These 5 Popular GM Vehicles Have A 6.5 Detroit Diesel Engine Under The Hood

Detroit Diesel is a company with a long history, and as a result, its engines have powered some famous vehicles. This not only ranges from military vehicles and boats, but it also applies to consumer vehicles. The Detroit Diesel 6.5L engine was used in many vehicles from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, including the Chevy Suburban and Blazer, so there's a decent chance you've seen one of them on the road without even realizing it. As is the case with many engines, there are good years and bad years for the 6.5L Detroit Diesel, and you'll want to try and avoid the later years if you can.

While these engines have long since been retired for consumer vehicles, they can still be solid picks for a swap if you find one in good enough shape. It was used in enough popular vehicles over the years that it's still possible to get your hands on one. In fact, the military is still using the same 6.5L engine to power some of its vehicles today, but that's an exception to the rule. In most scenarios, the turn of the millennium led to a phaseout of the engine. Let's take a look at five popular GM models in which the Detroit Diesel was used.

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The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) is the military vehicle still running on the Detroit Diesel 6.5L engine. This Humvee actually comes with the choice of two different engines — the 6.5L Detroit Diesel and one with a smaller 6.2L Detroit Diesel. Both of these motors are still in use today with the 6.5L being the turbo diesel.

As for how the Humvee operates, it can hold up to five people and hit 70 mph. High-end speed isn't what the vehicle is built for, however, and it's a much better fit for hauling as it has a payload of 4,400 pounds for the 6.5L option. The main reason the HMMWV gets a lot of use today is its reliability. 

According to the U.S. military, the vehicle has high marks on Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Durability (RAM-D) requirements, so it appears to be a case of if it's not broke don't fix it. When the Humvee first entered production for the military, it was nearly double what it needed to be durability-wise, so it should come as no surprise to see it in action today.

The third-generation Chevy Blazer ran from 1992 to 1994, and it gave drivers the option of picking the Detroit Diesel 6.5L engine in its final year. This ended up being the end of the line for the full-size version of the vehicle as it was replaced by the Tahoe beginning in the next generation. This was through no fault of the Detroit Diesel engine, as Chevy continued to use the same engine in later vehicles.

Despite being the end of the line, this Blazer generation has held its value quite well even though it is three decades old at this point. A midsized variation of the Blazer began in 1995 and ran until 2005. The Blazer returned again in 2019 with its SUV-centric look.

As recently as June 2024, a third-gen Chevy Blazer sold for more than $20,000. This generation of Blazer is an interesting one because it has a design more akin to a pickup truck, so it ended up having a lot of extra cargo room.

If you're shopping for a Blazer today that has a Detroit Diesel engine, you'll have to look for the 1994 model as that's the only one that offered the motor as an option. On the other hand, you can just follow Chevy through the years and grab the Tahoe as it's similar in design and comes equipped with the same Detroit Diesel engine.

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Chevy replaced the full-size Blazer with the Tahoe following the 1994 model year, but there are many similarities between the two. The Tahoe is still in production today and it's since taken on an SUV look, much like the Blazer.

Going back to the first-generation Tahoe, we see the vehicle looked a lot more like a Chevy pickup truck. The Detroit Diesel 6.5L engine was only used in the first-gen Tahoes, so that's where you'll need to look if you want to pick up something that's still powered by this motor.

Fast-forward to today and your only diesel option for the Tahoe is the 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel — an engine that has created a legendary name for itself. If you want to grab one of these Detroit Diesel-powered Tahoes for yourself, you have to be prepared to spend more than you might think. On average, these vehicles go for close to $18,000, but if you can find something in good shape, you can still get quite a bit of mileage from it.

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The GMC Savana offered a turbocharged diesel engine option, and it was the Detroit Diesel 6.5L motor. The Savana, also known as the Chevrolet Express, is still sold today, but the Detroit Diesel 6.5L engine can only be found up until the 2002 model year. That gives it more than half a decade of production, so there are quite a few of these vans around.

The Savana and Express have gone on to become one of the best-selling vans of all time with over two million sold since their introduction, although it's difficult to tell how many of those are built with the 6.5L engine. The Savana and Express had plans to ditch gas motors altogether in 2026 by going electric, but it remains unclear whether that's happening for certain.

While it's not what the van was initially made for, the Savana is one of many vans out there that can be fully converted into a camper van if you're not buying a camper van that's already fit for the job. This isn't the most visually appealing vehicle in the world, but it's good at what it does whether that's packing it full of people as a church van or hauling cargo.

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The GMC Suburban is another vehicle that's still manufactured to this day. It may not seem like it, but it is currently in its 12th generation, and you'll need to head back to the 8th generation Suburban 2500 from 1992-1999 to find the option for a 6.5L Detroit Diesel motor. If you look at the Chevy Blazer during this same time, you'll see quite a few similarities between the two with the big difference being the Suburban is just much roomier.

As is the case with many of the Detroit Diesel-powered vehicles from this time, you'll see they held their value well if they were taken care of. They typically sell for above $10,000 when they pop up, but you'll have to be more patient if you're holding out for a Detroit Diesel one. To put that into perspective, a 2024 model's MSRP begins at $59,200.

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