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Mileage expectations?? 2008 Chev w/5.3 - 4 by 4 automatic

A

andy r

Member
I still like regular cab pickups with full boxes for around the farm. They are sort of hard to find. I found a 2008 Silverado LS that looks like it hasn't been used hard. The LS is sort of plain one step higher than the Chevrolet WT (sork truck). What kind of mileage can I expect on the open road with a 5.3, automatic transmission and four wheel drive (assume diving in 2 wheel drive)??? Secondly, is a 5.3 a good engine with longivity??? I assume the transmissions are good as GM typically hasn't had problems. Thank you.
 
I have a 99 1500 with auto and 5.3 205,000 miles and uses no oil between 4,000 oil changes it has 4-10 gear ratio so only gets 16mpg empty.
 
Son has a 2004 1500 4x4 with the 5.3 automatic. He gets 14-15 open road and 12-14 around town. Had a bad lifter replaced under warranty but no problems since.
 
It's not the most powerful engine, the early years of active fuel management (displacement on demand) had a few hiccups, but I hear story after story of very high-mileage 5.3's.

Bottom end is built very well, slightly oversquare (most of the cubic inches come from the bore) with a tough 6-bolt main. If you compare the bigger rods of a 5.3 to an older 350 it's night and day. Like I said not the most powerful, but It is a very solid, reliable motor. I have a theory that oversquare V engines last longer than undersquare V engines. I have no scientific evidence to base that on, but I will never buy an undersquare v8.

From my comparison the 5.3 has less vibration than a 6.0.
 
Reliability. Its normally based on how You drive. Transmission reliability? I work with a lady who is on her 2nd transmission on an 07 with 175,000. She left work Thursday, & had to turn around, & go back because it wouldn't shift gears. Is this now the 3rd transmission in 175,000 for her? Its 4 spd auto with 5.3L, & 4 wd. I haven't owned the 5.3; but I don't really trust the aluminum engine block!
 
My dad has a 2012 regular cab with 5.3 4x4 and gets around 20 and yes the 5.3 is a good motor
 
I have had two 5.3's --- 2001 suburban, 230,000 plus miles when traded, never a lick of engine trouble, 18 cruisie control highway, 14 - 15 local driving. 2002 GMC single cab 1/2 ton 4wd -- 265,000 miles, does not burn oil, 15 local driving, 18-20 empty cruise control highway, 14-15 pulling 10' G/N cow trailer with a couple head.
 
Have a 2004 5.3 4X4 GMC according to the computer 18-19 on the highway and 14-15 in town. I don't live in the city so my in town mileage is better. Check the brake lines mine rusted and I had to replace all of them with SS lines after I went through a red light. I did it myself and cost for the lines was close to $1,000. The lines were pre bend.
Bill
 
(quoted from post at 19:51:05 06/08/14) I still like regular cab pickups with full boxes for around the farm. They are sort of hard to find. I found a 2008 Silverado LS that looks like it hasn't been used hard. The LS is sort of plain one step higher than the Chevrolet WT (sork truck). What kind of mileage can I expect on the open road with a 5.3, automatic transmission and four wheel drive (assume diving in 2 wheel drive)??? Secondly, is a 5.3 a good engine with longivity??? I assume the transmissions are good as GM typically hasn't had problems. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I had a 2004 GMC 1500 auto 4x4 with the 5.3. I bought it new. I pulled an 18 foot 10K lb. trailer, often with my Farmall M on it. Here in Pa we have some hills, so it got a work out. At 85K the transmission went out. At about 120K the clutch fan went out. The gauge cluster failed at 130K. At 175K it started losing power. It ran out to 200K and then all sorts of things started going bad. Alternator, battery, all brake lines, radiator , etc. When I went to sell it at over 200K miles, I soon learned that Kelly Blue Book values are BS. I finally sold it for $2000 and the guy is still drying it, and it barely runs. "Mileage does mean something", it means most everything is worn out. All things considered though, it was a good truck.
 
My 08 1500 5.3 4x4 has 29,000 on it. New it would get 19 empty. 95% of the miles on it are pulling some form of a trailer. Pulling my 24" travel trailer, about 10mpg. Boat and snowmobiles 13-15. No issues with power or mechanics yet(not many miles either).
 
Brother has an 01, I have a 13. We both average 16 - 18 on the highway. Mine would probably do better if I didnt have this stupid 6 speed. Always shifting up and down on the smallest hill. He has like 230000 on his, and just spent $1500 on repairs he kept putting off, small things like oil leaks, coolant leaks, etc. Neighbor has a 07 with 5.3, and hasnt has any trouble with it that I recall. Never saw it not in his driveway, so I assume its not been in the shop since he got it. The 5.3 is a very good engine!
 
Andy hear at the dealership, if we get 1 traded in, it is usually gone the next day. We see them with 300000 miles on them all the time, with no major repairs. That year they will run 19-20 mpg. The newer ones are running 19-22 mpg highway with ethanol gas.
 
I have an 09 WT with the 5.3. I have the 143" wheelbase so extended cab with 6.5 foot bed. Rear end has a 3.73 gear. I typically get 15 mpg running around. I might get 16 down the highway. I don't pull trailers far enough to get a fair MPG reading. Overall I have been happy with performance and reliablility but I only have 50 some thousand miles on it. At this point I would hope to get another 10 good years out of this truck.
 
My is a 2010 4x4 crew cab with the 6 spd transmission.

I averaged 19-20mpg driving to and from work (mostly highway) 15 or so around town.

I put a liftkit and bigger tires (dumb move I know) now 16-18mpg on the highway and 14 mpg around town.

I track my mileage pretty close, liftkit didnt hurt the mileage, it was the bigger/heavier tires. Next set will be back to stock size tires.

93,000 miles, no complaints.

Rick
 
(quoted from post at 08:03:30 06/09/14)
(quoted from post at 19:51:05 06/08/14) I still like regular cab pickups with full boxes for around the farm. They are sort of hard to find. I found a 2008 Silverado LS that looks like it hasn't been used hard. The LS is sort of plain one step higher than the Chevrolet WT (sork truck). What kind of mileage can I expect on the open road with a 5.3, automatic transmission and four wheel drive (assume diving in 2 wheel drive)??? Secondly, is a 5.3 a good engine with longivity??? I assume the transmissions are good as GM typically hasn't had problems. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I had a 2004 GMC 1500 auto 4x4 with the 5.3. I bought it new. I pulled an 18 foot 10K lb. trailer, often with my Farmall M on it. Here in Pa we have some hills, so it got a work out. At 85K the transmission went out. At about 120K the clutch fan went out. The gauge cluster failed at 130K. At 175K it started losing power. It ran out to 200K and then all sorts of things started going bad. Alternator, battery, all brake lines, radiator , etc. When I went to sell it at over 200K miles, I soon learned that Kelly Blue Book values are BS. I finally sold it for $2000 and the guy is still drying it, and it barely runs. "Mileage does mean something", it means most everything is worn out. All things considered though, it was a good truck.
Click to expand...

Twice the power, burns half the fuel of a 70's vintage pickup. and went 200,000 without a rebuild where a rebuild at 60,000-75,000 was the norm. No V belts flipping and slipping . Battery and starter last longer. It never boiled over or suffered vapour lock either.
There is a tendency to forgot how crummy vehicles used to be just a few years ago.
 
We had an 07 with that drivetrain, got 20-22 on a good day on the highway, a lot less pulling trailers, depending on the trailer. Big moving trailer, about 7 foot square on the front, 12 mpg! now we have a 13 with similar drive train except 6 speed, doesn't get as good, should of put new tires on the old one and had a little body work done on it, only had 65,000 on it! Live and learn!
 
Wild isn't it. 84 olds with a 307 and a 4 bbl would get 26 to 28 all day long and weigh a ton more than a new pickup. Progress they call it. Mid range pickups getting 16 to 18 while full size will get more. Of course gasoline was gasoline back then and the pollution from the old engines was horrible. Hard to imagine that burning twice as much fuel with 1/10 the pollution is possible.
 
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