Chevrolet 6.0 compared to 5.3
I'm currently driving a Chevy 1/2 ton with the 5.3 engine. It's the second one that I've owned and I think that's it's a really good engine. I'm wanting to upgrade to a 3/4 ton and the more I think ab...
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I have owned three 5.3L Silverado Ext. Cab trucks with 2 wheel drive. The last had the 6-speed transmission, limited slip differential and 3.42 gear ratio. This spring I traded for a 2012 2500HD with 4-wheel drive, 6.0L, 6-speed 3.73 ratio, Silverado Crew Cab. The unloaded mileage on the 5.3s was always between 20 and 22 mpg. The 6.0 L averages 16 mpg unloaded. When towing my 8000# (loaded) Starcraft travel trailer from W. New York to SD and back in June, I got the same mileage as the 5.3s did several years before towing the same trailer. The hard part is the extra 10 gallons in tank size. If I ran the tank down to the 1/4 full mark or below, it usually required 2 swipes of the card to refill the tank. However this also meant at least one less gas stop per day. Love the 2500 ride when towing. Much more comfortable than the 1500 it replaced.
