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Fuel economy for 6.0L gas engine on 2011 gmc sierra HD

24K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  yankeeyardworks 
#1 ·
Anybody know what you can expect for fuel economy on a 2011 gmc sierra HD pickup equipped with the 6.0L gas engine?
 
#2 ·
Fuel economy=bad. Power and reliability=good. Do a search on here and you will see the constant complaint most 6 liter owners have is the mileage. I have one in a 02 1500HD and it gets 10-11 towing and 15-16 under ideal conditions. That is with 3.73 gears. The newer trucks have a 5 or 6 speed auto which might help a little, but the 6.0 is a thirsty engine.
 
#3 ·
The 6.0 is definitley a relaible motor. The fuel economy is terrilble though. I have one as a daily driver. The 6.0 tends to turn alot of rpms to make it power too, I'm not sure why GM has it set up this way, but def. not a bad motor.
 
#4 ·
I'm pushing more toward a GM 2500 6.0L V8 myself. No 3ton HD gas truck is going to get decent mileage empty or pulling a trailer. I have a 5.9L V8 in my Durango and the engine is gold. I get about 10mpg towing 3500lbs in town.

Oh, if you pick up the latest Truck Trend it has the Silverado up against the Ford (and GMC Sierra, although it's the same truck..). It gave the GM trucks tops for best performance and mileage over the Ford 6.2L mostly because the Ford gas weighs 400lbs more in similar configuration. The Silverado/Sierra averaged mid 13mpg during the testing including a short towing stint. The Ford 6.2 was in the 12mpg. Not too far off, but weight is the ultimate factor in determining fuel economy. Both have 6 speed auto's.

The GM trucks with 3.73 gears and the gas engine in top gear at 60mph turned 1700rpm apparently, which seems to be a comfortable cruising speed but add on a plow, salter, or trailer for that matter and the 4.10 gears will knowingly return better mileage and offer less gear hunting. Decisions decisions....

All told I wouldn't expect more than 16mpg highway unloaded.
 
#5 ·
i have the 09 with a 6.0 and im getting 10 pulling a trailer around town 16footer with 1-wb 2-ztrs i get 12 with no trailer and 15 highway
 
#6 ·
I've got an '07 (new body style) Chevy 2500HD ext cab/short bed with the 3:73 gears and 6.0L gas engine. I think it does pretty good on fuel, you can't be too hard on the throttle, but with a fairly light foot you can achieve pretty good fuel economy.

In the city I can get around 12-13mpg. On the highway I can get just over 17mpg doing about 70mph. If I'm doing 55mph I can actually get just over 20mpg. Now, when it comes to towing, I get about 8-10mpg depending on the load and whether I'm doing more city or highway type driving. Usually I'm towing a 2880lb trailer with 2000lb mower and some grass, so probably 5500lbs. On an average tank of towing, city and highway driving I get 12 mpg.

The 6.0 Vortec has tons of power and I have found it to be quite fuel efficient for an HD truck.
 
#7 ·
I have 3 of those engines in the truck department. Great motors. Will tow with the diesel trucks but always shifting. Empty truck on HWY we can get around 15-18 Trailer and empty - 12 - 14 . loaded 8-10

My theroy is if you need the truck - fuel shouldn't be a major concern. Its meant for work, hauling, pulling, etc. Not driving to church - although maybe it will go to church but not as the family vehicle - but then again??
 
#8 ·
That's just it. A vehicle is what it is, it has a purpose. Family car is just that, a transportation appliance for the masses. A truck is meant for work and daily activities. A HD truck is meant for harder work and therefor weighs more, eats more fuel, costs more to maintain and so on. Mileage shouldn't matter unless you plan to use it to commute.

I realize everyone is attempting to save a few bucks where they can. If you want to get better mileage get a ScanGauge that plugs into the diagnostic port. It shows you instant fuel economy readout so you can be more cautious on the throttle. However, when towing or hauling that goes out the window.
 
#10 ·
i just traded my 09 6.0 liter silverado in for a 2011 duramax dieasel wow i should have done this a long time ago ,,what a truck will never own a gas job again i can surely justify the 8000$ dollar option for the duramax and the allison automatic,,,go test drive one youll deffinetly want one
Maintenance costs will catch up to you in the long run. The thing I don't like about the 100K warranty on the 6.6L is that even for simple warranty repairs you still have to pay $100 or something like that for each visit.... nuts!
 
#11 ·
i just traded my 09 6.0 liter silverado in for a 2011 duramax dieasel wow i should have done this a long time ago ,,what a truck will never own a gas job again i can surely justify the 8000$ dollar option for the duramax and the allison automatic,,,go test drive one youll deffinetly want one
What fuel economy do you get on that duramax? City? Highway?

Where I live in Canada, there's a huge price difference to go from the 6.0L gas to the 6.6L Duramax diesel. I was quoted $44K on the road for an ext. cab SLE with the 6.0L gas and $55K for the diesel version. An $11K premium is a lot. You have to wonder if the fuel savings will offset the initial extra cost and the higher maintenance costs on the diesel.
 
#12 ·
Apples to oranges:
I have an 2001 GMC yukon xl 3.42, 5.3, get 20.7 consistant mpg on road trips, 15's local, can tow 8900 lbs. I see a lot of 2500's out there never using their full capacity most of the time, but always draining their owners wallets at the gas pump.
 
#13 ·
I ,Mr Fing Ford just drove my first duramax crew Dually 3500. **** guys 40-80 in 2 seconds flat, NO LIE! Its saying a 36 gallon tank will produce 680 miles!!! That's 6-8 miles per gallon more than my 04 6.0 diesel Dump! I might have to buy two of these! Quiet as hell, loaded at 60,000 but with loyalty (08 Suburban)and rebates blahblahblah for 60,000 I'll get a free plow and 2 DVD players! I felt good driv ing that SOB today! Oh FYI my 04 2500hd used to get almost 400 miles to a tank. (33 gallons) now it gets like 300 so I gotta do a little general maitainance to the motor. And that's after dumping over 10000.00 into it over the last year. Everythings new Tranny Transfercase, Starter, alternator,idler arms,manifolds,fuel lines ,brakelines ,rotors calipers brakes,E-brake shoes ,backing plates,shifters linkage,rods,ujoints, tires,!and its only got 65,000 on it! Mustve over worked it!BIG STEVE B CT STRENGTH WSL
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#14 ·
Apples to oranges:
I have an 2001 GMC yukon xl 3.42, 5.3, get 20.7 consistant mpg on road trips, 15's local, can tow 8900 lbs. I see a lot of 2500's out there never using their full capacity most of the time, but always draining their owners wallets at the gas pump.
2001 Yukon w/5.3L and 3.42 gears can tow a max of 6900lbs; with the 3.73 gears it gets bumped up to 7900lbs. If you're towing over 3.5 tons, you're running illegal, even if the truck can handle it. Get into an accident and it's found that you were running over your respected weight ratings, you can be at fault even if the accident itself wasn't your fault, you weren't suppose to have been there in the first place. Just to warn you, as I've seen it happen to many a good folk over the years. I even had a large RV dealer tell me that I can tow a 5th wheel with my Durango (SUV!). I left.

It's not about towing and mileage with a 3/4 ton. It's about axle and gross weight ratings. Picking up a cubic yard of salt for instance ain't gonna cut it in a half ton SUV, or truck for that matter. Snowplow? You'll be overweight on 98% of half ton models unless the driver is less than 30-80lbs, not the usual 200+ pounds these days. Axles and gears aren't as durable in half tons for regular hard work under regular loads.

I've achieved 18mpg on an older 2002 Sierra with the 6.0L V8 at 60mph. Driver over that and mileage plummets with heavier trucks to the early to mid teens, as best. Don't forget that 'highway' mileage is very vague unless the posted also posts an average driven speed for which any given mileage is achieved.
 
#16 ·
Well as for mileage
What fuel economy do you get on that du

Where I live in Canada, there's a huge price difference to go from the 6.0L gas to the 6.6L Duramax diesel. I was quoted $44K on the road for an ext. cab SLE with the 6.0L gas and $55K for the diesel version. An $11K premium is a lot. You have to wonder if the fuel savings will offset the initial extra cost and the higher maintenance costs on the diesel.
Well as for mileage I have seen a big difference between my 2009 2500 hd,I figure I'm getting 16-18 miles per gallon with the diesel,she is super quiet,and will work like a horse, wow 11,000 more for a diesel,sounds like a lot,,my sticker price was 52,and I picked it up for 48,this truck has everything but leather,,I did a lot of research on this purchase,weighed out all the options,and choose this route,I'm extremely happy I feel as though if you want a work truck you buy a work truck,,all the landscapes up here in Maine run diesals,,either Ford or Chevy,,and my last comment is you or your truck will only last as long as you maintain them on a regular basis,,I have a 2004 3500 dump with a 6.6 turbo diesal with 92 thousand on it runs like a champ,,we all have our own opinions but ill stick to diesals in the long run,,and I think the premium cost can be justified,,only you will know what to do ,,work them and you'll see,,
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#17 ·
Well as for mileage
Well as for mileage I have seen a big difference between my 2009 2500 hd,I figure I'm getting 16-18 miles per gallon with the diesel,she is super quiet,and will work like a horse, wow 11,000 more for a diesel,sounds like a lot,,my sticker price was 52,and I picked it up for 48,this truck has everything but leather,,I did a lot of research on this purchase,weighed out all the options,and choose this route,I'm extremely happy I feel as though if you want a work truck you buy a work truck,,all the landscapes up here in Maine run diesals,,either Ford or Chevy,,and my last comment is you or your truck will only last as long as you maintain them on a regular basis,,I have a 2004 3500 dump with a 6.6 turbo diesal with 92 thousand on it runs like a champ,,we all have our own opinions but ill stick to diesals in the long run,,and I think the premium cost can be justified,,only you will know what to do ,,work them and you'll see,,
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Thanks for the response. Is that fuel mileage of 16-18 mpg in the city or highway, loaded or empty? Thank you.
 
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