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The Drive reports that GM’s most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered full-size SUVs—the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and GMC Yukon—are rated at 17 mpg combined with the 5.3-liter V8, the same figure as for the 2010 model year. The report says their ratings were higher in some years between 2015 and 2021, while comparable GM pickups gained two mpg over the longer period. The figures describe EPA combined fuel economy, not every version or real-world driving.
GM’s most efficient gasoline-powered full-size SUVs are rated at 17 mpg combined for the 2025 model year, matching the figure reported for the 2010 model year, according to a comparison published by The Drive. The comparison covers the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon when equipped with the 5.3-liter V8, and illustrates how little their best combined fuel-economy rating has changed over the period.
The figure is a comparison of the most efficient gas-engine configuration for each SUV, not a claim that every engine, trim or drivetrain has the same rating. The Drive identifies GM’s 5.3-liter small-block V8 as the relevant engine and reports that the three models each reach 17 mpg combined in 2025. The article compares this with a 17 mpg figure for the 2010 model year.
The trend was not consistently flat. According to The Drive’s account of the model-year data, the SUVs reached 18 mpg combined in 2015 and from 2019 through 2021, and 19 mpg from 2016 through 2018. Their ratings then fell to 17 mpg after 2021 and remained there through the 2025 figure cited in the report. The article notes that GM introduced its Duramax inline-six diesel in 2021, but does not establish that the engine’s arrival caused the gas SUVs’ lower rating.
The comparison also says GM’s full-size pickups improved from 18 to 20 mpg over the same general period, a difference the report describes as an 11% gain. It attributes the pickup change to base models using smaller engines. That comparison is separate from the SUV result: it does not mean the SUVs received the same engine changes or that all pickups and SUVs achieve those ratings in ordinary driving.
What the 17-Mpg Rating Shows
For shoppers choosing a large SUV, a combined rating of 17 mpg offers a straightforward point of comparison, but it also underscores the fuel costs associated with these vehicles. The figure is a standardized rating, not a prediction of what a particular owner will get. Actual consumption can vary with traffic, weather, load, driving style and vehicle configuration.
The long comparison period is relevant because efficiency gains in trucks and large SUVs can be modest in absolute mpg terms while still affecting fuel use across years of driving. The report’s pickup example—18 mpg to 20 mpg—shows a small numerical increase, while the SUVs’ cited 2025 rating matches the 2010 figure. Buyers weighing a gasoline V8 against a diesel option should compare the specific vehicle’s ratings and local fuel prices; The Drive cautions that diesel’s cost per mile may not be lower when diesel prices are high.
GM full-size SUV fuel economy 2025
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How the Model-Year Comparison Works
The source is a comparison based on fuel-economy information assembled by Modelyears.com, as described by The Drive. It looks across model years rather than reporting a new test of the vehicles. The article places the current 17 mpg rating against the 2010 model-year figure and tracks intervening ratings, including the higher numbers reported from 2015 to 2021.
The comparison has limits. The Drive says the dataset omits models introduced or discontinued between 2009 and 2026, vehicles whose names changed, and some models without an explained reason. It also lacks continuous comparisons for vehicles that changed powertrains, such as the Toyota Sienna after it became hybrid-only. Those omissions mean its broader market comparisons should not be treated as a complete account of every vehicle’s efficiency history.
GM’s full-size SUV lineup includes the Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon. The report focuses on the best-rated gasoline option, rather than the SUVs’ other powertrains. It also says GM has developed a new family of V8 engines that may appear in future SUVs, but it does not provide a launch date or fuel-economy figures for any such application.
“The most efficient gasoline-powered, full-size SUVs get the exact same fuel economy they did for the 2010 model year: 17 mpg.”
— The Drive
Chevrolet Tahoe Suburban Yukon V8 engine
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Limits of the Fuel-Economy Data
The comparison does not supply a complete table of every trim, drivetrain or test configuration, so the 17 mpg figure should be read as the reported best gasoline rating, not as a rating for every Tahoe, Suburban or Yukon. The source also does not identify every underlying data point or explain how each version was matched across model years.
It is not clear from the report why the SUVs’ ratings rose during some years and then fell after 2021. The timing of the Duramax diesel’s introduction is mentioned, but no cause is established. The report also offers no confirmed timing or efficiency estimates for the next V8 family’s use in these SUVs. Finally, the ratings alone do not show real-world fuel use or whether diesel would save an individual owner money.
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Future V8s and Buyer Checks
The next relevant development would be confirmed details from GM on when its new V8 family will enter the Tahoe, Suburban or Yukon, and what fuel-economy ratings those versions receive. The report anticipates that the engines could reach SUVs, but provides no schedule or official mileage figures.
Until those details are available, buyers can compare the published ratings for the exact model year, engine and drivetrain they are considering, then check fuel prices and expected use before judging operating costs. The 17 mpg comparison is a historical snapshot, not a guarantee of what a vehicle will achieve on the road.
diesel engine upgrade for large SUVs
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Key Questions
Which GM SUVs are included in the comparison?
The comparison covers the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon, focusing on their most efficient gasoline-powered configurations.
What does 17 mpg refer to?
It is the reported combined fuel-economy rating for the SUVs with the 5.3-liter V8 in the comparison. It does not describe every trim or predict each owner’s real-world mileage.
Were the SUVs rated at 17 mpg in every year since 2010?
No. The Drive reports ratings of 18 mpg in 2015 and from 2019 through 2021, and 19 mpg from 2016 through 2018, before the figure returned to 17 mpg after 2021.
Does the report explain why the ratings fell after 2021?
No. It notes that GM introduced the Duramax inline-six diesel in 2021, but does not establish that this caused the gasoline SUVs’ rating to decline.
Will GM’s new V8 engines improve SUV fuel economy?
The report says GM has a new V8 family that may be used in SUVs, but gives no confirmed launch timing or fuel-economy figures. Any effect remains unknown.
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