How Did Chevy's 3.0L Diesel Compare To Ford's 3.0L Diesel Truck Engine?

One major difference between the 3.0L Duramax diesel engine from Chevrolet and the 3.0L Power Stroke from Ford is their availability. The 3.0L Power Stroke was discontinued following the 2021 model year, although Ford's underrated F-150 diesel engine deserved better. The 3.0L Duramax, on the other hand, remains a valid diesel engine option for the 2026 Chevy Silverado 1500.

The 3.0L Duramax is an inline six-cylinder with the current iteration designated as the LZ0 — the successor of the previous LM2 3.0L Duramax variant. The LZ0 Duramax features a 200,000-mile oil pump belt service interval, fuel injectors with improved spray patterns and pressure handling, and steel pistons within its cylinders capable of withstanding higher compression ratios. It can run on Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel or B20 Biodiesel, and power for the LZ0 Duramax is rated at 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque.

The 3.0L Power Stroke diesel from Ford featured a V6 configuration that delivered 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. While the power gap compared to the current LZ0 Duramax is significant, it was closer in 2018 when the engine first debuted. At the time, GM offered the LM2 3.0L Duramax with 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Other differences include the material used for the engine block; LZ0 Duramax blocks are made of aluminum whereas the 3.0L Power Stroke block uses compacted graphite iron. Both engines use aluminum cylinder heads, though.

The groundwork for Ford's 3.0L Power Stroke diesel engine design was developed in a collaboration between Ford and the PSA Group. The PSA Group was based in France and formed from the merger of Peugeot and Citroën; back then, it was known as PSA Peugeot Citroën. However, the collaboration between the two automakers goes back much farther than the 3.0L Power Stroke's story — and it ended, at least for diesel engines larger than 2.0L, prior to the 3.0L's introduction.

The first Ford diesel engines designed in collaboration with the PSA Group hit the streets in the early 2000s. The V6 Power Stroke didn't debut in the Ford F-150 until 2018, and its design is based on the 3.0L Lion V6 diesel that's been around since 2005 in Europe and other parts of the world. That 13-year time span saw Ford ditch Navistar to bring its Power Stroke diesel engine production in-house and curb its collaboration with the PSA Group.

With only four model years to its credit, the 3.0L Power Stroke didn't undergo any significant changes before it was discontinued in 2021. It soldiered on with its 84.07 millimeter diameter cylinders, 89.91 millimeter crankshaft stroke, and 16:1 compression ratio from start to finish. In the F-150, the 3.0L diesel enjoyed fuel economy estimates of 30 mpg on the highway, 22 mpg in the city, and 25 mpg combined.

General Motors adopted the 6.6L Duramax V8 diesel engine in its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups for the 2002 model year. The first inline six-cylinder 3.0L Duramax, the LM2, became available for half-ton GM pickups in the latter part of the 2019 model year and returned for its first full year of production for 2020. While the 3.0L Duramax saw improvements for the 2023 model year with the introduction of the second-generation LZ0, it kept the same 84.0 x 90.0 millimeter bore and stroke as the LM2.

Chevrolet mated the LM2 Duramax with the 10-speed Hydra-Matic 10L80 automatic as an option for most of its higher-grade Silverado trims. Chevy Silverado pickups equipped with the LM2 Duramax had estimated fuel economy ratings of 33 mpg highway, 23 mpg city, and 27 mpg combined for two-wheel-drive models. Opting for the 4x4 drive train shaved four mpg off of the highway rating and two mpg from the combined rating. But it maintained the city rating thanks, in part, to the engine's stop/start feature that shuts off the engine when the truck stops.

MotorTrend tested the LZ0 Duramax-powered 2024 Chevy Silverado fuel economy by driving 16,000 miles under various conditions. While the truck carried an estimated 20 mpg combined rating, it averaged 18.8 mpg during testing. However, subtracting 2,600 miles of driving while towing maximum weight improved the average to 20.9 mpg.