Looking to get rid of the wifes 02 Tahoe and maybe step up to a 3/4 ton Sub with the 6.0 liter. There are some pretty killer deals out there for some of the leftover 05's.

Have three kids so this would be mostly for family use. I would be looking at a 1/2 ton Sub but Chevy went and changed the rear ends to a 3.42 with the 5.3 motor which is a joke. The Tahoe we have with the same motor has a 3.73.

The 3/4ton has the larger motor and 3.73 gears and can be bought for about the same as a 1/2 ton.

Just looking for opinions.

Thanks

The 6.0 is a pig on fuel, you might as well get the 8.0. Had a 6.0 3 trucks ago, I would buy the 1/2 ton unless you own a big boat.

I've got a 03 3/4 6.0 with the 3.73. I really like the truck and it's my wife's daily driver. Recently I offered to get her a minivan and buy a used dually for towing and she wouldn't consider getting rid of HER truck. If you do any significant towing get the 8.1!!!! A buddy has the same truck with the 8.1 and gets about .7 less gas mileage yet has 95lbs of extra torque. We haul an 8,000 boat, fuel and trailer gets over 10K and you know it's back there! I figured this truck with a different engine/gear is rated for 12K so I should be able to stop the load even though my engine/gear package isn't quite rated for 10k.

You will not regret going from the Tahoe to a Suburban - they are the best. Mine is an older (98) 3/4 ton with the 5.7 and 4.10 gears and it works great towing the 26 Sutphen, but a larger engine would be preferred if I had a 30'+ boat. My wife also loves the thing to the point where she won't even talk about replacing it.

We have a 2003 Yukon XL 2500 with the 8.1L and 4.10 rear end. Ours is a daily driver and have had no issues. The 2500 rides a bit stiffer than the 1500, but I would get a 2500 if you are towing anything over 7000 pounds.

As stated above, the 8.1 L gets about the same gas mileage.

Wife loves the truck, but we plan to move up to a dually, as we are towing a 40' Hustler. The truck handles the weight fine, but you can feel the boat a lot when you cross railroad tracks or get passed on the highway. Love the truck and engine!

Yep, I am in a 2500 Avalanche; same as a 2500 Suburban with a 8.1L/4spd Auto/4.10 rear. I would get the 8.1L in the Sub, and the 3.73 rear end will save you a couple hundred RPM while cruising, and can save a bit more mileage. I get about 10.6 MPG (hand calculated) daily driving, bumping up to over 11 MPG with a lot of highway miles. I have bigger tires which impede the mileage a bit. My buddy with a 2005 Suburban with the 5.3L gets 14.9 daily driving (on-board computer calcucated). You will not mind the extra power over the lesser gas mileage. If it gets to be an issue, pick up a $3K commuter like I have; with 26 MPG.

Not much towing (have a PSD as other truck) just did not want the 5.3 with the 3.42 rear end. Plus the leftover 05's on the lot are 6.0 motors.

Thanks for the replies

Just got rid of our 3/4 sub for a Duramax but we were very happy with it. Had the 6.0 with a 4.10 rear and averaged around 14 MPG without the boat and 8 MPH with the 38 footer, was getting 9 MPG with the 29 foot. You will be happy with one, depending on how big your boat is I would think the 6.0 would be enough, but I would probably get the 8.1

P.S. I have a set of 16x8 Centerline wheels that look real good on a sub I will sell

Wife has an '05 3/4 to 4WD, Yukon XL, 8.1, 3.73 ratio. 37K miles and is a great trip vehicle. She has had 5 of them since '93 and they just keep getting better. Gas mileage is about 11.5 and she has a heavy foot. The sweet spot on the gas pedal is 82 MPH. I will pull a 14K # boat up a ramp much better than my '97 2WD dually. Joe Murray

HP I drove a 8.1 yesterday helping a friend out with his boat a 33 outlaw pulled it about 85 miles, it pulled great had PLENTY of power and did not seem to use to much fuel either. Just to let you know.



Rich.