Make sure you get one with the front end SB completed. Both my son & son in law have them and the front ends & tires rotted out before 40 thous. miles. Not to mention brake probs & 12 mpg.

 

Sometimes i wonder too expecially when I hear some flowmasters but then i hear my turbo spooling and forget about it.

 

A friend of mine purchased a 04 (maybe 05) 8.1 Suburban new,4X4. Overall average has been an even 10 MPH.

 

Man that's slow!!

J/K

 

Neighbors 8.1 HD gets 13 mpg unloaded and 8 mpg pulling the same hay load that I get 13 to 14 mpg pulling. And his truck runs 16s in the 1/4 and mine runs 12s. I also get around 20mpg most of the time with a best of 22.6 mpg on a boring trip where I was stuck at 60 mph. Not sure if I could ever drive a gas truck again but I don't care for the prices on the new diesel trucks either.

 

Found a low mileage 95 myself that knocks out 21 mty and 10 loaded, sets in shed next to a 04 GMC gasser that just almost never gets driven anymore as I'll jump in the Dodge everytime now.

 

Just as an example...

2006 Cummins 2500 4x4 QC

10,000 miles divided by 15.6mpg (Worst observed commute mileage) X $2.50 (Per Gallon) = $1602.57 in fuel.

2002 Dodge 1500 5.9l 4x4 QC (New Engine and Heads @ 50k, New A/C System at 40K)

10,000 miles divided by 10.5mpg (Best observed commute mileage) X 2.50 (Per Gallon) = $2,380.96 in fuel.

$778.39 in savings for every 10k

 

just bought a 97 ctd 4x4 auto with 60,000 miles on it and it has done nothing but amaze me. gets better fuel economy than my old 6cyl blazer and has all the power i want! i guess you just have to wait for the right opportunity to get everything you want. i wouldnt even waste my time looking at a big gasser.

 

I think the power wars and the EPA are making the diesels less appealing to people on the fence between needing a towing monster and just a truck that will get them by. I'm one of those "on the fence" types. Right now I need my 2500 to haul a slide in, but I would much rather have a small toyhauler. A 1/2 ton gasser would be fine for that. Mileage numbers keep droping for new diesels with all of the emissions garbage and extra power while gasser mileage figures keep getting better. My 12V is still clattering away, so I'm waiting to see what the next few years bring to the table. Hopefully, the diesels can widen the mileage gap again. And, who knows what I'll be able to afford. Prices are crazy.

 

Yeah, we're seeing the same out here but really load a Toondra up and head up-country and a guy would be lucky to get 25,000 before he had what you mentioned plus rear-end problems.

 

Chev/GMC quit using the 8.1 in pickups when they came out with the new body style.
So if you want an 8.1 it will be a used truck.

 

A guy I know said what you dont hear is that toyota recalled more vehicles than it made (3 million vehicle, 3+ million vehicles recalled). Now I DO NOT KNOW where he got this info, but you never know what the media is hiding.
just my $.02

dieseljon

 

hmn...I spelt it wrong.

 

From what I’ve read and seen over the last year is that many who buy a truck with a diesel drive them like they did the gas engine they had in the last truck they owned and then complain about lack of HP and fuel mileage. Once people learn how to use the TQ and not the HP they find out just how good of mileage these trucks can get. BTW, my 2006 gets up 4.5 mpg better on the Hwy then my old 2005 1500 QC SB Auto 4x4 could with a 4.7L.

 

Dad had an '01 8.1 GMC with the GM/Allison and 4.10s, he averaged 10 mpg empty. With his 28' 5ver he got 7-8 mpg. He sold that and bought a '03 6.0L and he claims to average 14 mpg.

I had an '00 Chevy 6.0L with 3.73s and I averaged 10 mpg city/HWY with nothing but air in the bed. Best I ever got was 16 once going to Colorado, empty and all HWY. If I pulled any trailer it was below 10 mpg. I drove it for 60K then traded it in '04 and got reamed on the trade because the resale for these fuel hogs is terrible.

I paid $27,995 for my Chevy and $32,500 for the Dodge. The highest offer for the Chevy was $13K.

I track mileage and my 04 goat averages 15-16 with an all time high of 18.1, all hand figured. It pulls the same trailer loads WAAAAYYYY better than my Chevrolet and returns higher mileage. I'm $4,500 happier with what I've got and would never go back to a 6.0 gas... unless someone gave it to me or paid for all my fuel.