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New Suburban gets better MPG?

Discussion in 'Other Cars' started by zenMachine, Aug 18, 2011.

  1. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    Just came back from a road trip from Texas to Colorado through New Mexico, in a rented Suburban (16k mile).

    2600 miles total, much of it mountain driving. The Mt Evans expedition was a tad hilly at 14,130 ft. We almost did Pike's Peak too but it rained.

    I reset all metrics at the start. At the end of the trip the average MPG showed 18.8!

    Could this be a mistake? The vehicle did feel a little underpowered at times, especially from a dead stop. But this is a huge increase from the 13mpg we got a couple years ago in another Suburban. Did GM tweak something?
     
    #1 zenMachine, Aug 18, 2011
  2. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Yeah, the mpg display. ;)

    Did the two have the exact same engines and transmissions? It got a six speed in 2009, and there are at least two V8s available.
     
    #2 Trollbait, Aug 19, 2011
  3. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    On the way to Colorado I used automatic D gear entirely. Avg MPG: 18.8.

    On the way back I used the manual M gear when going up and down steep inclines. Avg MPG: 18.8.

    But I must say the M gear is a nice feature. You can switch from 1st to 6th gear using the +/- buttons on the gear stalk without a clutch.

    Not sure if the transmission on the 09 I drove was different. But this version definitely felt more sluggish.
     
    #3 zenMachine, Aug 19, 2011
  4. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    they did according to fueleconomy.gov: the 2006 1500 AWD rated at 13MPG and 2011 1500 4WD at 17MPG.

    BTW loved Mt Evans; we did it last year. Saw a mountain goat at the top. He came, posed for pictures then climbed to top of the building to review his domain..
     
    #4 cyclopathic, Aug 19, 2011
  5. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    Was it this guy?? :)
     

    Attached Files:

    #5 zenMachine, Aug 20, 2011
  6. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

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    I've seen the new suburbans - they're smaller than they used to be. It doesn't surprise me that they get better mileage.
     
    #6 a_gray_prius, Aug 20, 2011
  7. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    This one is definitely not as wide as the older model. Not sure about length. The trunk space seemed not as roomy as before, but not by much.

    Interior design still pretty crappy though. It has more 12v outlets, but they are always hot. If you plug in a GPS, you have to remember to unplug it or manually turn it off every time you turn the car off.

    And as with many other GM cars, it has the dumb-key anti-safety auto-lock feature that can't be disabled. A real paranoia and royal pain for those who have been spoiled by the Prius SKS.
     
    #7 zenMachine, Aug 20, 2011
  8. Airbalancer

    Airbalancer Active Member

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    WOW are you wrong, I just got a new Chevy pickup, and the interior is way way nicer then our Prius
    I can un do the auto lock feature, we do have our turned on
     
    #8 Airbalancer, Aug 20, 2011
  9. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    I went through the entire lock menu and still couldn't find the option to disable autolock. Not sure if that's because the option was not worded clearly or if it simply did not exist.

    As for the interior design, the part I found most annoying (since I'm the driver) is the A/C control. It's put way too low, with tiny buttons that can be easily mis-hit, and forces you to take your eyes off the road too much.

    In my Prius I can do much of that from the steering wheel without looking.

    What kind of GM truck do you have?
     
    #9 zenMachine, Aug 20, 2011
  10. Airbalancer

    Airbalancer Active Member

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    #10 Airbalancer, Aug 20, 2011
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The sluggish part makes me think GM tinkered with the gear ratios on the automatic transmission to get a few more mpgs. I mean look at the 4-spd auto Corolla vs. the 5-spd auto Civic. In Canada, the city mileage of the Corolla is much better than the Civic even though it's short a gear but the Civic is a little more sprightly than the Corolla, which feels a tad sluggish off the line.
     
    #11 Tideland Prius, Aug 20, 2011
  12. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    My suspicion also. On the way back I tried to use Manual as much as possible to override the automatic transmission; the car did seem to respond better in M mode.
     
    #12 zenMachine, Aug 20, 2011
  13. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    The cylinder deactivation may be more aggressive now, also.

    On the HHR, you can only access the auto-lock settings with the engine off.
     
    #13 Trollbait, Aug 22, 2011
  14. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    I understand the Abrams tank too, is doing better mpg wise. It used to only get .5 miles per gallon - and is now all the way up to an incredable .6 miles a gallon (that only 60 gallons per hour!!). Now ... don't everyone rush down the the dealership.
    :p

    .
     
    #14 hill, Aug 22, 2011
  15. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    People are going to continue purchasing big SUVs and trucks. I'm happy to see huge fuel savings like this. Going from 13mpg to 17 mpg is a huge step and will save a lot of fuel. True it would be better if everyone switched to cars with 30mpg or more but that only happens in our dreams.
     
    #15 F8L, Aug 22, 2011
  16. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    they went from 4-speed to 6-speed in 2008 or 2009?
    also implemented fuel-conserving cylinder-deactivation technology, which is probably also responsible for higher MPG and sluggish feel.
     
    #16 cyclopathic, Aug 22, 2011
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