Chevy's new 6.0 Liter V8

[dannanchieftain]

I am in the market for a new truck. I need a heavy duty truck for towing and hauling. Maybe not brand new but something made within the last 6 years.

I am leaning towards a duramax diesel but am still entertaining the idea of a gas engine. the only engine offered in the last few years on the 3/4t and 1ton models is the 6.0 liter.

I don't know anything about this engine so I was hoping some of you could share your experiences or anything you may have heard about this engine. Is it reliable? Does it perform well under heavy loads? How do they compare to the older big block engines like the 8.1 liter and the 7.4/454 in terms of power?

I am a total GM guy and nothing is gonna change that I am only interested in experiences with the late model GM trucks.

[kawalekm]

Oh please, you've got to get the diesel! I drive a F350 with the 6.0liter diesel and I love it. Towing is great with it. While pulling my boat, I have to keep looking in the rear view to make sure it's there, because there's so much pulling power you can't even notice the load. Your milage will be much lower if you get the gas engine. Guys reporting their milage online give numbers like 8-9MPG, while I typically get 18 around town and 20-21 on the highway. The oil and filter changes are more expensive on the diesel, but you don't have to change sparkplugs.

[disleksic]

I drive a Dodge Cumins but my buddy drives a Duramax if I ever buy another diesel it will be a Duramax and I pull a 25 foot trailer around alot for work and if you will be pulling alot diesel is the only way to go IMO I used to use a gas pickup but it just did not cut it, the milage dos'nt even compare and the power. If you go with a diesel no matter what brand you go with your doin better

[kawalekm]

Hi Disleksic
Out of curiosity, how was the milage with your gasoline truck? What configuration did that truck have, 2X4, 4X4, extended cab/ bed, whatever? My 350 is 4X4 with extended cab and a 6-speed manual.

[disleksic]

my gas truck was a chevy with 350 2 wheel drive and it got about 8 miles to the galon but it was always loaded with stuff too and my cummins gets about 16 miles per gal and more power so I like I like before my cumins I bought an old 82 6.2 liter chevy diesel and it got about 20 miles to gal I loved that little pickup but I needed more power so I got the cumins oh and my chevy gas was a manual

[Catalpa]

My truck is a 1/2 ton, and I only tow a small trailer for loads of firewood, but when looking at GM and longevity, I'd certainly put in a good vote.

My 97 Silverado has the 5.0 liter 8 cylinder gas engine, and I'm getting around 21 mpg. (Extended cab, short box, 2WD.)

And, it just passed 190,000 miles, with my only major expense being new brakes and new brake lines.

[jim]

Are those 6-Spd's manual or automatic?

[panzer426]

Ford (know thats not what your in the market for) has had terrible troubles with their 6.0 and every Ford tech and salesman I have talked to wishes they had stuck with the 7.3L.

I know 3 people who have/had the GMC 6.0. One just traded for a new Ram, the mega cab, and regrets it, but he tows a LOT and also says the seats suck. One traded his F-350 7.3L for the Duramax and while he likes the new truck, he liked the older 7.3 Ford better. The third just traded his Chevy 6.0 for a brand new Ford 6.0 that he got a great deal on...had it 2 months and it's been in the shop for 5 of the 8 weeks in two trips to the shop. He is, today, torn between tears and putting a fist through a wall over the bad trade.

My suggestion would be (based on my own experience and those I know) either a slightly older F-250 or 350...or (based on experience of others only) a GMC 6.0, but I have always liked GMC better than Chevy.

[jim]

Thanks for the info. I had always prefereed the GMC's back when they were sturdier than Chevy's and had bigger engines and trannys.

jim