful and near-perfect example of this is providing vehicles with low fuel consumption at a time when the price of gas is less than agreeable to our sensibilities (not to mention our pocketbooks.) While flying cars are still a ways off from manifesting into reality, we at least have pickup trucks that are fuel-efficient and continue to prove to be workhorses we can rely on.
