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Hi, I am looking to buy a new Chevy Express cargo van 2500 to use for expediting cargo across the country. I will never be doing any towing but my payload will sometimes be up to 3.000 lbs with myself and my wife and the cargo. I will try to stay less than that but 3,000 will be the max. I do not drive very fast or accelerate quickly mostly going between 60-65 mph on the highway. I like the Chevy Express van because it seems to have all that I need at the most affordable price. My quesition is should I buy the 4.3 liter or do I need the 6.6 liter? I would get the 6.6 liter but we are going to be doing this to make money and on 1,000 mile trip I can only guess that it would cost around $75 more for gas for the V8 engine. Do you think the V6 has enough power adequately with my slow driving speed to do the job so that we could save on gas or do you think I need the V8 and the heavy duty transmission. I image we will be doing some mountain driving too. I can't seem to find any reliable information on what the gas mileage is on these vans but I am guessing 13 amd 17 mpg, maybe I will get more if I just set the cruise control on 62, what do you guys think? Do I need the heavy duty transmission too?
You won't be passing anybody quickly with a loaded van and V6. It'll be pretty gutless in the mountains too. I wouldn't expect the V6 to last as long as a V8 either.
Why don't you take one for a test drive (make sure it at least has 3 rows of benches) and take it up some steep hills.
You won't be passing anybody quickly with a loaded van and V6. It'll be pretty gutless in the mountains too. I wouldn't expect the V6 to last as long as a V8 either.
Why don't you take one for a test drive (make sure it at least has 3 rows of benches) and take it up some steep hills.
I just don't know. I'd like to get the V6 to save money on gas but I've read it has a weak transmission too. Do you think it's possible to get 15mpg with the V8 if you drive it soft and just cruise at 62? I just don't want to get the 4.3 and have it drastically underpowered where you can tell this thing is gonna break with a 2,500lb load. I also just read that Chevy isn't taking new orders with the V8 engine. Is there any validity to that? I might be forced to spend the extra $8,000 and get a Ford. I'll probably test drive them when the time gets closer. I'm just gathering information right now.
FWIW: if you can believe the information center in the dash, I'm averaging 14.5 mpg on my 2014 Express 2500 with the 6.0. That's an average of all my driving, I don't do much steady freeway driving or in-town stop and start. I live in the Santa Cruz mountains, so it's a lot of up and down hills. Seems like 15mpg on the freeway with a gentle driver should be do-able.
As an added bonus, when gas went up to over $6/gal here I was able to fill up with $4/gal E85. Lost about 3mpg, but still came out ahead. Now that prices have come down, I back to using gas.
I tried to buy a new van last Sept and was told they weren't taking orders with the 6.6L, that may have changed since, so you should contact your local dealer and see.
Do you think it's possible to get 15mpg with the V8 if you drive it soft and just cruise at 62?
Look at the ratings on fueleconomy.gov, and add 1 MPG to make it more realistic.
I'm getting around 12/13 mixed driving with a 5.3L AWD.
This is the wrong vehicle if your priority is fuel efficiency. It's a working truck, and I would just adjust business rates to cover fuel.
Originally Posted by Teddy B
I just don't want to get the 4.3 and have it drastically underpowered
Again, test drive it to see if meets YOUR personal expectations.
Originally Posted by Teddy B
I also just read that Chevy isn't taking new orders with the V8 engine. Is there any validity to that?
It does ring a bell. There was a topic posted about this very recently so run a search.
Originally Posted by Teddy B
I might be forced to spend the extra $8,000 and get a Ford.
I wouldn't. The only other decent vans right now are the Mercs
6.6 is the only way to go. The 6 doesn't have any power.
Agreed, the old 6.0 was a good engine also if you're looking at used vehicles.. I had a 2004 Sierra 2500 4X4 with the 6.0 carrying a 2,000lb slide-in camper pulling a Jeep Wrangler on a trailer up to 7,000ft in the Sierra Mountains with no problem at all. Now I have a 2014 Express 2500 with the 6.0 pulling a 7,000lb trailer through those same mountains, no problem there either. My 6.0 is rated at 345hp, the 6.6 is 401hp, which is even better!
Last edited by RubiconMike; March 10th, 2023 at 11:14 AM.
I was interested in ordering a van with the 6.6 about two months ago. Went to the dealership and told that engine is not available yet in 2023 and may never come available.
I was interested in ordering a van with the 6.6 about two months ago. Went to the dealership and told that engine is not available yet in 2023 and may never come available.
I had the same experience last September, I tried several Chevy and GMC dealers and got the same message from them. I wanted a van for towing a travel trailer and ended up finding a nice 2014 2500 passenger van with the 6.0 and only 45k miles. I suspect that the number of 6.6 engines is limited and they are all being allocated to the much more profitable pickup truck and SUVs.
I just thought of something. I now am planning on getting the 4.3L V6. The Ram Promaster has a 3.6L V6 and many people who do the kind of cargo expediting use the Ram Promaster and the Chevy Express V6 has an engine with very similar specs. Does this make sense to you that if it works fine in the Promaster it should work fine in the Express? I know the best scenario would be to test drive it with a full load but I don't think I'm gonna be able to test drive the Express with a 2,500lb pallet in the back.
February 27th, 2023, 3:09 PM
Which to buy: 2023 - 4.3L V6 or 6.6L V8
