Review? Loaner Truck is the V6 - Not Terrible...

sirbOOm · August 6, 2014

So my loaner truck right now is a super duper base model V6. Highway I got 25 MPG average. We'll see once I get some city miles on it. My Z71 5.3 will do 22 MPG average on the highway driving the same route like a grandpa. I only noticed it puffing out if I tried to gun it but I did that only once to pass and the duration of that pass was just as slow and non sports car like as my V8, so nothing to write home about. The little center screen it has is ridiculously ugly - sorry if you have one and I mean no offense - but GM really figured out to make a screen look stupid. It does its job though, but I suspect at my car audio shop we'll be getting a lot of these to put a new radio in. The only thing that really stood out as not acceptable was the steering wheel material. I guess all Silverados don't come with the "leather" wrapped steering wheel and this one has a grain texture that was borderline 80 grit sandpaper to me. I've been in cheap cars all the time (e.g., my last Ford Fiesta) and they had cheap steering wheels and they weren't this grainy/texture-ey. It's annoying the crap out of me. Maybe I have soft girly hands...

So, I think I could live with this engine if I wasn't going to have to tow a 68 Lincoln at times. Was very quiet, too.

14BlackSilverado · August 6, 2014

See I drove one and thought the engine was loud! It had decent giddy up for a V6 I thought but hated how loud it was.

sirbOOm · August 6, 2014

Hmm... well it sounded different than my V8 but, to me, it wasn't loud. My 2011's V8 was comparatively louder inside (no exhaust modifications).

fondupot · August 7, 2014

Yea the new 4.3 is definitely better than the previous gen's. Drove a few back when I was shopping. I'll still take a V8 anyday tho.

14BlackSilverado · August 7, 2014

Yea I was comparing it to my 2014 5.3. Compared to that I thought it was loud.

sirbOOm · August 7, 2014

The sound is about exactly like the 3800-series engine in the Grand Prix (and whatever else). It has the gargle sound from the exhaust.

Brian S. · August 12, 2014

I've had a 4.3l LT2/Z71 Xcab with the All Star pack, other options like tonneau/bedliner/step tubes for half a year now, and I like the 4.3l fine.

My boat/trailer are under 3000lbs, so I am well below the 6700lb tow rating.

I had a 2010 5.3l before and the 315hp/335lb torque that had seems about the same as the 285hp/305lbs torque the new 4.3l has. (and when I run E85 it has 297hp/330lb torque)

It does seem easy on the gas, and Car & Driver's review said they got 3mpg on average better with the 4.3l than the 5.3l. An extra 78 miles per tank is like getting a $10 rebate on every tank of gas. (3+ free gallons compared to 5.3l)

The only thing I've found I don't like so far is there is no external transmission oil cooler, and I'm showing temps of 205-210F when towing on hilly roads. GM tech support told me up 230F is fine. (I guess because they use synthetic oil now) I'll probably put an auxiliary cooler on it anyway.