Damn! I Could’ve Had A … 
New pickup V-6s join the “300 Club” and bring excellent fuel economy to the performance table
by Bruce W. Smith
Ten years ago about the only people buying full-size pickups with V-6s were big fleets that had drivers constantly on the road with very little towing involved, or smaller contractors who just wanted a cheap truck for basic work transportation.
Of course, a decade ago pickup V-6s were anemic in power and not much better in fuel economy than their V-8 counterparts. So there wasn’t much incentive to stay with the base engines at the time.
That’s all changed: Today’s V-6s are stout performers.
They incorporate high-tech designs such as direct-injection, cylinder deactivation and variable-valve timing, making as much horsepower and torque as smaller V-8s of just a couple years ago – and without the added purchase and maintenance costs.
Today’s pickup V-6s are are a good buy for anyone who wants ½-ton pickup capability with excellent fuel economy.
V-6s In The “300 Club”
Ford’s 3.7L base V-6 makes 302hp and delivers 17mpg in the city.
For example, 2014 Ram 1500 Ram Truck’s base engine is a high-revving 3.6L Pentastar V-6 that debuted last year.
It makes 305 horsepower at 6,400rpm while developing 269 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,175rpm—all the while delivering 25mpg on the highway and 18mpg in town.
The 3.6L, which is available in the Tradesman and mid-trim-level models, comes with the new 8-speed automatic and gives the Ram 1500s up to 7,450 pounds of towing capacity. Driving it feels better than the Dodge 290hp 4.7L V-8 it replaced.
The other pickup manufacturers also have strong V-6s in their powertrain line-up. GM’s 302hp 3.6L V-6 coming out in the 2015 Colorado/Canyon is a rock-solid, high-revving power maker.
Ford’s base F-150 engine is another high-revver – the 302hp 3.7L V-6 with 278 lb.-ft. in the torque department. It has EPA numbers of 17 city/23 highway.
Of course, everyone knows about the optional 365hp EcoBoost V-6 with it’s V-8 torque of 420 lb.-ft. and 16/22mpg numbers.
Strong MPG Numbers
GM’s 285hp 4.3L V-6 gets 24mpg on the open road.
Then there’s GM’s new EcoTec3 V-6s that lay claim to the most torque and highest towing rating of any standard V-6. The 4.3L cranks out 285 horsepower and 305 lb.-ft. of torque.
The 4.3L’s 18/24mpg EPA numbers in 2014 Silverado/Sierra 1500s is strong. So is the towing capacity of 7,600 pounds.
Toyota’s V-6 is nothing to sneeze at, although it’s now taking up the backseat in the performance category. The 4.0L makes 270hp and 278 lb-ft torque with an EPA rating of 16 city/ 20 highway for 2WD Tundra models. – Bruce W. Smith
