ib516
Up here!
Senior Member
Joined: 04/18/2003
View Profile
 Offline
|
3.08 axle ratio, better areodynamics, soft tonneau cover, lower ride height, 2wd only, lower chin spoiler, and even a few more hp/tq. This is NOT a hybrid.
15city/21hwy rated, up from 14/20 for the regular 5.3L V8.
Tow rating drops to 7000#.
Link to story
2004 Cougar 301 BHS 6580# Dry, 9000# wet, 9600# GVWR)
2007 Dodge/5.9L Cummins 3500 SRW Megacab 4x4/3.73
Hypertech Max Energy
"MEGACASPER" 10100# GVWR, 5200# FGAWR, 6200# RGAWR
PICTURES
ELIM 3000 Gen (still going )
Collision Reconstructionist
ScanGauge2
|
rhondavid
Birmingham, Al
Senior Member
Joined: 07/01/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
IMHO, the gain in fuel economy is not great enough to go to a truck with at 3.08 rear end. I cannot imagine towing with that ratio. Getting the trailer rolling as well as keeping it rolling would be a major problem. How on earth did they come up with a 7000# towing capacity.
The 5.3 and 3.73 in our 2001 Suburban was not a beast when it came to towing so I can only image this to be like having squirrels in there for power. IMHO!
All that for 1 mpg. ????
David,Wife,4 kids,SIL,1 grandchild
2003 Ford Excursion Eddie Bauer 7.3 PSD w/3.73 rear end
Jayco Kiwi Too 30T bunkhouse w/triple bunks
Prodigy Controller
Reese Dual Cam HP
Michelin LTX M/S
2001 F150 SuperCrew
Topsail Hill Cult Member
|
eurohazard
Travis AFB, CA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/09/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
I am not trying to down play the significance of a full size truck that gets 15/21 mpg using the EPA ratings, however this is GM's attempt at moving more trucks. And it's going to help their CAFE standing too.
At least not all their 1500 trucks are equipped like this. Making it an option I guess is a good thing.....let the consumer decide.
Also, I'm sure GM would rather you notice a 7% increase in fuel economy, and not notice the "only 1 mpg" difference. 
-2006 Nissan Armada LE 4x4
-2007 Coachmen 19FLB SE
-2007 Regal 1900 w/ 4.3 EFI Volvo
Supercharged wrote:4-in-a-fiver and my statments make the same amount of since.
|
Fast Mopar
Houston, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 05/03/2005
View Profile
|
If you don't like the 3.08 ratio, then don't buy it. Making your EPA fuel economy rating go up 7% is better than having it go down. At least GM is trying to do something. If GM did not do this, everyone would be asking why GM did not do something to improve their economy a little bit on their existing models while waiting for new technology to be ready. They also have a model of the Chevy Cobalt called XFE that gets higher fuel economy as well (came out during the 2008 model year).
2004 Ford Freestar 4.2 liter
2003 Jayco Qwest 12A
preserve the Second Amendment
|
Caddywhompus
Southeast WI
Senior Member
Joined: 06/27/2001
View Profile
Offline
|
3.08 gears are not as bad as some think. If the truck had 27" tires on it, it would have the same torque as a truck with 33" tires and 3.73 gears.
If the truck is 2WD, large diameter tires would not be required. P205/75R15 tires would be about 27" diameter and used to be a common base model tire size on full size half tons until the giant wheel craze became fashionable. Most trucks today have at least 33" diameter tires, which require much steeper gears to put the same torque to the pavement.
My own minivan has 235/60R16 tires and 3.55 drive ratio, which is equivalent to a truck with 4.30 gears and 33" tires!
I for one applaud GM for trying to do something even if it is a marketing gimmick. People think they need about twice as much power as they really do to pull a trailer. If one is willing to slow down, allow the transmission to use some gears other than OD, and try to buy a trailer with a modicum of towability considered in it's design, you would be surprised how much trailer can be towed with lower HP, higher MPG equipment.
Interesting to note, that my FIL has a 2004 Silverado with the 4.8 liter V8 and 3.42 gears. He drives 60 miles each way to work, and averages slightly better mileage than the "Xtra Fuel Economy" truck is advertising. (He claims 22mpg, and I trust his math). Granted, he doesn't pull a travel trailer, but does use his truck as a truck for everything else and has never complained about a lack of power. Do people really need a 1500 series truck with a 300HP 6.0 engine?
'04 Ford Freestar (Primary tow vehicle)
'05 Subaru Forester (Backup tow vehicle)
'65 Bethany popup (best popups ever made!)
Looking for a tow vehicle
Minivan towing
|
|
|
ktosv
Allendale, MI
Senior Member
Joined: 08/17/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
rhondavid wrote:Getting the trailer rolling as well as keeping it rolling would be a major problem.
It appears that these vehicles will have the 6 speed transmission, which might make it comparible to the current 4 speed and a 3.42 or 3.73 axle (I didn't have the time to compare the gear ratios).
I wonder if the XFE trucks will actually get better than the 21mpg. This past weekend my Suburban averaged 22.3mpg at 65mph coming home from northern Michigan. Obviously speed is a big factor in what the actual observed fuel economy is.
Kevin and my...
Wife, three daughters, a son
and two dogs(brittany and english setter)
2005 Suburban (295HP/335#-ft, 3.42 axle)
1994 Caprice LT1 (260HP/330#-ft, 2.93 axle)
2003 Trail Cruiser C22
|
Fast Mopar
Houston, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 05/03/2005
View Profile
|
ktosv wrote:I wonder if the XFE trucks will actually get better than the 21mpg. This past weekend my Suburban averaged 22.3mpg at 65mph coming home from northern Michigan.
I almost always get better than EPA ratings on my vehicles, but the point is not to compare what different drivers get under an infinite number of different driving conditions. The point is to just compare EPA numbers to EPA numbers - at least there is (supposedly) a standard consistent practice followed by the EPA in obtaining those numbers.
|
cronus
Michigan
New Member
Joined: 09/30/2007
View Profile
|
ktosv wrote:rhondavid wrote:Getting the trailer rolling as well as keeping it rolling would be a major problem.
It appears that these vehicles will have the 6 speed transmission, which might make it comparible to the current 4 speed and a 3.42 or 3.73 axle (I didn't have the time to compare the gear ratios).
It's actually closer to a 4l60e with 4.10 gears. Here’s the gear ratios for the two.
4l60e
1st 3.08
2nd 1.75
3rd 1
4th .7
6l80e
1st 4.08
2nd 2.36
3rd 1.53
4th 1.15
5th .85
6th .67
From GM “Towing ratings for the Tahoe and Yukon are unchanged, while the Silverado and Sierra increase from 6,600 pounds (2,994 kg) to 7,000 pounds (3,175 kg) due to the new, six-speed transmission and high-capacity cooling package.”
|
kennyzzz
buffalo new york
Senior Member
Joined: 09/04/2003
View Profile
|
my truck,2008full-size extended cab,4x4,Z71 off-road package,373 rear end,5.3 multi-displacement motor,
just did 300 mile trip,20.5 miles to the gallon,just basic pickup,no fancy add-ons,now has 6200 miles on the odometer,was purchased by me,I constantly average 16.5 miles combo driving all the time,this was the first time truck a did highway Road trip.
I believe in America,purchased the vehicle built by hard-working Americans,some who are veterans who have served in our military protect our freedoms.
Chevy 2008 1500 X-cab 5.3 373 posi 4x4 z-71
2003 jayco quest 190 4059 lbs.
|
McDonoughDawg
Peachtree City, GA, USA
Senior Member
Joined: 04/08/2004
View Profile
|
ib516 wrote:3.08 axle ratio, better areodynamics, soft tonneau cover, lower ride height, 2wd only, lower chin spoiler, and even a few more hp/tq. This is NOT a hybrid.
15city/21hwy rated, up from 14/20 for the regular 5.3L V8.
Tow rating drops to 7000#.
Link to story
I see GM is intent on build a truck for folks who don't need a truck.
|
|
|
|
