Suburban 2500…6.0 vs 8.1 vs Excursion V10
I have been really considering buying a Suburban 2500 from the early to mid 2000's. We are an SUV family and I think we will be well served by our future TT with a Suburban 2500. My wife and I ri...
Forum Discussion
dodge guy wrote:
We have 2 8.1`s that come by work, one is a 3500 Silverado and the other is an Avalanche. both are dogs, and neither of them can get out their own way, much less towing something!
You have to remember the 8.1 is drive-by-wire, it has no throttle cable, the accelerator pedal is just another input for the PCM. This is to keep you from smoking the rear tires every time you tap the gas.
You are right, the 8.1 doesn't "feel" fast. When the truck is empty, it feels like it should have more power when you step on the gas for as big as the motor is. Funny thing though, when I hook up my 8500 lb TT, it "feels" the same as when it's empty. So the same throttle position can produce different power delivery depending on the work that needs to get done to keep the feel of the truck the same, loaded or unloaded.
Jeremiah, good luck on your shopping trip today. IMO I would stay away from the 5.4 if you are planning to tow with the X, there's just not enough power there for that heavy truck. If the diesel is a 7.3 and in good shape it may be worth stretching the budget if that's possible....those vehicles are rare as hen's teeth at this point.
