Talk me out or into buying a GMC 1500...help

I have had GM and FoMoCo vehicles before I bought my Tacoma. All of them were very serviceable, well made vehicles. I bought all of them used and ran them all into the 180-200k miles with no problems. The only problems I had with a Chevy was replacing ball joints every 50-60k on a 1998 Blazer, I still sold it at 185k miles and it was running strong. No others have had that problem. The only reason I bought the Tacoma was I found one that was the right price.

Those GM V8s are great motors and you should expect to get the mpg that you stated in the OP. I would say go for it. You are driving a truck, it is a utilitarian vehicle and you need what will work the best for you.

 

How about the taco for a low mileage 05 or 06 Tundra (1st gen)....this will solve your problems and you may walk away with a few $$

These are great trucks .....not as big as the new Tundras!

 

x2 those 1st gen tundra's are solid.

plus why would you wanna trade in for a truck with antiquated engine, transmission and suspension technology?

 

Because the suspension in the 2nd Gen Tacoma is perfect... Sorry, I like my Tacoma as much as the next guy but there are some things better left out of the comparison.

As far as the other 2, the 5.3L is a decent motor and I haven't heard anything about them having transmisson problems. As mentioned above, with proper maintenance, they're not bad trucks and can last a while.

 

Chevy outright lies about their MPG. That number is not tested by anyone by Chevy, and only a handful of models each year are auditied by the EPA to see if they are within spec of their claims. They don't all have to meet their claims, just a certain % of models audited.

I own a Chevy myself for the wife and while I can get the window sticker MPG on my Taco (and exceed it) with ease, I never got close with the Chevy.

Here's some real world checked with calibrated scan gauges numbers:

2011 Chevy Equinox: Claimed = 22 city / 32 hwy.
Personal Best = ~19 city / 28 hwy

2011 Toyota Tacoma: Claimed 17 city / 21 hwy.
AVERAGE = ~ 17.5 city / 22 hwy
Best = ~19 city / 24.6 hwy

2006 Ford F150 XLT with 5.4L v8: Claimed 14 city / 17 hwy
This weekend = ~13 city / 19 hwy

I threw that last one in to show I know how to drive a full size truck for MPG. That was my father-in-laws, and it's 5 years old and never had the sparkplugs changed. Just regular maint with around 57k miles.

2011 Chevy 1500: Claimed 15 city / 20 hwy
Personal Best: ~12 city / 17 hwy

I've driven quite a few brand new Chevys since my dad works as a manager at a dealership for new Chevy's. They are nice vehicles. I like my Equinox.

But don't do it for MPG you're going to be very disappointed.

 

I love everything about these trucks except for the front end. Would that stop me from getting one? No, ill look today.

 

97 GMC Sierra 2500 v8 4x4 with 170k miles. It did leak oil at rear main, gas mileage sucked, rusted doors were replaced, electrical problems in rain. All problems were well known by anyone that owned one. No joke, I miss that truck but really did not need anything that big.

 

What year did they start that 8 to 4 cyl for fuel economy? Is it an option or do all of their 5.3L's do that? That's too bad to hear and one of the first bad things I've heard about that motor. A few guys I work with have them with no problems. My old man has a newer model V6 and it's not bad either. A little bit of a dog when loaded but it chugs through it.

 

i think only the newer ones came with the cylinder deactivation bs...like 05 06 ish i think?

the 4.3 v6? solid motor. it's a shame though, that motor is way to old to be putting in brand new trucks tho.

 

I'm not sure how big it is, it's 4.??. It sounds nice stock and gets pretty decent mileage but it's a dog if you use it to tow/haul. I do better than him in cities with regards to MPG and he does better on the highway. His is 2wd though so all things considered I'd rather have by 4x4 V6 Tacoma than the V6 Silverado

 

yeah sounds like the 4.3 has a lot of torque doesn't have much horsepower...it's just been around way too long. pushrod action! lol. yeah in a truck that big i doubt you'll be able to get anywhere in a hurry.

it does sound pretty mean tho.

 

My buddy has one of those trucks and he is selling it because it gets a consistent 15mpg no matter how he drives.
If you are truly going to do it, sell your truck on craigslist for 4k more then get yourself a tundra.
Just know in a year or two your chevy will be work 17k while if you keep your taco it will be worth 24ish.

 

The Active Fuel Management system came out in 2007 or 2008 and it does help with the mileage. Additionally, in 2008 they went to 6 speed automatic transmissions in their truck line which also helps. If you keep your foot out of the GM you will see better than sticker mileage. Furthermore, if you're willing to throw a little money into exhaust and intake they make a HUGE difference on a GM vehicle as well.

 

I had an 07 Impala SS with the cylinder deactivation. While I was able to get 26-30 highway with it, a lot of people had it tuned out and didn't see any drop in MPG.

 

Double check your wheels before you decide, they might be the same size and bolt pattern, but they might not fit. I was purchasing used rims from GM to put my winter tires on, they were the same size and bolt pattern. When the GM dealer went to put them on my tacoma the rims would not fit, I think it was the center of the rim that did not fit, something about the size of the hole. Not sure what it was, all that I know is that they did not fit.

 

Ended up getting the GMC. Let me tell you I liked my Tacoma, but there is truly no comparison between the two. The GMC rides like a dream, its smooth, powerful and very refined. The interior is much more comfortable and luxurious too. I took a trip to and from CT last weekend with it and averaged 22 mpg according to my scan gauge. It has the cylinder shut off feature with seamless transitions into and out of 4 cylinder mode. I was pushing 26mpg on the highway at 70 mph.

It was fun TacomaWorld, great forum.

 

oh you got me thinking now....I want more towing capacity and am thinking a different truck & got the 5yr itch....
glad you posted back up what you did.
Congrats on the new to you truck.

 

Stick around, show some pics. I love those new GMC's. I drove a 2007 Tahoe and I would get back into one of those any day. Tacoma's not really a way of life to me, its a way around life lol. Glad your happy dude, like I said, PICS!

 

That's impressive- 26mpg on the highway at 70 mph. I get better but I have to baby it and it's a 2.7 stick.

 

thanks for the positive good byes.