Best value Suburban as an all arounder
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WrenchMonkey
Mechanical Animal
Well, let me take some of the shine off it: I guess Kaisen's 373s help, but in mine (with 410s) I've seen 10.5mpg exactly once. That was all highway, four adults and 500# of luggage and liquor.
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If I drive it to work (all stop n go) or towing my 3500# XJ on the highway, I get 7.5.
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Don't get me wrong, I love it. But I wouldn't want to feed that beast regularly!
TroopThrowback
Observer
I'm watching this thread carefully to learn what I can about these. I grew up riding around in a 1982 as then a 1988 454 suburban. Love/hate those trucks, but both were 2wd. Actually rode cross country in the "yellow submarine" 82, pops towed a scamp and we camped across the states over 3 months fall of 88.
Now I've got four children (pending a fifth) and we will outgrow the odyssey (I know, blech). Need a new daily with 4wd. Looked at excursions with 7.3 and they're just too $$.
Looks like a suburban is not just in my past, but also in my future. No real need to tow heavy, just a 2 axle utility for the car camping stuff and occasional dirt bikes for the kids.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge so far!
Keep the Faith!
Throwbacks MC
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=159697770713381
Now I've got four children (pending a fifth) and we will outgrow the odyssey (I know, blech). Need a new daily with 4wd. Looked at excursions with 7.3 and they're just too $$.
Looks like a suburban is not just in my past, but also in my future. No real need to tow heavy, just a 2 axle utility for the car camping stuff and occasional dirt bikes for the kids.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge so far!
Keep the Faith!
Throwbacks MC
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=159697770713381
colierar
Observer
I just sold my 1997 2500 with a 7.4. I never once got over 11mpg. And I tried. Other than that I loved it. I only had it a year, but my son and I camped out of it all this past summer. It was my daily driver also. Ran great, parts are cheap. LMC sells those hard to find clips and latches that break here and there. You cant go wrong with the older body style. I have never driven the next generation so I cant comment on it. I bought my for $3000 with 175k and sold it a year later with 200k for $2000. So not a big loss for a years worth of fun and transportation. Others are right, it will need a fuel pump and lower intake gaskets. But if you buy one with a little more miles on it, that's probably already done. All I ever did was change the thermostat and the brake pads and it didn't need brake pads, I just did it. I am glad I bought the 2500 though. Big question is how long is your commute? And are you willing to spend some of that former car payment money in fuel??
I had a 1993 1500 2 wheel drive that I bought when it had about 90K miles and I sold it with 280K. I ran it hard, and pulled things that I really shouldnt have but it still did a good job. I took great care of it and I feel like that is was a big factor in it's reliability. I have heard a lot of bad things about the 4L60E's, but I guess I really cant complain about mine. It had a goodwrench reman transmission in it when I bought it, so it obviously had failed before and I had it rebuilt at about 260K. I also had to have the rearend rebuilt at about the same time. I really hated to get rid of it, but it had some issues that I felt like I did not want to sort out. If it would have fallen apart like the blues brothers car did, I really could not have complained one bit, because it was a great vehicle for me. Almost everything I own had either been hauled inside it or behind it at some point including my 1977 K20 that weighs over 6K lbs. I always felt that it was rather gutless. I thought that it was ok from 0-35 or so, but it really did not have enough power especially above 55mph. I dont care about gas mileage, but I did clock it one time with all interstate driving and it got 17mpg running the ac, carrying 3 people and a few hundred pounds of gear. I thought that was pretty good.
Now I have a 2001 Suburban 2500 4X4. I bought it because everything that failed on my last one is much stronger on this one. It has the 4l80E and the 14 bolt rearend that is lots beefier than the 1500 stuff. I also held out to find an 8.1 because I read about how well they held up long term and that they passed various marine engine endurance tests. The brakes and suspension are also a lot more heavy duty than the 1500's and you can really tell it when you are hauling something. I will never buy another 1/2 ton vehicle again. The difference is night and day, and even if it is not needed for normal use the overkill and heavy duty parts mean it will last longer. I wish I did not have all of the electronic mess that this new one comes with, but that is unavoidable with anything newer.
My advice is to start looking all over the internet to try and locate the suburban you want. I certainly would not get anything from the north, and I would advise you to wait for a 2500 to pop up. If you are willing to travel to get the right one, then you can certainly find some nice ones in your price range. Auto trader and craigslist are good resources to locate one. Good luck!
Now I have a 2001 Suburban 2500 4X4. I bought it because everything that failed on my last one is much stronger on this one. It has the 4l80E and the 14 bolt rearend that is lots beefier than the 1500 stuff. I also held out to find an 8.1 because I read about how well they held up long term and that they passed various marine engine endurance tests. The brakes and suspension are also a lot more heavy duty than the 1500's and you can really tell it when you are hauling something. I will never buy another 1/2 ton vehicle again. The difference is night and day, and even if it is not needed for normal use the overkill and heavy duty parts mean it will last longer. I wish I did not have all of the electronic mess that this new one comes with, but that is unavoidable with anything newer.
My advice is to start looking all over the internet to try and locate the suburban you want. I certainly would not get anything from the north, and I would advise you to wait for a 2500 to pop up. If you are willing to travel to get the right one, then you can certainly find some nice ones in your price range. Auto trader and craigslist are good resources to locate one. Good luck!
Erik N
Adventurer
My '88 5.7 V20 gets 11mpg both in 4H 3rd gear at 65, or in 4L 1st gear crawling. Strange but true. But she could sure use more power.
My '96 7.4 2500 gets 11 mpg at 70 in 4th, but only about 5mpg in 1st churning thru soft damp cookie dough sand. Love the 454 kickdown pull, and the exhaust note is second to nothing.
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Kaisen
Explorer
Also, I've owned both a 2001 8.1L with 4.10 gears, and this 2003 8.1L with 3.73 gears. It's not *just* the gearing, the 2003-2006 8.1L had quite a few small changes from the 2001-2002s.
I can *average* 12 mpg in stop and go traffic in an inter-urban setting. I have no idea how you'd dip under 10 unless you've simply never learned how to drive smoothly and treat the gas pedal like an on/off switch. That or some radical 'upgrades' like giant tires you forgot to air up after rock crawling, or 1500 pounds worth of iron guards to protect the truck from branches when you visit the mall.
Heck, my 2000 K3500 Crew Cab Dually 4x4 with a 454 (7.4L) Big Block and 4.10s would get 13 mpg empty at 62mph. And my 1996 K2500 Suburban 4x4 7.4L with 4.10s was about the same, even with 33" All Terrains.
Maybe I just keep using broken calculators.
I can *average* 12 mpg in stop and go traffic in an inter-urban setting. I have no idea how you'd dip under 10 unless you've simply never learned how to drive smoothly and treat the gas pedal like an on/off switch. That or some radical 'upgrades' like giant tires you forgot to air up after rock crawling, or 1500 pounds worth of iron guards to protect the truck from branches when you visit the mall.
Heck, my 2000 K3500 Crew Cab Dually 4x4 with a 454 (7.4L) Big Block and 4.10s would get 13 mpg empty at 62mph. And my 1996 K2500 Suburban 4x4 7.4L with 4.10s was about the same, even with 33" All Terrains.
Maybe I just keep using broken calculators.
Rockhounder
Explorer
We towed some pretty heavy tows with our 1997 1500 4x4. 5.7 engine, bigger brakes retrofitted. This picture is of our 1968 Boles Aero 28 foot travel trailer that is kitted out as a production vehicle, capable of being fully powered and independent in wilderness situations (along with being a SHTF bug out vehicle, loaded for bear with a good years of all needed supplies.....(we even got ac to work off our solar panels which cover the entire roof, with 8 6volt deep cycle batteries, and a 10,000watt 110v power inverter) When towing this, once to montana and back, we weighed at a CAT station a combined weight )suburban, trailer, all of us in it) at 16,400 pounds! The stupid weak point of course was the 4L60E transmission, which we had the cooling tube extra large pan, three oil cooler radiators in the front of all the other radiators, and of course having to take it reeealllly slow up steep grades.... We went up Sherman Pass in the High sierras, the whole way in 4low, watching the trans oil temp gauge like a hawk! It the trailer hadn't of had high performance dual axle dual system brakes (both electric and fluid) we would have never towed with it.... as it was, if we would hit the trailer brakes at highway speeds, it would slow the whole rig down very fast.
Towed great, but when we accelerated from a stop, you could literally feel the entire suburban flex and hunker. We heavy towed that trailer over the years for about a total of 30,000 miles. With that tranny however, it really was not fun(went through 4 trannys, in the space of 3 years, Aamco warrantied 3 of them), like going up the grapevine in the emergency shoulder, doing 6 mph.....:Wow1: no more heavy towing that rig until we get ahold of a 2500.... sometime possibly in the future.
Oh, and our 97 sub, with 35 inch tires, got about 10mpg 11 if we were lucky, and while towing that huge travel trailer, we got 8.5-9 mpg
Towed great, but when we accelerated from a stop, you could literally feel the entire suburban flex and hunker. We heavy towed that trailer over the years for about a total of 30,000 miles. With that tranny however, it really was not fun(went through 4 trannys, in the space of 3 years, Aamco warrantied 3 of them), like going up the grapevine in the emergency shoulder, doing 6 mph.....:Wow1: no more heavy towing that rig until we get ahold of a 2500.... sometime possibly in the future.
Oh, and our 97 sub, with 35 inch tires, got about 10mpg 11 if we were lucky, and while towing that huge travel trailer, we got 8.5-9 mpg
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mike the welder
Adventurer
I just bought a 99 1500 4x4 about 3 weeks ago and I love it. I wish i could have found a 2500 with a 7.4 but like you have seen they are pricier. I looked for about 3 months till I found one that wasn't beat to hell and put up wet. Tips on selling your car(wash it and don't post pics of it covered with mud in a hole in your ad). I have the 5.7 and get about 13-14 mpg. It's a truck not a Prius. The burb i found has allot of the stuff i would have done to it and I paid $4200 cash. 4" lift, wheels, tires, stereo. You just have to be patient and look hard cause the good ones go fast.
upcruiser
Perpetual Transient
I am not terribly concerned about mpg's, though for trips when we aren't towing it would be nice to get over 15. This is our camper that we are dragging around...
For comparison's sake, our FJC stock got around 19-20mpg on the highway, best of 22mpg. As kitted out now with 33's and the RTT I am seeing no better than 16 unloaded, and about 14 when we are loaded on a multi day adventure without the trailer. With the trailer I get 8-10mpg. It tows surprisingly well due to the fact the trailer is an ultra light. I can't help but appreciate the Suburbans though for the extra space, towing capacity and power without much of a hit for economy than what I have right now. Granted I will not be doing this stuff with the Suburban....
I don't have a commute since my wife works 3 blocks from home and I have reinvented myself as a stay home dad. The Burb would just be for recreation, road trips, and running errands. I am leaning towards a 1500 right now for the cost of entry and potential mileage benefits since I really want to go easy on the Burb. Plus we have this for more offroad adventures...
And I really am seeing the truth in the statement that the good ones sell fast. I have reached out to 5 different sellers now on the same day they posted ads on CL to find them already sold. Crazy. There are a ton of them out there but not many near me making quick purchases tougher.
For comparison's sake, our FJC stock got around 19-20mpg on the highway, best of 22mpg. As kitted out now with 33's and the RTT I am seeing no better than 16 unloaded, and about 14 when we are loaded on a multi day adventure without the trailer. With the trailer I get 8-10mpg. It tows surprisingly well due to the fact the trailer is an ultra light. I can't help but appreciate the Suburbans though for the extra space, towing capacity and power without much of a hit for economy than what I have right now. Granted I will not be doing this stuff with the Suburban....
I don't have a commute since my wife works 3 blocks from home and I have reinvented myself as a stay home dad. The Burb would just be for recreation, road trips, and running errands. I am leaning towards a 1500 right now for the cost of entry and potential mileage benefits since I really want to go easy on the Burb. Plus we have this for more offroad adventures...
And I really am seeing the truth in the statement that the good ones sell fast. I have reached out to 5 different sellers now on the same day they posted ads on CL to find them already sold. Crazy. There are a ton of them out there but not many near me making quick purchases tougher.
plumber mike
Adventurer
I honestly think the suburban will do all you ask....and everything in the pictures
I can pull 20 in my wife's tahoe on the highway loaded with kids, dogs, stuff. She averages 16.3 in her local running around. All stock. I've pulled the running boards for more clearance.
Our 1990 suburban gets 12 but has gotten as high as 15.....not bad for no overdrive, but not the truck I'd chose for a cross country trip.
I can pull 20 in my wife's tahoe on the highway loaded with kids, dogs, stuff. She averages 16.3 in her local running around. All stock. I've pulled the running boards for more clearance.
Our 1990 suburban gets 12 but has gotten as high as 15.....not bad for no overdrive, but not the truck I'd chose for a cross country trip.
red EOD veteran
Adventurer
The suburban is surprisingly agile offroad, everything in those pics is doable. If you want 15ish unloaded the engines choices are the 5.3/ 5.7/ 6.5 diesel. The diesel can be a good engine with the proper upgrades, but I would only recommend that motor if you are comfortable doing your own engine work.
A 1500 with the towing package would suite you well. 3.73 gears, 4L60e auto will work just fine. Maybe add a stand alone transmission cooler if you are planning to regularly tow in the mountains.
A 1500 with the towing package would suite you well. 3.73 gears, 4L60e auto will work just fine. Maybe add a stand alone transmission cooler if you are planning to regularly tow in the mountains.
My suburban will do everything you mention with no issues. I had a small string of bad luck with things, but it was all due to it sitting for long periods. Lost a brake line, a wheel fell off and the brakes were shot. its all fixed now and runs perfect. Since doing all of the maintenance on it, we are looking to drive it to florida next summer.
Build the suburban like that crusier. It will run anywhere then. There is a green Tahoe on the portal here built very similarly. I am following suit with my build. I want a cool bumper but need to keep my plow mount. I may build one myself. I have a cnc plasma cutter and welder now. So I can probably cut one out without a huge issue. Maybe my first project when I get the machine set up.
Build the suburban like that crusier. It will run anywhere then. There is a green Tahoe on the portal here built very similarly. I am following suit with my build. I want a cool bumper but need to keep my plow mount. I may build one myself. I have a cnc plasma cutter and welder now. So I can probably cut one out without a huge issue. Maybe my first project when I get the machine set up.
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2003 Z71 5.3 here. Leveled and lifted 1", 285/70/17 tires and bilstein 5100's. Great capable stance w/o being annoying to drive. The last trip I recorded mileage on was 1600mi, towing an empty car-hauler from MO to NC, and returning with a D1 loaded. Total trip average was 14mpg and towing was great.
