Towing with new GM 5.3 v. 6.2? Experience?

[Soon2BV]

You can only get the 3.08 or 3.42 with the 5.3.

I went and drove a 1/2 ton, 4x4 with the 5.3 and 3.42. I don't think it has the power i want (need ) for towing through the hills of Kentucky & Tennessee.

I will probably order one to get the color, interior and engine / drive I want (6.3L & 3.42).

The 6.2 is really hard to find and you can only get it in the 1/2 ton with the top trim package (SLT on the GMC). Right now there is 1 in the Indy area and it is in a $65K "tricked out" truck. I think the availability limits are there to encourage people to by the 5.3 instead to keep the CAFE performance numbers high.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Soon2BV

[wakesetter8796]

http://indianaexchange.autoconx.com/indianapolis-in/2014-gmc-sierra-1500-531850639.htm

[Soon2BV]

http://indianaexchange.autoconx.com/indianapolis-in/2014-gmc-sierra-1500-531850639.htm

That one is sold. The sales guy looked for it this week and it was gone.

[Malibuss]

I have a new 5.3 Denali 1/2 ton and it pulls the BU fine over the Rodgers Pass, just have to use tow haul and manual shift at times. The thing is though my 11 6.2 Denali gets almost the same mileage empty cruising so why go with the 5.3? The 6.2 way out pulls it . Saying this the 5.3 is fine and will pull the boat just take it a bit easy and make sure if it's a half ton, go with the air bags and a compressor. Sure evens the ride out with 20 lbs. it's just right. More or less it rides like a buckboard with the extra weight.

[walnut]

Guys you wont be able to get 3.73 or 4.10 rear ends in any half ton truck any more only in 3/4 ton an up

for what its worth my gm dealer told me that gm is going resurrect the avalanche in the near future.

[Smokinjo]

You could always get a 14 Ford Raptor with 6.2 and 4.10 gearing if you can find one. It will pull your boat anywhere without a problem.

[ajeep4u]

Tundra ftw?

Edited March 8, 2015 by ajeep4u

[Arctic Slalom]

The '14 5.3L and 6.2L Sierra Denali is 4WD, not AWD.

I thought ALL Denali were using the aluminum block 6.2 and AWD?

didn't even realize 5.3 and 4wd were available?

[Malibuss]

The 5.3 pulls the VLX even through the Rockies fine, but the 6.2 is definitely better and worth waiting for in my mind. I have both and they both get the same mileage cruising not pulling so there's no mileage benefit either to the 5.3

[Soon2BV]

I bought the 6.2 and love it. Great towing power. Without a trailer, I get 22 mpg on the highway to/from the lake @ 70 mph. Active system makes it a 4 cylinder at cruise. I get about 12 pulling a 26 ft travel trailer (6,000 lbs).

[carguy79ta]

I have a 2015 Silverado, pulls the 4000 lb Axis A22 fine. I wanted the 6.2 but the 5.3 is a great motor. LS architecture. I have one in my 04 Yukon. I pulled my 20ft crownline 3400 lbs, then we got a 2015 silverado. Has another 55hp. Pulls great.

[Cory]

We ordered a 2016 Yukon with 6.2L engine and it showed up a few weeks ago. I had a Borla CAT-back exhaust installed--I love the sound of that engine exhaust pair. I'm looking forward to towing the VLX with it this summer. The highest rear end gear ratio available with the 6.2L was a 3.23, but it has an 8 speed tranny. I'm real curious how it will tow compared to my F150 ecoboost with a 3.55 rear end. What I'm most looking forward to is listening to that exhaust note when we pull the boat over Steven's Pass to Eastern WA next summer.

The manufacturers are no longer offering the higher rear end ratios. You can't order a lariat F150 supercrew with ecoboost with anything higher than a 3.55. I wish they would let the consumer decide what they want. I'd like a 3.73 on my pickup.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Cory

[cheezwizard]

We had a '10 Tahoe and '12 Suburban with the 5.3 and I wasn't very fond of the way either of them towed. I felt like they both were constantly wanting to down shift and redline at any slight incline. Our 6.2L Denali does a much better job, you can definitely tell there's more grunt there. They've all had the rear air suspension so the ride was all about the same. Although the 6.2L gets the job done, it really doesn't compare to the Cummins or Duramax powered trucks I've had in the power department.

[oldjeep]

We ordered a 2016 Yukon with 6.2L engine and it showed up a few weeks ago. I had a Borla exhaust installed--I love the sound of that engine exhaust pair. I'm looking forward to towing the VLX with it this summer. The highest rear end gear ratio available with the 6.2L was a 3.23, but it has an 8 speed tranny. I'm real curious how it will tow compared to my F150 ecoboost with a 3.55 rear end. What I'm most looking forward to is listening to that exhaust note when we pull the boat over Steven's Pass to Eastern WA next summer.

The manufacturers are no longer offering the higher rear end ratios. You can't order an lariat F150 supercrew with ecoboost with anything higher than a 3.55. I wish they would let the consumer decide what they want.

To some extent it doesn't matter with the torque these newer engines put out. My Hemi ram has 3.21 gears and even towing 8000lbs I have never wished they were lower. (granted most of my towing is either MN or occasionally a car trailer between here and Bozeman)

Edited January 21, 2016 by oldjeep

[Nitrousbird]

We had a '10 Tahoe and '12 Suburban with the 5.3 and I wasn't very fond of the way either of them towed. I felt like they both were constantly wanting to down shift and redline at any slight incline. Our 6.2L Denali does a much better job.

The 5.3L in the '10 and '12 you owned is a totally different engine than what is in the '14+ trucks. GM should have changed the displacement to something slightly different so people would quit comparing the two. Your two vehicles likely had the LMG or LC9 motor, which is a GEN IV SBC's. The L83 in question in this thread is a GEN V SBC.

[Cory]

I'm sort of wondering if these wider ratio (8 or 10 speed) transmissions obviate the need for a higher ratio rear end. Or, fuel economy standards are emaciating our trucks.

[Kalamazoo]

ok, ok, ok I know F-150 is the best unless you want diesel then it could be the RAM 1500 unless you go 3/4 ton then it's chevy, blah, blah, blah...

Based on family/crew size I'm feeling a truck just isn't going to be enough interior room. I need a 3rd row seat. So...I pull the boat locally (10-15 mins) 95% of the time. I will be making 3-4 longer towing trips each summer for WTW, etc...probably 2-3 hours each on relatively flat midwest terrain.

Question: I'm thinking suburban or expedition. My boat (MB Tomcat 22) is 4100 lbs dry, so I'm thinking 6500 all loaded up or so.

Chevy: 5.3 V8 'ecotech' 355hp 383 tq and 8300 lbs tow capacity.

Ford: 3.5 turbo V6 'ecoboost' 365hp 420 tq 9200 lbs tow capacity.

Both will be fairly loaded (probably one step below the top tier, don't need all of it)

I think both will do fine, but all opinions welcome.

[85 Barefoot]

We ordered a 2016 Yukon with 6.2L engine and it showed up a few weeks ago. I had a Borla CAT-back exhaust installed--I love the sound of that engine exhaust pair. I'm looking forward to towing the VLX with it this summer. The highest rear end gear ratio available with the 6.2L was a 3.23, but it has an 8 speed tranny. I'm real curious how it will tow compared to my F150 ecoboost with a 3.55 rear end. What I'm most looking forward to is listening to that exhaust note when we pull the boat over Steven's Pass to Eastern WA next summer.

The manufacturers are no longer offering the higher rear end ratios. You can't order a lariat F150 supercrew with ecoboost with anything higher than a 3.55. I wish they would let the consumer decide what they want. I'd like a 3.73 on my pickup.

I towed with our 2015 6.2 yukon 500 miles this summer. Just demod a 2016 F-150 ecoboost. What a great daily driver engine. However, I was surprised it was such a dog towing a 23 LSV. I'd bet you're quite happy with the 6.2.

[85 Barefoot]

ok, ok, ok I know F-150 is the best unless you want diesel then it could be the RAM 1500 unless you go 3/4 ton then it's chevy, blah, blah, blah...

Based on family/crew size I'm feeling a truck just isn't going to be enough interior room. I need a 3rd row seat. So...I pull the boat locally (10-15 mins) 95% of the time. I will be making 3-4 longer towing trips each summer for WTW, etc...probably 2-3 hours each on relatively flat midwest terrain.

Question: I'm thinking suburban or expedition. My boat (MB Tomcat 22) is 4100 lbs dry, so I'm thinking 6500 all loaded up or so.

Chevy: 5.3 V8 'ecotech' 355hp 383 tq and 8300 lbs tow capacity.

Ford: 3.5 turbo V6 'ecoboost' 365hp 420 tq 9200 lbs tow capacity.

Both will be fairly loaded (probably one step below the top tier, don't need all of it)

I think both will do fine, but all opinions welcome.

I demo'd expeditions before buying a denali XL. We were looking at loaded expys and they got over 70k, which is fine, as the denali certainly is, but there is no comparison on the interiors. Hard plastics that look like dried elephant snot. While the EB was a great town engine, the 6.2 with a phenominal interior is impossible to beat at comparable prices, which, remarkably, they are. 3rd row leg room expy does have GM's offerings beat though.

[Kalamazoo]

I demo'd expeditions before buying a denali XL. We were looking at loaded expys and they got over 70k, which is fine, as the denali certainly is, but there is no comparison on the interiors. Hard plastics that look like dried elephant snot. While the EB was a great town engine, the 6.2 with a phenominal interior is impossible to beat at comparable prices, which, remarkably, they are. 3rd row leg room expy does have GM's offerings beat though.

did you also demo a suburban? was there a huge gap between loaded chevy and denali?

[IXFE]

did you also demo a suburban? was there a huge gap between loaded chevy and denali?

Chevy LTZ vs. GMC Denali is not nearly as big a gap as you might think.

Honestly, I don't know why people buy LTZ. The 6.2 is sooooo much better. Even my wife thought the 5.3 was a dog.

6.2 > Eco 3.5 > 5.3

Buy once, cry once (a lot)

Edited January 26, 2016 by IXFE

[Nitrousbird]

Chevy LTZ vs. GMC Denali is not nearly as big a gap as you might think.

Honestly, I don't know why people buy LTZ. The 6.2 is sooooo much better. Even my wife thought the 5.3 was a dog.

6.2 > Eco 3.5 > 5.3

Buy once, cry once (a lot)

At the price of a loaded up Denali, did you consider an Escalade instead?

[Kalamazoo]

At the price of a loaded up Denali, did you consider an Escalade instead?

im coming from a 2005 escalade ext and honestly haven't. Maybe I will.

[IXFE]

At the price of a loaded up Denali, did you consider an Escalade instead?

No dude. That's where I drew the line. The Escalade is almost $10k more for the exact same powertrain (6.2L, 8 speed). I even saw one that was > $90k MSRP.

GM is very proud of the Escalade. Either that or they need somebody to pay for the product placement fees.

Edited January 26, 2016 by IXFE

[rennis]

Question: I'm thinking suburban or expedition. My boat (MB Tomcat 22) is 4100 lbs dry, so I'm thinking 6500 all loaded up or so.

Chevy: 5.3 V8 'ecotech' 355hp 383 tq and 8300 lbs tow capacity.

Ford: 3.5 turbo V6 'ecoboost' 365hp 420 tq 9200 lbs tow capacity.

Both will be fairly loaded (probably one step below the top tier, don't need all of it)

I think both will do fine, but all opinions welcome.

Any 5.3 vehicle is going to struggle with that Tomcat on grades. If you're towing on mostly flat ground, you'll be fine. If you're towing over mountains you'll want something bigger.