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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 for 2025, the same figure reported for the 2010 model year. The SUVs had higher ratings in some intervening years, while GM’s full-size pickups rose from 18 to 20 mpg in the comparison cited by the outlet.
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 figure applies to the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon when equipped with the 5.3-liter V8, and offers a long-term snapshot of fuel economy in some of the company’s largest vehicles.
The comparison is about the best combined fuel-economy rating among the gas engines offered for those SUVs, not every engine or configuration. The Drive identifies the 5.3-liter small-block V8 as the most efficient gasoline engine available in the models discussed. The outlet reports the same 17 mpg combined rating for 2010 and 2025; its headline’s broader reference to 2009 does not change the model-year comparison described in the article.
The reported figure has not remained constant throughout the period. The SUVs reached 18 mpg combined in 2015 and from 2019 through 2021, and The Drive says they were rated at 19 mpg from 2016 to 2018. Ratings then fell to 17 mpg after 2021 and stayed there through 2025, according to the report.
The outlet’s comparison also says GM’s full-size pickups improved from 18 mpg to 20 mpg over the period it examined. It attributes that change to base models with smaller engines. The article describes the pickup gain as an 11% increase; that comparison is separate from the SUV figures, which returned to their earlier rating after posting higher numbers in some intervening years.
What 17 MPG Means for Buyers
For shoppers choosing among large, gasoline-powered SUVs, the comparison highlights the limits of relying on a vehicle’s model year alone to infer better fuel economy. A newer Tahoe, Suburban or Yukon with the 5.3-liter V8 may have updated features and technology, but the rating cited by The Drive is the same 17 mpg combined as its 2010 comparison point. Actual fuel use will vary with driving conditions, vehicle configuration and individual driving habits.
Fuel economy also affects ongoing ownership costs, especially for drivers who cover long distances or use a full-size SUV regularly. But the figures do not establish what any particular owner will spend: fuel prices and real-world consumption differ. They also do not compare the SUVs’ performance, safety, emissions or equipment. The report’s central point is narrower: the highest combined rating for the specified gas-powered versions has not improved relative to the stated 2010 baseline.
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The SUVs’ Ratings Over Time
The Drive attributes its historical comparisons to data from Modelyears.com and cautions that the dataset has gaps. It says models introduced or discontinued within the period, vehicles affected by name changes, and models that changed powertrains may not have continuous comparisons. Those limitations matter when interpreting a broad claim about how vehicle efficiency has changed: the data does not cover every model or provide a complete, like-for-like view of the entire market.
The report notes that GM introduced its Duramax inline-six diesel in 2021, around the time the gas SUVs’ combined rating dropped from the higher figures recorded in some earlier years. That timing alone does not show that the diesel engine caused the change. The outlet also points out that diesel’s fuel-cost advantage depends on current diesel and gasoline prices, so buyers would need to compare costs using their own driving and local prices.
The article says GM has a new family of V8 engines that could appear in SUVs in the future. It does not provide a confirmed launch date, identify which SUV versions will receive them or state what fuel-economy ratings they might achieve.
““they achieved a combined 19 mpg””
— The Drive, citing Modelyears.com data
Limits of the Mileage Comparison
The source material does not provide the underlying rating tables, vehicle configurations, or a link to a complete year-by-year dataset. The 17 mpg figure should be read as the reported combined rating for the most efficient gasoline engine, not as a guarantee of real-world mileage for every Tahoe, Suburban or Yukon. The comparison also does not clarify how equipment, drivetrain or changes in testing methods may affect direct comparisons across model years.
It is also not clear when GM’s next-generation V8 family will reach these SUVs, which models or trims would get those engines, or whether they would change the vehicles’ fuel-economy ratings. The reported overlap between the 2021 diesel introduction and the decline in the gas models’ ratings is a timeline observation, not evidence of a causal link.
New V8s and Future Ratings
The next useful milestone will be GM’s announcement of specific SUV applications for its new V8 family, followed by official fuel-economy ratings for any affected models. Until those details are released, buyers comparing current vehicles can check the rating for the exact engine and configuration they are considering and weigh it against expected driving and local fuel prices.
Any future model-year comparison should also specify its baseline, engine, vehicle configuration and rating source. The Drive’s account establishes the figures it reports for the 2010 and 2025 comparison, while leaving the next engine change and its efficiency effects unresolved.
Key Questions
Which GM SUVs are included in the comparison?
The report covers the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon, focusing on versions with the 5.3-liter V8 as the most efficient gasoline engine cited.
What does the 17 mpg figure describe?
It is the reported combined fuel-economy rating for the specified gas-powered versions. It is not a promise of real-world mileage, which can vary with configuration, driving conditions and driver behavior.
Did the SUVs always have a 17 mpg rating?
No. The Drive says they reached 19 mpg combined from 2016 through 2018 and 18 mpg in 2015 and from 2019 through 2021, before returning to 17 mpg after 2021.
Will GM’s new V8 engines improve SUV fuel economy?
The report says GM has a new V8 engine family, but does not confirm when it will reach these SUVs or what ratings equipped models will receive. Any fuel-economy impact remains unknown.
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