Buddy Review: Ram And Chevy Just Launched New Diesel Trucks, But Which Is The One To Buy?

We plan to publish quite a few videos on the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 diesel trucks in the near future. Towing videos, mpg tests, the inevitable drag race — it’s all coming soon! When you think small diesel pickups, you think drag race…right? Well, if you’ve been following TFLtruck for any period of time, you know we do.

We have extensively tested Ford’s new F-150 diesel. While we don’t have that truck at the moment, now we have its two chief rivals. On one hand, there’s the all-new straight-six Duramax diesel in the 2020 Chevy Silverado. There’s also a substantially updated EcoDiesel V6 in the 2020 Ram 1500. Right now, as a basic review regarding their intown driving characteristics, interior comfort and basic amenities, we opted to present a Buddy Review.

Which truck is the better buy?

A Buddy Review is a head-to-head review of two vehicles involving two or more TFL team members. In this case, Roman and I jump at the chance to drive both. Keep in mind: these trucks are not only unique for their small displacement diesels, they are both two-wheel drive, near-entry-level trucks. The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 come in RST trim, while we also have the 2020 Ram 1500 Tradesman.


3.0-liter I6 Duramax (Photo: Chevrolet)

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Double Cab RST 4X2

The Chevrolet Silverado comes with an all-new 3.0-liter Duramax I-6 turbodiesel. It makes 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. It’s connected to a 10-speed automatic transmission and is rated at 27 mpg combined.

GM rates this tester at 1,800 pounds payload capacity, with a maximum tow rating of 7,600 pounds. When properly equipped, the latest Chevy Silverado 1500 diesel can tow up to 9,300 pounds.

Check out this article for more details on the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 diesel.

Ram EcoDiesel (Photo: Ram)

2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Quad Cab Tradesman 4X2

This 2020 Ram 1500 comes with an updated 3.0-liter V6 EcoDiesel. It makes 260 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque — the latter being best-in-class against the Ford and GM diesel half-tons. It’s connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and is rated at 26 mpg combined.

Ram rates the two-wheel drive Tradesman at 2,040 pounds payload capacity with a maximum tow rating of 8,370 pounds with a 3.21 rear axle ratio. When equipped with a 3.92 rear end, it can tow up to 12,560 pounds, according to Ram’s official towing chart.

You can read more about the 2020 Ram 1500 with the 3.0-liter V6 EcoDiesel (here).

In this video, we give you some of the basics and a lot of opinion about both trucks!

Nathan Adlen
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.