2007 Tahoe milage

[gt]

Looking at a 2007 Tahoe, 5.3 .373. What can I realistically expect for gas mileage. I tow about 4000lbs on a tandem trailer. Currently have a Trailblazer, 4.0 .342. Getting maybe 20 highway (with a tailwind), 17 around town, and around 12 towing. Will I be close?

Thanks in advance,
Gary

 

[tractoman]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

In my '95 Suburban with a 350 Vortec, I get about 15 mpg all the time, and 12-13 towing my boat and trailer that are about 4000lbs loaded. You'll probably do a little better with your set up.

 

[642mx]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

Looking at a 2007 Tahoe, 5.3 .373. What can I realistically expect for gas mileage. I tow about 4000lbs on a tandem trailer. Currently have a Trailblazer, 4.0 .342. Getting maybe 20 highway (with a tailwind), 17 around town, and around 12 towing. Will I be close?

Thanks in advance,
Gary

Check this site: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymanu.htm

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

I took a 3300 mile road trip in my 2001 GMC Yukon in late Sept/early Oct and kept very accurate records of fuel use. Although there was lots of high-country travel and a good mix of city use, the truck achieved 20.8 MPG. Trip took us from southern Minnesota, through Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, across north Texas, Oklahoma, back up through Kansas and Nebraska to South Dakota and back to Minnesota. My truck has 114,000 miles on it as it sits today. Fuel economy is not about just the vehicle. How you drive has much to do with that. Jack rabbit starts, dynamiting the brakes, an unsteady foot on the gas, and poor driving habits can turn a 20 MPG vehicle into a 10 MPG unit. I have been able to achieve window sticker fuel economy or better from every vehicle I've ever owned.

 

[DC20]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

I have an 07 Yukon, same motor and gears and 4WD. About 18 hwy, maybe 13 city, 10 hauling my travel trailer. But it will do anything I ask.

 

[dingbat]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

I have an 01 Tahoe. Same motor and gears with 4WD. 17-18 mpg hwy, 13-14 mpg city, 9-10 mpg pulling a #5300 boat.

 

[ChampionShip]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

Your Trailblazer has a 4.2 for starters, and it WILL pull 4000 lbs if you need it to, probably half way decently. You may as well plan on using your Tahoe if possible as you won't be working that particular vehicle as hard pulling your 4000 lb boat. I had a 98 Tahoe with a Vortec 350 which got similar fuel mileage to your 5.3 (Most full size SUV's don't really do much better than 15-17 mpg in the real world) and I often pulled my boat which weighs about the same as yours. My mileage would drop from about 15 hwy to right around 11 or 10 depending on how I was driving and how many hills I had to go up.

 

[sasto]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

07 Escalade with the same footprint......18 hwy......9 towing 5000lbs, at 70mph.

 

[ChampionShip]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

07 Escalade with the same footprint......18 hwy......9 towing 5000lbs, at 70mph.

BUT your Escalade as a 6.0 or 6.2 (depends on when you got it) that has 400hp and cylinder deactivation at highway speeds

 

[mvnvltn]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

BUT your Escalade as a 6.0 or 6.2 (depends on when you got it) that has 400hp and cylinder deactivation at highway speeds

Fuel management will not kick in while towing. I get 10mpg in my Escalade towing a 2010 Q7

 

[ChampionShip]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

Fuel management will not kick in while towing. I get 10mpg in my Escalade towing a 2010 Q7

Never said it would, but fuel management explains the drastic difference between his hwy mpg and his towing mpg on the highway. Those trucks have power to spare, but if you want to use it- it's going to drink some fuel.....Escalades and Avalanches make a pretty damn nice tow vehicle!

 

[mike343]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

01 Tahoe with 4spd and 3.73. Just under 20 mpg at 70 mph non-towing. Around (lots of mountains in the west) 12 mpg towing 6000 lbs total. I think your truck has the same power train as the 01-08 Tahoes

 

[gt]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

Thanks guys. Still thinking if this is the way I want to go. Power wise, my Trailblazer does a decent job (better than I thought it would when I bought the boat). I realize, a full size will tow/handle better. But I need to balance the 20 or so times a year I tow, vs the daily miles I put on.

Appreciate the input.
Gary

 

[sasto]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

BUT your Escalade as a 6.0 or 6.2 (depends on when you got it) that has 400hp and cylinder deactivation at highway speeds

True you are, and with a tow package for quicker shifting up and down. Yes a little over 400hp. Not a real life compairson I guess.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

Looking at a 2007 Tahoe, 5.3 .373. ... a Trailblazer, 4.0 .342. Getting maybe 20 highway (with a tailwind), 17 around town, and around 12 towing. Will I be close?

Thanks in advance,
Gary

Yes, you'll be close. (Your TB is 4.2 litres, btw)

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

I get 14.8 city and 21 highway from my 03 Avalanche with a 5.3 and 3:73's. There's a little trick to the 5.3 and 6.2 motors which is to annually spray the MAP sensor with an appropriate cleaner to keep them happy and efficient. THe MAP sensor is attached to the air filter box and can get dusty/film on it which changes fuel mixture. Unplug it, loosen two hose clamps, yank it out and spray it clean with MAP cleaner NOT CARB CLEANER and reinstall. Takes about 10 minutes to do. Helps A LOT milage wise.

 

[Josh P]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

I get 14.8 city and 21 highway from my 03 Avalanche with a 5.3 and 3:73's. There's a little trick to the 5.3 and 6.2 motors which is to annually spray the MAP sensor with an appropriate cleaner to keep them happy and efficient. THe MAP sensor is attached to the air filter box and can get dusty/film on it which changes fuel mixture. Unplug it, loosen two hose clamps, yank it out and spray it clean with MAP cleaner NOT CARB CLEANER and reinstall. Takes about 10 minutes to do. Helps A LOT milage wise.

its MAF not map.... MAF mass air flow sensor, its not just 6.0's any gm maf sensor, it also effects trans shifting. DONT over oil your K&N"S that will smoke the sensor in a few miles... sorry for hi jacking just wanted to clarify..

 

[TheBlizzard]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

I have on 05 Tahoe with a 5.3L with 50k miles, it gets:

Non Towing: 19hwy/14cty
Towing: 15hwy/11cty

Average is 16.7 as of today when I looked.

The Trailblazer is not going to bet any better or that much better than a full size Tahoe with a 5.3; when I bought my Tahoe I looked at smaller SUV's like the Trailblazer. Even with a smaller motor they don't get a significant gain in mileage, so I went with the Tahoe and im glad I did. It will tow anything just fine, with a tow package with load leveling shocks and a tranny cooler it does awesome.

I don't use it for a daily driver though, but I would if I had to, they are fairly nimble and are very comfortable.

The biggest thing you are going to have to look at is how far you tow, what you tow, and how far you tow. TherTrailblazer will be fine for most things, I have friends who tow cars with them, but its not something I would do weekly for any distance with.

 

[Flyvet]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

I can give you an accurate example. We have a 2005 Yukon with same engine, it is driven by another family member and is not used for towing. I don't think the trip computer has ever been reset so after 90,000 miles it has averaged 16 mpg. It is not driven hard.

 

[jkust]

Re: 2007 Tahoe milage

Interesting, we have a Buick Rainier (similar to the Trailblazer for those who are unfamiliar) with the 5.3 and 3.73's and tow almost exactly 4000lbs. Depending on the wind conditions we get a low of 12 and a high of 13.5ish generally at 65-70mph all highway towing. The Rainier has full time AWD which penalizes us to the tune of about 1mpg. The Rainier has the rear air suspension, coolers, rear locker, etc. Bottom line the Rainier gets awful mileage all around but since it's my wife's and she puts maybe 5k/year on it including our towing the boat, it isn't noticed. Just for fun I will mention that before the Rainier we towed that same 4000lb boat with our 3.4 liter, fwd, high mileage minivan with 185hp for a whole season. The TB with the inline 6 should tow 4k without issue even with the 3.42 and no rear locker as everything on the Trailblazer was an additional option it seemed (again for those not as familiar as the op). The Trailblazer and lookalikes are actually very decent vehicles all around considering how little they cost a few years old. I always wondered why there were so many on the road until I bought one and figured it out.