Looking for another Suburban

[SnowDrift]

My bride and I are going to be in the market for another Suburban in a year or so and, as with most other major purchases I make, I'll be "shopping" for the time between now and then. It will be a 2000+ model. Right now, I'm just wanting to narrow a chassis and engine down. Since the Duramax conversions are a little out of our price range, I'll be going for a 5.3 or 6.0 gasser. If we go with a 6.0, then it will have 3.73 gears. I'm leaning heavy toward a 2500 chassis instead of a 1500 due to braking ability, but I have a 1500 in the back of my mind because I was told some time ago that the brakes on the 1/2 tons (newer '00-? body style) are 2x the size of those on the older body style ('90-99).

In the future, we may tow a small (under 24') camper on occasion, but the vast majority of the use will be for a vehicle for my wife to drive back and forth to work. Her '94 is getting in the neighborhood of 14 mpg and it doesn't really change when we're on the highway. Anything above that, or equal will be fine with me.

I've heard a number of mileage ranges on the 6.0L, though and that is what has me in a pickle. Some guys say 10-11 mpg and other guys say 17-18 mpg. Since the newer ones have tiny fuel tanks, this concerns me, too.

Talk to me, guys. What mileage is real on the 6.0L and what gears are you running?

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

If your only going to ocasionally tow, go for a 1500 with a 5.3L and the 3.73 gears in it. The 6.0L will tow better, but won't get the milage. Alot of the milage variations is the driver as well, but I doubt you'll see more than 15 out of a 6.0L unless you drive alot of highway with an egg under your foot.

 

[btfarm]

Our '02 5.3/3.73 always got a good 17+ when I was driving it (rarely) and near 20 on trips but she's got a heavy foot so normal is around 16 for her. The '07 (NBS) she drives is about the same with 5.3/3.73. I've never spent any time driving that though. I suspect I could get over 20 since it's got cyl shutoff. BTW both are Tahoes but a burb will be no more than 1/2 mpg lower.

 

[SnowDrift]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Does anyone have information on the brakes or a comparison from having an older body style and bumping up to a newer one?

 

[btfarm]

4 wheel discs=excellent brakes. Night and day difference from the '97 Tahoe and '99 Yukon we had before the '02 and '07 Tahoes. If you're towing you'll put a Tekonsha brake module in there too.

 

[SnowDrift]

Yup, likely a Tekonsha Prodigy since that's what I'm used to using on my truck. I've installed two others on dad's Duramax and a neighbor's Duramax when I put his gooseneck hitch in.

 

[rtquig]

Depending on the year Suburan you get, I would stay away from the newer 5.3 with the active fuel management (AFM). A lot of sites mention there is considerable oil comsuption due to blow by when the engine is in the 4 cylinder mode. This supposedly happens around 40K or so. I have 2 vehicles with that engine, a Yukon and a Silverado, but both with low mileage so I can't say I have experienced it myself. I have literally read at least 300 posts on the subject and have myself sick after buying the Silverado this year. If you google, try 5.3 and oil consumption or 5.3 AFM and you will come up with some good reading.

 

[SnowDrift]

Was that available on the 2000-2006 models? That is the era we'll be looking for.

 

[rtquig]

It didn't have it on our 2002 Suburban with the 5.3L, but when we got the 2008 Yukon they had it. I don't know which year they started.

 

[ak diesel driver]

my brothers 04 doesn't either

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

The DOD engines strarted in 07 when they went to the new GMT-900 body style as an option on the 5.3L engines.

 

[SnowDrift]

Does anyone happen to have a scaled weight of the 2500 version and/or the 1500 version in the 2000-2006 body (all options and leather)? Our '94 weighs in around 6000# or so, if I remember right.