2021 gmc
- Thread starter muscles
- Start date
Stay away from the 5.3! Go to the 6.2, well worth the extra cost! As good, or even better mpg's with the 6.2.
indy_500
Well-known member
You may want to elaborate on why to stay away as a guy who had no issues with his previous 5.3 is ready to drop $50k on a new one... while I have heard/seen issues with 5.3s, mostly related to AFM, it is a VERY popular engine that GM has been putting in SO many vehicles for 15+ years with the 14-newer version being a huge improvement over the previous generation, especially in the towing department. I am a Ford guy and will continue to own Fords for awhile, at least at this point, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a 5.3 unless he’s trying to tow something it can’t handle... To get a truck with the 6.2 you usually have to buy an LTZ/SLT model and that in combination with the added cost of the 6.2 is going to cost $10k+ extra over a regular LT model Silverado... (if not more)
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muscles, what are you using the vehicle for? Towing and if so what kind of load/#? Casual driving to and from on the highway or in town? Do you load up the box daily with 1000# plus? I'm not a Chevy guy, just attempting to get you the best info. Good Luck.<br>
I just got done pulling three sleds in a tall 7x23 trailer and the 5.3 was enough motor. That said I fn hate the way it shifts day to day driving. The last 3 chevs have got the range afm delete that goes in the obd port. That's a necessity if you ask me. Afm sucks. 11 Chev 15 Chev and now 17 Chev Silverado. Get rid of agm and just stomp the gas pedal day to day. Or find something else to buy. I haven't drove any of the other brands but keep saying this is my last Chev
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snobuilder
Well-known member
I was a doubter of the eco boost til I bought my 2016 SC long box. The 3.5 pulls way better than my 6.0 GM did .....apples to apples 3 sleds in the same inline trailer.
But like they say, you can have eco or boost...not both.
I bought the 3.5 EcoBoost because I didn't want to run around in a HD series pickup everyday. Spec it out as a SC, 6' box, 3.55 gear, HD towing pkg, right at 13K towing. I don't haul, or tow everyday, but occasionally tow 14K with absolutely no effort. I ordered with LT tires for that purpose towing. No regrets, no problems. Will do the same with the next one. My wife loves it, so we're GOOD!
What did they do to them in 14? Do they still have the AFM issues since then? I'm looking to get a truck/suv towards the end of this year so I'm curious what improvemnts they put on them.
We have a honda (family vehicle) that we disabled the cylinder deactivation on - too many issues. I'm heard GM had issues with that too.
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Ecoboost - how are these holding up to high mileage, or is better to part with them before then? Like the idea of it.
There doesn't seem to be an issue. Kids ran theirs over 200K. That seemed to be the early thought, but it doesn't appear to be the fact. One local dealer had those thoughts early, but soon found it not be the case.
indy_500
Well-known member
The 14 newers are direct injected. They don’t feel the need to scream for full power anymore when towing and aren’t as sensitive when towing as the 99-13 5.3s are. They definitely have more power and torque as well along with a slight improvement in fuel mileage. The afm issues I’ve seen and heard of are usually sporadic, and in my opinion don’t make the 5.3 any less reliable than any of the other brands engines. The best thing you can do is like you and slim mentioned, delete it. You could sit and read about 5.3 issues until your head explodes but gotta remember they’ve been around since 1999. The ecoboost has its fair share of problems as well. Just gotta pick your poison. Honestly the newer rams are pretty nice as well. For me, it would be all about the quality of service and how close it is to you. My 15 f150 3.5 eb needed front wheel bearings at 50k and turbo cooler line fittings at 70k. The cooler line fittings are a $1500 repair job, just glad I was able to sneak in there and do them myself. As far as the longevity of the ecoboost, most common issue is the timing chains going out. Personally I wouldn’t own one past 150k. If it goes your motor is done. 2nd common thing I see often is turbos going out. I think some people tend to think they own a 3/4 ton diesel just because their ecoboost is turboed though...
snobuilder
Well-known member
<br><br>just rolled 170,000. I clearly remember the Naysayers claiming get rid at 80,000 to 100,000 miles when first released.<br>unlike diesels most gassers can give 200,000+ trouble free miles without dumping another $10,000 in them.<br><br><br>
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srt20
Active member
What are you towing with a F150 thats 14k lbs?
I am curious on the profile of the trailer etc. I have a f150 that tows 6k enclosed trailer like crap. Not the engine, the chassis. I am not using WD hitch though.
It is also my first half ton truck in 15 years, so maybe I was expecting too much.
srt20
Active member
BTW IMO do a little snooping around about what trucks you are willing to buy. See if anything jumps out at you as something that you could not deal with if it happened to your truck.
Otherwise you can find bad and good stuff on the internet about every vehicle ever made. Take it all with a grain, and remember just how many trucks each manufacturer makes every year. The amount that people complain about online is really small.
Go test drive all you are willing to buy and make up your mind from there. I drove all I was interested in, and ended up buying what I liked the best.
They all make alot of good trucks, and they all make a few bad trucks.
BTW just my opinion, but the 6.2L GM gas engine is probably the funniest engine in a pickup, at least in 2018 it was. But I still didn't buy a GM because I didn't like anything else about the trucks.
Otherwise you can find bad and good stuff on the internet about every vehicle ever made. Take it all with a grain, and remember just how many trucks each manufacturer makes every year. The amount that people complain about online is really small.
Go test drive all you are willing to buy and make up your mind from there. I drove all I was interested in, and ended up buying what I liked the best.
They all make alot of good trucks, and they all make a few bad trucks.
BTW just my opinion, but the 6.2L GM gas engine is probably the funniest engine in a pickup, at least in 2018 it was. But I still didn't buy a GM because I didn't like anything else about the trucks.
