What's your fuel economy?

[Steve]

Just curious what type of fuel economy people are getting here.

Please list the year of your burbon, the type of engine and what you do with it.

1993 K2500 w/454 about 12mpg. I'm only using it to drive to/from work. (about 11miles roundtrip)
I won't take it on the highway anymore with these gas prices, but it was doing about 14-16mpg highway.

[Steve]

That's about what I have found myself. About 12 MPG. Towing is less, sometimes as little as 8 or 9!

[rt1092]

I just picked up my "new" (ebay) suburban. From 250 miles away. 2500, 5.7 auto (4L80E). Got better than 16 Mpg.
I'm impressed. That was driving 70 mph. Now I'll have to see how it tows my 26 ft enclosed race car trailer?

[84fiero123]

86 with 350 carb. 2 wheel drive auto overdrive around town 10 or 12 mpg. Highway around 18 but I could be wrong it's been a while and my memory is shot :roll:

94 5.7 L, I hate the new engine designations. TBI, auto overdrive 4 wheel drive. 14 around town, but I really have never checked it, now with the stock tailer behind it you can figure on half that.
On the highway keeping it under the speed limits, and we never do that. Around 20 but we have never really checked it.
I feel if you need to check it you shouldn't be driving the Burb. The truck is made to work with and as such the mileage is just secondary to having the power to do the job.

[Steve]

Wow, 16 MPG is pretty impressive for the 5.7 in a suburban.

Let me just tell you that the 7.4L 454 doesn't quite get that. :-)

[jack77]

I have a '78 'Burb 4wd with the 350/th350 and 3.42 gears that gets about 9mpg. I also just bought an '01 'Burb 4wd with the 5.3/ 4l60E combo that gets about 12. Has anyone used a throttle body spacer or an intake tube with the 5.3, if so have you noticed any difference in power or fuel economy?

[Steve]

Hey, another '78 owner! :-) Welcome aboard!

[jack77]

I also have a '76 truck that is just used for plowing, an '83 shortbed, stepside that is in show condition and a '95 full size truck for a daily driver.

[Aeropagus]

I usually get somewhere in the mid-teens when I'm just tooling around town.

[perezj1963]

I have a 1999 6.5TD 2500 HD Suburban and get around 13 to 14 mpg (UK Gallon).
I think I have a diesel injector problem not that the truck runs rough or anything.

Anyone else got a Diesel Burb?

Regards
Jess

[Steve]

What's the difference between an US Gallon and a UK Gallon? Does one speak in proper english and one not? ;-)

[cji035]

my new (yippee I finally got one) 2005 seems to be getting around 17-18 highway, and about 15-16 local :D

[Steve]

Hey CJ, welcome to the site. What type of engine do you have in your Burban?

[Dr_Zero]

I have been averaging around 18MPG I have been very happy! :D

[Steve]

Well, I guess that's what I get for having a 454.

[Dr_Zero]

LOL! Yeah I got the 5.7 and it has been better than expected everyone kept saying 7-9 and you dont want that but I havent looked back!

[G22C]

The all-time best mileage I got out of my '99 GMC 'burben was 20 (highway). I do a lot of driving up and down the I-5 corridor between Portland, OR and Tacoma, WA (135 miles approx. one way) so that's always been a great way for me to consistently monitor my mpg's.

This, of course, is the result of a few aftermarket parts like a K&N cold air box, MSD box/wires, SLP 160 deg. thermostat, Headman headers / Magnaflow cat-back exhaust, etc. I think the HARDEST part about achieving a consistent 20 mpg was trying to stay below 65mph to keep the aerodynamic drag to a minimum. Apart from those few lucky times of hitting 20 mpg, a majority of my mpg's have been more realistically around 18 mpg... which I am always more than happy with.

To be honest, for as big and powerful Suburban's are, I think they get pretty decent gas mileage when compared to most other trucks out there on the roads.

[Steve]

The all-time best mileage I got out of my '99 GMC 'burben was 20 (highway). I do a lot of driving up and down the I-5 corridor between Portland, OR and Tacoma, WA (135 miles approx. one way) so that's always been a great way for me to consistently monitor my mpg's.

This, of course, is the result of a few aftermarket parts like a K&N cold air box, MSD box/wires, SLP 160 deg. thermostat, Headman headers / Magnaflow cat-back exhaust, etc. I think the HARDEST part about achieving a consistent 20 mpg was trying to stay below 65mph to keep the aerodynamic drag to a minimum. Apart from those few lucky times of hitting 20 mpg, a majority of my mpg's have been more realistically around 18 mpg... which I am always more than happy with.

To be honest, for as big and powerful Suburban's are, I think they get pretty decent gas mileage when compared to most other trucks out there on the roads.

Yeah, that's pretty good mileage. I've done that drive between Portland and Tacoma, of course I went further north to Kirkland/Bellevue.

How's the investment in that aftermarket stuff paid off? With $3/gallon fuel it probably paid for that stuff more quickly, just wondering how long it too to pay it off. I think other people are putting a pencil to it to see how much money they have to spend to get 2 MPG difference.

[curtolson]

Steve my 454 get's about 12 also. I may my truck payments at the pump.
I don't mind one bit. I love that engine.

[G22C]

Steve... I've never really gotten deep into calculating all the mpg/cost ratio of all those aftermarket parts, but I'd put a general estimate on it at just a tad shy under $1,000. I've had these mods on my 'burban for about four years now... with parts being added a little at a time here and there througout those years.

If there was any ONE BIG NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE made, I'd really have to say that it was the K&N cold air intake box and filter. The stock box/filter was insanely restrictive to get a proper air/fuel mixture, as most others have also probably noticed. That one modification alone gained me at least another 1-2 mpg on the highway.
After making that single mod (and before adding any other parts), I monitored my mpg's on my frequent I-5 drives to/from Tacoma for two weeks... and yep, sure enough I went from an average of 16 mpg to 18 mpg. As for city mileage, that's always been a little harder for me to average out since I didn't notice any drastic mpg gains (low-end torque gains were a bit noticeable, though)

After four years, I'm pretty sure that modification has already paid for itself at the pumps on the K&N box and filter assembly. I really do believe it's worth the cost/mpg gain ratio for those that do a lot of highway driving.

[TrailLeadr]

I can't say that my mileage is all that great, but I haven't had to put gas in the truck in over 6 months. (due to my rebuild) I don't suppose that counts huh....:lol:
Prior to the rebuild I was getting about 14-15 hwy, and about 10-12 in the city. I'm interested to see how it looks after I'm done.

[conurema3]

I have a 99 K2500 TurboDiesel and got about 20mpg in the summer, now in the cold maine winter (just beginning) with brand new tires, I'm only getting about 17mpg, but not too bad anyway - i drive alot of mixed driving, and honestly it doesn't seem to matter weather I'm caring about driving conservatively or not. Towing our little trailer (under 2000lbs) we got 14 mpg hwy.

[unplugged]

All I can say is I didn't marry my wife for her waistline and I didn't buy my burb for it's fuel economy. I love my wife and I love my burb. That's my story and I'm stickin to it. :?

[ppettit2005]

Ummm... I think I consitantly get about 15mpg out of my 1995 two-door 4x4 350 V8... shouldn't I expect better out of any vehicle now-a-days though??? I mean honestly the 1995 toyota corolla got like 30mpg... shouldn't we expect that from SUV's by now???

[curtolson]

[quote="ppettit2005"]Ummm... I think I consitantly get about 15mpg out of my 1995 two-door 4x4 350 V8... shouldnWell ppettit if you can tow your boat with 8 adults in the corolla and get 30 mph you are my hero.

[84fiero123]

Ummm... I think I consitantly get about 15mpg out of my 1995 two-door 4x4 350 V8... shouldn't I expect better out of any vehicle now-a-days though??? I mean honestly the 1995 toyota corolla got like 30mpg... shouldn't we expect that from SUV's by now???

Got to agree you are comparing a 3 ton truck to a 1 ton car.

And those cars aren't getting any better mileage now than they did then.

[ollie5376]

FORTY RODS PER HOGS HEAD(GALLON?) AND THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT! :lol:

[Steve]

:-)

[no-blue-screen]

98 Burban 7.4L with 117k... 10-12 mpg.

[esponet]

94 k1500 350
i get about 14 average.
one time, a guy pumping at a gas station told me "gas prices must be killing you" i told him "no, my chevelle geta about twice as less, so to me this is a real gas saver" he just looked at me funny
can't drive one of these and complain about gas.

[Rockman59]

I have an '06 Suburban with the 5.3 engine and 3:42 gears, 4 x 4. I recently drove from Seattle, WA to Palm Springs, CA with the vehicle loaded to the max with furniture, household goods, clothes, etc. In WA my speed on the hiway was around 75 mph, in Oregon 65 to 70, and once into CA I was running around 75 to 80 for most of the trip which totaled 1200 miles. I zeroed the fuel computer when I left and when I pulled into my driveway in CA the reading was 19.9 mpg. I can get 22 mpg by driving under 65 mph and with the Suburban unloaded. Around the desert area here the in-town mileage is 14 to 15 mpg. CA gas in this area has 10% ethanol added to it so the vehicle gets less mpg here than in the Northwest. I had a '92 Suburban with the 5.7 engine, 3.42 and 4 x 4 that got 17 mpg highway and 13 to 14 in town. I also used to own a '90 3/4 ton 4 x 4 with the 454 big block engine, huge wheels and tires, heavy duty everything. People used to ask me "what kind of mileage do you get with that thing?" And I always told them the truth: "20 miles per gallon.........12 on the highway and 8 in town"!!!!!!!

[KD7ONE]

I am getting 12.1 miles per gallon.......... Or is that gallons per mile?

[dwill3015]

I'm getting roughly 14.5 mpg with my 2500HD Duramax. I have about 2500 miles on it and it will continue to improve as it gets broke in.

[GM_Guy]

I'm averaging 20 mpg in my 89 sub

[KD7ONE]

How are you getting 20 MPG? Do you have a diesel engine?

[GWAGON_99]

My fuel economy:
Poor to Quite Poor

Except the motorcyle. I can get just about anywhere on $7

[GM_Guy]

How are you getting 20 MPG? Do you have a diesel engine?

nope, 350 gas, 700R4 3.73 posi
last road trip I did, 62 miles. took 3 gallons to fill up completely full.mpg that trip: 20.6 averaging 16-18 mpg

[Crawdaddy]

yah, my sub has 3.02 gears and the 350, they seem to get excellet fuel mileage and still have the low-end torque when required. My sub gets between 20-22mpg highway.

[TrailLeadr]

yah, my sub has 3.02 gears and the 350, they seem to get excellet fuel mileage and still have the low-end torque when required. My sub gets between 20-22mpg highway.

Wow! I honestly didn't think they put 3.02 gears in any suburban. I thought the lowest they ever put in was a 3.42.
Do you know if that's factory?

[Crawdaddy]

well, when my uncle and I were checking out the truck, he found the original window sticker in the glove box (wow!). As he was reading down the list of what's in it, he noticed it had 3.02 gears (I'm 90% sure it was 302s...it may have been .42, but I will certainly update when I get the damn thing....the anticipation is killing me :S )

CORRECTION: I was incorrect. It has 3.08 gears in the rearend. My uncles apparently had a better memory than I did.

[TrailLeadr]

When are you getting it? I think I'd be going nuts by now. I'm thinking you have the patients of a saint.

[Crawdaddy]

Well, long story short, I'm paying for this truck with the excess funds provided by my student loan.. And my college is being VERY pokey about getting the funds from the bank and then delivering the excess to me. The sub is about all I think about day and night. It'll probably be another 2 weeks before they can cut me a check. Thankfully the seller is a very patient person. Once I actually get the blasted thing, there'll be a whole flurry of more talking from me. And with all my other problems, LOTS of photos will be appearing. Thanks for your concern tho, trailedr :)

[daanbc]

My 04 LT 2wd gets 12.9/14-mpg around town=(grocery shopping/kids to school/baseball practice) We have not taken it on a long trip yet. Only have owened it 2-months.

[TrailLeadr]

CORRECTION: I was incorrect. It has 3.08 gears in the rearend.

That's cool!:biggrin:

Your 'burb proves that there's hope out there for burbs to get decent mpg's

[terry0341]

What are you all getting in your 07 Burbs?

[Gunslinger]

My 02 5.3 does 18 on long highway trips. Haven't driven it in three years (been overseas) and the first thing I am going to try s the KN cold air intake to see how that affects mileage.

[dpoe]

I get around 14.5 to 15 combined in my 2001 suburban. I honestly do about half city and half highway driving so I guess that's decent.

[Crawdaddy]

Well, on my second fillup now, and my MPG for them has been right at 14MPG. My mileage is a little hard to determine exactly what the ratio of highway to city is, as I drive on a lot of backroads where I go fairly fast (60-70mph in a 20), but I'm also accelerating and decellerating alot as I go around curves. I'm guessing that straight highway my mpg would increase, since I wouldn't be changing speed so much. Hopefully at the end of May I'll have a good idea of what my straight highway mpg is. But, for a weekends-only vehicle, I can live with 14 MPG...

[gmcjohnny]

i have 01 2500 2wd 6.0l an get 15 around town an 18 to 19 on the highway all the bells an whistels i bought it for comfort not milage ,i did put a cold air system on it an 0 to 60 is alot faster an passing on hiway is great (step aside i'm comming threw) LOL

[terry0341]

My new burb is getting a solid 17. I have had a couple of tanks at 19 and 18. I am loving life because my 03 Trailblazer was getting around 12 on a good day and did not have the room of the burb!:party:

[Crawdaddy]

I've been getting 14mpg on my 91 1500 burb w/ the SB 350 for a highway/city mix. I run her right around 78 on the highway.

[Steve]

Who else, thought I would revive this old thread.

[RatRod]

I am up to 19 mpg now mixed driving.

[JayMack75]

I get 8-9 city and 12-13 highway. I have the 8.1L Big Block. The suburban is a 2005 2500HD

[Steve]

How's everyone else holding up with their MPG?