
How much power each of the two transmissions can take is what will be the defining factor for a good number of people. That’s another thing to consider if you want one for an off-road truck. The 6L80E is also taller or, in other words, sits lower.

That said, the 6L80E is substantially bigger in diameter, making it impossible to fit into older cars without body modifications. However, the 6L80E is shorter at just above 29 inches of overall length compared to 32 of the 4L80E. Naturally, with two extra gears, the 6L80E will be bigger than the 4L80E. Still, with daily driving, nobody will notice the extra 17 lbs, again, making the 6L80E a better choice in that case. And while a 17 lbs difference doesn’t sound like much, if you are drag racing, it can make a difference.īesides, in drag racing, you won’t have much use of the two overdrive gears making a six-speed transmission inherently obsolete. The 4L80E weighs in at 178 lbs, while the 6L80E comes in at 195 lbs. Unfortunately, the two extra gears also make the 6L80E heavier, but not much. That makes the 6L80E a much better option for daily driving. Furthermore, the two final gears are overdrives, so you still get to cruise on the highway at low engine speed, thus, increasing your fuel economy.Īnd lastly, because the engine is under less load with lower gear ratios, the engine will likely last longer with a 6L80E. That gives you much better acceleration and more towing capacity if you have a truck. Remaining on the subject of gears, the 6L80E can get away with having much shorter gear ratios because of the two extra gears. So much so that the 6L80E was soon found in sports cars like the Camaro and the Corvette. With six forward gears, the 6L80E became a much better contender to the Europeans. So, in 2005, the 4L80E got two more gears to make the six-speed 6L80E.
#6l80 transmission manuals#
However, as automatic transmissions became more popular in the early 2000s with the introduction of automated manuals and double clutch automatics, a four-speed was never going to cut it. Some of the cars that got the 4L are the Hummer H1, Chevy trucks, vans, and even Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Jaguar got the 4L80E.

The four gears make even more sense since the 4L80E was primarily used in heavy-duty applications. The 4L80E gets four gears, which used to be enough, considering it came out in 1991. So, the main difference between the two transmissions is the number of gears. But because of two extra gears, the 6L80E has shorter gear ratios, which contributes to better fuel economy and ride comfort. Furthermore, the 6L80E is heavier and significantly bigger, and it can handle slightly less power than the 4L80E. A 4L80E has four gears for driving forward, while a 6L80E has six.

The main difference between 4L80E and 6L80E transmissions is the number of gears. Even though at their core, they are more similar than different, the existing differences are worth considering if you’re looking to gain the most out of your vehicle. Still, one will be better than the other in specific applications. This applies to both the 4L80E and its successor the 6L80E, and you can’t go wrong with either of these transmissions. General Motors has earned a reputation for making some of the most bulletproof automatic transmissions on the market.
