Daily driver suggestions

[80' 427]

so a few of you know I rolled my 84 K10 the other day. I was driving it to work and because it was on lpg it was pretty go at keeping the commute cheaper.
Now I am looking for a replacement. I am pretty limited on budget right now (1500-2000). I was thinking 87-91 suburban because i could reuse my 10 bolts (4.10s with a truetrac and locker) and new 33s and other various parts. is 16-17mpg possible out of a suburban? I could always swap in a 6.0/4l80 later. Blazers and trucks seem to be much more expensive. The other idea is a high mileage 00-06 Tahoe suburban but a high mileage 60e isn't likely to be long lasting and likely half the initial cost of the vehicle. The late mode stuff seems much more effected by rust and seems harder to patch.

 

[campfire]

so a few of you know I rolled my 84 K10 the other day. I was driving it to work and because it was on lpg it was pretty go at keeping the commute cheaper.
Now I am looking for a replacement. I am pretty limited on budget right now (1500-2000). I was thinking 87-91 suburban because i could reuse my 10 bolts (4.10s with a truetrac and locker) and new 33s and other various parts. is 16-17mpg possible out of a suburban? I could always swap in a 6.0/4l80 later. Blazers and trucks seem to be much more expensive. The other idea is a high mileage 00-06 Tahoe suburban but a high mileage 60e isn't likely to be long lasting and likely half the initial cost of the vehicle. The late mode stuff seems much more effected by rust and seems harder to patch.

So what is your question? Are you looking for another truck? Fuel mileage? Cheap purchase cost? The order in which you prioritize those will change what your answer looks like...

 

[CrpMag122]

A 6.2 diesel will get you the mileage you are after. Just ask @beags86. He loves those motors

I honestly like my 6.2 but it is not a daily driver. I can’t be of much help to you because your budget in my area wouldn’t get you much of anything suitable for a daily driver. I do have a lot of experience with 5.3 motors, which is most likely what you would be looking at in the 00-06 years. I have had good luck with them well over 200k miles, but then you start running into transmission issues and rear diff issues if they have been abused.

 

[6872xtc]

so a few of you know I rolled my 84 K10 the other day. I was driving it to work and because it was on lpg it was pretty go at keeping the commute cheaper.
Now I am looking for a replacement. I am pretty limited on budget right now (1500-2000). I was thinking 87-91 suburban because i could reuse my 10 bolts (4.10s with a truetrac and locker) and new 33s and other various parts. is 16-17mpg possible out of a suburban? I could always swap in a 6.0/4l80 later. Blazers and trucks seem to be much more expensive. The other idea is a high mileage 00-06 Tahoe suburban but a high mileage 60e isn't likely to be long lasting and likely half the initial cost of the vehicle. The late mode stuff seems much more effected by rust and seems harder to patch.

That is bad news, but apparently you are okay? Sorry to hear about this.

I would say that it isn't possible to get 16-17 out of a TBI suburban with 33's . At least I'd say that here. I would bet that 14 mpg is possible if the engine and all is in good shape. But maybe others have different experiences. And I don't think that a 6.0 would help, I would bet that it would go down. Not positive, just trying to gauge from my company truck and what I have heard.

A 5.3 Tahoe would be a decent route in my opinion, but you already mentioned the possibility of a transmission failure. And they can have other issues which add up. Out here the rust isn't a concern, my son just bought one with 236K and drove it 100 miles home with the A/C and cruise working for only $800. But it has several things wrong that have made him decide to part it out. The auto-ride suspension needs shocks and there is other problems. I have been in a suburban with 275K that was in better overall condition and still ran well, so there's a chance that you can find one.

 

[HankScorpio]

I also do not think 16-17 mpg is possible on a TBI burb. Its just too heavy. Lift it and add 33", even with 4.10 and it just isn't going to happen. I had a police package 5.3 Tahoe (NEVER should have sold it) that was good on fuel but you wont find a good one for $2000.

 

[HankScorpio]

That is bad news, but apparently you are okay? Sorry to hear about this.

I would say that it isn't possible to get 16-17 out of a TBI suburban with 33's . At least I'd say that here. I would bet that 14 mpg is possible if the engine and all is in good shape. But maybe others have different experiences. And I don't think that a 6.0 would help, I would bet that it would go down. Not positive, just trying to gauge from my company truck and what I have heard.

A 5.3 Tahoe would be a decent route in my opinion, but you already mentioned the possibility of a transmission failure. And they can have other issues which add up. Out here the rust isn't a concern, my son just bought one with 236K and drove it 100 miles home with the A/C and cruise working for only $800. But it has several things wrong that have made him decide to part it out. The auto-ride suspension needs shocks and there is other problems. I have been in a suburban with 275K that was in better overall condition and still ran well, so there's a chance that you can find one.

I agree on the 6.0, both my former work trucks (2006, 2011) did 12-14mpg with the 6.0. I loved them both, great motor, but thirsty.

 

[diesel4me]

You wont get over 17 mpg in any Suburban,even one with a 6.2 and overdrive..unless you live at the top of a mountain and only drive it downhill..they are heavy,and any engine will be working to propel it ..
Sometimes bigger engine do better on MPG in heavy vehicles though--I've had pickups with 454's that did almost as well as a straight six or small block 2 barrel V8 did,or even better under certain conditions..
They loaf along instead of struggling I guess..

My 6.2 in a 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup is lucky to get 16 mpg putting along on back roads under 45 mph,with stock 245/75-16 tires...around town,it might get 12-15 if its not hilly,and there isn't a stop sign or red light every half a mile..it has a TH400,but I doubt one with overdrive would do any better..My best mpg was 18 mpg once,most of the time its closer to 14-15 though..

Too bad your 3000 miles away--I have a '85 K10 Suburban with a 6.2 I bought 10 years ago I never did get registered or driven like I'd hoped--it has a 700R4 that will need replacing or rebuilding but it did run & drive still,i was told overdrive didn't always work,and it would sometimes lose reverse,but it has worked to move it around my yard OK..--now its once nice rust free body has badly rotted rockers,and the rear wheel wells and door bottoms are bubbling up..

Been thinking of selling it ,I put a Diamond snow plow on it 8 years ago,only pushed snow with it once in my driveway...now would be the best time to sell it with winter approaching..

 

[skunked]

I would lean toward a 00-06 Tahoe if those were my two choices for a daily driver. I have an 02 with 280K, transmission was done at 210K.

Avoid the autoride crap if you can, just one less thing to worry about.

 

[6.2Blazer]

Hate to say it, but have you considered buying a little econo car? You can get a lot more bang for the buck and it would probably pay for itself in a couple of years, and then save up money to get a another truck. Good luck getting 16-17 mpg out of a square body Suburban. I drove a '90 K5 with the 6.2 and 700r4 for many years and probably averaged around 15-16 mpg out of it, but the trouble with diesel nowadays is that it cost 10% to 30% more than gas. That means you would have to get closer to 18-20 mpg on the diesel to equate to 16-17 mpg in a gasser.

If gas mileage is a concern and your current budget is only $1500-$2000 you might as well ditch any talk about a 6.0L/4L80E swap. In regards to the fuel mileage of a 6.0 keep in mind that those engines are almost always in a heavier duty truck as compared to a 5.3 so you are not comparing apples to applies. 5.3's were in 1/2 ton trucks generally with higher gearing, lighter overall, and a LOT lighter rotating mass with the 4L60E, 10-bolts, etc... 6.0Ls were in 2500HD and 3500HD trucks that were heavier overall, usually had lower gearing, and much heavier rotating mass with the 4L80E and 14FF axles!

 

[eric67camino]

I would lean toward a 00-06 Tahoe if those were my two choices for a daily driver. I have an 02 with 280K, transmission was done at 210K.

Avoid the autoride crap if you can, just one less thing to worry about.

While the econo-box route makes the most fiscal sense if mpg is of any kind of an issue, however, I wouldn't be opposed to the early 2000's trucks/suvs. Decent mpg for a truck and good longevity from the ls series of engines.

Plus, you have a donor drivetrain to swap into something later, such as k5, k10, etc if you want to get back into a squarebody.

 

[campfire]

Hate to say it, but have you considered buying a little econo car? You can get a lot more bang for the buck and it would probably pay for itself in a couple of years, and then save up money to get a another truck. Good luck getting 16-17 mpg out of a square body Suburban. I drove a '90 K5 with the 6.2 and 700r4 for many years and probably averaged around 15-16 mpg out of it, but the trouble with diesel nowadays is that it cost 10% to 30% more than gas. That means you would have to get closer to 18-20 mpg on the diesel to equate to 16-17 mpg in a gasser.

If gas mileage is a concern and your current budget is only $1500-$2000 you might as well ditch any talk about a 6.0L/4L80E swap. In regards to the fuel mileage of a 6.0 keep in mind that those engines are almost always in a heavier duty truck as compared to a 5.3 so you are not comparing apples to applies. 5.3's were in 1/2 ton trucks generally with higher gearing, lighter overall, and a LOT lighter rotating mass with the 4L60E, 10-bolts, etc... 6.0Ls were in 2500HD and 3500HD trucks that were heavier overall, usually had lower gearing, and much heavier rotating mass with the 4L80E and 14FF axles!

Good points, and that's why I asked Ebke what he is prioritizing. If he just wants mileage, an econobox is the way to go. If he wants mileage plus a truck, he's probably best off with a cheap 5.3 1/2-ton rig (not a 3/4-ton). Robert has a pessimistic view of the 6.2/6.5 family, 18MPG is very possible with a lifted 4WD Suburban on oversized tires with a 14BFF. But I'd bet that a highway-geared 5.3 rig has roughly equal operating cost, now that diesel is more expensive than gasoline.

 

[mrk5]

It's already been stated, but I will also confirm getting better than 14mpg in a 6.0L truck is hard. One of our company trucks is an 08 with the 6.0L and 6 speed auto; I tried driving it as gentle as possible and I think I may have cracked 15mpg 1 time.

I've been daily driving my C10 for most of the year, and I can tell the wind has a huge affect on it. That tells me aerodynamics are always going to make getting high MPG difficult.

I do know my brother-in-law claimed to have gotten near 18mpg in his '06 1/2 ton Chevy with the 5.3L. I just don't know if a squarebody could match that due to aerodynamics that give it the squarebody nickname.

 

[76zimmer]

my 95 TBI 350/4L60e got consistently 13-13.5, rural driving...15 on highway at only 70, it had a hard time staying in OD above those speeds or ANY kind of a hill. But it was a great ride.

 

[diesel4me]

I'm not pessemistic about the 6.2,just saying in a truck weighing 6,250 lbs empty (plus another 200+ lbs at least of junk I carry),you cant expect miracles for fuel mileage..my engine probably is not in top notch condition,and the injector pump either,but 15 mpg is about all you can expect from a heavy brick with poor areodynamics..

The higher cost of diesel offsets any "gains" you get by having one--diesel here now runs between 2.70 to 3 bucks a gallon,regular gas can be had for 2.35-2.45 a gallon..I would agree a 5.3 in a half ton would do as good or possibly better than what my truck gets for fuel mileage..(and it'll start all winter !)..

 

[longbedder]

While we all obviously love the Squares here, they are not fuel efficient and if they're truly in good shape are becoming collector vehicles (i.e.: their price is rising, especially in the Rust Belt).

If you're depending upon your next vehicle for a living and need it to make economic sense, I'd suggest something else.

is 16-17mpg possible out of a suburban?

Since you asked, I get routinely 19-20mpg on the freeway in my 1994 C2500 Burb with a 6.5 turbodiesel (4L80E, 3.73 gears, 285-75R16 tires). That's likely about the best you'll see out of a pre-Vortec Burb of any flavor

My Dad has a 2017 Yukon with the 4-cylinder cruise mode (5.3l engine). He gets 22mpg on the freeway.

 

[muddermilitia]

@blazinzuk has a 88-91 2500 burb with TBI 350, what mpg are ya getting?

You can get 19mpg from a M1009 blazer, but then you have the higher cost of diesel fuel to deal with...

If you don't need this for doin truck things, like if you have another truck for that stuff, then just get some cheap econobox that you don't give a $hit about. Then you won't be interested in modding it out like you would with a squarebody

 

[mrk5]

@blazinzuk has a 88-91 2500 burb with TBI 350, what mpg are ya getting?

You can get 19mpg from a M1009 blazer, but then you have the higher cost of diesel fuel to deal with...

If you don't need this for doin truck things, like if you have another truck for that stuff, then just get some cheap econobox that you don't give a $hit about. Then you won't be interested in modding it out like you would with a squarebody

@blazinzuk has a 454TBI.

 

[Blue85]

My dad had an '82 Sub: 6.2/700R-4/NP208 and it always got over 20MPG on the highway. If you could set the cruise at 55 it was more like mid 20's.

I don't see how a high-mile 4L60E is any more suspect than a 30 year old 700R-4.

 

[yellowK20]

My 1-ton swapped 6.5 turbo suburban on 35” All terrains (in my avatar pic) gets an honest 20mpg running 65 mph on winter fuel .

That’s with 4.10’s and TH400 .

My identically spec’d 90 V3500 gets 19-20

My 98 K3500 6.5/4L80e 4.10’s and 265’s gets 18.

My 94 blazer with the 6.5/4L80e and 3.42 and 265’s got 23 mpg (it’s broken right now)

My 83 K10 6.2/700r4 3.08’s with 31’s gets 25 mpg all day long with the AC blasting doing 75 down the Interstate

A 6.2/6.5 is a viable commuter .


My current commuter is a Buick Regal GS that I reealllly like but when it craters I will go back to a 6.5 powered gmt400 or a 2nd gen Cummins

 

[79rustyk10]

It's already been stated, but I will also confirm getting better than 14mpg in a 6.0L truck is hard. One of our company trucks is an 08 with the 6.0L and 6 speed auto; I tried driving it as gentle as possible and I think I may have cracked 15mpg 1 time.

I've been daily driving my C10 for most of the year, and I can tell the wind has a huge affect on it. That tells me aerodynamics are always going to make getting high MPG difficult.

I do know my brother-in-law claimed to have gotten near 18mpg in his '06 1/2 ton Chevy with the 5.3L. I just don't know if a squarebody could match that due to aerodynamics that give it the squarebody nickname.

My 240K mile, 06 1500, 5.3, 4L60E, 3.42's, will get 18+ on highway trips still when I check. Will get 15.5 or so average per tank mixed highway/in town.