classicdave

I'm buying my first Silverado 1500 soon and am looking for some advice from the community. I've been researching for a couple weeks now and have had a hard time finding verifiable information about which previous years are most reliable - most articles I find online contradict one another, so I'm not sure at this point if I should still look for pre-owned, or if I should go brand new '23 or '24.

I've narrowed down so far that I'm leaning toward the 5.3L V8 (I'm not going to be hauling much of anything, but need it for carrying tools and equipment, lumber, etc.). I look for practicality and longevity over bells and whistles and was hoping some current owners could help provide some clarity.

A few things I am curious about:

- In terms of fuel efficiency and cost, my research has lead me to believe that the 5.3L V8 would be best for my situation, however some are saying the V6 is better for fuel economy. I'm not a speed or power junky, don't have a heavy foot, and I don't plan on hauling much of anything.
- Can AFM or DFM be deactivated by the dealer, or is that something I would have to get done aftermarket, or something I can do myself?
- In terms of regular maintenance costs, what has the community been seeing for out of the ordinary expenses (not oil changes, brakes, etc.) that have come up during the first few years of ownership?

Any help here is much appreciated

Pierregirard

I'd opt for 5.3L V8. This engine is great for a balance of power and efficiency, especially for light-duty tasks like carrying tools and lumber. It has enough horsepower and torque for your needs without being too much for non-heavy towing.
The V6 might save you some gas, but the difference isn't huge. The V8’s extra power and reliability in the Silverado are often worth the slight drop in fuel efficiency, especially if you occasionally need that extra performance.

jfmorris

My Chevrolet truck experience is limited to the 1996 (5.0L Vortec V8), 2003 (5.3L) and 2006 (4.8L) model years. While I cannot comment on what recent years may be good or may need avoiding, I can comment to my experience with that engine size to some extent. I still own the 1996 and 2006.

The 2003 with its 5.3L engine got 1-2 more more miles per gallon than the 5.0L in the 1996, and of course had more pickup, as you would expect, being a newer generation engine (GMT800 versus GMT400). I attribute that better economy with a 5.3L being due to it not having to work quite as hard as the 5.0L. And being a newer design maybe.

However, even though the horsepower is technically higher on paper for the 2006 4.8L Silverado work truck (standard cab, 8 foot bed), I find that my older 1996 C1500 with its 5.0L (extended cab, short bed) has in general more "oomph" i.e. takeoff in traffic, and as old as it is, it gets about 1.5 miles per gallon better fuel economy in around town driving than the 4.8L in the 10 year newer 2006 truck. I can literally lay rubber from a stop sign if I want to with the 1996. The 2006 - not gonna happen. It drives fine mind you, but when it comes to acceleration or trying to pass in traffic, its lacking, and that truck would have been better off with the 5.3L. I blame the smaller engine in this truck for the worse fuel economy.

Regardless of whether you haul stuff or not, the Silverado is a pretty big and heavy vehicle. Add some load to the bed, and it gets worse. My experience a few years back with some of the V6 models that my former employer bought as work trucks was that they just didn't have the get up and go of the V8's. They ditched all the V6 "ecoboost" or whatever trucks within a year and went back to all V8's. These trucks were all used with a custom cover on the bed that provided access doors and cabinets all around for the electricians, and just that relatively minor load for a work truck bogged down the V6.

I guess I am saying - that 5.3 is a good all around engine, and don't go smaller!