its a stretch calling it the most reliable. I know a girl who just dropped a cylinder on her 10' chevy 5.3 with 80k miles.


they claim its the most dependable, longest lasting truck on the road, but the ford is the best seller and has been for 25 or so years. if they were not as dependable, why would people keep buying them?

there are 3 times as many ford trucks on the road than there are chevy's

Those numbers are so twisted it really doesn't mea carp.

You don't like the base motor gm has? its not enough power? You want to compare it to a Toyota with the 5.7 or a dodge with the hemi? Then comparably equip it with the option motor aka 6.2L and compare them.

If you want to compare the 5.3 to dodge Toyota and ford you need to compare the 5.3 to the ram 4.7 yota 4.6, and ford 5.0. Many will say there are not many 6.2's on the road... well whose fault is that? If there was a demand for them GM would make more, walk into your local dealer and they will find one or order one for you.

I had a 5.3 chevy with 3.42's and 6-speed trans. I actually drove it a couple weeks in 5th gear back and forth to work because I wondered if it was lugging too much in 6th gear. Running in 5th locked out the AFM cylinder deactivation function and pretty much equated it to what the final drive ration would be in 6th gear with a 4.1 rear end instead of a 3.42. The difference in fuel mileage was negligible. Less than 1 mpg difference, I still got over 18 commuting to work driving 65 mph.

Of course it still didn't have close to 400 hp or lb ft or torque either, but they plain and simple do just get better fuel mileage than some of their counterparts. It takes fuel and a bit of it to feed 400 ponies. For a practical person who drives their truck to work every day drags a 3k lb boat every other weekend and a 5-6k tt 5 or less times a year and never through the mountains a 5.3 is more than you need. If your buying strictly for towing its not what I would buy.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you VERY limited on what trucks you can get the 6.2L in on the Chevy? I was thinking I remembered reading something about them not being able to use the 6.2L in a shootout because the trim level required to get the 6.2 went over the $50K MSRP price cap on the contest???

Got to a dealer and talk to them you can get one well under 50k. I have ordered most of my vehicles how I wanted them with the options I wanted and took off the ones I didn't. Havent owned too many trucks that had carpet floors either all ruber mats. There is more out there than just what is on the showroom floor.

Just did a build & price for a 2014 crew cab 4x4 LTZ with the 6.2 and tow package MSRP was 48k and change. If you cant buy it for way less than that you did something wrong.

Young man, Chevy has had the most powerfull engine all of those years. It's called the 6.2. I know several people with them and they are a beast. As for most trucks, if you look it up, GMC and Chevy combined have always out sold ford. I get it you hate Chevy, but just like you I paid my hard earned money and bought what I l liked best so there is no need to go bashing everyone else's decision that is not the same as yours.

Any idea how much you can actually get a truck like that for? An F150 that stickers for $44K can be had for just shy of $32K. Any idea what fuel mileage is like on the 6.2? I know several people that had the 6.0 and they struggled to get into the teens with predominantly highway driving. Maybe the 6.2 is better???

Not sure. My last GM I bought in 2011 stickered for 37k I paid a little less than 29k out the door. If you don't get at least 7-8k off the sticker price your doing something wrong in my book. Nobody pays sticker price.... correction, nobody with more sense than money pays sticker price.

Not much info on the fuel mileage end of it. Most people I talk to say mid teens 14-16. Very dependent on driving habits, but I wouldn't expect it to be great. However with the 3.42 gears and AFM I would expect it to beat the yota 5.7 and ford 6.2 in economy. That's all hear say on my end I don't have one.

I had the 6.0 and the 6.2 in different company trucks.I felt the 6.0 was a way better performing motor than the 6.2 not sure if it was because of the gearing or what.Both were one ton.The 6.2 did eventually get better gas mileage after I got some miles on it.The around town driving mpg was 12 to 14 mpg.The 6.2 when I did get it on the hwy would hunt gears trying to run 65-70 mph.

I don't believe GM put the 6.2 in 3/4 or 1 ton pickups, think it was just the hot rod vet and truck motor?

For sure they werent the 5.3 ...may have been newer version of 6.0....the 2012 just didnt have what the earlier model had.

Probably due to gearing and the torque management system. The newer models, the 12 would fall under that time period typically came with 3.73's instead of 4.10's and then again the torque management system.

Most complain about the torque management system, but it never bothered me, Im not racing anyone and all it does is protect and prolong the life of your transmission.

That statement is wrong in so many ways. GM had the 8.1L V8 big block gas engine until 2007 (07 classic model). That was the largest gas motor offered it terms of displacement period. Also, the 1/2 tons had the 6.0 VortecMAX and 6.2L V8. I not saying Chevy was the best; however, they are an extremely capable truck. I'm sorry, but your logic is flawed.

Old man, ford has a 6.2 liter gas engine available in its 1/2 tons too.


What year the 6.2 liter from ford is more powerful than the 6.2 liter vortec. the vortec has 403 hp and 417 ft lbs.

the ford 6.2 liter has 411 hp and 434 ft. lbs of torque

I'm not knocking chevy. I believe they produce, and have produced, the best gasoline engine out of the big 3. the 6.0 vortec is fantastic, I would want a 3/4 ton chevy with the 6.0 before I would a gas engine ford or dodge.


I look at vehicles without bias. I believe that Dodge has the best diesel available and has since ford chit canned the 7.3. I believe that chevy trucks are more comfortable and the new GMC's are probably the fanciest. chevy's have always had really nice interiors, some would say the best and I could not argue with that. the also get the best fuel mileage

Ford typically offer more rugged suspensions, outfit their trucks for heavier duty use in their half ton platforms and have pretty good interiors in their upper end lines.

Toyota are beasts of trucks but you pay for it at the pump, at the dealership and I think the interiors suck. but,they are dead reliable and have the best resale