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The Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, along with the GMC Yukon, are rated at 17 mpg combined in their most efficient gasoline configurations for 2025, matching the figure reported for the 2010 model year. The Drive’s comparison also found that these SUVs had reached 18 or 19 mpg in some intervening years; the figures are fuel-economy ratings, not real-world test results.
General Motors’ most efficient gasoline-powered full-size SUVs 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 figure applies to the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon when equipped with the 5.3-liter V8, and shows that their combined fuel-economy ratings have not improved over that span.
The comparison concerns the most efficient gasoline engine available in each of the three related SUV models, rather than every engine or trim. The 17 mpg figure is a combined rating, which blends city and highway estimates; it does not mean every owner will achieve that mileage in daily driving. The Drive attributes the underlying historical figures to data from Modelyears.com.
The SUVs did not hold at 17 mpg throughout the entire period. The Drive reports that they reached 18 mpg combined in 2015 and from 2019 through 2021, and 19 mpg from 2016 through 2018. Ratings fell to 17 mpg after 2021 and remained there through the 2025 model year. The comparison does not establish why the ratings changed.
For a separate comparison, The Drive says GM’s full-size pickups went from 18 mpg to 20 mpg over the period, attributing the difference to base configurations with smaller engines. Those pickup figures are not a direct measure of SUV efficiency, since the vehicles and engine configurations differ.
What the 17-MPG Rating Means
Fuel economy affects the ongoing cost of driving large SUVs, particularly for buyers who cover substantial distances. A rating that has returned to its earlier level gives shoppers a useful comparison point, but it is not enough on its own to calculate ownership costs: fuel prices, annual mileage, driving conditions and the specific vehicle configuration all matter.
The comparison also puts the limits of broad progress claims into view. GM’s full-size pickups gained two mpg in the stated comparison, while the three SUVs’ best gasoline rating is reported as unchanged between 2010 and 2025. That does not show that every aspect of the SUVs stayed the same; it describes one metric for selected gasoline configurations.
The Drive notes that GM offers a Duramax inline-six diesel in these SUVs and suggests buyers weigh it as an efficiency alternative. Whether a diesel saves money depends on the price difference between diesel and gasoline, as well as the buyer’s usage and the particular vehicle’s ratings. The source offers no cost-per-mile calculation that applies to all owners.
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How the Ratings Changed
The comparison looks across model years rather than at a single redesign. Its timeline shows ratings rising above 17 mpg during parts of the 2010s, peaking at 19 mpg combined from 2016 to 2018, then falling back to 17 mpg after 2021. The Drive notes that the Duramax diesel arrived in 2021, but the timing alone does not establish that its introduction caused the gasoline SUVs’ rating change.
The article also warns that the Modelyears.com comparison has gaps. It excludes some vehicles introduced or discontinued during the period, cases where model names changed, and vehicles that switched powertrains. As a result, its wider comparisons do not cover every car or provide a continuous record for every model. The stated GM SUV comparison is specifically about the listed full-size models and their most efficient gas engine.
The Drive says GM has a new family of V8 engines that is expected to reach SUVs, but the source does not provide launch dates, fuel-economy ratings or vehicle-by-vehicle details. That future development cannot yet be used to say whether the SUVs’ mileage will improve.
GM Chevrolet Tahoe Suburban GMC Yukon diesel engine
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Limits of the Mileage Comparison
The source does not identify the exact EPA listing or provide a link to the underlying entries for each SUV configuration. Its figures are presented as combined ratings, but the comparison does not explain whether every model year and trim was matched on an identical basis. Readers should treat the reported trend as a comparison of stated ratings, not as a controlled test of real-world fuel use.
It is also unclear from the source why the ratings rose to 19 mpg in some years and later returned to 17 mpg. The report notes the diesel’s 2021 arrival but does not establish a connection. It does not give current diesel and gasoline prices, actual owner fuel costs, or enough configuration details to determine which engine is cheapest for a particular buyer.
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New V8 Ratings Still Ahead
The next relevant information will be official fuel-economy ratings for future GM SUV model years, particularly once the company’s newer V8 family is fitted to these vehicles. The source gives no confirmed arrival schedule or efficiency figures, so no change to the current 17 mpg combined rating can be assumed.
Until those details are published, buyers comparing the Tahoe, Suburban or Yukon can check the rating for the exact model year, engine and trim they are considering, then compare it with expected fuel prices and driving needs. The historical comparison will remain a measure of rated efficiency; actual consumption varies with vehicle setup and use.
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Key Questions
Which GM SUVs are included in the 17 mpg figure?
The comparison covers the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon, using each model’s most efficient gasoline configuration with the 5.3-liter V8.
Does 17 mpg describe real-world fuel economy?
No. It is a reported combined fuel-economy rating, not a promise of what every driver will achieve. Actual mileage can vary with driving conditions, vehicle configuration and use.
Were the SUVs always rated at 17 mpg?
No. The Drive reports ratings of 18 mpg in 2015 and 2019–2021, and 19 mpg from 2016 through 2018, before the figure fell back to 17 mpg after 2021.
Does the report show that the diesel SUV saves money?
No. It points to GM’s Duramax diesel as an alternative but says buyers should do the math using current fuel prices. The article does not provide a cost-per-mile comparison that would establish savings for all drivers.
Will GM’s newer V8 engines improve SUV mileage?
The source says the new V8 family is expected to reach GM SUVs, but provides no launch timing or fuel-economy ratings. Whether it will improve mileage remains unknown.
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