Is the 2016 Chevy Silverado 1500 6.2L More Efficient at Towing than the Toyota Tundra V8

2016 chevy silverado v8 high country towing horse trailer mpg highway

Which truck is better suited to tow a 5,760 lbs box (horse) trailer down the highway? Can the 2016 Chevy Silverado with the big and powerful 6.2L V8 be more efficient than a 2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8 at moving the trailer at 70 MPH down the highway?

We ran the Chevy on the same highway loop the same day with the cruise set to the same speed of 70 MPH. We used the same refueling station and method.

The Chevy has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. It has an 8-speed automatic transmission (versus the 6-speed in the Tundra). It also has the MPG-minded 3.23 rear axle ratio. We expected the Chevy to be more efficient, but we were not sure exactly by how much.

2016 Chevy Silverado 2016 Toyota Tundra  2016 Toyota Tacoma
Model CrewCab HighCountry 4×4 CrewCab TRD Pro 4×4 DoubleCab TRD Off-Road 4×4
Engine 6.2-liter V8 5.7-liter V8 3.5-liter V6
Transmission 8-speed Auto 6-speed Auto 6-speed Auto
Power (hp / lb-ft) 420 / 460 381 / 401 278 / 265
Axle Ratio 3.23 4.30 3.91
EPA mpg 15/21/17 13/18/15 18/23/20
Trailer lbs  5,760 lbs * 5,760 lbs * 5,600 lbs
GCWR lbs  12,000 lbs 12,140 lbs 10,740 lbs
Result MPG  10.1 8.15 8.4
  • Trailer weight was increased approximately 160 lbs for the Chevy and the Tundra to compensate for not having technical editor Brian (as was the case with the Tacoma).

The Chevy came up with a result which was nearly 20% better. The low rear-end ratio in the Tundra did it no favors. Watch the video to see all the details.