CTown Duramax
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- Joined
- Oct 14, 2021
- Posts
- 147
- Reaction score
- 114
At 1,100 miles in three and a half weeks of ownership. 2021 LT Duramax 4WD (black/black, 18" wheels, single speed transfer case).
Having a full-frame chassis and a modern turbodiesel feels like the way to go.
The engine has more than enough power for every situation. It is probably a little slower 0-60 than the 327ci V8, but it seems to make up for that IMHO with its instant low-rpm torque for roll on performance from a start and 60-80mph. 10-speed auto transmission seems like a big advancement regardless of engine.
My milage figures come from the dashboard read out, leaving trip one untouched and resetting trip two. The mpg meter was the same as dividing odometer miles by gallons at the pump when I checked it that way.
On our single highway trip so far, hilly terrain, we got 29.7 mpg over 165 miles with a light foot going 70+/-mph. Driving in the usual regional style on the return 80+/- mph got 26.4 mph.
80% of our 54 engine hours have been in heavy traffic dropping off or picking up the kids from school in another part of the city at rush hour. A mile can take half an hour. Our 1,100 mile average is 21.3 mpg. I am not using auto stop. All this is the same mpg +0.1 we got from our Impala V6, a fast, efficient sedan that must have had much better aerodynamics.
I decided to get a diesel after renting an Audi A6 TD40 in Germany. Diesels have come a long, long way from the old M-B 240D. I enjoy the diesel sound. There are reviews saying you can't tell it's a diesel. Not true, but it has good manners. It doesn't smell like a diesel at all, thanks to the blue tech DEF system (whether I want it or not). My opinion of performance is subjective, but this engine never breaks a sweat. It is smooth in every situation. Power is always more than enough to move this huge car smartly. I am surprised at the high 5,100 rpm redline and how the diesel still pulls at higher rpms.
The Tahoe is worth the trouble and expense. It is comfortable over the road. It handles very well. The luxury-appointed interior (even an LT like mine) makes traffic jams easy. My ideal car would have been the last model Caprice wagon with the 3.0 L Duramax turbo diesel. Now that I am getting used to piloting the automotive equivalent of an Iowa-class battleship through Colonial-era streets, I love it.
PS - If anybody knows, is the 3.0L Duramax LM2 related to the Benz straight six 3.0 liter turbodiesels in the S 350d? The output statistics are the same after converting units, including lbft to Nm and hp to PS.
Having a full-frame chassis and a modern turbodiesel feels like the way to go.
The engine has more than enough power for every situation. It is probably a little slower 0-60 than the 327ci V8, but it seems to make up for that IMHO with its instant low-rpm torque for roll on performance from a start and 60-80mph. 10-speed auto transmission seems like a big advancement regardless of engine.
My milage figures come from the dashboard read out, leaving trip one untouched and resetting trip two. The mpg meter was the same as dividing odometer miles by gallons at the pump when I checked it that way.
On our single highway trip so far, hilly terrain, we got 29.7 mpg over 165 miles with a light foot going 70+/-mph. Driving in the usual regional style on the return 80+/- mph got 26.4 mph.
80% of our 54 engine hours have been in heavy traffic dropping off or picking up the kids from school in another part of the city at rush hour. A mile can take half an hour. Our 1,100 mile average is 21.3 mpg. I am not using auto stop. All this is the same mpg +0.1 we got from our Impala V6, a fast, efficient sedan that must have had much better aerodynamics.
I decided to get a diesel after renting an Audi A6 TD40 in Germany. Diesels have come a long, long way from the old M-B 240D. I enjoy the diesel sound. There are reviews saying you can't tell it's a diesel. Not true, but it has good manners. It doesn't smell like a diesel at all, thanks to the blue tech DEF system (whether I want it or not). My opinion of performance is subjective, but this engine never breaks a sweat. It is smooth in every situation. Power is always more than enough to move this huge car smartly. I am surprised at the high 5,100 rpm redline and how the diesel still pulls at higher rpms.
The Tahoe is worth the trouble and expense. It is comfortable over the road. It handles very well. The luxury-appointed interior (even an LT like mine) makes traffic jams easy. My ideal car would have been the last model Caprice wagon with the 3.0 L Duramax turbo diesel. Now that I am getting used to piloting the automotive equivalent of an Iowa-class battleship through Colonial-era streets, I love it.
PS - If anybody knows, is the 3.0L Duramax LM2 related to the Benz straight six 3.0 liter turbodiesels in the S 350d? The output statistics are the same after converting units, including lbft to Nm and hp to PS.
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