2500 Suburban MPG

[redhat]

I am entertaining my mind and curious if anyone has some real experience of MPGs on a couple of vehicles.

Say a 96-99 Suburban K2500 with a big block, 7.4. Do they get about 10 MPG or can you squeak more out?

00-06 Suburban 2500 with a 6.0 LQ4 (LS). Maybe 13 MPG? Or more?

Kinda really want a 3/4 ton Suburban. In my mind I am thinking they might be one of the most capable at anything vehicles? Beyond big truck fuel economy.

Don't want to buy anything new anymore, unfortunately kind of turned off from that.

 

[OVERKILL]

I am entertaining my mind and curious if anyone has some real experience of MPGs on a couple of vehicles.

Say a 96-99 Suburban K2500 with a big block, 7.4. Do they get about 10 MPG or can you squeak more out?

00-06 Suburban 2500 with a 6.0 LQ4 (LS). Maybe 13 MPG? Or more?

Kinda really want a 3/4 ton Suburban. In my mind I am thinking they might be one of the most capable at anything vehicles? Beyond big truck fuel economy.

Don't want to buy anything new anymore, unfortunately kind of turned off from that.

What about an Excursion with the 7.3L diesel?

 

[Graham Piccinini]

What about an Excursion with the 7.3L diesel?

These are nice... Unfortunately the price for the used Excursion 7.3L with 450k miles is right about the price of 5-7 K2500 Suburbans with the good old 454 fuel injected big block. A 6.8L V10 Excursion would only cost 2-3 Suburbans with similar mileage, but that V10 is only as reliable as the threads holding the spark plugs... Gotta love modulars with their spark plug fireworks.

 

[Chris142]

You may be able to squeak Double digits out of a 454. The Tahoe my wife had with the 5.3 would get 18 mpg on the hwy. The Tahoe being just slight shorter than a Burban.

I'd assume about the same from the 6.0.

 

[Snagglefoot]

My 2008 Chev Suburban 3/4 ton with a 6.0 gets 15 mpg on the highway doing about 65 mpg. It has a 6 speed auto and a 3.73 rear end.

 

[clinebarger]

In real world use....8-9 mpg on a K2500 Vortec 7.4L & 12-14 mpg on a K2500 LQ4 6.0L. The 4L80E costs you 2-4 mpg right off the bat compared to a 4L60E in a 1500 or a 6L90E found in GMT900 2500 Suburbans.

While not a powerhouse & have there own set of issues....the 6.5L Turbo Diesel can knock down some impressive MPG's!

 

[OVERKILL]

These are nice... Unfortunately the price for the used Excursion 7.3L with 450k miles is right about the price of 5-7 K2500 Suburbans with the good old 454 fuel injected big block. A 6.8L V10 Excursion would only cost 2-3 Suburbans with similar mileage, but that V10 is only as reliable as the threads holding the spark plugs... Gotta love modulars with their spark plug fireworks.

I noticed they can be expensive, though I found a few examples for another member somewhat recently that weren't too bad. The 7.3L was a great engine and that era of Super Duty is a nice truck. I primarily tossed it out there because they tend to run forever and get decent mileage, unlike the gas offerings. They also seem to drag that huge chassis around a lot better.

Yes, I'm well acquainted with the modular plug launch, our Expedition launched #8, though I was able to drive it up the dealership to get it fixed (making quite a racket). Didn't seem to have any negative impact on the engine, it's still going at this point with well over 200,000 miles on it now.

 

[JavierH19]

I drive my xl denali pretty efficiently as i have its gearing and my commute route very well tuned and i can average 16.7mpg out of my 6.0 awd suv all while using thicker oils and lower tire pressures without going below the speed limit or ever making anyone honk or angrily overtake me. If i drive it without caring and like any normal person would I'm in the 13.4-14.2 range easily. And that's with the mpg counter reset before i even turn the engine on. I reset in the on position then crank it and I still let it idle for some seconds to build pressure before going off. With my 2wd 5.3 sierra about 18.8. In my 2wd escalade about 19.2 with that stupid auto start turned off or it'd be even better.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

These are nice... Unfortunately the price for the used Excursion 7.3L with 450k miles is right about the price of 5-7 K2500 Suburbans with the good old 454 fuel injected big block. A 6.8L V10 Excursion would only cost 2-3 Suburbans with similar mileage, but that V10 is only as reliable as the threads holding the spark plugs... Gotta love modulars with their spark plug fireworks.

Spark plug repairs are figured out. You just need to have them done correctly. It’s almost like a old VW, no more secrets everything has already been done.

 

[OVERKILL]

Spark plug repairs are figured out. You just need to have them done correctly. It’s almost like a old VW, no more secrets everything has already been done.

Yep, mine was done with the lock-n-stitch insert, was perfect.

 

[Rob_Roy]

I am entertaining my mind and curious if anyone has some real experience of MPGs on a couple of vehicles.

Say a 96-99 Suburban K2500 with a big block, 7.4. Do they get about 10 MPG or can you squeak more out?

Kinda really want a 3/4 ton Suburban. In my mind I am thinking they might be one of the most capable at anything vehicles? Beyond big truck fuel economy.

You might get 11, but I would not expect much more. My '97 C2500 with a 350 and 4.10 gears averages 11-12. On cross country trips it averaged 12.8.

 

[ATex7239]

I had an ‘09 HD Silverado w/6.0. Basically the same vehicle as the latter. On its best day it got maybe 14 or 15 mpg. Probably averaged closer to 11 or 12mpg. The big fuel tank is a must. Mine had a smaller tank, had to gas it up constantly.

 

[ls1mike]

I had an ‘09 HD Silverado w/6.0. Basically the same vehicle as the latter. On its best day it got maybe 14 or 15 mpg. Probably averaged closer to 11 or 12mpg. The big fuel tank is a must. Mine had a smaller tank, had to gas it up constantly.

I have a 17 and ATex7239 is spot on. I have the long bed so I have the big tank. 6 speed with 4.10s.

The 454...If you are lucky you will see 9. I had a TBI 454 and that was a miserable truck. Reliable and got the job done, but if I got 8 MPG empty I was happy. 3 speed auto non-lock up converter and 4.10s.

I am guessing with a LQ4 and 4L80E you might see 13-14. I had an 02 2500HD 2WD 6.0/4L80E. I was happy to get 14 MPG empty. Towing I was happy to get 8 MPG.

 

[ATex7239]

I have a 17 and ATex7239 is spot on. I have the long bed so I have the big tank. 6 speed with 4.10s.

The 454...If you are lucky you will see 9. I had a TBI 454 and that was a miserable truck. Reliable and got the job done, but if I got 8 MPG empty I was happy. 3 speed auto non-lock up converter and 4.10s.

I am guessing with a LQ4 and 4L80E you might see 13-14. I had an 02 2500HD 2WD 6.0/4L80E. I was happy to get 14 MPG empty. Towing I was happy to get 8 MPG.

I don’t even look at the MPG when towing; it’s so bad I don’t even want to know.

 

[ad244]

I like these trucks alot. If I needed to do some medium towing, I'd pick one of these up for sure. I appreciate the comments in this thread.

 

[ls1mike]

I don’t even look at the MPG when towing; it’s so bad I don’t even want to know.

Hahahahaha, no lies. I will say the 17 gets maybe 1-2 MPG more than the 02 when towing...sometimes, but the 17 will tow circles around my old 454 and the 02. It isn't even a contest.

 

[redhat]

Thanks all.

Yeah I really want one. I find myself towing more than I did years ago. It is no surprise to have the car hauler, 2,500 lbs with a 5k lbs car/truck on it and then a few people in the cab. Easily I find that a 3/4 ton is better suited than beating up against the max cap of a 1/2 ton of this vintage.

I think I'd alluded to it before, but I don't really want much newer stuff. I want something reliable and tried and true (And Abundance of Parts is nice ).

I have thought about another 1/2 ton Suburban, but I do like the thought of leafs in the rear over coil springs. Plus the 4L80e is always catching my eye.

Plus I look at this side of the coin, an LSx based GM truck with a 4L80e... you can do anything with that. Motor goes? Junkyard replacement or do a nice mild 6.0 build. 4L80e are very much so rebuild-able and the rest of the drive-train too. Just seems like a good platform for interchangeability and longevity.

If I think of my current 21 F150 now with it's 5.5 foot bed. I can't imagine there's much that I couldn't put in the back of a 3/4 Burban versus that small truck bed... unless something tall. I have already learned that a 4x8 sheet of OSB fits in the back of a burban easily.

 

[Blinker]

IMO if you’re worried about MPG then a Suburban isn’t the right vehicle for you. No one buys one who is worried about MPG. They might say MPG is a consideration, but it’s more of a facade than anything else.

 

[redhat]

IMO if you’re worried about MPG then a Suburban isn’t the right vehicle for you. No one buys one who is worried about MPG. They might say MPG is a consideration, but it’s more of a facade than anything else.

I'm not that concerned with MPG but where it is relevant in the conversation is distance. A 3 MPG gain could easily be 100 miles extra distance on a tank.