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standard V-6's for Chevy and Ford

yurian44yurian44 Member Posts: 25
edited April 2014 in Chevrolet
I'm looking to buy a new 1/2 ton. I test drove the 2001 Chevy with the standard V-6 and while i wasn't stunned, it seemed to have decent power. I will use the truck for work and carry about 400 -600 lbs of weight , along with a 200 lb. shell of one type or another. I have no expectations of towing anything. There are some decent sized hills here in Colorado and i was wondering if the V-6's offered by Ford and Chevy 200HP and 205HP respectively when using the 5 speed manual would be adequate for my needs.

Comments

  • yurian44yurian44 Member Posts: 25
    With the standard V-6 engines in the Chevy and Ford I'll save $1,050 on the Chevy and $900 on the Ford. They both have incentives for keeping the V-6 with the manual. I really prefer the manual trannies and would like to keep them. The Chevy small V-8 is rated at 270 HP, an increase of 65 HP over their V-6. The Ford small V-8 is rated at 240 HP, an increase of 40 HP over their V-6. It may not seem like much in these days of $50,000 trucks, but $1,000 saving looks good to me. The out the door price on the V-6 equipped trucks with the 2 options i picked is under $17,500. (air conditioner and limited slip or locking differential) I can live without the rest of the options. So many Chevy and Ford trucks are sold with the standard V-6 engines i was hoping that people with experience with them could relate their thoughts about their power and if i should spend the extra $ to get the small V-8s.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    I think you would have better feedback by posting this question at this link:

    tucsonjwt "Base Model Pickups - buying, owning, accessorizing" May 4, 2001 4:38pm

    there are several regulars at the above topic who drive full sized v6 trucks and would be more than willing to share their experiences with you.
  • chevytruck_fanchevytruck_fan Member Posts: 432
    I have a totally gutless 120 hp 81 I6, with 200 or so (have to look it up again) torque at 1600 rpm

    the passes around here I go about 62, and on the flat spots 65-70 (can go faster but don't want to push the ol beast to hard), I have towed with it, overloaded payload wise and it just goes slower but doesn't have a problem, she just keeps on trucking.

    and the new V6's have almost twice my hp, I wouldnt worry about it, don't foger 50 years ago 120 hp was a lot in a truck!
  • tucsonjwttucsonjwt Member Posts: 265
    With regard to your specific use, I would recommend that you rent a V6 and load it up with the weight you normally plan to carry (800#?). My guess is that the gas mileage advantage of a V6 will be mostly lost if you are constantly hauling 800#, and the responsiveness of the truck will also be adversely affected. This is not to say that the V6 can't handle the load, just that it will be more noticeable in a V6. My guess is that the 4.8 V6 in the Silverado would be a good choice, but don't take anybody's word for this - drive both V6 and V8 with the intended load.
    Good luck.
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