[NH_Bulldog]

In the interest of fuel mileage, many manufacturers are going with lower gear ratios combined with more transmission gears. The 2013 5.3L makes 315 HP and 335 lb-ft of torque and has cylinder cutout (active fuel management) and probably flex fuel capable (E85). My Tahoe Z71 had the same setup but with 3.55 axles, but I never towed with it. I don’t think GM is offering any of those fuel saving features now, so lower axle ratios may be related.

My last truck was an F150 with the 3.5L Ecoboost V6 which made 365 HP and 420 lb-ft of torque and had 3.31 axles. I averaged 9 mpg towing and 17-18mpg around town. It was a towing beast with the HP and torque negating the low axle ratio.

Before you decide to wait too long, remember that GM is already phasing out their gas and diesel powered vehicles to be 100% zero emissions in the next 10-12 years. Many people are so brand loyal that they often don’t consider other manufacturers that may offer a product better suited to their needs/wants. I have owned Ram, Chevy, GMC and Ford. The brand depended on who offered close to what I needed at the time. I liked/disliked certain aspects of each, including a couple of things with my current truck I am not a fan of, but it does what I want/need now and what I want/need it to do for the future.