V-6 horrible fuel mileage

ember1205 · September 19, 2015

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/mar/0307-silverado-v6.html

If you don't think the 285hp/305 ft lbs torque (297hp/330ft lbs E-85) the new 4.3l offers is any different than the 195hp/260ft lbs the 2013 4.3l produced, I think you need to look up your primary school math teachers.

The new 4.3l with it's six speed is a better truck than the last gen 4.8ls with their 4 speeds. (and has a higher tow capacity with 3.42 gears than the current 5.3l with the standard 3.08 gears)

Either my wife or I make enough to pay for the house/cabin/cars, so I can pretty much afford any truck. But you don't see me driving a 6.2l or a diesel 3/4 ton for the same reason I don't shoot ducks with a ten gauge- I fit my tools to their jobs.

As far as speed goes, I certainly don't drive a truck for that. The 6.2l is the only one that comes close to being "fast".

Ok. I'll be blunt.

The cardanddriver.com review you linked to pointedly states that the previous gen V6 accounted for 5% of the trucks. YOU stated that the V6 now accounts for 20%. What's that statement based on? Where are the facts?

You also referenced the caranddriver.com review as to WHY it was selling so much more strongly, but that review was actually fairly critical of the motor. So, if it IS being found in about 20% of the trucks sold, why is that? Is it truly because the motor is now being sought out (trucks being ordered with it), or is it because GM made the unilateral decision to ship more trucks to dealer lots with the V6 and sort of force them on the public? Again, it would be great to see some factual data that could back it up.

I understand the differences between the previous V6 and the current one in terms of power output and capabilities. The comments in the review you linked to actually mirror my own observations about having driven one - very noisy compared to the 5.3L V8 and nowhere near as smooth. If the V6 suits your needs, whether it's this generation or the previous one, great. They don't fit the bill for me. And by the time they actually can, I probably won't be driving a truck for the "truck" part of it any more anyhow.

Like you, I buy and use the proper tools to do the work that I need to get done. And, for me, that V6 doesn't cut it. The fact that the towing limit is 7600 lbs immediately rules it out as there are some occasions when I will easily have about 8000 lbs behind me. I get "the math". The fact that it develops more power doesn't back up the statement you posted as to the sales rates of the current version, although being a bit more capable would certainly be some portion of WHY it would sell better.

Brian S. · September 19, 2015

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49623

The new 4.3L V6 accounts for 20 percent of light-duty Silverado pickup sales, up from about 5 percent for the previous generation truck. And rightfully so, given our own 33.4 mpg drive of one last summer

(from an interview of Tom Wilkinson/Chevrolet)

At 8000bs, you're not a potential 4.3l customer. Personally I wouldn't tow that much with the 5.3l either, but that is just me.

I drove a 4.3l Z71 double cab for a year, and I've got to say it wasn't much different than driving the 2002,2005, and 2010 5.3l Z71 Xcabs I had before it. On E85, it actually felt faster. (and like I said, it towed my 2500lb fishing boat pretty easily as it had 6700lbs tow capacity)

I'm back on a 5.3 again because of the transmission cooler issue I noted, and the GMC dealer offered me a great deal in the "old inventory" sale.

My only point is that for anyone towing under 4500lbs the 4.3l is not a bad deal. I saw some mileage with that I never come close to with the 5.3, it was cheaper to buy, and cheaper to insure.

Brian S. · September 20, 2015

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2014/03/the-test-at-davis-dam-2014-chevy-silverado-1500s.html

GM tells us that sales of the new all-aluminum V-6 in the new 2014 Chevy Silverado is crushing the previous V-6 take-rate numbers, closing in on 20 percent of all sales; the number used to be just more than 5 percent. Maybe this shouldn't surprise anyone now that all the big pickup truckmakers have made significant investments in their V-6 lines.

Imcrazy · September 20, 2015

The only advantage to the 4.3 is the $1000 less it costs on the build sheet. My buddy has a 5.3 I have the 4.3 we took a road trip together with a group of family and friends down to TN from OH, we got the same mpg within 1/2MPG and we took turns leading and following the whole way down. You don't really get better mpg with a 4.3 unless you're 2wd maybe.... The only regret I have about my truck is the 4.3.... It's a very minor regret because the 4.3 has been awesome for me so far but, I wish I had more power.

tnchevy · September 20, 2015

Makes me wonder how I ever made it with my 1992 silverado with that 180p 350ci V8!!

Imcrazy · September 20, 2015

Makes me wonder how I ever made it with my 1992 silverado with that 180p 350ci V8!!

It probably weighed a little less than these new ones do though.

Brian S. · September 20, 2015

Makes me wonder how I ever made it with my 1992 silverado with that 180p 350ci V8!!

Fast forward to 2002, when I bought my first Gen IV Silverado 5.3l V8 4X4 Xcab:

http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/silverado-1500/2002/st-100002492/features-specs/

285hp at 5200 RPMs, 325 ft lbs torque at 4000 RPMs

http://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/2002/Chevrolet/SILVERADO-1500-PICKUP-1-2-Ton-V8/Extended-Cab-LS-4WD/Specs

That truck weighed 4758lbs.

Now in 2014 with the 4.3l V6 double cab:

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2013/May/Silverado-May-5/0505-silv-specs.html#extended

285hp at 5300RPMs, and 305 ft lbs at 3900 RPMS, truck weighs 5104lbs.

A lot of people on this site would have us believe that the 300lbs more weight, and 20 lbs less torque (with the SAME horsepower) somehow makes a 2014 4.3l double cab "much worse" than the 5.3l Xcabs we were driving back in 2002.

The kicker is the 2002 5.3l had a 4 speed transmission and the 2014s have a six speed to use that power more efficiently.

I'm in my 50s and remember when six cylinders sucked as well. New six cylinders are what small block V8s used to be, engineering science has moved forward.

Brian S. · September 20, 2015

Don't know about the rest of you, but in 2002 I wasn't spitting on my 5.3l LT 4X4 as I walked by, shaking my fist at the sky and yelling,"Curse you GM engineers!!! 285hp and 325 lbs torque! My kid's go cart does better than that!".

On the contrary, I loved that truck and it gave me good service until I bought a 2005 5.3l LT 4X4.

Was pretty much the same truck as the 285hp/305lb torque 4.3l I was driving last year, except when I filled up with E85 and the 297hp/330lbs torque with the six speed made it feel a little faster.

SgtShiv · September 25, 2015

Got a start on tune and ran 17.9mpg over 430 miles on 93. Could have done better, but that include several WOT during tuning and just cause it was so good after tune, driving in various elevations and a couple hundred miles running 70+ which from my experience is not good for mileage. Plus I am running 285/75-17 Nitto G2's. With highway tires, driving sensibly without a lot of stop and go, not towing the neighbors house, the V6 should have no problem with decent mpg for a truck. I am overall happy as it still feels faster and does so with more mpg than my 95 2wd with a 305, my 91 2wd with a 350 and my 99 4wd with a 5.3. Will never see that mileage again though as I've switched to E85 now. If worried about mileage only I guess I would've kept the car that was getting 38-40 mpg.

theonlyway · September 26, 2015

Yikes. My 5.3 is averaging 20 in town. My buddy has a 2014 extended cab v6 and averages the same as my 8

Brian S. · September 26, 2015

My 2015 5.3l barely gets 20mpg cruise control 60mph highway, no clue how anyone could get that in town or overall.

People miss the point of the 4.3l in my opinion. It takes a lot of hp/torque to move 5000 lbs around. So whether you do it with a turbo 4, a V6, or a V8, it's going to take about the same energy from the gas to do it. No magic way to get 30mpg with a 5000lb vehicle.

What the 4.3l does do is give us an opportunity to buy 2012 V8 level performance at 2012 level prices. With only 20% of the market buying the 4.3s, my guess is a person can make better deals on them. (and they start out $1000 cheaper) A 4wd 5.3l LT Xcab had a MSRP of $33,655 in 2012, that same 4wd 5.3l LT XCab is around $40K now.

I guess GM figured that 10% bump in hp and 15% bump in torque was worth 20% more to us.

The 4.3l V6 splits the speed difference between a 2012 4.8lV8 and a 2012 5.3l V8 and can still tow 6600lbs, which is more than most of us tow.

http://www.autorooster.com/0-60-times/chevrolet/Silverado/

tnchevy · September 26, 2015

One thing to remember is that a large portion of us did not pay any where near the sticker on our 14/15 models. Mine stickered at 43K but I got it for around $32.5K (25% off). My 2002 stickered at $30k and the best deal I could get back then was $26.5K (12% off). IMO the big 3 have grossly overpriced these trucks and the quality IMO has not got better maybe even worse.

Brian S. · September 27, 2015

I didn't pay anywhere near anywhere near retail for the 2014 or 2015 either, but if supply/demand works, more than double the demand for the 5.3 should equal higher negotiated prices as well. (not to mention the start out $1000 higher)

I just like the 4.3l a lot as a base engine. It has more torque than the re-purposed mini van engines Ford and Ram use, for people like me who will never tow more than 3500lbs it offers similar performance to last gen small V8s. (that I considered fine)

http://www.autorooster.com/0-60-times/chevrolet/Silverado/

0-60mph tow capacity MPG

2014 4.3l V6 8.3 sec 6600lbs 17/22

2012 4.3l V6 10.5 sec 5400lbs 14/18

2012 4.8l V8 8.8 sec 7200lbs 13/18

2012 5.3l V8 7.9 sec 9600lb (3.42) 15/21

7400lb (std 3.08 gears)

I believe every 4wd drive 4.3l comes with the 3.42 gears/6600lb tow capacity, and that puts it within 800lbs tow capacity of a 2012 5.3l with the standard gears that a LOT of people have.

tnchevy · September 27, 2015

My other vehicle is a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 3.6 Pentestar V6 and it is no slouch. Not as powerful as chevys DI 4.3 (I've not drove one) but impressive considering it weighs almost the same as my Silverado. You put the gas to the floor and that little V6 scoots that 5,000 pounds pretty darn fast.