10 of the Best Diesel Vehicles for 2018

2018 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel towing Corvette ・ Photo by General Motors

Diesel engines have had a hard time the last few years. Apart from heavy-duty trucks where diesel is the most practical choice, diesel options have dwindled on the market. That may be due to their typically higher purchase price, or fallout from the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Even so, diesel engines are still prized for their fuel economy, towing capacity, and ability to run on renewable bio-diesel fuel.

And diesel-powered vehicles are still available if you know where to look. To help shorten your search, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of the best diesel-powered light trucks, SUVs, and passenger vehicles on the market today. 

2018 Chevrolet Colorado

Chevrolet chose its mid-size Colorado (and the corresponding GMC Canyon) to receive the 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine. The plucky double overhead cam four-cylinder makes 181 horsepower and a whopping 369 pound-feet of torque, allowing the Colorado to tow up to 7,700 pounds while still delivering best-in-class fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg in the city and up to 30 mpg on the highway.

If that’s not enough to persuade diesel skeptics, the Colorado also includes an exhaust brake for descending steep grades and uses readily available diesel exhaust fluid to keep its emissions clean. The Colorado with the Duramax diesel is available in extended cab and crew cab configurations, with rear-wheel drive or capable four-wheel drive if the roads you travel don’t happen to be paved.

Photo by General Motors

2018 Ford F-150

New for 2018, Ford is offering a 3.0-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel on certain models of the popular F-150 pickup. The diesel can be ordered on the Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum trim levels, and it delivers 250 horsepower and a best-in-class torque rating of 440 pound-feet. The Power Stroke is mated to Ford’s new 10-speed automatic transmission with your choice of rear-wheel or four-wheel drive.

With the diesel and 4WD, the F-150 will return 20 mpg in city driving and 25 mpg on the highway. If you buy the rear-wheel drive version, you can expect up to 30 mpg on the highway. But that’s not all; when equipped with the Power Stroke and fitted with the trailer-towing package, the F-150 will take a bed payload of 1,720 pounds and tow up to 11,000 pounds.

Photo by Ford

2018 Ram 1500

The redesigned 2019 RAM 1500 doesn't have a diesel engine on sale yet, but Ram is still selling last year's model with a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine. The 2018 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel yields up 240 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque and can tow up to 9,200 pounds. EPA fuel economy estimates are 21 mpg in the city and up to 29 mpg on the highway.

One thing to know about the Ram 1500 diesel is that you can order it on just about any trim level, including the base Tradesman, and you can get it with any cab design. So if you want a really basic standard cab truck with the diesel, that’s available; Ram does not limit diesel power to the high-end vehicles.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2018 Jaguar F-Pace

Jaguar’s sporty F-Pace mid-size crossover SUV is available with the company's Ingenium 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine. The F-Pace offers 180 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque, which is more than enough to give the crossover its Jaguar credentials. Paired with the diesel drivetrain is Jaguar’s All Surface Progress Control, providing unsurpassed winter-weather and off-road capability as well as on-road handling that rivals many sports cars.

The 2018 Jaguar F-PACE also comes loaded with technology and safety features, including a gesture-operated tailgate, a remote management app for your smartphone or Apple Watch, optional lane-keeping and parking assist, and autonomous emergency braking for collision mitigation. An 8-inch touchscreen provides access to the navigation and infotainment system, along with Jaguar’s suite of in-car convenience apps.

Photo by Jaguar

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

Land Rover is another SUV brand that has adopted diesel, using the same 2.0liter Ingenium turbo-diesel as the Jaguar F-Pace. The 2018 Range Rover Velar diesel delivers 180 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, and it comes with a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission with full-time automatic all-wheel-drive. Like all Range Rovers, the Velar comes with an advanced terrain response system that optimizes the vehicle for whatever surface you happen to encounter.

The Velar also boasts true Range Rover luxury. The seats offer available heating and ventilation. There’s an optional pair of independent rear-seat entertainment screens that support DVDs, audio, streaming, and gaming. Range Rover also provides a smartphone app and even a smartwatch app to control the Velar’s tech functions.

Photo by Land Rover

2018 Chevrolet Equinox

Chevrolet offers a 1.6-liter turbodiesel option on its compact 2018 Chevrolet Equinox crossover SUV. The engine provides 137 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and your choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. With FWD, the Equinox returns EPA-estimated fuel economy of 32 mpg in city driving and 40 mpg on the highway. If AWD is selected, those ratings drop slightly to 31/city and 37/highway.

The Equinox provides 63.5 cubic feet of cargo space, a programmable hands-free liftgate, and an available Bose seven-speaker audio system. You can get both heating and ventilation in the front seats, and heated second-row seats as well. Depending on the trim level, the Equinox comes with a 7-inch or 8-inch touchscreen tech interface with support for Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE, and both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration.

Photo by Chevrolet

2018 BMW X5 xDrive 35d

BMW offers a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder TwinPower turbodiesel engine in the mid-size 2018 BMW X5 SUV. This engine makes 255 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to propel the X5 from zero to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds toward a top speed of 130 mph. You’ll still enjoy 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway.

With three rows of seating, the X5 provides accommodations for seven passengers. The second-row seats recline and slide back to provide up to 3 inches of extra legroom, and there’s an optional rear entertainment system. The BMW also has plenty of cargo space, with 35.8 cubic feet in the back and up to 76.7 cubic feet with all the rear seats folded down.

Photo by BMW

2018 Chevrolet Cruze

The 2018 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel sedan offers 30 mpg in the city and 52 mpg on the highway, letting it travel up to 702 miles on a single tank. Chevy’s 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine is rated at 137 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque, and it's available with your choice of a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.

The Cruze is also available in a five-door hatchback configuration with the same engine and transmissions. With the manual gearbox, the hatchback returns 29 mpg in the city and up to 48 mpg on the highway for a maximum 648-mile range. Automatics return 30 mpg city and 45 mpg highway.

Photo by General Motors

2018 Jaguar XE

Jaguar’s most affordable XE sedan is available with the brand's Ingenium 2.0-liter turbodiesel, still with 180 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque and an eight-speed paddle-shifted automatic transmission. With the diesel, the Jag XE will run from zero to 60 in just 7.4 seconds and take you up to a top speed of 140 mph. Expected fuel economy is 42 mpg on the highway and 32 in the city.

The 2018 Jaguar XE is available with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The Jaguar AWD system uses special traction strategy software to react instantly to road conditions. Jaguar’s optional configurable dynamics system allows the XE driver to select predefined driving modes to adapt the engine, steering, transmission, and suspension characteristics.

Photo by Jaguar

2018 BMW 328d

For the 2018 model year, BMW offers its own 2.0-liter TwinPower turbodiesel engine in the popular 3 Series sedan. The 328d model produces 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. All-wheel drive is also available with BMW’s xDrive system. The 328d accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds and a top speed governed at 130 mph.

To complete the BMW sports-luxury proposition, the 328d also comes with 10-way power-adjustable front sport seats with adjustable side bolsters, plus advanced infotainment controlled by BMW’s iDrive console-mounted rotary dial interface.

Photo by BMW