4.3 vs 5.3

Brian S. · April 9, 2017

Come on Brian, all that talk about saving money on the 4.3 from a guy who trades a truck in every two years. I buy every two years too, no matter how big a discount I get or good the trade in or what kind of truck I buy there's no saving money there. If for no other reason the V8 sound with exhaust is a good enough reason. If a grand a year is that big a deal the mid sized will save more money, pull the load and is faster. I own two V6 vehicles, one 4, one very old V8 all will out perform any new truck. The point there's really no real good reason for a V6 in a full sized truck, even tho it's a great motor, you didn't even buy one.

I didn't say "I" care much about saving money, obviously I'm not on a thrifty path through life. I'm just saying when faced with "There is NO reason to buy a 4.3l truck, including mpg" I have to disagree after buying one and using it a year.

If you're a young couple or single guy around $1000 a year can be money you think about. I pay that for my internet/tv/home phone now, saving that cash is like getting that stuff free. (or close to it)

I'm 50, I want my cars as quiet as possible now. I did the whole headers/cherry bombs on V8 muscle cars back in the day. These days I talk to friends and family on the Bluetooth and want to hear them, not the engine. When trucks go by me on the highway that sound like dump trucks I just look at the guy and think "Seriously? You find that preferable?". Would be like working with an impact wrench or chain saw, Sure, it needs to be done at times, but I don't shoot for racket like that whenever possible.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Brian S.

KARNUT · April 9, 2017

Im 61, can't argue about the noise anymore. The only loud at my house is my old truck, once a wk the kid comes out to play, no more loud daily drivers since I was 58. Grumpy Bears single cab is a different argument, I was talking about big old 4 doors.

I didn't say "I" care much about saving money, obviously I'm not on a thrifty path through life. I'm just saying when faced with "There is NO reason to buy a 4.3l truck, including mpg" I have to disagree after buying one and using it a year.

If you're a young couple or single guy around $1000 a year can be money you think about. I pay that for my internet/tv/home phone now, saving that cash is like getting that stuff free. (or close to it)

I'm 50, I want my cars as quiet as possible now. I did the whole headers/cherry bombs on V8 muscle cars back in the day. These days I talk to friends and family on the Bluetooth and want to hear them, not the engine. When trucks go by me on the highway that sound like dump trucks I just look at the guy and think "Seriously? You find that preferable?". Would be like working with an impact wrench or chain saw, Sure, it needs to be done at times, but I don't shoot for racket like that whenever possible.

Brian S. · April 9, 2017

I thought about it more and I'd go one further:

I don't care who you are, saving even $500 a year matters. If you're a young father and sock that $500 a year into EdVest or similar when your son or daughter hits college you'll have saved a year of tuition and fees at a state school, minimum.

Anybody who has ever helped a kid through college (or couldn't) can probably see the value of having an extra year of tuition laying around.

A person has to look at the whole of their life, not just "Wowee, I can get that V8 sound for only a few bucks more a month!".

Easy trades that don't have relevant function differences can make for much larger long term gains.

Grumpy Bear · April 9, 2017

Now THAT is saving some money with the 4.3l!

To get my 17.4mpg:

1. I had 3.42 gears, 4wd, Xcab.

2. I live a north of you in WI and had it in AWD a good 3 months of the year.

3. When water open towing 3000lb boat weekly, 4-5X a year 200mile+ trips

4. My daily commute was mix of stop and go city/short hop hwy, done twice a day. (ate lunch at home)

5. My dad tells me I have a heavy foot and stop too suddenly to get decent mileage or have tires last.

So, my mpgs may only be valid for me, YMMV.

Now that's the kind of usage I would expect to produce 17 mpg. Thanks for your honesty. BTW Dad might be right.

KARNUT · April 9, 2017

I thought about it more and I'd go one further:

I don't care who you are, saving even $500 a year matters. If you're a young father and sock that $500 a year into EdVest or similar when your son or daughter hits college you'll have saved a year of tuition and fees at a state school, minimum.

Anybody who has ever helped a kid through college (or couldn't) can probably see the value of having an extra year of tuition laying around.

A person has to look at the whole of their life, not just "Wowee, I can get that V8 sound for only a few bucks more a month!".

Easy trades that don't have relevant function differences can make for much larger long term gains.

If saving mattered that much then maybe daily driving a truck shouldn't even be considered. You can get a good car for 15K and get 35MPG, and put your kid through college and buy them a house. I always used trucks for work when I retired I kept an old one around and daily drive a mid sized SUV that's gets 27 MPG on the HWY. Just saying if you need a truck not enough savings for a V6. I couldn't wait not to have to DD a truck, couldn't see the point unless I was working it.

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Donstar · April 9, 2017

There is a measurable cost saving to the V6. However, the amount saved isn't significant when you prefer a V8. I prefer the V6 and the money saved is a bonus! Arguing over engine size is similar to debating cab and bed length configurations. Our preferences have different price tags!

Knightfall · April 10, 2017

All this math and science....Can I just like my V6 truck because it's a good truck hahaha?

Grumpy Bear · April 10, 2017

All this math and science....Can I just like my V6 truck because it's a good truck hahaha?

Sure you can. Just can't tell anyone why>

Brian S. · April 10, 2017

Sure you can. Just can't tell anyone why>

This is a HUGE factor.

Even if the new 4.3 had exactly (instead of 10% less on E10, and about same on E85) the same power as the old 5.3 most of us drove, most here would be saying, "You have to get a V8! The new one has more power ! There's that V8 sound!" What if you suddenly decide to buy a yacht, how will you pull it?!"

On E85 the new 5.3 is within 5 ft lbs torque and 18 hp of the 5.3s we all drove. I've driven both and if anything the 4.3 on E85 felt faster and more powerful. Even on E10 it was hard to tell the difference because it made 90% of the last gen 5.3s power at the same RPMs.

We've all been conditioned to think "There's no replacement for displacement" to which I say:

1. Teslas don't have displacement and are some of the fastest vehicles on the road.

2. The high pressure injected, high compression 4.3 makes more horsepower and torque than a lot of larger V8s we drove back in days gone by.

3. Ferd's Ecoboost is getting higher than V8 power out of tiny V6s.

4. Small diesels, turbo and non, are beating V8s as well.

The saying needs to change to, "Technology trumps all".

KARNUT · April 10, 2017

This is a HUGE factor.

Even if the new 4.3 had exactly (instead of 10% less on E10, and about same on E85) the same power as the old 5.3 most of us drove, most here would be saying, "You have to get a V8! The new one has more power ! There's that V8 sound!" What if you suddenly decide to buy a yacht, how will you pull it?!"

On E85 the new 5.3 is within 5 ft lbs torque and 18 hp of the 5.3s we all drove. I've driven both and if anything the 4.3 on E85 felt faster and more powerful. Even on E10 it was hard to tell the difference because it made 90% of the last gen 5.3s power at the same RPMs.

We've all been conditioned to think "There's no replacement for displacement" to which I say:

1. Teslas don't have displacement and are some of the fastest vehicles on the road.

2. The high pressure injected, high compression 4.3 makes more horsepower and torque than a lot of larger V8s we drove back in days gone by.

3. Ferd's Ecoboost is getting higher than V8 power out of tiny V6s.

4. Small diesels, turbo and non, are beating V8s as well.

The saying needs to change to, "Technology trumps all".

1 clarification I think, the 5.3 before the 14 I had was rated 285 HP or close to it. The new one is rated 355 or 385 on E85 or close to it. That noticeable.

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truckguy82 · April 10, 2017

1 clarification I think, the 5.3 before the 14 I had was rated 285 HP or close to it. The new one is rated 355 or 385 on E85 or close to it. That noticeable.

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Gmt900 5.3 was 315hp

Brian S. · April 10, 2017

1 clarification I think, the 5.3 before the 14 I had was rated 285 HP or close to it. The new one is rated 355 or 385 on E85 or close to it. That noticeable.

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I get that the new 5.3s have more power than the old 5.3s and as such differentiate themselves from the 4.3s.

My point with 4.3s has always been that if you were satisfied with the old 4.8 or 5.3, you would likely be satisfied with the new 4.3 as it's very comparable. Personally I never thought, "I really wish this thing was faster!" or "I wish this thing could tow more!" with all the past GM, Ford, RAM full size trucks I had that had very similar hp/torque to the new 4.3l.

If I had wanted or needed more power on those vehicles I would have just bought it.

Brian S. · April 11, 2017

What is always interesting to me in this debate is:

If the hp/torque of the current 5.3 is necessary to have, why didn't most of us drive 6.2s in past generations?

Most of us drove 4.8s and 5.3s, and the current 4.3 is around the same performance of those.

So apparently that level of performance was A-OK in 2013 and before, but these days you need much more. Doesn't make sense to me.

Grumpy Bear · April 11, 2017

What is always interesting to me in this debate is:

If the hp/torque of the current 5.3 is necessary to have, why didn't most of us drive 6.2s in past generations?

Most of us drove 4.8s and 5.3s, and the current 4.3 is around the same performance of those.

So apparently that level of performance was A-OK in 2013 and before, but these days you need much more. Doesn't make sense to me.

The stigma of driving a gas 6 cylinder in a 'man' truck is enough to put many off.

What a girly-boy motor. (Said in my best Arnold)

KARNUT · April 11, 2017

I don't think there's a stigma so much any more. Most people who buy fullsized trucks for DD aren't as concerned with the small savings on the V6. Plenty of power for sure especially in the two door. This is an enthusiastic site after all, most of us here want more than basic transportation or we be driving a economy car. Most of the trucks I had in the past I put on power adders. My 14 was the fist time since the 90s I didn't touch the engine, I tuned everything but the engine. It ran so good on E-85. Every vehicle ad on TV has performance in it somewhere in its ad especially Dodge Ram. I even see old ladies driving hot cars these days, so there's the why.