Advice on new Silverado 1500 purchase

Jojos · January 15, 2021

Hello forum. First post here! I'm in the market for a new pickup and don't have any owner's experience with full-size pickup trucks. Two trucks ago I had a Tahoe and now drive a midsize pickup. I've been doing my research on these new trucks and have narrowed it down to a Silverado 1500 crew cab with a standard bed and 4x4. I'm not looking for all the bell and whistles so most likely it will be either a custom trail boss or an LT. I also want to point out that this truck will be used as my daily driver to work (60 minutes roundtrip) and also as the family vehicle for road trips mainly transporting bicycles and gear and 5 passengers. Will occasionally be pulling an enclosed 5'x8' trailer, but no campers, etc. so tow capacity is not on the top of my list. My existing pickup has over 200k miles, so I plan to keep this new truck for 10 years, so longevity and reliability are very important.

My first choice, mainly driven by looks, is the custom trail boss. The cons I found so far are lower fuel mileage and no height adjustment on the drivers seat. I read an article that someone said that the manual seats have the driver sitting in a hole. I'm not that short, but prefer to sit up higher than lower. Problem is that no dealers around have this truck in stock, so I'm looking for a WT with the manual seats to compare. The other concern is the engine/tranny. I would most likely go with the 5.3L AFM over the 6.2L, based on not needing the extra power and the extra money spent on premium fuel over 10 years. What are the thoughts on the 5.3L with a 6 speed? What about the 4.3L V6? Any good or skip? A local dealer told me that the 10 speed tranny is a 6 speed and the remaining 4 gears are manual? I didn't get a chance to research that yet...My first choice was to go with the 6.2L based mainly on the tranny choice, but those motors are very hard to find nowadays and again, definitely overkill for minimal towing.

The LT comes with power seats, so that's solved. As far as engines go, it would be between the 5.3L DFM or the 3.0L turbo diesel. Immediately I was all over the duramax because of fuel mileage, but when I found out about the 150k mile oil pump belt inspection/replacement, I starting thinking twice. People online were being quoted around $2500 from the dealer to replace and this is a job above my skill set, so I would have to pay to get it done. If the belt issue didn't exist, then that would make my decision much easier. Any thoughts on the 3.0L vs the 5.3L?

Also in reading Chevy's catalog comparing the engines, besides the 3.0L, the rest all have similar fuel mileage. I can't see how all the rest of these engines get similar gas mileage (give or take a couple of mpg's). Any real world numbers that disagree with theirs? Also living in the Northeast, any real issues in snow/ice between these models?

I'm open to any and all opinions on a model as long as the MSRP is in the $40k's. If I'm spending in the 50s or above, I'll get a Suburban. lol

Thanks!

TNTSierra · January 15, 2021

If you go with a Custom Trailboss and get the older style 5.3L with AFM and 6 Spd you can tune it and get rid of the AFM and never have any issues with that motor. I bought a Hypertech handheld tuner for $300 at AutoAnything on my 2018 Sierra with AFM and it ran so much better and also got better fuel economy, if I stayed off the gas!! And you don’t have to tune it for 91+ octane. They have a regular 87 tune for 11HP and 9TQ. You can also play around with the transmission for better shifting as well. And when you take it into the dealership for work just reset it to stock. I never had an issue with mine going in for work.

The new 5.3L and 6.2L truck have DFM and it seems to be better than the old AFM. I haven’t seen or heard of anyone having oil consumption issues like AFMs did. My stepdad has a new 5.3L with 10 spd combo ina GMC SLT and it’s awesome, but it’s very limited on the Chevy on how to get it. Chevy makes you still get the 8 spd on most truck trims for some stupid reason, and that is a coin toss on whether you will have issues or not with that transmission.

I can speak for the 6.2L and 10 spd combo. I absolutely love it. It has tons of power but yes if you want ALL 420HP you have to spend it on premium. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but it is “annoying” at times having to pay for it; especially when I fill up the wife’s new Acadia with regular gas and see the price difference. It’s about $12 each time. Not “huge” when your paying the amount of cash for these vehicles nowadays, but over time it does add up!

I don’t have any experience on the 3.0L except for driving it and it was very nice. The power was linear and solid. You have to take into affect diesel prices and DEF with diesels. Also over time their maintenance is much higher if anything goes wrong. The belt I have heard is an issue at 150k but maybe with it being out for a few more years local shops instead of dealerships will have a few cracks at it and won’t charge the higher prices that dealerships do??

Good luck with your decision and if you go the GMC route you can get the 5.3L and 10 spd combo in a few more choices. My next truck will be another GMC because they to me they feel more refined and quieter. I had 3 GMC Sierras before this Silverado.

Take care.

BossTaco2020 · January 15, 2021

16 hours ago, Jojos said:

A local dealer told me that the 10 speed tranny is a 6 speed and the remaining 4 gears are manual?

HAHAHAHA!!! Yeah typical ignorant salesperson will say anything in order to move inventory. The 10 speed tranny is the best out there, hands down. If you can get it, do it! But if you don't need every bell and whistle, I'm sure the 8 speed will suffice, even if there are perceived reliability issues. Not saying they're not there, but looking online, you're bound to see more complaints in general. FWIW, I love my 5.3 LT TrailBoss with 10 speed. I would probably be just as happy with the 5.3 Custom TrailBoss as well.

CamaroVetteGuy · January 15, 2021

If you plan to keep the vehicle for 200k miles you are going to have to spend money on maintenance. So I would not rule out the diesel.

The custom is a work truck with the trail boss lift, wheels, tires and appearance. Pretty bare bones. Most people later wish they would have bought the LT.

IMO I would look for a non trail boss LT or RTS. The 5.3 with the 10 speed is a great drivetrain.

Edited January 15, 2021 by CamaroVetteGuy

newdude · January 15, 2021

LT or RST would better suit your daily driver and family hauling aspect vs. the Custom Trail Boss.

I wouldn't rule out the diesel. Don't let the oil pump belt scare you. If it were me shopping, I'd test drive the 2.7 Turbo, the 5.3 with DFM and the 3.0 diesel.

You need a new dealer if he doesn't know the differences of the 6, 8 and 10 speeds.

Bigfoot98 · January 15, 2021

17 hours ago, Jojos said:

Hello forum. First post here! I'm in the market for a new pickup and don't have any owner's experience with full-size pickup trucks. Two trucks ago I had a Tahoe and now drive a midsize pickup. I've been doing my research on these new trucks and have narrowed it down to a Silverado 1500 crew cab with a standard bed and 4x4. I'm not looking for all the bell and whistles so most likely it will be either a custom trail boss or an LT. I also want to point out that this truck will be used as my daily driver to work (60 minutes roundtrip) and also as the family vehicle for road trips mainly transporting bicycles and gear and 5 passengers. Will occasionally be pulling an enclosed 5'x8' trailer, but no campers, etc. so tow capacity is not on the top of my list. My existing pickup has over 200k miles, so I plan to keep this new truck for 10 years, so longevity and reliability are very important.

My first choice, mainly driven by looks, is the custom trail boss. The cons I found so far are lower fuel mileage and no height adjustment on the drivers seat. I read an article that someone said that the manual seats have the driver sitting in a hole. I'm not that short, but prefer to sit up higher than lower. Problem is that no dealers around have this truck in stock, so I'm looking for a WT with the manual seats to compare. The other concern is the engine/tranny. I would most likely go with the 5.3L AFM over the 6.2L, based on not needing the extra power and the extra money spent on premium fuel over 10 years. What are the thoughts on the 5.3L with a 6 speed? What about the 4.3L V6? Any good or skip? A local dealer told me that the 10 speed tranny is a 6 speed and the remaining 4 gears are manual? I didn't get a chance to research that yet...My first choice was to go with the 6.2L based mainly on the tranny choice, but those motors are very hard to find nowadays and again, definitely overkill for minimal towing.

The LT comes with power seats, so that's solved. As far as engines go, it would be between the 5.3L DFM or the 3.0L turbo diesel. Immediately I was all over the duramax because of fuel mileage, but when I found out about the 150k mile oil pump belt inspection/replacement, I starting thinking twice. People online were being quoted around $2500 from the dealer to replace and this is a job above my skill set, so I would have to pay to get it done. If the belt issue didn't exist, then that would make my decision much easier. Any thoughts on the 3.0L vs the 5.3L?

Also in reading Chevy's catalog comparing the engines, besides the 3.0L, the rest all have similar fuel mileage. I can't see how all the rest of these engines get similar gas mileage (give or take a couple of mpg's). Any real world numbers that disagree with theirs? Also living in the Northeast, any real issues in snow/ice between these models?

I'm open to any and all opinions on a model as long as the MSRP is in the $40k's. If I'm spending in the 50s or above, I'll get a Suburban. lol

Thanks!

Welcome!

I have a 2020 RST 5.3 8 speed so I will try to answer what I can.

I would look more into the LT over custom TB if you are not planning on going off road all to often and want something with better mpg for daily commuting, higher truck with off road tires creates a small bit of drag.

The LT and RST are almost* the same but there are a few differences, mainly the rally edition and a sport look on the RST. Also a center console os available for RST unless the recently added it to LT.

Personally I would choose 5.3 due to some reports of issues with the new 3.0 being dead in the morning and being a diesel there is more potential maintenance issues down the road and also differences in operation. Most likely your wallet would enjoy the 5.3 over the diesel.

The transmissions are either 6 8 or 10 speed, if the dealer doesn't know that run. Like really run, they will pish whatever BS necessary for you to buy a vehicle from them that gives them more money OR the salesman is truly that stupid and needs to find a new job.

I live in NJ and get 17.5 with highway then backroad commute. Around town (100 percent stop and go with auto stop off due to temp or hvac) I get 12 and auto stop on 13 to 14. On highway driving only I get 19 with the truck saying "best 22.5" for the 50 mile range. Just take the truck out on the highway once in a while to let it open up if you are able to vs city driving. I dont know how they got a 16 or 17 mpg city rating unless it is driving down rt130 at 2am with no red lights.

Price for my RST Z71 CC was 54k sticker but pre tax out the door was 44k, just dont be afraid to leave if you dont get a good price, dealers can be greedy and have the if you dont buy it he will attitude. My truck has the z71 and protection package(bedliner and floor liner), safety package, bucket seats, 20 inch wheels, all star and convenience 2.

Z71 will give you some more control over the transfer case with 4L and auto being available only with the 2 speed transfer case.

So either LT or RST with the 5.3 and 8 speed is what you would end up with. The RST is more expensive vs LT but if you want a sportier look than RST. Price is going to sticker around 50k depending on options, but you should be getting at least a 7 to 10k discount.

Salsa De Piña · January 15, 2021

Before you drop any money on a Custom, be sure to check which features it has and, more importantly, which features it doesn't have. This forum is littered with folks who thought they got a great deal on a truck, only to complain it's missing something they thought every new truck came with.

JoJo1 · January 16, 2021

5 hours ago, CamaroVetteGuy said:

If you plan to keep the vehicle for 200k miles you are going to have to spend money on maintenance. So I would not rule out the diesel.

The custom is a work truck with the trail boss lift, wheels, tires and appearance. Pretty bare bones. Most people later wish they would have bought the LT.

IMO I would look for a non trail boss LT or RTS. The 5.3 with the 10 speed is a great drivetrain.

What do you mean by maintenance? Keeping up with all scheduled services or these trucks are not very reliable and the engine, tranny, other expensive parts, etc. won't last 200k miles?

JoJo1 · January 16, 2021

8 hours ago, TNTSilverado said:

If you go with a Custom Trailboss and get the older style 5.3L with AFM and 6 Spd you can tune it and get rid of the AFM and never have any issues with that motor. I bought a Hypertech handheld tuner for $300 at AutoAnything on my 2018 Sierra with AFM and it ran so much better and also got better fuel economy, if I stayed off the gas!! And you don’t have to tune it for 91+ octane. They have a regular 87 tune for 11HP and 9TQ. You can also play around with the transmission for better shifting as well. And when you take it into the dealership for work just reset it to stock. I never had an issue with mine going in for work.

The new 5.3L and 6.2L truck have DFM and it seems to be better than the old AFM. I haven’t seen or heard of anyone having oil consumption issues like AFMs did. My stepdad has a new 5.3L with 10 spd combo ina GMC SLT and it’s awesome, but it’s very limited on the Chevy on how to get it. Chevy makes you still get the 8 spd on most truck trims for some stupid reason, and that is a coin toss on whether you will have issues or not with that transmission.

I can speak for the 6.2L and 10 spd combo. I absolutely love it. It has tons of power but yes if you want ALL 420HP you have to spend it on premium. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but it is “annoying” at times having to pay for it; especially when I fill up the wife’s new Acadia with regular gas and see the price difference. It’s about $12 each time. Not “huge” when your paying the amount of cash for these vehicles nowadays, but over time it does add up!

I don’t have any experience on the 3.0L except for driving it and it was very nice. The power was linear and solid. You have to take into affect diesel prices and DEF with diesels. Also over time their maintenance is much higher if anything goes wrong. The belt I have heard is an issue at 150k but maybe with it being out for a few more years local shops instead of dealerships will have a few cracks at it and won’t charge the higher prices that dealerships do??

Good luck with your decision and if you go the GMC route you can get the 5.3L and 10 spd combo in a few more choices. My next truck will be another GMC because they to me they feel more refined and quieter. I had 3 GMC Sierras before this Silverado.

Take care.

Thanks for the info. I'll research he GMC's. I like the look of the Elevation. Just have to compare like for like with the Chevy's to see the differences.

JoJo1 · January 16, 2021

4 hours ago, Bigfoot98 said:

Welcome!

I have a 2020 RST 5.3 8 speed so I will try to answer what I can.

I would look more into the LT over custom TB if you are not planning on going off road all to often and want something with better mpg for daily commuting, higher truck with off road tires creates a small bit of drag.

The LT and RST are almost* the same but there are a few differences, mainly the rally edition and a sport look on the RST. Also a center console os available for RST unless the recently added it to LT.

Personally I would choose 5.3 due to some reports of issues with the new 3.0 being dead in the morning and being a diesel there is more potential maintenance issues down the road and also differences in operation. Most likely your wallet would enjoy the 5.3 over the diesel.

The transmissions are either 6 8 or 10 speed, if the dealer doesn't know that run. Like really run, they will pish whatever BS necessary for you to buy a vehicle from them that gives them more money OR the salesman is truly that stupid and needs to find a new job.

I live in NJ and get 17.5 with highway then backroad commute. Around town (100 percent stop and go with auto stop off due to temp or hvac) I get 12 and auto stop on 13 to 14. On highway driving only I get 19 with the truck saying "best 22.5" for the 50 mile range. Just take the truck out on the highway once in a while to let it open up if you are able to vs city driving. I dont know how they got a 16 or 17 mpg city rating unless it is driving down rt130 at 2am with no red lights.

Price for my RST Z71 CC was 54k sticker but pre tax out the door was 44k, just dont be afraid to leave if you dont get a good price, dealers can be greedy and have the if you dont buy it he will attitude. My truck has the z71 and protection package(bedliner and floor liner), safety package, bucket seats, 20 inch wheels, all star and convenience 2.

Z71 will give you some more control over the transfer case with 4L and auto being available only with the 2 speed transfer case.

So either LT or RST with the 5.3 and 8 speed is what you would end up with. The RST is more expensive vs LT but if you want a sportier look than RST. Price is going to sticker around 50k depending on options, but you should be getting at least a 7 to 10k discount.

Thanks for info. Any reliability issues with your truck?

JoJo1 · January 16, 2021

6 hours ago, BossTaco2020 said:

HAHAHAHA!!! Yeah typical ignorant salesperson will say anything in order to move inventory. The 10 speed tranny is the best out there, hands down. If you can get it, do it! But if you don't need every bell and whistle, I'm sure the 8 speed will suffice, even if there are perceived reliability issues. Not saying they're not there, but looking online, you're bound to see more complaints in general. FWIW, I love my 5.3 LT TrailBoss with 10 speed. I would probably be just as happy with the 5.3 Custom TrailBoss as well.

Thanks. Are the tranny issues on the 6, 8 and 10 speeds?

CamGTP · January 16, 2021

8 hours ago, TNTSilverado said:

If you go with a Custom Trailboss and get the older style 5.3L with AFM and 6 Spd you can tune it and get rid of the AFM and never have any issues with that motor.

Okay, but who is going to spend $1,900 at a minimum just to get a tune??

Probably not many.

Duramax3oh · January 16, 2021

You’re doing good due diligence getting a lot of opinions and then go to the dealership and test different trucks out yourself.

My recommendation would be to go the LT route with 10-speed transmission. 5.3 or 3.0 would fit your needs just fine. I absolutely love my 3.0.

TNTSierra · January 16, 2021

2 hours ago, CamGTP said:

Okay, but who is going to spend $1,900 at a minimum just to get a tune??

Probably not many.

My understanding is you can tune the custom Trailboss because it uses the older AFM 5.3L engine and 6 spd transmission. That’s what I was talking about.
I know it costs about $3k to tune the new engine. I already got quote from performance shop. Waiting/debating if I wanna do that. Kinda hoping price will go down the more Pulsar LT’s they sell and get all the bugs worked out of them

CamGTP · January 16, 2021

It may still be the old engine and transmission but they still changed computers on T1 trucks. It no longer uses the E92 computer than came with the 2014-2018 body style trucks.