Hey guys, thinking about getting myself a 2008-2011 Silverado or Sierra. It will be a truck that I want to keep for the next 5-10 years.

I currently own a 1998 dodge dakota, 5.2L v8 4x4 with 260k on the original engine/tranny. I've towed a 4k lb trailer 2-3x in the last 4 years I've owned it. I mostly use it to commute, for camping trips (loaded with lots of gear in the back), 4x4ing - not rock crawling or anything crazy, mostly rougher logging roads with washouts, etc. I love the truck and I've taken immaculate care of it, regularly maintain & service it myself, but it will be time for an upgrade soon. I get between 8-12 mpg in the city and 12-16 mpg on the highway. When I drive on the highway, its all mountains. Going from sea level to 5000' 2x in 4-5 hours. Traveling anywhere from 20 mph to 70 mph with lots of twists and turns. For this reason i'm getting tired of my 4 speed auto tranny. I want to upgrade to a fullsize truck as in the future im planning on getting a camper/trailer and also starting my own business as a contractor, it looks more professional.

I've weighed out pros and cons of a diesel, and gas seems to be the better option. I only need a 1500, not a 2500 or 3500.

After a fair amount of research, it provides me with some answers but leaves me with even more questions.

I want a 2008-2011 silverado/sierra because I absolutely hate the look of the older models, no offence to anyone, just a personal opinion. (Im sure some of you strongly dislike the way dodge looks) I really like the newer models. I do about 90-95% city driving, and rarely tow. After figuring out what engine choices I have available, it leaves me wanting either the 6.0L HYBRID or the 5.3L v8. I would choose the hybrid purely because in really bad traffic sometimes it takes an hour or two to get 20 miles. It would really help my MPG to have the hybrid model for the city driving. (I know its a truck, im not buying it for MPG - I have a car for the times I do not need the truck) However, I do not know if having a hybrid truck..a discontinued hybrid truck..is worth the fuel savings if I have to replace the battery, electronics, etc down the road. Also with the 4x4ing I do, its extra weight and I'm sure there are more electronic components that could be put at risk when I have to drive through mud, shallow rivers, etc.

So I have to question the longevity and durability of the whole hybrid scenario. It comes second choice to the 5.3L. However, after weeks of researching the 5.3L with the 6 speed- I have read literally 100s of complaints regarding the AFM system. People having to replace engines, pistons, rings, etc at 80k-100k. That's unacceptable in my opinion, especially with regular maintenance. Also, with my opinion that it is ludicrous to buy a brand new off the lot vehicle and take a $20k deprecation over a couple years, I will be buying a used vehicle which will most likely not have a warranty covering a lot of these problems. I do not want the 6.0L, and I do not want a 4.8L if it only comes with a 4 speed transmission. It also looks to me that the front end of silverados sit pretty low to the ground. If anything I would most likely do a 3" body lift..For what I use it for, Im not interested in a 6-12" lift and 37" tires to get a little more height and sacrifice daily driving qualities.

So, Sierra/Silverado owners, how do you like the truck? What things do you not like about the truck? Have you had problems with your AFM system? What do you use your truck for? What REALISTIC gas mileage are you getting? Not babying the truck every minute of every day, but not flooring it at every green light either. Just your typical driving.

I'm not biased when it comes to a vehicle brand. If the 5.3L AFM is a big enough problem (I'm not aware of other common problems, please inform me of them), my other choices are a Tundra or the Ram 1500. I guess the main reason I'm avoiding them is purely due to the fact that they get 2-3 mpg less in the city than the Silverado..But unless the quality is there with chevy/gm, I'll settle for that 2-3 mpg less. Oh..and I'm not interested in people bashing other brands of trucks..just selling me on the great features gm/chevy has to offer. Oh, and since I will be holding onto the vehicle for a long time- I'm looking at fully loaded LTZ models (not sure what the equivalent GMC model is)

Sorry for such a long winded approach, just trying to produce as much info as possible lol

Thanks for any and all answers in advance!

 

In my opinion you will never get the fuel milage advertised by the manufacture unless you drive like a little old lady. If you intend to pull a trailer then a bigger engine is better. If you intend on getting a hybrid get the newest available so most of the bugs have been worked out. If you want long term reliability get the Tundra.