2008 4speed Or 2009 6speed?

beeser · August 6, 2008

I just decided to replace my Toyota Tacoma with a GMC Sierra 1500. The Tacoma has been a good vehicle but it isn't quite up to the task of towing a recently purchased travel trailer. The only thing holding me back at the moment is whether to go with the present 4 speed automatic transmission or wait until the 6 speed is available in 2009. Technically it seems an easy question but the discounts now offered on the 2008s are hard to ignore. I'm set on the extended cab with the 5.3 V8. Anyone have any thoughts that might tip the scales one way or the other?

99silverado1500 · August 6, 2008

If you tow often, go with the 4. If you cruise a LOT more then you tow the 6 speed will be great. The 6 will downshift a LOT with towing, but the 4 will hold pretty much its own.

shocktrp · August 6, 2008

Go with the 4-speed. The 6-speed has alot of unnecessary shifting.

cc1999 · August 6, 2008

I thought the six speeds would help with towing, by keeping the motor in the sweet spot for torque better than the 4 speeds.

Anyway, I am faced with the same thing, however the used market is saturated at the momoent and the used values having dropped 25-30 percent in the past couple months, I am waiting till early next year to see if the used values rebound any, they can't get much worse than they are now. Most experts say its bottomed out now, that by January they expect it to start working its way back up. Plus I want a 6.2 with the 6 speed, and maybe by then it will have found its way into a long bed option.

beeser · August 6, 2008

If you tow often, go with the 4. If you cruise a LOT more then you tow the 6 speed will be great. The 6 will downshift a LOT with towing, but the 4 will hold pretty much its own.

...The 6 will downshift a LOT with towing...

Even with the "tow haul" mode option?

The current rebate is significant. It's hard not to include in the equation. We only travel with the trailer occasionally. The remaining times the truck would be used for around the town type errands, half of which is on interstates.

99silverado1500 · August 6, 2008

The tow haul just changes shift points, it doesnt make it any more powerful. The only contradiction I can even think to my statement, would be that the torque of the 6.2 and HP will allow it to pull with minimal downshifting and utilize all of its sweet spots.

Won_Hunglo · August 6, 2008

Just wait a few months. The 09's will have the same rebates as the 08's today. GM will not let the lots fill up & the plant shutdowns do not have an impact until mid next year.

D&SYukonDenali · August 6, 2008

I like the 6-speed in the YD. I have not notices any busy shifting in the little towing I have done with it so far; though I do have the 6.2

beeser · August 6, 2008

Just wait a few months. The 09's will have the same rebates as the 08's today. GM will not let the lots fill up & the plant shutdowns do not have an impact until mid next year.

...GM will not let the lots fill up & the plant shutdowns do not have an impact until mid next year....

I don't understand. Are you anticipating demand to remain weak for a longer period while the plants maintain production?

zxcv · August 6, 2008

Right now is a buyer's market for trucks. I'd personally buy my truck again in a heartbeat - Ext. Cab 4x4 3.73 gears with the 4 speed and 5.3L. I dont feel the need for 6 gears in my truck - and somewhere it was posted that you can only get 3.42 gears with the 6 speed.

But that is just my .02

Bowtie2Sierra · August 6, 2008

I have no complaints with the 4 speed either. The 4 speed has been around for quite a while with a track record of good reliability. However, I might have chosen to wait a few months for the 6 speed and bluetooth connectivity that comes with the '09's. The bluetooth is the most appealing new feature of the '09 trucks for me...I feel like that should have come standard back in '07 instead of waiting 2 years.

Won_Hunglo · August 6, 2008

Just wait a few months. The 09's will have the same rebates as the 08's today. GM will not let the lots fill up & the plant shutdowns do not have an impact until mid next year.

...GM will not let the lots fill up & the plant shutdowns do not have an impact until mid next year....

I don't understand. Are you anticipating demand to remain weak for a longer period while the plants maintain production?

There are no indicators that demand will return anytime soon & the plant shut downs do not begin until next year. The AXL strike is over & inventories are climbing again. American consumers will feel the gas price sting for a long time, even if prices come down in the near future. There is just no demand for gas guzzlers. Hell yea GMT-900 demand will remain weak.

huero626 · August 6, 2008

I have no complaints with the 4 speed either. The 4 speed has been around for quite a while with a track record of good reliability. However, I might have chosen to wait a few months for the 6 speed and bluetooth connectivity that comes with the '09's. The bluetooth is the most appealing new feature of the '09 trucks for me...I feel like that should have come standard back in '07 instead of waiting 2 years.

The 4 speed auto has been around for a while, it is pretty reliable because it comes with TM, because most of these transmission are really weak and can't even handle stock hp & torque. I think GM should make these transmission way stronger, I think this is GM weak point in the truck & SUV market. I can't really complain about the 4L60E though which came in 2003 Suburban and it was strong even when I traded it in and it had 130,000 miles but I did never mod the transmission. I think when GM came out with the GMT-900 truck and SUV the 6 speed auto should have came standard and bluetooth also I don't think GM makes up good with the calling feature on the Onstar system because Onstar has to be activated to use the calling feature. I really don't know about the 6 speed though, I drove the Sierra Denaili when it first came out and it shifted and downshifted more than my four speed automatic. I think GM would have sold more GMT-900 trucks and SUV's if they would have came standard with the 6 speed auto and bluetooth.

coyotefreek · August 6, 2008

I have no complaints with the 4 speed either. The 4 speed has been around for quite a while with a track record of good reliability. However, I might have chosen to wait a few months for the 6 speed and bluetooth connectivity that comes with the '09's. The bluetooth is the most appealing new feature of the '09 trucks for me...I feel like that should have come standard back in '07 instead of waiting 2 years.

The 4 speed auto has been around for a while, it is pretty reliable because it comes with TM, because most of these transmission are really weak and can't even handle stock hp & torque. I think GM should make these transmission way stronger, I think this is GM weak point in the truck & SUV market. I can't really complain about the 4L60E though which came in 2003 Suburban and it was strong even when I traded it in and it had 130,000 miles but I did never mod the transmission. I think when GM came out with the GMT-900 truck and SUV the 6 speed auto should have came standard and bluetooth also I don't think GM makes up good with the calling feature on the Onstar system because Onstar has to be activated to use the calling feature. I really don't know about the 6 speed though, I drove the Sierra Denaili when it first came out and it shifted and downshifted more than my four speed automatic. I think GM would have sold more GMT-900 trucks and SUV's if they would have came standard with the 6 speed auto and bluetooth.

GM wanted to come out with the 6 speed when the GMT900 first came out, problem was that at the time they didn't have the production capacity to offer it for all the GMT900 vehicles. Plus if I recall correctly the GMT900 release was actually pulled ahead by 6 months so they really weren't prepared at the time.

The 6 speed transmission was my biggest concern when I bought my truck. Now that I've been driving the 4 speed for a couple thousand miles I have no regrets. There will be some fuel economy benefits with the 6 but I haven't had any issues with the transmission being in a bad gear or struggling as I have in other 4 speed cars. Now I do drive my truck like a truck not a sports car (I have the sports car for that so I'm sure your driving habits will vary your decision on if its worth waiting.

The general consensus has been that the rebates will continue pretty similarly once the 09s have been out for a bit but the dealers have been really desperate to move 08's. Even to the point where their giving their own incentives above and beyond GM's, so you probably could still get a better deal if you tried now. Just my advice but its probably worth what you paid for it

ChrisNJ · August 6, 2008

It depends on how much, how often, and where you tow. If your towing a small boat, on interstates in the heartland, I don't think it will matter what you pick. For me personally, I tow 8K, 10-15 times a year, crossing the appalations back and forth the hard way, and it's a daily driver the rest. So the 6.2/6sp works for me, but I would buy bigger if I could.