Originally Posted By: AZjeff
I had a 2000 Silverado with the 5.3, a friend bought an identical 2001 with the 4.3 mainly for better mileage. It never got the mileage my 5.3 got and he complained about it every day he owned it. There was a problem with the rear calipers corroding solid in salt areas, not sure when/if they fixed that issue. Nothing wrong with that 4.3, just a little down on power.
Agreed-the 4.3 tends to do best in lighter vehicles (S-10/-15/Sonomas & Astro/Safaris)if one doesn't carry a lot of weight they're OK, but they drink gas when worked hard, or even short tripped. If you're going to tow or haul weight, I would hold out for a small V8.