Chevrolet TrailBlazer Real World MPG

Karen_S

This topic is for TrailBlazer owners to share their actual MPG with others.

"Real World" Fuel Economy vs. EPA Estimates

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michaelcozens

I have been suprised, on the highway if I drive with a light foot I can get over 20mpg. I have the I6. Any headwind takes it down to an average of 18 or so. In town it is just so-so 14. I put in a KN air filter and it seems to boost MPG just a little on the hiway. If nothing else the KN filter is good for the engine.

gmoudy

Around town I get on the average of 18 mpg. On a trip to California I usually get 22 mpg. Love the mileage I get with this SUV and the comfort it provides on a trip.

imadad2

I have a 04 TB EXT as well, but have the V8. On a trip to Disney, I averaged 18 - 19 MPG. Around the city I average 15 MPG. It is close to being on par with the I6. I went with the extra horsepower and have not regretted it.

gmfan

Same vehicle. I get 16-17 mpg around town, and 22-23 mpg on highway. Good numbers in my opinion, especially on the highway.

-gmfan

compserv

First 1000 miles. Averages 19 on the highway. V8 5300 w/DOD

ndmike88

I have an '03 TB. Around town 16.5-17. Just drove from Nashville to South Bend, IN. and averaged 24.7 round trip.

blautens

12 MPG. I smile all the way to the pump when I feed that LS2 expensive premium.

Bruce

P.S.
Hemi? What's a Hemi?

member12

I have the 4.2L 4x4 with the 3.23 back end. It has over 62,000 miles on it. I get on average about 18mpg, but I drive a good mix of highway and city traffic. Between Baton Rouge and Houston, I got 23mpg averaging about 65mph.

A few months ago, my gas mileage dropped to 14, but I noticed it needed a new air filter. I replaced it and mileage went back up again. I use shell 87 octane gas.

Not bad gas mileage. I had to pull a 5,000 lb dual axle featherlite, and the 4.2 pulls it pretty good. I could use a little more power off the line, but it still works very well. No problems to report yet. I am already sold on the 2008 redesiged Trailblazer unless they go unitbody.

bigbassguy1

my 02 TB LS is lucky to get 300 miles per tank (apx 16.5 MPG) I have 82K on it and replaced air filter last summer.

Friends of mine have 8 cylinder silverados that get same if not better mpg.

overall I think its not too good and I think gas tank should be at least 22 gal vs 18.

gmfan

I think 03 or 04 models have larger tanks. I also wish my 02 TB had a larger tank.

kybilt

2006 TrailBlazer SS ! I smile all the way to the pump, and cry on the way out! Seriously, I checked the mileage on an 8 hour round trip from home. Mostly interstate, driving very conservatively, averaged 17.2 mpg. BTW, I don't always fill up with premium, never noticed any difference either way.

new57

i get average of 16 mpg.

pure hwy somtimes gets 20-21mpg

bluedad

With the 03 TB LS I tracked every tank I put in it ( 56k at trade) I was always 17.4 - 18.5 mixed driving and 20.2 hwy. Just got 06 LT w/ v8, still breaking it in ( 650 miles so far) but the V8 w DOD is a blast to drive. Showing 17.4 first tank, mixed driving.

cookiemom

I have a 03 TB EXT LT V8// I think it is ok most of the time but the dash and everything there gets very hot! I don't know what is wrong but right now the light for the air bag stays on? I also get the seat belt light on as well.
I just out of warranty and don't know what I should do? :confuse:

lastar

Does anyone have any experience with these and do any of them work and actually increase the MPG?
Thanks

dmb874

I am serious considering a TBSS LSawd...any thoughts and or advice would be appreciated.

Thank you

73shark

Gets about 13.5 MPG in town and 21 MPG hiway at 70-75 mph. These are calculated, not from the DIC which runs about 1.0-1.5 MPG higher. Stay away from "gas savers" that involve magnets and things that create turbulence. Have never seen any documented, independent lab or dyno tests for these.

chevyman69

hey
i have a 2004 trailblazer LT when ever im driving and i turn the wheel and i sometimes hear this grinding or louder rubbing noise in front end so i went to the dealership under warranty and they sayed it was the mud flaps and the dealer installed them before i bought it and still the tire isnt even close to the mud flaps...they come up with some good ones somtimes! :mad:

can anyone relate to this?

thanks

jwoodie

I have a 2004 TB EXT V8 AWD 3.73 and get 14-18 just like the EPA sticker said.

73shark

FYI: You might have better luck getting an answer if you put this in the "Problems & Solutions" section.

jwoodie

i am considering replacement tires for my EXT but am concerned about reported mpg drop with certain tires (especially goodyear fortera's). stock conti's are quiet & smooth but lousy traction. any suggestions?

pureblue146

I just replaced my tires on my '04 Trailblazer EXT. It came with Continentals and I only got 27k out of them. Through research I read that the Goodyear Fortera SilentArmor are a top rated tire so I got 'em. Yes, I am getting about 1.5 MPG less. I guess it's a trade off for better preformance. The difference in ride is tremendous. And I gotta remind myself that the reason I got the 4WD in the first place is for safety in bad weather in the first place. It's a tradeoff that i'm willing to make. If the tires make that much difference in traction, they're worth it. I can't wait for ski season to put them through the test.

73shark

My 02 came with the BFG tire and at 40K, they look like they could go another 10-20K. I have 2WD w/ traction control and live in KC, MO area and have never had any problem with snow, etc. I get 15 MPG in town and 21 MPG on hwy @ 70-75 mph. This is actual, not the inflated numbers from the DIC. Run about 35 psi in tires.

jwoodie

Well, I sprang for the Fortera Tripletreds ($150 each!). They look and handle great, suprisingly quiet & smooth considering their aggressive tread design. Haven't checked new mileage or snow performance, but will report back.
P.S. GM factory recommended 30 front 35 rear psi (EXT)seems to be correct for maximum wear pattern.

jwoodie

I have the same problem (hot dash) especially during long haul up hill. May also affect erratic temp modulation from auto a/c. I wonder of this problem is more frequent with the V8 EXT? Am considering putting some insulation between engine & firewall. Any thoughts/suggstions?

graboske

I have an '02 4WD with 4.10 gears, and get 16 in mixed driving, and 22 on the highway at 75 mpg. Mileage with a 6,000 pound trailer is in the 12-14 mpg range. I also have a '06 2WD SS. It gets as low as 13 mpg in the city, and up to 18 on the highway driven conservatively. It's more fun to get 13

tshields1

Looking to but TB ext, was told to get the V8 because of the extra weight, wont do any towing b/c I have truck as well. Any pros or cons on engine selection?

lablover2

i average about 17 mpg with a mix of driving.i still love my trailblazer with 62,600 miles on her! i just replaced my original bfg tires and could have probably waited awhile. my nephews wife also has a tb and she put on over 90000 miles before she replaced her tires.

jwiseman

I was really disappointed in the MPG I'm getting. I keep really detailed records on my cars. My wife mostly drives the TB (50 miles round trip to work, all highway). She routinely gets only about 16MPG. On a long road trip it might climb to 18MPG.

larry82

Anybody have any computer chip recommendations to boost MPG for an 2003 Trailblazer? We do a mix of city/hwy driving and occassional light towing. We currently get about 17-20 on our 4.3L, straight 6, would like to improve those numbers.
Thanks

tblazed

I have two reprogrammed PCMs for mine now from two different PCM reprogram companies. Each programmer made claims of anywhere from 2 to 5 MPG improvement. I think they left off the decimal point! Maybe .2 to .5 MPG if any improvement at all! Claims of improved gas mileage did not materialize, although the throttle response and shift quality are much improved over stock. I think it was worthwhile for those improvements. Do not expect miracles improving the MPG.

Someone else said theirs gets about 13.5 in town, about 21 at 70-75 on the highway. That's very much inline with what I have always seen, stock or "tuned". The best so far was all between 65 and 70 it got 23.5. I have the 3.42:1 gear ratio. That makes a difference too. Each step up in numerical gear ratio will make the highway MPG less. Choices were 3.42. 3.73. and 4.10.

vikesfan53

I just bought a dealer-driven 2007 Trailblazer which has a 4.3L I6. The sheet says mpg should be 15-21 but no matter what I do, I can't get any better than 9mpg in town. I have 85 miles on this tank of gas and I'm just a tad over 1/2 full!!! Has anyone heard of issues with these vehicles or engines? Any help I could get would be appreciated!!

lttlelgepres

I just bought a 2003 TB EXT with 70,000 miles on it. I filled up the tank and have used half a tank and only got 125 miles on that half tank. I have a 25 gallon tank because of the extended model. I am very dissapointed so far I was expecting between 15-17 mpg.

Any help would be apreciated.

bandjw01

We had a 2008 Uplander which on a few trips to the Gulf Coast got 18MPG pulling our motorcycle trailer. We had a 27 foot motor home which we didn't use much due to getting only 8-9 MPG. We sold our RV and bought the smallest toy hauler we could find, a new Coachmen 15 foot Blast which weighs 3400 pounds. Even though the Blast was within the 3500 # capacity of the Uplander I wished to add helper springs and a transmission cooler. There were no such parts available for the 2008 Uplander. We ask our local Chevy dealer what we should do and they recommended a 2007 Trailblazer LS 2 wd. It had 10,000 less miles and a tow capacity of 5900# according to Chevy. We traded for $800. We loved the Trailblazer so much we traded our 2000 Toyota Corolla on a 2006 Trailblazer LT 4wd. We had already installed a trailer brake controller in the 07 LS so when vacationing at the Gulf coast after Christmas we towed the 15' toy hauler with it. Fully loaded the weight is 5550#. The Trailblazer struggled, many times up hill on the interstate it shifted dow to second gear and raced at 5,000+ rpms. We got 6.5 MPG!
This is unacceptable! Returning home we drove 55mph and got 8 mpg. Still unacceptable. Research - Trailblazer with 342 to 1 rear end gear ratio tow capacity is 5400#. 373 to 1 rear end is 5700# and 410 to 1 rear end is 5900#.
We found our 07 LT TB has a 342 rear end , our 06 LT TB has a 373 rear end. So the TB we were using was over loaded! Not towing the 342 gearing gets about 16 MPG while the 373 gets about 12 MPG.
My question is will the 373 get better MPG and struggle less towing our small toy hauler? How much difference does the rear end make in MPG and Towing?
I did ad a chip to the 07 LT TB with the 342 rear end before we went on vacation. it has made no difference in power or MPG.
Any information or help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob

ndmike88

I have a 2003 TB bought new. Just turned 43,000 miles. I get 16.5 -17 mpg in the city and 23-24 mpg on the road (if I keep the speed below 75mph.)
Hope this helps.

fastfred4

My '04 EXT gets about 20-21 mpg around town,& 24-26 mpg on open roads/freeways.
I don't know how oyhers are driving their rigs, but I drive fairly conservatively,only juicing it when I need to merge into dense,fast moving traffic.

hineblazer

That is great mileage for any Traiblazer and a EXT to boot. We have an 05 Trailblazer standard with the inline 6 cyl. It is not the greatest on performance or mpg. When we first got it new, it seemed to make the OEM spec of 15 to 20 MPG. As of late it was only getting between 10 to 12.5 mpg. Most of our driving is local so that may be why but I found a test on line to test the O2 sensors. The down flow O2 sensor failed the test so I replaced it and we will see how the MPG goes. I am considering selling it with only 35K on it, but I do love to dirve it. Nice smooth ride on the Hwy. I have done as good as 22.5 on the highway so it is great for that type of travel.

hineblazer

We have an 05 Trailblazer standard with the inline 6 cyl. It is not the greatest on performance or mpg. When we first got it new, it seemed to make the OEM spec of 15 to 20 MPG. As of late it was only getting between 10 to 12.5 mpg. Most of our driving is local so that may be why but I found a test on line to test the O2 sensors. The down flow O2 sensor failed the test so I replaced it and we will see how the MPG goes. I am considering selling it with only 35K on it, but I do love to dirve it. Nice smooth ride on the Hwy. I have done as good as 22.5 on the highway so it is great for that type of travel.

hineblazer

We have an 05 TB and I have done some research on this. So fare it seems like the performance chip manufactures are only focusing on the larger V8 engines. Some say better MPG but the bottom line is that they focus on the performance which generaly causes the engine to use more fuel. There is only one that I know of called "Jet" of CA that does make a pickyback type connector that claims to improve the performance but some of the review I read say otherwise. I wish the company Super Chips made a chip upgrade for this engine because they actualy replace the programming in the PCM apposed to simply attaching a mass of resistors/amplifiers to modify the voltages to the PCM.

hineblazer

I have a 2005 TB 4WD and it was getting 10 to 11 mpg city most of its life except for maybe the first 6 months from a new purchase. I took it back to the dealer many times and they kept saying that that is what these trucks get for mpg. I tried many things like HHO add on kits and fuel additives. Nothing worked. I started looking into basic stuff like fluid levels on the differentials and transfer case and found that my transfer case was operating with about 1/2 quart of fluid. The manual and the dealer state that this would not need servicing or checking until 50K. At $13 a quart from the dealer (only place to get it) I added a little over 1 1/2 quarts. It was an amazing difference in performance including MPG. I am now getting closer to 15 to 16 mpg in the city. So much for suggested OEM maintenance. I feel that GM and other auto manufactures do these things intentionally to get consumers to buy new vehicles fare before it is necessary. The business model for (planned obsolescence) needs to change here the US or we will all soon be in tank. Based on the recent events it looks like many of us are already in the tank due to greed such as this.

hineblazer

Not sure about towing but I have an 05 standard TB and have had MPG problems most of the 4 years owned. I tried just about everything and finally found that GM was so cheep that they only filled the transfer case with about 1/2 quart of fluid. (no leaks) I found out from the dealer that it should have a little over 2 quarts. After adding about 1 and 1/2 quarts the MPG and performance is much better. I am getting 16 to 17 city and a bit over 20 hwy. Like I said, we never pull with it, but I would feel much better trying now than before. I also replaced gear oil in both the front and rear diffs. just to be sure. GM recommends 50K but I saw a lot of metal particles in the fluid, better safe then sorry a few miles down the road. Apparently GM has quite a (planned obsolesces program).

iowarider

I was changing the front brake pads last week. the clips that, I thought, held the pads to keep from making noise were rusted. Two days later I have the hardware kit in hand. Tried to put them on and the pads would not slide in and out at all! Needing the TB for work I assembled everything without any of the clips. Guess what?

I get no brake noise, and I get a measured 2 mpg better gas mileage! Measured by stock DIC. I am thinking of changing the back pads and seeing what happens.