Silverado gets new facelift for 2016

[s219]

All this talk about MPG is meaningless for me to a point. Yes, I like good MPG like everyone else but reliability and comfort are the main things I shop for. It does me no good at all if it gets excellent MPG if it's broken down. Between our three vehicles we dove 82,000 miles last year. All three are Fords and other than 5,000 mile oil changes, tire rotations, two sets of tires, and a few air filters there were no other expenses. That's the reason I stick with them.

Yes there are other vehicles in the segments we buy in that get slightly better MPG but I have not seen the reliability or comfort.

Chris

MPG is a priority for me due to a long commute, and in that sense both GM and Ford were tied. Toyota was so far back it was surprising to me.

It sounds like you have had bad experiences with other brands, but Ford is certainly no historical benchmark for reliability if you look at the numbers. Haven't seen this years ratings, but in the past Honda/Toyota and some of the other Japanese brands were at the top and then there was a gap and then everyone else.

If I think back over 30+ years of driving, non of my personal vehicles (8 different brands) have ever broke down leaving me stranded. I remember having work trucks break down 3-4 times, spanning Dodge, GM, Isuzu, and Ford. Crazy stuff like snapping the driveshaft joint on the GM, rear end locking up on the Dodge, transmission failure on the Ford, exhaust brake on the Isuzu sticking closed, etc. All of those cases I would say were due to high mileage and really poor maintenance by the company.

 

[Diamondpilot]

MPG is a priority for me due to a long commute, and in that sense both GM and Ford were tied. Toyota was so far back it was surprising to me.

It sounds like you have had bad experiences with other brands, but Ford is certainly no historical benchmark for reliability if you look at the numbers. Haven't seen this years ratings, but in the past Honda/Toyota and some of the other Japanese brands were at the top and then there was a gap and then everyone else.

If I think back over 30+ years of driving, non of my personal vehicles (8 different brands) have ever broke down leaving me stranded. I remember having work trucks break down 3-4 times, spanning Dodge, GM, Isuzu, and Ford. Crazy stuff like snapping the driveshaft joint on the GM, rear end locking up on the Dodge, transmission failure on the Ford, exhaust brake on the Isuzu sticking closed, etc. All of those cases I would say were due to high mileage and really poor maintenance by the company.

I hate to jinx myself but I have only been stranded 6 times. Twice in my Dmax (injectors and broke U Joint), once in my S10 Blaze when the motor blew, once in it when the transfer case gernaded, once in my Ram when the tranny let go, and once in my F350 when I ran out of fuel due to a faulty dash cluster.

My Titan got the second worst MPG of any vehicle I have owned (12mpg) but in 97,000 miles I spent $4 on it other than tires, brakes, and 5K oil changes. 1t would only do 16 on the highway but in the end it was cheap to own. Sold it for $8,000 less than I paid new 6 years earlier. So cost to drive has more to do than just MPG.

Chris

 

[ultrarunner]

In 30 years the only time I had to come home on a hook was with a Dodge with a 318 V8... it was from the 70's and with over 200k miles...

Less than $50 for timing chain, gasket sealer and gasket... and back on the road.... still have it today.

 

[Sodo]

a pre gangster Chrysler 300

:laughing:

:laughing:

Trucks have 4 doors now I wonder if trucks will be gangsters choice someday.

 

[ovrszd]

:laughing::laughing:

Very, very few people understand that "pre gangster Chrysler 300" comment.

Glad to see you got it.

 

[ovrszd]

:laughing:

:laughing:

Trucks have 4 doors now I wonder if trucks will be gangsters choice someday.

You too Sodo.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

A good friend just bought a Tundra, gets about 8 mpg, omg, 5/7, it's more like 9/12. My 5.3 suburban get 17 in mixed and is close to 22 on highway. That puts Toyota in "wouldn't even consider" category. HS

I suspect that mileage is not typical. I know the Tundra gets worse mileage on the average than the Chevy and Ford, but not 9-12mpg worse on the average.

If they would change the looks and improve the mileage a bit, I would lean strongly towards the Tundra just because I've had such good luck with Toyota products. They have been MUCH MUCH more dependable than any GM or Ford products I've owned.

But I just simply hate the bulbous warts on the current Tundra. And when gas gets up to $4 - $5 per gallon, as it eventually will, an extra 5 - 7 mpg will mean real money. Of course, by then I may be retired and not driving very many miles per year.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've been pretty fortunate with every car owned... Mom's Toyota has been the best as far as lack of repairs... has not been a single one in 14 years... only on the second battery and just maintenace like fluids, tires and brake pads...

My 14 year old BMW has had a total of 4 repairs... right and left rear window regulators, voltage regulator and washer fluid pump... each not more that $40 for the parts...

Today's vehicles scare me some... I have coworkers that spend a $1000 every time they take in their later model cars/trucks... usually right after the warranty is up...

A headlight bulb for the BMW or Toyota is a few dollars... the new ones can cost 100 times that or more.

My 91 Silverado passed Smog Inspection today... what a relief!!! thing is the maximum HC is 98 ppm and it tested 98 ppm... haleluja

 

[Copperhead]

While mpg is important, no matter the vehicle from a Prius to a Peterbilt, it is the cost per mile that should be the primary focus.

For instance, the GM 6.2L Ecotec 3 in the 1500, while delivering some nice mpg numbers, according to GM manuals, it requires premium gas. Now lets do a little comparison. My 2015 2500HD 6.0L gets around 17-18 mpg on road trips, but averages around 14.5 for all miles. From other forums I frequent, the GM 6.2L in the 1500 has been getting around 22-23 averages for highway miles and 18-20 for overall averages. Would seem the 6.2L in the 1500 would be the better thing, right?

Well, Premium in my area has hovered around $3.20 a gallon recently. E10 regular hss been around $2.50. I use E15, which has been a dime less. So a 6.2L 1500, on premium, getting 18 mpg average, is costing about 17.8 cents a mile in fuel. The 6.0L L96 in my 2500HD, getting about 14.5 average, is costing about 16.5 cents a mile in fuel, using E15. Imagine, a much heavier 2500HD Z71 with beefier snow plow prep package is costing a penny less per mile to operate than a lighter 6.2L 1500. If the 1500 is getting 20 mpg average for all miles, it is almost a wash on fuel cost per mile compared to the heavy 2500. And my 2500 has 4.10 diff ratio which really makes the 6.0L grunt well, while the 6.2L has 3.42 (or 3.73 in the max package). With those taller ratios, the 6.2L can do better mpg.

I like better mpg as well as the next guy, but I am a business man, and I look at value for my dollar. I can out pull, out haul, etc any 1500 even with the hot 6.2L motor, and do it cheaper as well. No brainer. The 2015 2500HD 6.0L is sitting in my garage.

And the 6.2L Ecotec is a relatively new motor without a proven track record. We don't know yet how it will fare over extended periods of operation across the spectrum. The L96 6.0L in the 2500 has an extensive track record of longevity, durability, and reliability. And that factored into my decision as well.

I pulled on to the grain elevator scales last weekend with my 2500, two people, full of fuel (36 gallons), and about 200 lb of tools and such in the back. It weighed in at 7380 lb. I have been waiting with much anticipation, for someone to load up a 6.2L 1500 so that has a comparable gross weight, drive it around for their normal stuff for about 1000 miles, and then see what the mpg is. I have confidence that the mpg spreads I mentioned before would shrink considerably, and the best cost per mile value in using my 2500 would be even better.

 

[Monster5601]

While mpg is important, no matter the vehicle from a Prius to a Peterbilt, it is the cost per mile that should be the primary focus.

May be for you, but for myself comfort and ability topped the must have list. When it came time for my wife and I to select a tow vehicle that would pull our fiver around the country for the next few years my first thought was, I do not want to spend my retirement in dealer service areas, and, I want a vehicle that does not easily fatigue the driver. Of course cost per mile of travel is important, we are on a fixed income, but all three of the 1 ton pick up offerings did well on that but only one met brand met the other two requirements.

I invested a year of research in to reliability, comfort, and reported issues others experienced along with fuel consumption and cost of scheduled maintenance. As in any research project, the answer becomes clear. I am not brand loyal, I buy what fits me best at the moment and I've owned all three brands of one ton pick-ups. The brand I bought isn't important to anyone but me, what is important, I bought the solution that best fit my needs and requirements.