Gas mileage in a 2011 Silverado 1500 4WD Crew Cab LTZ
November 3rd, 2012, 3:01 PM
#91
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How is anyone supposed to feel better about supporting American made when the Japanese are still kick our ***. I get 500 km per tank in my 2011chevy and my friend gets 700 km in his comparable Toyota. GM should get off their *** and out of the oil companies pocket and address our concerns as toyotas are manufactured in North America I'd still be supporting jobs unfortunately GM would loose my families long standing tradition which stems back to the 40s
November 3rd, 2012, 3:43 PM
#92
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Good morning all,
I am not sure if the following information will be helpful or not to the discussion.
The fuel economy estimates are based on results of tests required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These tests are used to certify that vehicles meet the federal emissions and fuel economy standards. Manufacturers test pre-production prototypes of the new vehicle models and submit the test results to EPA. EPA re-tests about 10% of vehicle models to confirm the manufacturer's results. The vehicles are driven by a professional driver under controlled laboratory conditions, on an instrument similar to a treadmill. These procedures ensure that each vehicle is tested under identical conditions; therefore, the results can be compared with confidence.
The EPA's fuel economy estimates are designed to allow consumers to comparison shop. Your fuel economy will almost certainly vary from EPA's fuel economy rating, which is based on a number of factors including weather, road conditions, driving and maintenance habits, and use of air conditioning.
For more information on how your fuel economy can vary, or tips to improve your fuel economy, please visit Your MPG Will Still Vary and Gas Mileage Tips on www.fueleconomy.gov.
All the best,
Sarah (Assisting Louis)
Chevrolet Customer Service
I am not sure if the following information will be helpful or not to the discussion.
The fuel economy estimates are based on results of tests required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These tests are used to certify that vehicles meet the federal emissions and fuel economy standards. Manufacturers test pre-production prototypes of the new vehicle models and submit the test results to EPA. EPA re-tests about 10% of vehicle models to confirm the manufacturer's results. The vehicles are driven by a professional driver under controlled laboratory conditions, on an instrument similar to a treadmill. These procedures ensure that each vehicle is tested under identical conditions; therefore, the results can be compared with confidence.
The EPA's fuel economy estimates are designed to allow consumers to comparison shop. Your fuel economy will almost certainly vary from EPA's fuel economy rating, which is based on a number of factors including weather, road conditions, driving and maintenance habits, and use of air conditioning.
For more information on how your fuel economy can vary, or tips to improve your fuel economy, please visit Your MPG Will Still Vary and Gas Mileage Tips on www.fueleconomy.gov.
All the best,
Sarah (Assisting Louis)
Chevrolet Customer Service
November 3rd, 2012, 3:53 PM
#93
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rutbuster, I have done a lot of "research" on other truck forums, (and this one too) and the thing that aggravates me is that there ARE plenty of guys getting 19-21 mpg with their trucks. A lot of them are getting that as they drive off the dealer lot, too. So much for the "needs to be broken in" mantra we keep hearing. I'm in the same boat as you (but I only have 4000 miles on my truck) I was getting 14.6 on the highway originally, and it has now improved to a whopping 14.71. Combination driving I am getting between 13.5 and 14. I am pissed, too, especially since I was getting better mileage with the 2002 I had since new that I traded in on this truck.
From what I have read, the dealers will do little or nothing about it, since no codes are being tripped. The suspected problem is the AFM, (mine does not work as intended) but again, even someone who gets as far as having a GM engineer getting involved is just told that everything is working as designed. One fellow got a little more action by going to the EPA and getting them involved, but again, was told by a GM engineer (supposedly the one who calibrated the AFM system for GM) that drag on the engine...blah, blah...can't stay in AFM mode... blah, blah... catalytic converter would not stay hot enough to meet EPA standards..blah, blah.
So it is a real catch 22 if you want to complain about it.
You and I and many others are unfortunately in the position of owning one of these trucks that is just not functioning as designed, and I don't know if there is a whole lot that we can do about it. I plan on selling mine at least in 33 months or 32,000 more miles, when the warranty is up, or sooner.
Rich
P.S.- My drywall contractor bought a new Ford last year with the 5.4, and he gets 20.4 on the highway.
From what I have read, the dealers will do little or nothing about it, since no codes are being tripped. The suspected problem is the AFM, (mine does not work as intended) but again, even someone who gets as far as having a GM engineer getting involved is just told that everything is working as designed. One fellow got a little more action by going to the EPA and getting them involved, but again, was told by a GM engineer (supposedly the one who calibrated the AFM system for GM) that drag on the engine...blah, blah...can't stay in AFM mode... blah, blah... catalytic converter would not stay hot enough to meet EPA standards..blah, blah.
So it is a real catch 22 if you want to complain about it.
You and I and many others are unfortunately in the position of owning one of these trucks that is just not functioning as designed, and I don't know if there is a whole lot that we can do about it. I plan on selling mine at least in 33 months or 32,000 more miles, when the warranty is up, or sooner.
Rich
P.S.- My drywall contractor bought a new Ford last year with the 5.4, and he gets 20.4 on the highway.
November 3rd, 2012, 4:09 PM
#94
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Oh crap, I just noticed something else. Your going to poop yourselves when you think about this!!!!
Sorry Louis, but the standard GM answer is going to be hard to explain this one!!
Ok, when you go to the government website that lists the fuel economy ratings (Fuel Economy), you will make an awesome discovery.
Ready for this!!
Ok, they only list the make, model, and year. So, the rating of 15 city, 21 highway, and 17 combined is for a 2012 Chevy Silverado with a 5.3L and a 6 speed tranny. Now the picture on the EPA website is of a crew cab. But there is absolutely NO (i repeat "NO") options for trim. So everyone, what weighs more a regular cab, extended cab, or crew cab. Let me help you .
All 2012 Chevy Silverados with 5.3.l 2wd with 6 speed tranny courtesy of Chevy.com
Regular cab curb weight - 4850lbs
Extended cab curb weight - 4885 lbs
Crew cab weight - 5099 lbs
So the regular cab to extended cab is not much. But the crew cab is 249 lbs heavier.
Now since Chevy can use any of these trucks, which one do you think they would use? Hmmm I would guess they used the lightest one they got -
Ok, since they can use any truck they want, the regular cab 5.3 has an available 3.08 rear end. Additionally, the skinniest tire offered for the Silverado is the 245/70/17 (skinny tire = less rolling resistance) which has a diameter of 30.5".
The final drive on the 6 speed tranny is .667:1.
So math here,
In 6th gear
W/ the 3.73 rear end @ 60 mph (which is what the EPA measure mpgs for highway speed) the engine is spinning 1650 rpms
W/ the 3.42 rear end (common in crew cab trucks) @ 60 mph the engine is spinning at 1500 rpms
Conversely
W/ the 3.08 rear end at 60 mph the engine is spinning 1350 rpms. That is 300 rpm difference
from the 3.73 rear end.
Ok now for real life applications vs the epa truck, Our trucks (crew cabs) usually have wider tires (265 and 275 mm widths) which are much less fuel efficient. Additionally, the majority of us have (again for the crew cabs) either the 3.42 or the 3.73 rear ends.
3.08 @ 75 mph = 1700 rpms
3.42 @ 75 mph = 1900 rpms
3.73 @ 75 mph = 2050 rpms.
So in conclusion, we unknowing purchasers (until now) can not expect our crew cab trucks with those beautiful wide tires and towing gears will never see that 21 mpg that a regular cab truck with the shortest gears and skinniest tires available can get.
Sometimes I hate epiphanies.
Eric
Sorry Louis, but the standard GM answer is going to be hard to explain this one!!
Ok, when you go to the government website that lists the fuel economy ratings (Fuel Economy), you will make an awesome discovery.
Ready for this!!
Ok, they only list the make, model, and year. So, the rating of 15 city, 21 highway, and 17 combined is for a 2012 Chevy Silverado with a 5.3L and a 6 speed tranny. Now the picture on the EPA website is of a crew cab. But there is absolutely NO (i repeat "NO") options for trim. So everyone, what weighs more a regular cab, extended cab, or crew cab. Let me help you .
All 2012 Chevy Silverados with 5.3.l 2wd with 6 speed tranny courtesy of Chevy.com
Regular cab curb weight - 4850lbs
Extended cab curb weight - 4885 lbs
Crew cab weight - 5099 lbs
So the regular cab to extended cab is not much. But the crew cab is 249 lbs heavier.
Now since Chevy can use any of these trucks, which one do you think they would use? Hmmm I would guess they used the lightest one they got -
Ok, since they can use any truck they want, the regular cab 5.3 has an available 3.08 rear end. Additionally, the skinniest tire offered for the Silverado is the 245/70/17 (skinny tire = less rolling resistance) which has a diameter of 30.5".
The final drive on the 6 speed tranny is .667:1.
So math here,
In 6th gear
W/ the 3.73 rear end @ 60 mph (which is what the EPA measure mpgs for highway speed) the engine is spinning 1650 rpms
W/ the 3.42 rear end (common in crew cab trucks) @ 60 mph the engine is spinning at 1500 rpms
Conversely
W/ the 3.08 rear end at 60 mph the engine is spinning 1350 rpms. That is 300 rpm difference
from the 3.73 rear end.Ok now for real life applications vs the epa truck, Our trucks (crew cabs) usually have wider tires (265 and 275 mm widths) which are much less fuel efficient. Additionally, the majority of us have (again for the crew cabs) either the 3.42 or the 3.73 rear ends.
3.08 @ 75 mph = 1700 rpms
3.42 @ 75 mph = 1900 rpms
3.73 @ 75 mph = 2050 rpms.
So in conclusion, we unknowing purchasers (until now) can not expect our crew cab trucks with those beautiful wide tires and towing gears will never see that 21 mpg that a regular cab truck with the shortest gears and skinniest tires available can get.
Sometimes I hate epiphanies.
Eric
November 3rd, 2012, 4:29 PM
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Like ever real person here not happy with there millage. To the after market please help us enjoy driving again. Please help the masses afford what we have paid so much for. We all have worked hard for what we have and it should not be a burden.
November 11th, 2012, 7:29 PM
#96
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Keep in mind rolling resistance shouldn't be looked at in diameter. The tread width is what causes the rolling resistance. Thread width is the friction on the road. The best tire with the best diameter is the 255/85/16 or 17. Nice thread width with good overall diameter.
Also, another thing to consider is what you are going to do with the truck.
Wait, before I go into this, consider that ford, and chevy (I'm not familiar with Dodge's options) give you numerous (I mean a poop load) of axle ratio, pay load, and tire size options that will fit YOUR specific needs for the truck. Not to mention Engine size options as well. When I was shopping for trucks, and I looked at Nissans and Toyotas, ALL of their trucks come with the same ALXE ratio and engines. You can get different tire sizes but you options for customization for YOUR specific driving needs are very much limited.
With Ford or Chevy, If you are just using it for a daily driver with light payload / towing applications you can opt for a shorter rear end gear (up to a 3.08) and a more economic tire size as mentioned by Mkenny as well as a more economical engine. If you are like me and don't drive the truck much but do a lot of towing, then a taller rear end (mine is a 3.73) with a larger engine. So yeah my mpgs suck but I can tow a house (or I recently pulled my buddies 2012 F250 and his 8k lb camper when he was stuck). Which is what I need it to do.
Another food for thought. Another friend of mine (who has money) has a fully loaded Nissan Titan truck. He was boasting how he recently towed a 8k boat (with a tongue weight of 500lbs) across the country. However, he complained how due to the excessive tongue weight (how 500 lbs is excessive is beyond me?) he could only go 45 mpg (as his rear bumper was dragging pretty bad) and his mpgs were around 6 mpgs. When I told him about my truck and camper configuration, he stated that I must know exactly what he was talking about. However, I explained that my camper has about a 1000lb tongue weight and I tow at 65mph all day long and get 7-8 mpgs. In summary, I have discovered that Chevy (and i hate to admit it - Ford and Dodge - the other American makers) are better at towing applications. Toyota and Nissan aren't really designed for heavy towing applications.
Sorry for the rant!!
January 23rd, 2013, 8:22 PM
#97
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mileage 2011 crew cab 4 wheel drive
u can do all the figures and facts u want i have receipts from day one to 17390 that say 14.1 on hiway and chevy tells me its in specs! 15 city 22hwy epa estimates .mine dont even get city onthe hiway u tell me who lies and wont fix problem.I think the only recourse is an attorney.what do you all think
January 24th, 2013, 12:51 PM
#98
The truck manufacturers sell trucks based on the numbers for 0-60 performance, overall tow rating, horsepower and torque figures, payload capacity, as well as comfort with larger cabs and more goodies. No different with cars where Chevy announced that the new Corvette now goes 0-60 in under 4 seconds. I would have been more impressed if the new Corvette got 30 MPG.
I sold a 1998 Tahoe last year and year after year I would look at the new SUV's and see that the gas mileage was worse than my old one and it got worse year by year as GM like everyone else made their vehicles larger and heavier and faster and with poorer fuel economy.
I have seen numerous posts about the extremely high GCWR for the 2013 Ram 1-ton trucks but not one mention of the likely drop in real world fuel economy. How many people need a 30,000 plus lb. GCWR in a pickup truck and how many people would rather get better fuel economy with their new truck than with their old one?
Toyota is as bad as the rest. Their mini-trucks and SUVs have gone from 4-bangers to V6's and V8's. Cabs have gone to extended cabs and crew cabs and ever more space and ever heavier vehicles. Fuel economy is half what it could be for vehicles this size.
We buy based on what are often meaningless specs that are trumpeted by the auto companies and the auto magazines and the gadgets and plushness of the cabs and the amount of chrome and then only much later after the truck is sitting in the driveway do we start to think about fuel economy.
Even then it is common for people to jack up their trucks and put on bigger tires that does nothing positive in terms of fuel economy or actual performance on paved highways and is negative in most offroad situations and still guys do this and then ask what they can do to get more miles per gallon.
I sold a 1998 Tahoe last year and year after year I would look at the new SUV's and see that the gas mileage was worse than my old one and it got worse year by year as GM like everyone else made their vehicles larger and heavier and faster and with poorer fuel economy.
I have seen numerous posts about the extremely high GCWR for the 2013 Ram 1-ton trucks but not one mention of the likely drop in real world fuel economy. How many people need a 30,000 plus lb. GCWR in a pickup truck and how many people would rather get better fuel economy with their new truck than with their old one?
Toyota is as bad as the rest. Their mini-trucks and SUVs have gone from 4-bangers to V6's and V8's. Cabs have gone to extended cabs and crew cabs and ever more space and ever heavier vehicles. Fuel economy is half what it could be for vehicles this size.
We buy based on what are often meaningless specs that are trumpeted by the auto companies and the auto magazines and the gadgets and plushness of the cabs and the amount of chrome and then only much later after the truck is sitting in the driveway do we start to think about fuel economy.
Even then it is common for people to jack up their trucks and put on bigger tires that does nothing positive in terms of fuel economy or actual performance on paved highways and is negative in most offroad situations and still guys do this and then ask what they can do to get more miles per gallon.
January 29th, 2013, 12:02 PM
#99
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chevys got my money ,offered to buy back 2011 4w/d creww cab with 18000 22,500.00 for cash what a slap in the face when they cant fix their lousy gas mileage problem 14.1 on the hiway what a lie i was sold 15 city,22hwy,cant even get city on hwy,iwould be tickeled pink if it got 16 or 17 hwy,on the oil consumption deal again as my 08 was wonder why toyota is no 1 now
January 29th, 2013, 12:14 PM
#100
Administrator
Those numbers are estimated for most typical drivers in most situations, not a promised guarantee... my sisters Toyota Camry just blew an engine with 180000 on it, I assure you, she is not feeling they are number one...
Are you towing or carrying around extra weight in the truck?
keeping it at or below the speed limit? good MPG really does come down to good driving habits... its a truck, that is meant to do a trucks job and not a cars....
Are you towing or carrying around extra weight in the truck?
keeping it at or below the speed limit? good MPG really does come down to good driving habits... its a truck, that is meant to do a trucks job and not a cars....