PIckuptrucks test Gas HD. 6.0 no I'm old tested

revrnd · March 21, 2017

I look at it completely differently. We are in a world where fuel economy has driven manufacturers to do all sorts of different things to reduce fuel economy, from cylinder deactivation, small turbocharged engines, aluminum body panels, not to mention all the emissions changes on the diesels recently.

But I can still go buy one truck on the market that a basic, all-steel, iron-block gasoline V8 truck without any of the latest and, from my perspective, unproven technology. And that truck is the HD version of the silverado/sierra. And that is why there is a Silverado 2500HD in my driveway.

Honestly, I never thought for a second about whether a Ram or a Ford gasser would be faster. I just knew the 6.0/6L90 was a very durable combination and I pulled the trigger.

EXACTLY^

There was nothing wrong w/ my '11 & I had planned on keeping it longer. I had been hearing various 'developments' for the next generation pick up. I have no interest in aluminum/composite body panels or more hi tech gadgetry powerplant wise.

I've seen a lot of dually pickups w/ smashed box sides & GM may go the 'plastic' box side as opposed to alum'.

I figured I'd get an 'old school' pickup when I had the chance. Maybe if I was a technology 'follower', I would've waited until the T1XX arrived & camped out @ the dealership for the 1st 2500HD to arrive.

I hate to say this, but if GM dropped the ball on the DSA (I can't believe the issue didn't show up in testing), I definitely don't want to be a guinea pig on an all new truck.

Nathan79 · March 22, 2017

If you look at the actual test results they are very minor between the big 3. Ford and Ram should be embarrassed that they put up such big hp numbers and still barely beat GM in the actual tests.

And the GM hp/tq numbers are doubtful anyways.

C/K Man · March 22, 2017

You can't beat the L96/6L90 combination for reliability and long service. On paper it seems down on power compared to the Ford 6.2L and Ram 6.4L, but in performance testing it holds it's own every time. It's also very easy to service and repair. Still the best gasoline HD drivetrain available.

That having been said, I have heard that GM may have a larger gasoline engine under development. Keep your eye on the GM/Navistar joint venture medium duty, I think that would be a likely place to see it first.

4x4Pete · March 22, 2017

I really hope that a new gasoline engine doesn't have the AFM or direct injection. Both of these have caused more issues than what it is worth. The AFM efficiency increase is negligible, and the DI with the intake valve coking is a major problem. The AFM could be deleted with some mechanical changes but the coking problem really can't be cleaned without removing the heads or intake. We'll see how this turns out but I would rather a dependable 6.ohh I'm old than a problematic DI, AFM, premium gas, expensive maintenance, 6.2.

Cowpie · March 22, 2017

That's the beauty of having my 2015 2500 6.0. I barely put 10K miles on it in a year, so I have a great long term investment. If GM gets goofy with gas engines in the 2500/3500 arena, I will be able to avoid it.

revrnd · March 22, 2017

That's the beauty of having my 2015 2500 6.0. I barely put 10K miles on it in a year, so I have a great long term investment. If GM gets goofy with gas engines in the 2500/3500 arena, I will be able to avoid it.

That's my hope as well.

KMK454 · March 23, 2017

People buying base, regular cab work trucks are doing so as a business decision. They tend to care about deals on large fleet purchases, life-cycle maintenance and repair costs, cost-per-mile, and the servicing/supporting parts and maintenance enterprise. Drag strip times really don't matter to a construction company. All of these trucks haul the gear, but which one is best for business?

i82much · March 24, 2017

not based on us prices but still interesting ...

https://www.auto123.com/en/news/2016-canada-diesel-engine-study/63468/

magnum74 · March 25, 2017

I owned a 2014 6.4 Longhorn when they first came out. It wasn't bad but SOTP performance didn't match the expectations I had from the big 6.4. The driveability of the L96/6-speed is night and day difference between the 6.4/6-speed. The Ram transmission gears are more like an old 4-speed automatic with 2 useless over drives. It's only real advantage was mileage on the highway (which was the only good surprise I had with the 6.4). The GM just feels better all round in almost every situation because it's even gearing and tuning designed to put the truck into lower gear in an instant. Drag racing 2wd regular cab trucks is not indicative of how people in my neck of the woods drive and nobody buys a 2wd regular cab. It just doesn't happen in Canada save for the (very) odd fleet vehicle.

I've always liked Ford's 6.2, also. Seems like Ford has really upped their HD gas engine and the test proves it. I did almost order a 2017 F250 6.2 with 4.30's but decided on a tried and true L96. I'm sure I'd be happy with the 6.2 and maybe even a bit more so with the new power ratings but anybody who's using these trucks day to day should be able to notice an immediate difference of how a 6.4 runs compared to a 6.0 or 6.2.

I've also noticed basic programming tunes are available on the 2015+ L96 and they seem to be getting 30HP/40TQ on a basic 87 octane tune. This seems to verify what a lot of us think about GM sandbagging the L96 for durability. Apparently the Diablo InTune I used on my 2007 Cherokee SRT can be updated with their new tunes for my truck but I'm pretty sure I'll be leaving it stock. This poor truck gets a beatin' lol

Big Whiskey · March 26, 2017

I've also noticed basic programming tunes are available on the 2015+ L96 and they seem to be getting 30HP/40TQ on a basic 87 octane tune. This seems to verify what a lot of us think about GM sandbagging the L96 for durability.

An additional 30HP/40TQ is pretty good for a 87 octane tune. What tunes are you referring to? Canned or custom?

2016HD · March 26, 2017

An additional 30HP/40TQ is pretty good for a 87 octane tune. What tunes are you referring to? Canned or custom?

I dont think that the 6.0l will get this amount from a canned tune? Maybe 20hp/Tq at the best im thinking on a canned tune from Diablo maybe? Custom tune for 94 premium or E85 maybe. But 40ftlbs is alot to gain with just a tune??

Let us know where this info is coming from.? That would put our Old school 6.0 right at 400hp and 420ftlbs. Thats almost better than the other 2 with new engines?

Id love it though!!

sdeeter19555 · March 26, 2017

Wouldn't that depend on how detuned the 6.0l is in its current form? I can't imagine they have squeezed every ounce of HP out yet (room to grow).

I think GM purposely limits the power to protect the drivetrain (promote longevity) in the 2500/3500 series. They are not the first to do this either. If you consider the market, the gasser 2500/3500 isn't exactly targeting the hotrodders, it's targeting contractors that don't care if they pull a house down or can pass the guy on the hill pulling at max weight...that market is looking for a truck that gets their equipment from A to B with minimal breakdowns. I'll bet most buy based on experience or rebates, and don't even care what the window sticker touts for HP.

These tests are nothing more than remnants of the HP wars from a few years back. It's nothing more than chest thumping that sells magazines. What does it actually mean in the real world?

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4x4Pete · March 26, 2017

Well if the magazines and reviews didn't say that Ford and Dodge had more hp than the GM's then Ford and Dodge wouldn't sell any trucks. There are people who buy based on the listed rated hp/torque numbers and you will usually find them behind the wheel of a Ford or Dodge posing away!

KARNUT · March 26, 2017

In my older age I lean more towards comfort, HP ratings is a very close second. I don't want to get run over merging on the freeway, no matter what I'm driving.

i82much · March 26, 2017

I love messing with vehicles. I am constantly fiddling with the carb and timing on my 72 chevy 4x4 and my 65 Pontiac, not to mention my Yamaha TW200.

But I always have another one in the driveway that is pretty new and that I don't lay a freaking hand on! Because when I mess with stuff, sometimes it's down for a few days. And I don't want the one I am counting on to be down at all, that's why I have the other crap, to keep me from messing with the vehicle I need to get to work! No tunes for me, no lift kits, no cold air intakes, no thanks!

Thankfully, engineers are better than this than I am, and they have a heck of a lot fewer problems when they mess with things. But even engineers can mess things up, and it usually takes a few years before they really find all the things they messed up on and get them fixed.

Well, you know what HD gas truck engine hasn't been messed with very much for a long time? The one in my frickin' driveway. Or, as I call it, "the one that runs."