Latest News
2026 Toyota 4Runner ReviewTop 10 Diesel Trucks Under $30,000
The best diesel trucks handle big jobs with big torque and coddle you in a comfortable cabin. We’re choosing some of the best diesel trucks under $30,000.
More Towing for Less Money
Those in the market for a diesel pickup truck know that despite their gas-powered counterparts sometimes boasting higher tow ratings, nothing beats a diesel engine when it comes pulling a trailer. All that torque available right off idle translates to a sense of towing with ease. The rugged build quality of diesel powertrains and the platforms they’re paired with is pretty nice too.
But considering the cheapest new Ford Super Duty with a PowerStroke diesel starts around $59,000 and can crest $101,000 in Platinum Plus trim, not everyone may be ready, or able, to shell out that kind of cash. So, we’ve put together this rundown of the best diesel trucks you can find for the more reasonable sum of $30,000 or less.
Chevrolet Colorado (2016-2022)
The rare midsize pickup with a diesel, Chevy offered its Colorado with a 2.8L Duramax inline-4 up until 2022. Torque measures 369 lb-ft, max towing comes in at 7,700 pounds, and it earns 30 mpg on the highway. For those who don’t want or need a full-size diesel pickup, these smaller Colorados are a solid alternative.
Jeep Gladiator (2021-2023)
If you want to blend serious off-roading with the pulling grunt of a diesel engine, check out the Jeep Gladiator. Only offered for a few years with the Stellantis 3.0L EcoDiesel V6, it made a stout 442 lb-ft of torque versus the 260 torques found in the gas-powered version. These Jeeps are rated for 6,500 pounds of towing and 1,350 pounds of payload, but you unfortunately cannot have them with the Wrangler’s manual transmission.
Ford F-150 (2018-2020)
Diesel engines are surprisingly uncommon in the light-duty full-size pickup truck segment, but Ford did sell the F-150 with a 3.0L PowerStroke V6 starting in 2018 and ending in 2021. These trucks were good for 440 lb-ft of torque, available at 1,750 rpm, and can tow a healthy 12,100 pounds along with a 2,000-pound payload. Bear in mind, the tow and payload ratings for all these trucks will vary based on configuration details like cab style, drivetrain, and rear axle ratio.
Chevrolet Silverado (2020-Present)
Currently, the only new half-ton pickup with a diesel version is the Chevy Silverado. But you can go back to 2020 to find one for less than $30,000 and still enjoy the 305 horsepower and 495 torques that these Duramax-powered pickups deliver. Towing tops out at about 13,000 pounds and you can find an identical powertrain in the Silverado’s mechanical twin, the GMC Sierra.
Nissan Titan XD (2016-2019)
Before Nissan discontinued the Titan, it sold an XD variant. Not quite meeting the traditional definition of a heavy-duty pickup, it did feature a larger and heavier-duty frame than the standard Titan. Plus, you could get one with a 5.0L Cummins V8 diesel engine. This setup was a brute, with 555 lb-ft of torque available at just 1,600 rpm. The Nissan Titan XD was rated for 12,700 pounds of towing, 2,500 pounds of payload, and was sold up until 2019.
Ram 1500 (2020-2023)
Like Ford, Ram recently dropped a diesel version of its 1500-series truck in favor of building versions with a focus on hybridization and electrification. But from the 2020 to 2023 model years, you can find a Ram 1500 with a 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 that makes 480 lb-ft of torque, a bit more than the version found in its Gladiator corporate cousin. These Rams were good for about 12,500 pounds of trailering capacity and were rated for an impressive 33 mpg on the highway (when unloaded of course).
Ford F-250 (2011-Present)
The Ford Super Duty PowerStroke diesel line of engines has been around for a long time, but the current 6.7L unit dates to 2011. Recent models in the F-250 series offer a staggering 1,050 lb-ft of asphalt-crushing torque and if you can find a high-output version (that debuted in 2023), that figure jumps to 1,200. Expect around 20,000 pounds of pulling power for conventional towing or up to 22,000 pounds when using a 5th-wheel setup.
Silverado 2500HD (2001-Present)
The heavy-duty Silverado lineup also boasts a deep lineage of diesel powertrains that it dubs Duramax, but the 6.6L V8 found in the present day Silverado 2500 date to 2001. This makes it relatively easy to find used models under our $30,000 threshold. Early LB7 variants offered 520 lb-ft of torque, but this has ballooned to 910 in the more recent L5P version of these engines. Expect about 18,500 pounds of conventional towing and 22,000 with a gooseneck.
Ram 2500 (2007-Present)
Ram has been a longtime partner with Cummins for its diesel engines and the 6.7L straight-6 turbodiesel in its heavy duties has been in service for almost 20 years. In that time, output has pushed up to 370 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque for “regular” versions. These Ram 2500s match the F-250 in conventional and 5th-wheel towing at about 20,000 and 22,000 pounds, respectively. Like all heavy-duty pickups, there is no official EPA fuel economy rating, but owners report between 15 and 18 mpg on the open road in these Rams.
