Which Chevy Silverado Has the Best Gas Mileage?
Gas mileage is not a strong suit of the 2023 Chevy Silverado, but some powertrains are better than others.
Written by Amber Reed
Reviewed by Hillary Kobayashi
Let’s be frank—no configuration of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado is going to save you money at the gas pump, but the diesel powertrain offers the best gas mileage of the bunch.
The Chevrolet Silverado is a rugged, hard-working truck that can do a lot of things astoundingly well, but fuel economy is definitely not one of them. The 2023 Chevy Silverado is available with four different engines, three bed lengths, three cab sizes, two or four-wheel drive, and seven trim levels. That’s a lot of variables, and they’re all going to affect your gas mileage.
Here to help clear some things up in your quest for maximum mileage is
Jerry
, the reliable super app
for car (and truck) owners. We’ll go over the fuel efficiency of the different powertrains and tell you what the best and worst options are. And while saving money on gas might be a little bit of a challenge in this beast, we can tell you how easy it is to save money on your Chevrolet Silverado insurance cost
! Which Chevy Silverados have the best gas mileage?
As we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of variables at play here, and attempts at comparison can get unwieldy fast. But from best to worst, here’s how the four engine choices rank in terms of gas mileage:
- 3.0-liter, six-cylinder diesel: up to 26 mpg combined
- 2.7-liter, inline-four gasoline: up to 20 mpg combined
- 5.3-liter EcoTec V8 gasoline: up to 19 mpg combined
- 6.2-liter, EcoTec turbo V8 gasoline: up to 17 mpg combined
But let’s dig into this a bit more, shall we? Read on for more details on the gas mileage of all of these, plus some information about a few of the most salient variables.
The most fuel-efficient Chevy Silverado engines
The best option for fuel economy might be a little surprising to some: the 3.0-liter diesel engine is the most efficient engine option of the bunch. The two-wheel drive version is the best of the best, with an EPA rating of 24/29/26 mpg in city/highway/combined driving.
Getting a four-wheel drive causes a slight dip across the board, with a rating of 24/29/26 mpg.
A diesel engine yields more torque and diesel fuel offers more power than gasoline, which is why you’ll often see diesel engines in heavy-duty vehicles that do a lot of towing, pushing, or off-road driving. While diesel vehicles were once very loud, stinky, and generally unpleasant to be around, the diesel engines of today have come a long way, and some versions are actually cleaner than gasoline.
The next best engine for gas mileage is the 2.7-liter, inline-four gasoline engine. This setup gets 19 to 20 mpg in combined driving, 21 mpg on the highway, and 18 to 19 mpg in the city.
As you can see, even the most efficient of the Chevrolet Silverados aren’t that efficient. But when we’re dealing with big ol’ trucks like these, that’s more often the case than not. But by comparison, the 2023
Dodge Ram 1500
gets anywhere from 20 to 26 mpg in combined driving and the Ford F-150
gets 20 to 25 mpg combined. 
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The least fuel-efficient Chevy Silverado engines
Not surprisingly, the two V8 options are the least efficient Chevy Silverado engines. Chevrolet calls them EcoTec V8s, but we’re kind of afraid to ask what the gas mileage numbers for a non-EcoTec version would be.
Taking the bronze medal is the 5.3-liter EcoTec V8 gasoline engine, with a rating of between 14 and 19 mpg in combined driving. Around town, you’ll get between 15 and 17 mpg, and for highway driving, you can expect 18 to 21 mpg.
The ranges here can be attributed to the way the truck is configured—four-wheel drive powertrains burn more gas than two-wheel drive ones, and trucks that are larger and heavier (long bed, bigger cabs, etc) see reduced fuel economy as well.
These same variables also come into play with the least economical engine of the pack. The 6.2-liter EcoTec turbo V8 gasoline engine gets an EPA combined rating of 15 to 17 mpg. City driving brings 14 to 16 mpg, and highway cruising 17 to 20 mpg.
The lowest rating of all (14/17/15 mpg) goes to the ZR2 trim, which is an off-road-ready monster that can conquer any obstacle—except good fuel economy.
Fun with FlexFuel
Because it’s fun when things get really complicated, the EPA also gives some ratings for the 5.3-liter V8 with E85, which is also called Flex Fuel. You may have seen this on a vehicle or gas pump already and not know what it meant. Here’s the super short version: E85 is a blend of gasoline and up to 85 % ethanol or methanol.
Pros include fewer emissions, lower cost per gallon, and the fact that the ethanol/methanol is sustainably sourced from cane sugar or corn.
Cons include possible engine damage, lack of Flex Fuel stations, and last but not least—catastrophically poor gas mileage. How poor, you ask? The EPA listed ratings for two versions of the Silverado with the 5.3-liter V8 Flex Fuel—12/15/13 mpg for four-wheel drive and 12/11/14 mpg for four-wheel drive with mud tires (more on those next)!
Shoes can make or break an outfit (and your gas mileage)
About those mud tires. The EPA gives separate ratings for Silverados with mud tires, and when you see the numbers, you’ll know why. A good set of mud tires may give you amazing traction in mud, but when it comes to gas mileage, you’ll be spinning your wheels.
Expect anywhere from 16 to 22 mpg in combined driving, 14 to 21 mpg in the city, and 18 to 19 on the highway.
Like the non-mud tire numbers, the most fuel efficiency is to be had with the diesel engine, and the worst is with the 6.2-liter V8. So if you get these kicks for your Silverado, it’s best to keep them in the mud where they belong.
What about the Chevrolet Silverado HD?
Fans of the Silverado know that there’s a bigger sibling in the family, and that’s the Chevrolet Silverado HD (aka the 2500 or 3500.) If you go looking for fuel economy numbers on these creatures, you’re not going to find them. Here’s why: the
Silverado 2500 HD
and Silverado 3500 HD
are classified as commercial-grade vehicles, and are thus exempt from EPA testing. Car and Driver reported getting 14 mpg in combined driving for a gasoline Silverado 2500 and 19 mpg for the diesel Silverado 2500. We can only imagine what the 3500 gets.
Chevy Silverado fuel economy by configuration
If you want to see the numbers at a glance, take a look at the table below!
Version | City mpg | Highway mpg | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
3.0-liter diesel | 22-24 mpg | 27-29 mpg | 24-26 mpg |
2.7-liter inline-four | 18-19 mpg | 21 mpg | 19-20 mpg |
5.3-liter V8 | 15-17 mpg | 18-21 mpg | 16-19 mpg |
6.2-liter V8 | 14-16 mpg | 17-20 mpg | 15-17 mpg |
5.3-liter V8 Flex Fuel | 12 mpg | 11-15 mpg | 13-14 mpg |
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How to save on Chevy Silverado insurance costs
A truck like a Chevy Silverado has a lot to offer as a rugged workhorse, but it’s not going to bring much to the table in terms of fuel savings. But there is a way that you can save money on your Silverado costs—by shopping for your
car insurance
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Jerry
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Patricia W.
Reviewed on 5/28/2023
FAQs
Which Chevy Silverado gets the worst gas mileage?
The title of absolute worst of the worst goes to the Flex Fuel versions of the 5.3-liter V8. Overall, the 6.2-liter V8 has the worst gas mileage of all four of the engines, and mud tires precipitously bog down your fuel economy in any powertrain.
What’s the best Silverado for gas mileage?
If you want the most fuel-efficient Silverado, then choose the 3.0-liter diesel engine. But note that we didn’t say it would be the cheapest to fill up right now—diesel prices skyrocketed in 2022, and it’s currently more expensive per gallon than premium gasoline.
