The 250 is just fine for a 1/2 ton pickup for just driving around. The 250 just doesn't have enough torque. Get yourself a 292. My Dad was a mechanical contractor and owned many Chevrolet pickups, the guys that didn't haul much weight got a 250 and the plumbers trucks all came with a 292 and they did a good job, if they had to haul a big load of supplies to a jobsite they got the job done but it still labored pretty hard in hills.