V6 “good enough” in a Pickup?

[SwampSurvivor]

Is it the Ecotec3 4.3? That is pretty impressive. People had no problem with the first of the 5.3 v8s around 2000 and this is almost as powerful as that was.

Pre-insane-used-truck-prices, I was considering a 4.3 ecotec3 1500 for towing my Jeep around. And we go through some hilly terrain.

 

[Warlord]

It has a lot more power than V8 trucks of yesteryear. You’ll be just fine.

 

[Oldswagon]

You'll be just fine. Back in the day a Vortec 350 had 210 horsepower....I think the latest Gen 4.3 is around 280, you'll be just fine.

I agee the 4.3L will be fine, but the Vortec 350 had 255 hp at 4600 RPM and 330 ft/lbs at 2,800 rpm. The TBI L05 350 engine used from 1987 to 1995 had 210 hp at 4000 RPM and 300 ft/lbs at 2800 RPM.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Sign # 11 that you are getting old. A V-6 has enough horsepower in a full size pickup.

 

[fisher83]

The power of all the modern V-6 trucks is pretty impressive and in most cases comparable to or even better than V-8's from a few years ago.

 

[doublebase]

There are people on the forums that swear by that V6 in the Silverados. I’ve owned a 2018 5.3 Silverado and I had the opportunity to drive the V6, and I found to actually ”feel” better than the 5.3...less transmission shifting back and forth, less going into V4 mode. I liked it. There‘s a guy on the forums that is averaging over 26 mpg in his, with 150,000 plus trouble free miles on it.

 

[wander2039]

I'd say yes but it all comes down to gearing.. The v6 in my Dakota has plenty of power but somewhere at 2-3 it hits a wall. But with it being a 15 I'd be surprised if it's a issue. Take the trailer and take it for a test drive if possible.

 

[Pelican]

Today's V6s have the same power and sometimes more than the V8s of the 70s.

 

[joekingcorvette]

You will be fine and a truck like that will run forever almost.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

Nope you need a minimum of a twin turbo v12. Just kidding. That engine is fine for your needs. You could probably get away with a 1/4 ton if it weren’t for the bed length need.

 

[StillLearning]

We have a fleet of 17 3/4 ton Chevy/GMC vans , the newest 4 are the 4.3 V6 the rest of them are the old 4.8 V8 .
All vans are loaded with parts , tools , gear. The V6s are quicker than the V8s .
I was skeptical at first , but after driving them they are more than adequate for our usage.

I occasionally drive a 3/4 ton Savanah 4.8L V8 for work and after wondering why it seemed so wimpy, I looked up the specs, and they correlate with your statement.

The 4.8L v8 is rated at the same 285hp as the 4.3 v6, BUT the v6, is actually rated for more torque at lower RPM. The 4.3 makes 305lb/ft @ 3900rpm, while the 4.8 is rated @ 295lb/ft @ 4600rpm. So the v8 makes less torque and at a significantly higher rpm. For me, this makes the truck feel underpowered, especially when the transmission is always trying to grab and hold the taller gears. I think I'd take the 4.3 any day.

 

[Kuato]

A V6 truck will do everything a V8 truck will do, just a bit slower. If your ego doesn't need a low 0-60 time with a trailer attached to brag about to your friends, you will be fine.

All the comments about today's V6 engines putting out more power than 70s and 80s V8s is true, and also holds true for numerous 90s versions as well.

 

[DGXR]

Yes that 4.3 will serve your purposes well. They are known to be strong engines, sometimes modified for drag racing and other motorsport. Actually that is exactly the kind of truck I was looking for when I upgraded from the clapped out B2000 with 240k miles, but ended up with my 4 cylinder Tacoma and could not be happier. I would not pay $24k for that Silverado, but if this is the perfect truck for you, then it might be worth that much... to you.

 

[nthach]

It should be fine. GM’s done a fine job keeping that 4.3L V6 current until the new TGDI 4 was introduced.

The current V6 efforts from Detroit do a adequate job for many users. A far cry from the 1970s-1990s. Toyota offered the 1990s-era 5VZ-FE V6 in the Tundra, which drove many to pick the 4.7L 2UZ-FE or 4.6/5.7L 1UR-FE/3UR-FE V8s but it’s a “lifestyle” truck.

 

[svtrit]

I had a coworker who rented a Dodge Ram for a couple of months while waiting for his work truck to arrive. He didn’t know it was a 3.6 until he popped the hood to do the monthly company inspection.

He would have bought a V6 Ram in a heartbeat, saying it had plenty of power and got good mileage.

I always think back to my 86 Dodge Ram that had about 180HP with the 318 on a good day, and got 16-18 mpg. The new 3.6 has around 300hp, yet gets the same mileage.

I rented a V6 Challenger and it was a hoot to drive. Same situation: 300 HP from a V6, which was what the built 360 in Dad’s Cuda had at that time as well.

V6’s are good overall. My question would be the towing part. A Turbo would be helpful for that.

 

[IndyIan]

Today's V6s have the same power and sometimes more than the V8s of the 70s.

Pretty much double the hp of most of the 70's V8 and almost as much torque once they get a few revs up.

 

[Snagglefoot]

 

[WylieCoyote]

Yep, love a good V6 pickup.

 

[Silver]

How's mileage on a fullsize with the 4.3?

 

[dwcopple]

The 6 speed auto in that truck is a royal POS