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The Drive reports that Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and GMC Yukon models with GM’s 5.3-liter V8 are rated at 17 mpg combined in 2025, the same figure reported for 2010. The comparison also shows higher ratings in some intervening years and a two-mpg gain for GM’s full-size pickups, but it does not establish why the SUV figures changed.
Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and GMC Yukon models equipped with GM’s most efficient gasoline engine are rated at 17 mpg combined for the 2025 model year, matching the figure reported for 2010, according to a comparison published by The Drive. The finding points to little change in the combined fuel-economy rating for these full-size V8 SUVs across the period, although their ratings were higher in some intervening years.
The comparison uses the 5.3-liter small-block V8, which The Drive identifies as the most fuel-efficient gasoline engine available for the SUVs. Its 17 mpg figure applies to the three model lines named in the report: the Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon. It is a combined fuel-economy rating, not a claim that every configuration or driving condition will produce precisely that mileage.
The report says the SUVs reached 18 mpg combined in 2015 and again from 2019 through 2021. Ratings were 19 mpg from 2016 through 2018, before returning to 17 mpg after 2021 and remaining there through 2025. The comparison therefore shows a period of higher ratings followed by a decline, rather than an unchanging result in every model year.
GM’s full-size pickups provide a different comparison in the same report. Their figures rose from 18 mpg to 20 mpg over the period, which The Drive attributes to the availability of base models with smaller engines. The report describes that as an 11% increase. The pickup comparison does not mean the SUVs share the same engines or configurations.
What Flat SUV Ratings Mean
Fuel economy is a major part of the ongoing cost of owning a large SUV. A rating that remains at 17 mpg combined over a long comparison period gives buyers a clear point of contrast with vehicles whose ratings have improved, but it does not by itself show what an individual owner will spend. Annual fuel costs depend on distance driven, fuel prices, vehicle configuration and actual driving conditions.
The report also puts the figures in proportion: the SUVs did not remain at 17 mpg throughout the intervening years, and GM’s pickups gained two mpg in the comparison. That distinction matters to shoppers weighing a V8 SUV against another powertrain. The Drive notes that GM offers a Duramax inline-six diesel option, but says buyers should compare current diesel and gasoline prices before assuming it will cost less to operate. No cost-per-mile calculation is provided in the source material.
full-size SUV fuel economy monitor
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The Model-Year Comparison
The figures come from data cited by The Drive from Modelyears.com, which compares fuel-economy history across a portion of the vehicle market. The article frames its SUV finding around the 2010 and 2025 model years, a 15-year span. Its headline refers to 2009, but the body of the report specifies the 2010 model year as the earlier comparison point; the figures here follow that stated comparison.
The source cautions that the dataset has gaps. It excludes some vehicles introduced or discontinued during the period, models whose names changed, and some vehicles that switched powertrains. Those limitations affect broad comparisons across the market. They do not, on the information provided, invalidate the named GM SUV figures, but the source does not provide detailed methodology, individual configurations, or underlying records in its text.
The article also notes that GM introduced the Duramax I6 in 2021, around the period when the reported SUV rating returned to 17 mpg. That timing is not proof the diesel engine caused a change in gasoline V8 ratings. The source offers no engineering explanation linking the two developments.
“The SUVs were rated at “19 mpg” combined from 2016 through 2018.”
— The Drive, citing Modelyears.com data
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Limits of the Fuel-Economy Data
The source does not give EPA labels, trim-by-trim ratings, or a detailed account of how the comparison treats changes in vehicle specifications. The 17 mpg figure should be read as the reported combined rating for the most efficient gasoline engine, not as a guaranteed real-world result for every Tahoe, Suburban or Yukon.
It is also unclear from the report why the SUV ratings reached 19 mpg in some intervening years and later returned to 17 mpg. The timing of the Duramax engine’s introduction does not establish a causal connection. Nor does the comparison show whether upcoming V8 designs will improve fuel economy; The Drive says a new V8 family is coming to SUVs, but provides no specifications or release schedule.
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New V8 Details Still Pending
The next relevant development will be further information about GM’s new family of V8 engines, which The Drive says is expected to reach SUVs. The report does not identify launch dates, affected models, fuel-economy ratings or whether the engines will replace or supplement current offerings. Until GM releases those details, the effect on the SUVs’ ratings remains unknown.
For shoppers comparing current vehicles, the reported figures offer a historical benchmark, not a forecast. Buyers can compare the ratings for specific model years and configurations and estimate fuel costs using their own expected mileage and local fuel prices. The available source does not say when Modelyears.com will add further data or whether its comparison will be updated.
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Key Questions
Which GM SUVs are included in the 17 mpg comparison?
The report names the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon, using each model line’s most efficient gasoline engine, the 5.3-liter V8.
Does the 17 mpg figure apply to every version of those SUVs?
No. The comparison refers to the most efficient gasoline-engine option and a combined rating. It does not provide ratings for every trim, engine or configuration, and real-world mileage can differ.
Did the SUVs always rate at 17 mpg between 2010 and 2025?
No. The Drive reports 18 mpg in 2015 and from 2019 through 2021, and 19 mpg from 2016 through 2018. It says the figure returned to 17 mpg after 2021.
Do the figures show that the diesel option is cheaper to run?
No. The report says operating costs depend on current diesel and gasoline prices and advises buyers to do the cost calculation. It provides no specific cost-per-mile figures.
When will GM’s next V8-powered SUVs arrive?
The source says a new V8 family is expected in SUVs but gives no launch date, model list or fuel-economy figures. Those details remain unconfirmed in the supplied reporting.
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