2500 Suburban Input (gmt-900)

[Nubulin]

I am looking to get a new 2012 Suburban this fall and am leaning towards a 2500. I have a 2007 Yukon XL Denali 6.2L 6L80 3.42 AWD right now. The new truck is mainly going to be a 20k per year daily driver, but I have a 27ft enclosed snowmobile trailer and a 10,000 GVW landscape trailer I pull occasionally. It does ok around town, but the big challenge is the 1100 mile one-way trip to the mountains in the winter to ride. My Denali blows for that distance.

 

My main questions/concerns are:

1) Mileage. I get 13.5 average now which I can live with, but wonder how much worse a 2500 is going to be?

2) Towing. How much better is a 2500 6.0L going to pull than my Denali? (if at all). I know the 2500 will carry the weight better, but the motor is actually lower HP/torque rated. 3.73 helps.

 

Like a lot of people, what I want/need is a 4.5L Duramax 2500 Suburban that gets 16+ MPG............

[jandersinc]

See my towing report about my 2010 Yukon XL 2500 4x4. It's in this section near the top right now.

[Nubulin]

See my towing report about my 2010 Yukon XL 2500 4x4. It's in this section near the top right now.

 

 

I saw that after I posted. Good write up. I would be happy with that kind of performance out of a 6.0L.

 

Anyone else have 2500 reports?

[ATMINF]

For my 2001 3/4ton Burban I used to get about 17-17+ on the highway, and in the city it was around 14-15mpg. It had the 6.0L.

[APT]

I'm looking at picking up a 2011 Yukon XL 2500 this fall. From my research, it should get about the same FE as you are getting now unloaded. As high as 18mph highway and 12mpg city is what I've found from owners.

 

As for how it will tow, acceleration will be similar to what you have now (I think you have the 6-spd already) as power is down a little, but axle ratio is better. The suspension will far better handle the tongue weight and the 2500 will drive better with a trailer hooked up. I test pulled my 6500 pound travel trailer and it handled the tongue weight better without weight distribution than with my half ton pickup using WD.

 

I have also test pulled with a 2011 Yukon Denali. Suspension was not good for towing my TT. Great power, though. And I've tested a 2011 F-150 with the Ecoboost. It was by far my favorite drivetrain. I wish Ford would offer it in the Expedition.