WT - Silverado 1500 4WD Extended Cab

[HaroldCallahan]

I just saw what looks like a pretty good advertised price at a local dealer on the Silverado 1500 4WD EXT Cab WT. I assume it is the 4.8 V8. The price is about 21,000.

 

My wife has a 05 Yukon with 5.3 flex fuel, and it is a great motor with plenty of power and no problems so far. Gets around 19 mpg in mixed driving, mostly around 45 to 50 mph on semi-rural roads - no stop and go.

 

I am wondering if the 4.8 with automatic will get as good mileage ? I will drive more on highway than my wife. I would hope for around 18 to 20 on the highway at 70 to 75 mph. I drive with a light foot and get around 24 mpg with my '99 Ranger 4x4 on the highway.

 

Also is the 4.8 going to last, my ranger has about 170,000 on the 3.0 motor and could go much longer. I change oil at 3000 mile intervals. Transmission and Differential at about 15,000 and differential at 50,000 to 75,000. With this kind of maintenance will the new silverado WT be likely to make it to 175 or 200 thousand miles.

 

Does the 4.8 have adequate power, probably will not do any towing. Does this motor respond well to tunes, exhaust mods etc. Not looking for unrealistic power, but good power and mileage. Are aftermarket exhaust, tunes etc available for this motor ?

 

Would it be better to pay more and get the 5.3 ?

 

Also I do almost all my own maintenance, is the transmission, transfer, differential fluids easily changed. How about the fuel filter ?

 

I know there are some trucks with the fuel filter in the tank, and I heard the new mustangs have a sealed automatic transmission that only the dealership can change/add fluid to.

 

Any other thoughts on the Work Truck and the 4.8 motor will be appreciated.

 

Also is the 21,000 a good price ?

[Elwood 2000]

It is a good truck and very easy to maintain. If you are not going to tow or haul much at all, the 4.8 will be just fine. Most here have the 5.3, but given the truck you are looking at, and for what you described you want to do with it, the 4.8 will be great. You should get good milage too, mostly depending on what gear ratio the truck has.

 

As for computer upgrades, not sure about the 4.8, but a Westers Tune woke my 5.3 up a lot and I am extremely pleased with it. There are also tons of exhaust and air intake options available as well.

 

Not sure about the price, but if you are satisfied with the rig and the price, buy it. It should be a good truck and last a long time.

[drumset5994]

Any truck i ever bought always had the Work Truck package...and i like it like that. I can customize what i want (not that i really do) I'm more of a "keep it simply stock" ...and i add subtle add-ons...better speakers, extra chrome to give it the "LS" look, power locks (just simply locks...i hate alarms). Its great, and i love it.

 

I'd rather have manual windows...they never break down. I also love the rubber floor...wipe it down with a sponge and good as new.

 

Cant say much about the 4.8...never owned one...but a buddy at work bought the same truck as me with that small V8 and he loved it. More torque, for little or no change in fuel economy compared to my Big 6.

 

I've gone from a 305 to a 2.2L to a 4.3L V6...i like to vary.

 

My opinion? Go for it.

[SoCalChris]

That seems like a reasonable price for an extended cab 4x4.

 

I've got a work truck, and love it. It's realatively easy to add the things that you want, without having to pay for a lot of things that you don't want or don't care about.

 

I'd rather have manual windows...they never break down.  I also love the rubber floor...wipe it down with a sponge and good as new.

 

I totally agree with both of these points. In the winter, the power windows on our Safari freeze shut, and the motor just isn't powerful enough to get them open. Last winter, there was almost three months where we couldn't get the window open at all. That isn't an issue with the manual windows. The rubber floor is also very nice. It's far easier to keep clean, especially in the winter & spring when there is a ton of mud & snow getting drug into the truck.

[bdeboer]

One thing you may want to look for is the upgraded bench seat with the fold down arm-rest.

[I-H8-4Ds]

I went from a 4.3 V6 a few years ago to an 05 with a 4.8 V8. The little V8 feels about the same off the line as the 6, but really takes off like crazy once the RPMs wind up over 2500. In other words, you get a lot of power out of it, but only if you rev it pretty high. That said, it seems more suitable for a Camaro than a truck engine, since torque is what you need when you tow. The 4.8 does not by any means have a flat torque curve- it peaks out up around 4500 RPMs, up where the horsepower peaks at. I do tow 3500 lbs. with it occasionally and it does a good job, provided I stay out of overdrive. It has a 3.23 axle, by the way, which may sound bad to some people, but when not in overdrive, the engine is close to an RPM where it pulls well. When I'm not towing (95% of the time), I get 20 - 21 mpg with OD on.

 

I doubt you would notice much, if any difference in mpg with the 5.3, but you will definately have more low end power.

[cyoung1253]

Got one right here, '05 WT with 5.3 ,Z85 suspension,heavy duty trailering equipment, G80 locker. Comfortable cloth seats, tilt wheel,AC, auto-on headlights, plenty of power and pretty good gas mileage (best has been 19.7mpg with 87 octane) Much nicer than the work truck my father owned, remember when they came with vinyl seats, no radio, and a gutless 305 breathing through a 2 bbl rochester mated up to a clunky 3-speed on the column.

I acually prefer the rubber floor over carpet much easier to clean up mud, dirt and spilled coffee. The manual windows and locks is no big deal either. Only thing I really dislike is the crappy AM/FM radio and plan on replacing it with a double DIN Kenwood CD player and speakers.

[bdeboer]

One thing you may want to look for is the upgraded bench seat with the fold down arm-rest.

 

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As stated above you may also want to look for the upgrade with CD player also, my WT has both the CD and upgraded seat.

[lowrider]

Yep, My Sierra W/T has the upgraded seat, and I bought the Delco CD Radio on "E" Bay, installed it myself, and had a dealer program it, then came Pioneer Speakers. I don't know why you guys don't like carpets I luv 'em. I had my dealer install them before I took it off the lot. I have aftermarket remote keyless entry and electric door locks. I also bought a set of OEM Sierra 17" alloys off "E" Bay. Put them on the second day I had the truck. Like has been said, you can make it your own for a lot less than an SL model.

 

Lou

[SoCalChris]

I don't know why you guys don't like carpets   I luv 'em.

 

The carpet is nice, but if you live anywhere with a lot of dirt/mud/snow, you quickly begin to appreciate the vinyl floors. When I first got my truck I had planned on putting carpet in, now I wouldn't want anything else in there.