Anybody upgrade to fullsize from an S10?

Webslinger60 · 11-15-2003, 05:31 PM

I’d like to hear from some owners who used to drive S10’s.
How did you like it? Are you happy with the switch for fullsize?
I know the 2.8 was a dog, but the 4.3 had decent performance, how much better with a 5.7?
Was the power increase worth the mileage loss?
Any easier to work on the engine & body?
Any better choice of performance parts?
Any more interior space
(the area behind the seat doesn’t look much bigger, especially with the spare inside)
Was it more expensive to insure?

Thanks…

flitsct · 11-20-2003, 04:40 PM

I drove a 91 s10 extended cab with a 4.3 for 12 years and put 230,000 on it. It still has the original clutch in it also.
Gave it to my father in-law to use as a farm truck. He still uses it often and says it runs great. I bought a 96 tahoe blazer with a 5.7L and love it. You fold the back seats down and its like have a full size pickup with a topper.
I will get 20 mpg with the cruise on not pulling anything and get around 16mpg when pulling or city driving. It pulls my boat (16 ft Bluefin) with little effort. I will never go back to the S10 because of the comfort and ride I have with the Tahoe.

Joe_T · 12-10-2003, 06:12 PM

I had a '87 2.8 S-10 automatic and a '90 S-10 4.3 automatic, both were good trucks but no comparison to my '96 Tahoe fullsize 2-dr 4WD 'sport' automatic.

The '87 got about 20 mpg, the '90 18, and 15.5-16.0 is the best my 4WD Tahoe ever gets. But the ride, size, towing capacity and off-road service are first rate. I love the huge engine bay and well laid out chassis. Doesn't feel as "cheap" as the S-10s when you look at it closely, sorry if that offends anyone.

As far as quickness or speed, the '96 will outdrag my '91 4.3 I know cause I raced somebody driving my other truck at the time

The 350 with vortec heads ('96+) are quicker than the 4.3 S-10s. The 95 and prior 350 TBI trucks (200 HP only) will get smoked though!

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