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  • TK5o

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    Mods feel free to move this if necessary

    I currently have a 2002 chevy 2500hd ext cab 4x4 that I’ve had since 2005. Its been paid off years ago and is very reliable even with over 220k miles. Its rated to tow 10,000 lbs as configured. Great truck only problem is mpg sucks. I get 11-12 in town and maybe 15ish unloaded. Towing it drops 8-10 depending on what and where.
    The newer chevy 1500’s about 2015 and newer are rated to tow the same and also claim much better mileage when unloaded.
    Question is: Although rated to tow the same weight will the old 2500hd tow the load easier, better, and safer than a newer 1500 series?

    I know this isn’t a truck forum, but figured I’d give it a shot. I don’t tow heavy or many miles at all, but when I bought the truck the price was good and a equivilent year 1500 model truck got roughly the same mileage. Maybe only 1-2 mpg better. Just curious if all the new tech with electronics and sensors is worth it
     

    MrFish

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    My experience with the 6.2 gas burner was it dropped to about 8-9 mpg when you pushed the tow/haul button. This wasn't this new EcoTec3 variant, but the prior model. Maybe they changed things, but doubt it. It also had electrical gremlins. Personally, I like the older, less techy trucks.
     

    Viking1204

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    Go drive one of the new Ecoboost F-150's, drive the one with the 3.5L engine, they'll easily out tow/perform that old truck. Those twin turbo engines are beast. My 2011 pulled a U-Haul trailer with my son's Ford Ranger on it back from Troy 2 weeks ago and I averaged 9.5 mpg and I could hardly feel it back there. My truck has 103,000 miles on it. The new one's have an even better version of the Ecoboost Engine I have. Once my oldest graduates college and I pay off a consolidation loan I'll be getting the new one! GM is closing plants in Ohio and laying off 14,000 employees while they ramp up production in Mexico btw!
     

    M60Gunner

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    Hey TK. My 1500 Silverado is one of the 4.8 engine models and I never get more than 14, more like 12 on a normal basis. My buddy has the 5.7 and he gets better gas mileage. Half of what you see, none of what you hear lol
     

    TK5o

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    I should clarify that my 2002 has the 6.0 vortec, 4 speed tranny, and 4.10 rear end, while the new 1500’s have the 5.3 vortec, 6 or 8 speed tranny, and likey a 3.42 rear end. And from what i’ve read the new ones get about 18ish mpg around town and 25 or so unloaded on the highway. The new ones come with a huge payment. Lol. Thinking of just keeping mine and dealing with the bad mpg. Heck I could rebuild the whole driverrain for less than half the cost of a new truck. And I’m not a bells and whistles guy. I have no need for onstar, wifi, or the like in my truck. Just more to break imho
     

    Jester896

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    I'm not sure I would want anything that GM is currently making. My daughter has had 3 in recent years. The first new Yukon with all of it's problems she unloaded and picked up a new Sequoia. Decided to trade it a 200K and picked up a slightly used Denali...GM bought it back from her. Part of the deal was she got the next year newer one and if it wasn't on her other one she had to pay for it...otherwise a clean swap. The newer one seems worse than the last one with all of the electrical problems. I'm not even sure they aren't made in China.

    My '02 F250 7.2 with 384K gets 11.8 around town towing a 14' cargo trailer. 19-21 on the highway with nothing in tow. I want a new truck...just don't need another house payment. I priced one comparable to what I have and just don't see $85K or +
     

    donr101395

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    I have a 17 Sierra Elevation with 5.3 and couldn't be happier with it. Consistently gets 22mph city or highway, rides great, has most of the bells and whistles. Bought it in April 2017 and getting ready to hit 50,000 miles. It was also $15k less than a comparable F150. For 35 years I owned nothing but Ford products but doubt I'll go back to them. They finally managed to price.me out of them and their styling is becoming more hideous every year.

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    305RSlc

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    I should clarify that my 2002 has the 6.0 vortec, 4 speed tranny, and 4.10 rear end, while the new 1500’s have the 5.3 vortec, 6 or 8 speed tranny, and likey a 3.42 rear end. And from what i’ve read the new ones get about 18ish mpg around town and 25 or so unloaded on the highway. The new ones come with a huge payment. Lol. Thinking of just keeping mine and dealing with the bad mpg. Heck I could rebuild the whole driverrain for less than half the cost of a new truck. And I’m not a bells and whistles guy. I have no need for onstar, wifi, or the like in my truck. Just more to break imho

    Sounds like you answered your own question here.

    With 13-16 years of advancement in the LS engine platform, you are undoubtedly going to get better flowing heads, more sophisticated cam timing and electronics, and even the displacement on demand when you're highway driving. This will equate to better mpgs while towing in the newer trucks.

    Your initial question was about easier and safer. With technology, the answer is going to be yes to those questions simply due to the tech the newer trucks have. Anti-trailer sway, more robust engineering in the frame, suspension, and drivetrain along with other related systems will make the towing easier and safer. If you aren't interested in paying for the advancement in technology, you could make your truck more powerful to tow easier, but I doubt it'll get to the "safer" aspect.

    The 6.0 is a great platform, especially when coupled with the 4L80e that's almost bulletproof, and you can add a few things to wake it up and get a few mpg's. However, you are about on par with other 6.0 owner (whether LQ9 or LQ4).

    Grab yourself some 243 heads, a bigger cam (your choice on specs depending on use), headers, cat back, intake and tuning and you'll wake that bad boy up quite a bit. Expect 2-3 mpg improvement, if that. From my experience, the only real way to improve your mpg is the driver mod, or buy a prius.

    FYI - I'm a 5.3L guy with only 14mpg city with no towing. Just a little perspective.
     

    stage20

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    keep what you have. its paid for and its going to be cheaper on maintenance. i owned an 05 and put over 300K on it. bought it brand new. brake pads, abs sensor, alternator and 2 water pumps is all i ever did. it was a little down on power with the mileage but still did what i needed to do. pulled a trailer everyday of its life. 3000# min weight. usually 6-7k loaded. towed 8990# on the weekends with my race car hauler. pass everything but a gas station. lol. very reliable trucks and you can fix anything on it yourself.

    got 8.8-8.9 hand calculated real mileage. not what these computers say. i upgraded to a cummins and i now get 13-13.5 pulling my trailer. tons of power and the fuel savings makes about half of my payment with how much i drive. over 40k last year
     

    stage20

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    I have a 17 Sierra Elevation with 5.3 and couldn't be happier with it. Consistently gets 22mph city or highway, rides great, has most of the bells and whistles. Bought it in April 2017 and getting ready to hit 50,000 miles. It was also $15k less than a comparable F150. For 35 years I owned nothing but Ford products but doubt I'll go back to them. They finally managed to price.me out of them and their styling is becoming more hideous every year.

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    22 in the city? id say thats about impossible
     

    donr101395

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    22 in the city? id say thats about impossible
    I'd say you're wrong. I just spent 5 days in Tampa and got 21.7 on one tank and 22.1 on the second tank before I came home. The truck doesn't seem to care unless I keep my foot in it hard then it drops to 18 and change. Drive it sane and it hums along. Active fuel management keeps it in 4 cylinder mode a fair amount of time when 8 aren't needed.

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    Realtor

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    I have a 2016 Silverado with the 5.3 I pull a 25 Ft.CC boat (heavy Grady White) When I have that haul button pushed I get about 10 MPG, any other time I average 19-20 MPG. Great truck (2WD) I had a F150 before this one,I dont miss the ford at all..... The Chevy pulls the boat much, much better than the ford did. It was a 2004 with the 5.4 engine.
     

    Zeroed in

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    Not sure about towing, but if you're more concerned with the mileage, change your running gears out to the 3.73. or maybe 3.83. I have a silverado 6.0 4x4 with 3.73 gears and get 18 and nearly 20 on interstate, mostly 14.8 in town.
    Also have a 4x4 s-10 running .411 gears getting 25 on interstate at 70mph. Had the 5th gear changed to a high hiway gear and it cadillacs in 5th. All other gears whine, looking for a higher gear, but when I hit 5th, it's like the rpms drop 1/2 and never whines for another gear.
    g/l
     

    M60Gunner

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    Yeah the newer trucks (2015+) get such good mileage I didn't believe it either until my buddy got his. Really amazing.
     

    donr101395

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    This is about 110 miles into this tank of gas. I just put a K&n air filter in a couple of days ago. Yeah that says 24 miles to a gallon.
    2ee682021cc6d79b44ec2defbdf31fb0.jpg


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    TK5o

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    Not sure about towing, but if you're more concerned with the mileage, change your running gears out to the 3.73. or maybe 3.83. I have a silverado 6.0 4x4 with 3.73 gears and get 18 and nearly 20 on interstate, mostly 14.8 in town.
    Also have a 4x4 s-10 running .411 gears getting 25 on interstate at 70mph. Had the 5th gear changed to a high hiway gear and it cadillacs in 5th. All other gears whine, looking for a higher gear, but when I hit 5th, it's like the rpms drop 1/2 and never whines for another gear.
    g/l

    What year is your silverado? Is it regular cab? Thats really good mileage for our motor. Stock tires? 4 or 6 speed?
     

    Idoono

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    If you don't tow a lot keep the 2500 so that when you do you have enough truck to safely tow any load. Yeah some of the 1500's say they can tow as much but what they don't tell you is that it stresses the hell out of the drivetrain. Not to mention the financial freedom from no truck payment and lower maintenance costs.

    Idoono

    JMHPYMMV
     
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