I'm new here so please forgive me if this topic has already been discussed. I searched and didn't find anything on it.

I would like to discuss the advantagesor disadvantages of usingthe 4.3 V6 vs the available V8 engines in the full size pickups. According to the EPA the V6 offers substantially better gas mileage. Of course it would be underpowered in a full size truck but how underpowered would it be? Would there be much difference between 4x4 vs 2wd, or regular cab vs extended cab. Does anyone have any real life figures for in town and highway gas mileage? Any input or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

 

dont know about gas on new ones, but the v6's are really high strung and are to say the least not underpowered. if you are towing lots there some diff. and you would want an 8. As for 4x4 yes there is a big diff. between that and 2wd. Dont know about gas efficincy, but ride is higher and couple other things. reg cab and ext. are not that big of diff. except for room and available space. Hope this helps

 

Thanks for your reply.Getting a extended cab Silverado or Sierra would be an option for my family of six. This means that getting one with the 4.3 could serve my purposes, which is just hauling them and towing a ski boat 20 miles to the lake, or getting a load of firewood.

The next question is the hard one, would the improved gas mileage of the V6justify the sacrifice in horse power and torque? Especially the in town mileage as 90% of my driving is in town going to work.

If anyone else has anything to share please do.

Thank you

 

exaust helps a little, cold air intake, Throttle body spacer (cheap upgrade that helps about 3mpg) and there is a couple other little things that help.

 

I misread you question on the first time. I believe that it is better to go with the 6 if you are that worried about gas mileage. Unless you just like the extra power, than that should be more than enough for towing a small to medium sized boat, even up hills. Also like I said before, these new sixes are really torquey and more than powerful enough for what your doin. Good luck

 

all of those upgrades posted above help with power and a little with gas milage. In case you are worried about the six being underpowered, those will help alot 10-20 hp, while increasing milage about 4-7mpg depending on how you drive.

 

I've got a 2003 4.3 V6 ext cab. I love it!
The sixer is plesantly "torquey". lots of room and I noticed instant power witha cold air intake. great for my family. Gas mileage is great too.

 

This is awesome! I always wanted a truck but was affraid of the in town mileage. I'll need a daily driver to get to work and back.A guy in another forum I found says he gets 15 or 16 mpg in town with his 4.3 extended cab, and you all assure me it has sufficient power for what I need. Now I can get a truckand let the wife have the minivan [:'(]The minivan doeasn't do much better than the truck would, for mpg in town. Due to my budget restraints I'll have to settle for an older one, but the 4.3 is a tuff motor and should still have life in it even if it's old. I'llget the 5-speed with 2WD, and we'll giterdone.

Thank you all for helping me get this delimna resolved.

 

Ok-- Damon,

I'm new here too, and I don't want to step on anyone's feet, but I think there are a few good considerations that justify giving a V8 more thought. The gas mileage savings are not that substantial. Here are my opinions, many of which were reasons that I bought a Chevy in the first place, over something smaller and supposedly more economical such as a Tacoma (6-cylinder only-- but still very thirsty for the amount of performance you get).

1. Think about where you live and where you see yourself driving-- I can speak from everyday experience in saying that any mountain driving will make you happy to have a V8 and regretful about choosing a V6. Also,the same would apply if you see yourself towing your boat to a neighboring state, or even a couple hundred miles with a bed full of camping/water skiing/wakeboarding gear, and the six of you, in addition to the boat. These considerations may not be that singnificant if you live in, say, Houston.

2. I can't speak for everyone, but I get about 15-15.9 driving around in the city with the 5.3. My truck has extended cab, Z-71, 3.73s, and 285/75-16 Dick Cepek FCs (about 32"+ according to an online tire calculator). I drive like an average person-- sometimes fast, when I'm in a hurry; and sometimes slow, with the flow of traffic when I'm not. On the highway I get an average of 16-16.5, but that's also mountain highway driving-- sometimes with friends anda bunch of ski equipment or hunting gear (note: dead elk in the bed don't help gas mileage).

3. Automatic is nice in traffic-- V8 automatics are both easy in traffic, and still powerful.

4. As far as I know, the 5.3 retains many of the benefits of the years and years of development that went into GM 327s over the years-- should be pretty reliable in the long haul. Plus, a larger, more powerful engine doesn't need to work as hard to get you around, and that bodes well for long term wear.

5. Resale value-- the V8s cost more up front, but also sell for more later on. This varies by market, but I would expect that this would hold true, to some degree, almost everywhere. Again, I'm not sure, but I've heard that the V8s are more desireable in the old-truck-resale arena, because they can haul more weight, and are easily rebuilt or swapped with the almost infinte existing GM V8s.

6. 4WD-- It's undisputedly handy unless you live in the sunbelt, and will absolutely never drive off-road or in a freak storm. It also adds resale value, which like the V8, makes up for some of the increased up-front cost. Another thing to note would be that the V8 would probably benefit a 4WD truck (extra drive line to move). The extra ground clearance afforded by the suspension on the4WD modelsalso gives the truck more versatility-- it's not that high either, so it's still possible for kids and shorter adults to get in without too much difficulty.

7. My opinion-- this is my first legitimate truck, and I really enjoy it. I thought I would be shocked by the poorgas mileage of a V8 truck too, but I found that the gas mileage hype was really just that-- hype. I had a Cherokee before this, which got about 17mpg, and I really don't feel like I'm buying much more gas now than I was then-- still about a tank a week.

My only caveat would be that I've heard that the larger gas V8, the 6.0 liter, is somewhat more thirsty, so the 4.8 and the 5.3 V8s are probably better choices for non-commercial/heavy-duty applications.

I hope this helps-- congratulations on your upcoming truck purchase!

 

My 5.3 gets 18-20 mpg on average. Is is very flat here though. At 70 with the cruise I get 22.5, and at 60 with the cruise I get 26.1. This was stock mpgs. I normally have a heavy foot and race my boss alot, so I average 15-16 then. One night racing home I got 14.5, even at 99 mph, and several full throttle accellerations. I have talked to some people with the colorado with the I-5 and they average 15. So I don't think the V-6 will get any better milage. I don't kow about the 4.8L, but the 5.3 will do pretty much anything you want. Also I agree the 6.0L will be drastically less, around 11-12 mpg from what I have been told.