What Engine You Chose and why VOTE

Texcl2 · July 21, 2022

I chose the 2.7ho on my new 2022 refresh trailboss. I drove the 3.0, 5.3 and the 2.7. I wasn’t impressed by the 3.0 it seemed laggy and sluggish compared to the 5.3 & 2.7, not by a whole lot though, then there’s the fact that diesel fuel is 20-25% more expensive than gas plus you have to use def so that adds to the cost, maintenance is always more expensive, most of the many diesels I’ve owned over the years cost twice as much to maintain. Then once the engine is out of warranty the major parts that fail cost far more than a gas engine. It did come with a standard 100k warranty though. That doesn’t mean it’s going to last longer than a well built gas engine though, small diesels are a crap shoot. Basically the cost of ownership even with the better mileage wasn’t as good as the gas engines.

The 5.3 is a good engine but has been having some major problems like valve spring failure ect… I’m friends with a couple Chevy mechanics and they told me the 2.7 has way fewer issues in their experience. I drive 5.3’s all the time and after driving the 2.7ho felt that the 2.7 was equal to it but gleaned better mpg’s plus I enjoyed the drive quality more, which is hard for me to describe what exactly it is. It also came with discounts adding up to several thousand over the diesel or v-8s. Most of the miles on my truck in the summer are towing and it has been great! I also drive a new 2022 Tahoe every day with the 5.3 and it’s fine as well, all 3 were admittedly close in performance. The 2.7 runs at 1500rpms most of the time so I’m not sure why it would have a shorter life and turbos are much cheaper than they used to be so not worried about having to replace it post 100k but I’m sure it’ll last longer than that, only time will tell. We have had ford eco boost engines and put gobs of hours on them and ridden them hard with no majors issues so just not worried about it.

KARNUT · July 21, 2022

In the time of this thread I changed my mind. I like over achievers. I have to try the 4cylinder. I would lower the single cab. Get the performance gear and go looking for a tune. I bet you can get another 100 horsepower out of it.

newdude · July 21, 2022

I had a 5.3 old body 2019 until recently. AFM was turned off for 45,000mi of the 48,****** I put on it, and had a dyno tune as well most of that time as well.

I went 2.7T HO this time around. I have zero regrets as well. I've seen some people mention the low end grunt that's on tap, but to me with the HO at least, the sweet spot is 2000-4000rpm. It feels every bit as fast as my 5.3 did via my butt dyno. I have some logged runs (in Mexico) 1/4mi and 0-60s so I will have to try it with my 2.7 and see how close they are on paper.

Big_Kahuna · July 23, 2022

surprised to see the mighty 6.2 is in the lead, I was 100% sure that the 5.3 will lead ....

Steve-2019 · July 23, 2022

16 minutes ago, FJB said:

surprised to see the mighty 6.2 is in the lead, I was 100% sure that the 5.3 will lead ....

That's b/c the 6.2L is King.

Big_Kahuna · July 23, 2022

9 minutes ago, Steve-2019 said:

That's b/c the 6.2L is King.

I agree that is why I have one on order

DenaliSS · August 14, 2022

I had a 6.0L in my last truck, the natural progression would be the 6.2L, right? Haha

I'm really happy so far with the 6.2L mated with the 10-speed and I'm averaging double the mpg compared with my last '03 GMC Sierra Denali and that's with keeping it in AWD.

Steve-2019 · August 16, 2022

On 7/23/2022 at 11:30 AM, Steve-2019 said:

That's b/c the 6.2L is King.

Today I stretched out the 6.2L on a deserted roadway. She is one mighty fine machine! Just can't get enough of all those 8 cylinders pumping out them ponies on some $5.50 gal. premium Brandon fuel.

Mike Borowski · August 17, 2022

I would take the 6.2 of those three. But the 2.7 over the 5.3. The updated 3.0 looks mighty nice too!

jaxcam02 · August 17, 2022

Coming from a guy that's owned a camaro continuosly since 2007 (4th gen 5.7's, 6th gen 6.2 SS and ZL1). That Brandon enduced fuel cost was too much to bear and I had to get into another truck to haul ****** from the home improvement stores. Had a 2017 5.3 for a few years but it was double cab so I sold it in 2021 and waited for a 22 refresh with center console and crew cab I liked. Whether it had the 6.2 or 5.3 I didn't really care. I just know I wanted the 10 speed and I found one on a lot with the 5.3 and most importantly the dealer was not charging any $10k dealer up charge fees like every other dealer so I took it home. The dealer also offered me significant value for my ZL1. It was just the right move at the right time for me. Plenty of power and torque for my needs.

Blade8971 · August 18, 2022

I purchased my 2020 TB equipped with 6.2L and the 10 speed transmission and initially thought I made the wrong choice on the engine as it required premium fuel leading to resulting in higher costs at the pump especially now with fuel prices being high in Canada but stable at the moment. How 2023 will go in terms of cost at the pump hard to say at this time. Anyhow, my truck over the past two years has surprised me and still does on the fuel mileage as the older it gets, the better mileage it gets during winter and summer seasons. During this summer, driving locally been getting about 510 kms per tank which is pretty good for this big engine. The past few winter seasons I've been around the 400 km mark, thus won't be surprised for the upcoming winter season that I'd over 400 kms routinely. Now driving on the highway for long trips, again this truck shines on mileage regardless of weather conditions. Aside from the mileage, hard to dismiss the fact that I have a truck with a big motor that goes like hell when needed and is enjoyable to drive. Considering the direction GM is going in the future...all EV...I think any GM truck equipped with the 6.2L would be the max of engine size for the 1500 trucks, thus would become a rare breed.

Scott Dobbs · September 14, 2022

I went with the 6.2 because it was equipped with the Trail Boss they had in stock, happy I did as the 5.3 gas mileage is negligible compared to the 6.2 and the added Horsepower is just plain fun.

Edited September 14, 2022 by Scott Dobbs

11bravoZ71 · October 12, 2022

5.3l because IMO. It’s the original. Doesn’t need high octane gas for the long run. It’s well rounded. And has more then enough power. I’m not racing in a pickup truck.

just needs a DFM or AFM hard delete and rebuild. And It’s gold.

BossTaco2020 · October 14, 2022

On 7/23/2022 at 1:12 PM, FJB said:

surprised to see the mighty 6.2 is in the lead, I was 100% sure that the 5.3 will lead ....

It's because this forum is likely skewed to enthusiasts. I'm certain the 5.3 sells more than the 6.2 in the real world.

1AT4 · November 4, 2022

Add me to the list of happy 6.2 owners. For me, the 5.3 was just a bit lacking. I checked MPG's but it wasn't really at the forefront of my mind. My opinion is I was buying a truck for reasons that had nothing to do with fuel economy. Obviously everyone has their own circumstances. The 6.2 fit my needs and desires best.