8.1L vs 6.0L Milege/Longevity
 

Looking for a newer burb.

I have a 01' 8.1L. suburban. best tow vehicle I have owned (better than V10/7.3/5.4/durmax - towed with all of these same trailer). Deep throttle pulling 9500lbs in the norcal mountains.

What differences should I expect if I go with a 07-11 6.0L 2500 burb/yukon.

Prolly get 9-10mp around town and 6-7 towing right now.

I can get low mileage 55K-mi 8.1L for half what a 70K-mi 6.0L.

Thoughts?

drivability, will decrease with 6.0
Economy with increase with 6.0


if fuel cost was of little no importance I would do 8.1

From the standpoint of purely towing, you're probably better off with an '06 or older 8.1. The '07 and up 2500 Burbs are limited with a 500/1000 receiver.

I pull a 6500-lb travel trailer with my 2500. Last summer we took it out west to Arizona and Colorado, including a trip on I-70 through the Eisenhower Tunnel. The truck tows the trailer well, and the six-speed helps, but I don't think I'd be willing to tow anything heavier. With my family of 5 (three teenagers), we were right at the limit - 8600 lb - on our GVW.

That being said, I like all the newer features of my '08 - remote start, 4 heated seats, power tailgate, backup camera (awesome for easy hitching up without a spotter), the six-speed, etc. I have the VVT LY6 motor, and it took a little getting used to, but it loves to rev and pulls strong. It's actually a lot of fun to drive when not towing.

But if I was looking for a truck with the single-minded purpose of towing, I would've bought an '04-'06 8.1. IMHO, that's the king of the hill for towing.

If you end up looking at '07 and newer, change that to '08 and newer. The 2007 2500 has the 4-speed.

ETA: My 2500 gets 11-12 around town (I drive it like I stole it), 15 on the highway, ~8 when towing the TT, and ~10 when pulling a 3500-lb 6X12 enclosed cargo trailer.

Thanks for replies. It will be daily driver for wife. not only purpose of towing like current 01' 8.1L burb. but max towing might make that decision for me.

Why do they call the 07+ burb a 3/4 ton if the 1/2T F150 can tow more?

Maybe its time to actually weigh the toyhauler.

30' tip to tail. 5600lbs dry weight sticker, add ons propane batteries, 100gallons water 1000lbs in dirtbikes. might make it in under 8600lbs.

I might be willing to have less towing performance (did I just say that out loud) for daily economy. decisions.

Tow rating is really a meaningless number. Generally, a pickup will have a greater tow rating than its SUV cousin, if for no other reason than the pickup starts off with a lower curb weight, due to less body and weight on the rear axle. The bed is a lot lighter than a body with all that extra glass and seats.

Up until 2013 model year, there were two variants of the Burb (and Yukon XL) available - 1500 and 2500. They have identical bodies, but if you lift off the body, you have two completely different trucks - powertrain, frame, axles, suspension are all different. Easy way to tell the difference is to count the number of lug nuts - 1500 are 6 lug, 2500 are 8 lug.

The 1500 Burbs have about a 1500-lb payload capacity, a 4000 (or 4200) rear axle weight rating, and a 7200 GVWR. The 2500 Burb has a 2100-lb payload capacity, 5500-lb rear axle (limited by the tires), and an 8600-lb GVWR.

The 2500 Burbs are roughly equivalent to a 2500 non-HD or 1500HD pickup truck.

As a daily driver, I'd take the newer truck, hands down. But again, it all comes down to the weight of your trailer, when fully loaded. It might be a bit much for the 07+ receiver.

The 07+ 2500s have no badges - nothing to identify them as different. The higher rear bumper, 8-lug wheels, and possible towing mirrors are the only tipoff:
Attachment 10514
2500 Burb on top, 1500 Yukon XL on the bottom.