Real-World Fuel Economy of Silverado 1500 ZR2 DuraMax Diesel Tested by Cars.com

Off-road capability and fuel economy have an inverse relationship. Much of what makes a vehicle adept among the rocks and mud, such as heavy-duty suspension hardware, 4WD componentry, the high torque engine, and particularly the knobby large diameter tires, all work against efficiency. And it is safe to say that people who have visited McFarland Chevrolet looking at a Silverado ZR2 model do not have fuel efficiency as their highest priority. And yet, most owners will be driving their ZR2 on a daily basis, so the subject of MPG can’t be dismissed entirely. Now that the efficient Duramax turbodiesel is the Silverado 1500 ZR2’s standard engine, Cars.com was curious about its real-world fuel mileage.

With the exception of its ZR2 Bison variant, the Silverado 1500 ZR2 is the most off-road-focused grade in the Silverado 1500 model line. Testers have found it extremely capable off the pavement and into the rough stuff. Cars.com described the Silverado 1500 ZR2 as “…amazingly capable off-road pickup. I most recently drove one off-road through the California desert near Palm Springs and was floored by its combination of comfort, agility and go-anywhere abilities.” But when on the road, what does running the model cost you?

What EPA Says

The model’s standard 3.0-liter inline Duramax turbodiesel engine produces 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft. While the horsepower falls short of the available 6.2-liter V8’s 420 horsepower, it exceeds the V8’s torque by 35 lb-ft. An EPA fuel economy estimate of the ZR2 with the big V8 is 14/17/15 mpg city/highway/combined. The Duramax improves on this considerably with an EPA estimate of 20/22/21. That represents a 40% improvement over the gas V8, which is a $1,695 option. 

The Test

The Cars.com standard fuel economy test is all on-road and consists of a 208-mile loop around Ann Arbor, Mich, 25% of which is stop-and-go suburban traffic at speeds below 50 mph. The remaining 75% is steady-state highway driving with cruise control set to match the posted speed limits of 70-75 mph. Windows are up, climate control is set to a comfortable 70 degrees, and tires are at the manufacturer’s recommended pressures. Hard acceleration and braking are avoided. The ambient temperature for this test was 44 degrees, with calm winds and a clear sky. 

The Results

All the stop-and-go suburban driving came first, and after 46 miles, the trip computer read 25.8 mpg with an average speed of 38, significantly exceeding the EPA city estimate of 20 mpg. The subsequent 162 miles on the highway showed an average of 22.2 mpg with an average speed of 72.7 mph. The true test came after refueling the tank with 9.766 gallons of diesel, which returned a calculated average of 21.3 mpg—just a smidgen over the EPA combined estimate.

Cars.com found the around-town mpg particularly impressive for a lifted truck on knobby 33-inch Goodyear Territory M/T off-road tires with plenty of non-aerodynamic hardware. They even referenced that its 25.8 mpg was a better figure than they garnered from a 2024 VW GTI on the same suburban street route. Their conclusion is that the Duramax diesel is the engine to get on your Silverado 1500 ZR2 unless diesel fuel is difficult to find or notably expensive where you live, neither of which is the case around Maysville. If you are curious about your own test drive of the ZR2 now that you have an idea of its fuel economy, come to McFarland Chevrolet and see what else the Silverado 1500 ZR2 can do.