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Cost per mile: 2015 1500 5.3L / 6.2L Max Tow vs. 2015 2500HD 6.6L D-Ma


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I currently have my second Silverado 2500HD with the 6.0L and 3.73 gears. Its a 2013 LTZ Z71 with about 15k miles on it. I'm getting a lifetime average of 10.2 mpg in it and that just won't do anymore. Half of my miles are pulling a 7000lb. 30' travel trailer all over the country and the other miles are driving to work and shuttling kids.

 

Originally I decided I would order a new Silverado 1500LTZ standard crew with the 6.2L and max tow package. Now that I learned it requires premium fuel and there is a restraint on the 6.2L with max tow, I am back to square 1 so to speak. Do I go with a Silverado 1500 with the 5.3 and max tow or do I go all out and stay with a 2500HD but go with a Duramax?

 

My primary concern is the $/mile. I am done getting 10mpg in my current truck when I drive to work - it sucks. The new numbers on the 5.3 are almost identical to my 6.0 but the mileage is about 60% better. I assume towing mpg is a wash. There is plenty written about the mpg in the 1500s but almost nothing reliable in the 2500HDs with the Duramax.

 

I trade every 3 years or about 30k miles. Longevity is not my concern - simply put right now its $/mile. If the 5.3L max tow gets close to the 6.6L Duramax in mpg, then its $/mile is superior knowing both trucks can handle my camper.

 

So, lets hear it. What real world numbers are you getting with these trucks? I am not chipping, tuning, chopping, or any other monkey business. I am only interested in stock numbers.

 

Thanks,

 

F.W.

Iowa City, IA

 

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Recently traded in a 2011 duramax. ('11's used the LML, same as the 2015).

 

Mileage will depend on how truck is used, trip lengths, speeds etc etc. I towed heavy infrequently. Mostly rural daily driver use, with most trips in the 5 - 20 miles range.

 

Usually averaged about 16.5 to 17.5 mpg over a 30 to 32 gallon fill (the place I almost always filled was not on daily route so usually tried to work it so it would take at least 30 gallon). 50 to 55 mph driving it would run 22-24, but I was never able to do that type of driving for a whole tank.

 

If I towed as much as you do there is no doubt I would have bought another duramax. The massive torque available to accelerate, while pulling a trailer, in situations like busy freeway on-ramps is irreplaceable. The increased fuel range due to tank size compared to the 1500 wold be a bonus, especially when towing.

 

Especially if you tow in the mountains, and it sounds like you might, you will love the exhaust brake.

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I think the 5.3 NHT would be a good choice for you. It may not be hugely impressive while towing but it should get the job done. While the 6.2 might be nicer, with slightly worse mileage and premium fuel it will cost more per mile.

 

If your cost per mile is of such a primary concern, you may also want to look at the Ram Ecodiesel. While diesel is more expensive (even than premium) it'll get enough better mileage it'll probably make up for it cost-wise. You won't set any speed records towing up hills, but if cost is more important you might not mind.

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5.3 with max tow 4x4 its a ~16mpg truck give or take .5 or so that seems to be what the field is getting. So by gaining 6-7 mpg plus saving 30-50cents (if using premium)cents per gallon, your talking about a lot of savings. Typically a 1 MPG increase is a net savings of around 200 bucks a year. I think when I went from my 6.4 power stroke to a half ton between picking up mileage and savings 50 cents a gallon I saved close to 2 grand doing so in the first year. Wipe away $100 oil changes expensive filters ets I figured close to a $2500 savings the first year. which basically paid for half of my new truck actually more. I think when I did the math on the 6.2 it averaged around 10-15 bucks more a tank for 1-2mpg less, which added up to an added 600-800 more a year. Which for me wasnt the issue, my issue was trim availability and contraints.

 

Ecodiesel sounds appealing until you start doing the math and doing some HW. 29MPG is its HWY range, its average is 21. Quick math national average diesel cost 50 cents more a gallon. Which if you got 28MPG would save you aprox 500 bucks a year on fuel. Now if your getting the average of 21MPG it would save you 200 bucks a year. (this is all on driving 12k miles a year) But there are two kickers. 1. The ecodiesel is a ~$4k upcharge from the hemi. So even with the MPG increase you it would take you roughly between 8-20 years to break even on that engine. Thats not including costlier maint. so from a cost perspective the ecodiesel makes little to no sense to me.

 

2. The ecodiesel is rated at 240hp and 420Torque. Which puts it at an over 100hp disadvantage of other v8 engines in its class, HP isnt everything when towing though. Its torque does put it in the same category with the GM 6.2l, 5.7 hemi, and Ecoboost. But the kicker here is towing capacity is just shy of 9k for the ecodiesel.

 

Bottom line on the ecodiesel is it will cost you more money and provide no real peformance benefit.

 

 

When it comes down to the Dmax vs the 5.3 in MPG and money the DMAX is going to lose dont matter how you figure, unless your looking at towing which for most people it is less than 10% of the time.

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Nards444, I have to disagree with you a tad on the ecodiesel. My friend has one and averages far north of 21 mpg, add in towing (which the OP does A lot) and the average over the gasser is even greater. Also ED option is 2750 over the Hemi, not 4k. Which IMO is on par with the upcharge for our 6.2.

 

I don't have the 3.73 gears in my 5.3 but my 20k lifetime average is 17.1 with hardly any towing. When I do tow, I tow a 20 foot enclosed roughly 4500lbs. It tows it easily, but averages right around 11 mpg. However if you are towing 7k regularly I would be tempted to sway you towards the 6.2 at least and more towards a Duramax. Honestly can say your average MPG would favor the Diesel, but cost to own would be slightly higher.

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Yeah, he was asking about cost per mile. With that much towing he'll probably get 30-40% better mileage with the ED. If diesel is 20% more, that is savings per mile.

 

Whether he should be focused on the cost per mile in the first place is a slightly different questions. At only 10K miles per year that's less than $1500 per year in fuel or $4500 over three years if prices remain fairly stable. I tend to agree that's really small potatoes in the big picture compared with the costs of buying/trading a vehicle every three years.

 

Personally I'd recommend getting something you really like and driving it for 10 years or so as a better way of saving money. Or if one needs to swap vehicles every three years going for last year's model or even slightly used each time. Who cares how much gas it guzzles if you get 10-15K off the purchase price?

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Not sure if the OP is open to the new Titan, but honestly that sounds like the perfect truck for someone who tows 7k 50% of their miles. This is speculation but, 25 mpg unloaded and 15-17 towing...

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This is funny.

 

If you really care about $/mile, then you should not even consider ANY truck.

 

Or move to whereever gas is cheapest. Houston? Or somewhere else close to where it is refined.

 

The difference between the 5.3 and 6.2 does not affect $/mile as much as the weekly fluctuation in fuel prices do...

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I have a 5.3 and also (during the summer) mostly tow a 2015 Jay Flight 26BH with a 4 wheeler in the bed. I have kept track of my mileage since day one and I am at a lifetime average of 13.8. It is usually less than 10 towing. Get a duramax!

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You also need to consider the cost of diesel exhaust fluid, fuel filters and the more expensive oil changes. I'm on my 3rd Duramax at work

(2012 Chev) and while I love the Duramax/ Allison combo the little gain in mpg doesn't seem to out weigh the costs.

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Nards444, I have to disagree with you a tad on the ecodiesel. My friend has one and averages far north of 21 mpg, add in towing (which the OP does A lot) and the average over the gasser is even greater. Also ED option is 2750 over the Hemi, not 4k. Which IMO is on par with the upcharge for our 6.2.

 

I don't have the 3.73 gears in my 5.3 but my 20k lifetime average is 17.1 with hardly any towing. When I do tow, I tow a 20 foot enclosed roughly 4500lbs. It tows it easily, but averages right around 11 mpg. However if you are towing 7k regularly I would be tempted to sway you towards the 6.2 at least and more towards a Duramax. Honestly can say your average MPG would favor the Diesel, but cost to own would be slightly higher.

You were correct the price is 2800 closer to 3k. I still dony buy it, its a low HP engine, the towing capacity it less than whatever else is out there. I dont see buying an ecodiesel that tows less than hemi, pay more for the engine, due to the price of gasoline not going to see any savings for at least 5 years. Even when you break even, if you save 500 bucks a year, that number is going to dwindle due to urea puchases and costlier maint.

 

I like the idea of it and I think Nissans Cummins will probably make more sense. The OP is talking about cost, bottom line is, you would have to keep the ecodiesel a better part of a decade to see any cost savings. Also you can take comfort in knowing that everything else in the market has better performance numbers. Now if he tows 50% of the time, it might work out to his benefit.

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/latest-reviews/2014-ram-1500-ecodiesel-truck-tough-won-beat-fuel-budget-article-1.1921389

Even the article claims a 6 year break even point.

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This is funny.

 

If you really care about $/mile, then you should not even consider ANY truck.

 

Or move to whereever gas is cheapest. Houston? Or somewhere else close to where it is refined.

 

The difference between the 5.3 and 6.2 does not affect $/mile as much as the weekly fluctuation in fuel prices do...

certain people are still on a budget for one reason or the other. But still need a truck.

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Yeah, he was asking about cost per mile. With that much towing he'll probably get 30-40% better mileage with the ED. If diesel is 20% more, that is savings per mile.

 

Whether he should be focused on the cost per mile in the first place is a slightly different questions. At only 10K miles per year that's less than $1500 per year in fuel or $4500 over three years if prices remain fairly stable. I tend to agree that's really small potatoes in the big picture compared with the costs of buying/trading a vehicle every three years.

 

Personally I'd recommend getting something you really like and driving it for 10 years or so as a better way of saving money. Or if one needs to swap vehicles every three years going for last year's model or even slightly used each time. Who cares how much gas it guzzles if you get 10-15K off the purchase price?

I think you make a good point here to the OP. Purchase price may provide more savings than looking for a 1-2mpg difference. saving 1mpg over a year on 10k miles might net a $200 savings, where as you buy a truck for say 6 grand cheaper than another, thats a bigger savings.

 

I typically dont keep my trucks longer than 3 years either. When all factors included and looking at it from a total cost over time, getting new every few years can be the same or even cheaper than holding onto something

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I've been up and down 6% grades, 5 miles. Going up the Tejon pass on I5N, no problem. Held 55 with ease. Southbound is much steeper grade, in the area of 7%. Held 50 no problem with 208 trans temp and coolant temps normal. Trans brake works great. Going down the 5 mile 6% grade, I bounced between 40 and 50mph in 2nd. When I got to 50, I'd tap the brakes and slow to 40. Repeat. Not stressful by any means. I work my brakes harder on my commute to work every day! This is all towing 10,000. I have 5k in towing miles on the setup.

 

Fully confident in crossing the Rockies this summer both up and down.

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The 6.0, while a great engine, hasn't seen any upgrades since around 2002, I think that's when it came out. I had a couple of them. I've never had a 5.3, but now a few 6.2's. The new 6.2 is really good, and I can say it tows equal or better than the once-great 8.1-4sp-3.73 combo (had two of these). I tow 6K in the Appalachians of NY-NJ-PA.

I do remember the 6.0 doing similar to your experiences for mpg.

My last two 6.2's ('07 and '11) did about 7-8mpg towing, and 14mpg not.

My '14 6.2-6sp-3.42, does 2+ better mpg all around, or about 9-10mpg towing, and 17 lifetime avg, with 10K miles. Cost per mile has been .17c/mile assuming $3/gal., but includes the towing duties (3-5 times last year, 4-6hrs ea. time).

I am a believer that the 6.2 is the best compromise to do it all, and it does it all pretty well. I think the diesel is the best for towing a lot, however I don't think it saves you any money with the high buy-in cost, and extra cost of diesel fuel. Just my opinion.

Another big issue is the 1500 vs 2500, and I would want the 2500 for towing 7K+ half it's life, just for safety, but the 1500 is certainly more capable than it's ever been to do this tow weight.

Best of luck.

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