Who tows with a diesel Colorado ?
- Thread starter TwinStick
- Start date
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
Awesome in a broken hip kinda way lol.
Clutch
<---Pass
Ha!
Ice was wicked here this year...needed to get ice spikes for the running shoes.
Why are you surprised? The colorado duramax is also slower than the Tacoma.
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
technology is a double edged sword
It was a similar story on the Nissan Titan Gas versus Diesel TFL video.
Light duty diesel, is a different ball game than HD diesel trucks. Especially as gas engines continue to evolve with direct injection, and diesels continue to devolve with lowered compression ratios.
It definitely pays to do the homework when considering a diesel engine option in a light duty vehicle.
It was a similar story on the Nissan Titan Gas versus Diesel TFL video.
Light duty diesel, is a different ball game than HD diesel trucks. Especially as gas engines continue to evolve with direct injection, and diesels continue to devolve with lowered compression ratios.
It definitely pays to do the homework when considering a diesel engine option in a light duty vehicle.
Clutch
<---Pass
Everybody is in a hurry...
Buddha.
Finally in expo white.
The diesel being slower up the hill isn't a big deal. I just didnt expect the higher horsepower more gears combo to be faster than the higher torque lower gears combo.
As for the downhill test the 8spd gas truck only downshifted to 7th gear? They could have easily manually shifted down another gear or three to prevent the need for so many brake applications.
I'd take the cheaper gas truck.
As for the downhill test the 8spd gas truck only downshifted to 7th gear? They could have easily manually shifted down another gear or three to prevent the need for so many brake applications.
I'd take the cheaper gas truck.
Actually I think diesels make a whole lot of sense in the light-duty market. I don't know how much truck owners (at least the types that tow a lot) care about speed. Fuel economy and engine performance seem more relevant.
So yeah, the gasoline Colorado tows faster than the diesel variant up a certain stretch of road, as does the new Tacoma for that matter.
But what kind of mpg are you getting from those gasoline platforms?
And what RPM's are the gasoline engines working at?
FYI, the TFL guys gave their most recent Golden Hitch award to the diesel Colorado, not the Tacoma or gasoline variant Colorado. You can go watch their video on why they arrived at the decision, but I'm guessing they recognized that the diesel Colorado, despite its slight speed deficiency, was a better overall platform for towing.
As for diesel engines devolving, I don't get that statement. This inline 4 duramax seems just as capable as diesel inline 6's and v8's of years past, and is certainly lighter, more fuel efficient and cleaner than the inline 4's that preceded it (like the 4bt).
Last edited:
upcruiser
Perpetual Transient
Having towed up Eisenhower Pass in both diesels and gas rigs I can tell you, any gasser is pegged to redline for the 9 mile climb, it's obnoxious but it's also an extreme example. If my lighter than tested camper can be dragged up that at 50mph on the last stretch of that pass I would be perfectly content. Especially considering how much quieter that Duramax is with the foot to the floor than any gasser. Having done a bunch of research online and the consensus from folks who have been towing campers with these things is that 25ft is about the max length, 6,000lbs the max weight you want to tow in a high profile trailer. People go over that but the sweet spot seems to be below. From folks towing a similar length and weight camper to ours they seem to be averaging about 14mpg on the highway. That is almost double what our 3/4 ton Suburban does.
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
It's not just a matter of towing up a hill. It is acceleration from a standing start, acceleration during passing moves, start and stop driving - regeneration issues, servicing costs, etc. Basically the day to day life of light duty trucks.
So my comment on LD diesel engines devolving is based on this. The gas engine is getting so good, and the perceptions of diesel advantage is not realized in the light duty market except in very limited use type cases. If you look at diesel engines in the world market, the pinnacle of LD diesel was the last generation of common rail. That engine had the same advantage/disadvantage as it's HD brother.
If you look at the current and developing HD market, diesel is a much more clearly defined advantage/disadvantage. The light duty market in comparison is ambiguous. Give it about three more years, and I think we'll see a more clear direction.
So my comment on LD diesel engines devolving is based on this. The gas engine is getting so good, and the perceptions of diesel advantage is not realized in the light duty market except in very limited use type cases. If you look at diesel engines in the world market, the pinnacle of LD diesel was the last generation of common rail. That engine had the same advantage/disadvantage as it's HD brother.
If you look at the current and developing HD market, diesel is a much more clearly defined advantage/disadvantage. The light duty market in comparison is ambiguous. Give it about three more years, and I think we'll see a more clear direction.