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2009 rated for lower mpg than 2010+?

phil04

New Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
Messages
3
I see the 2009 has a lower mpg rating than 2010... is that because of the rear end gearing changing, or some other factor? Is the 2009 just as reliable as a 2010? Thank you.
 
First welcome to the website!
MPG has nothing to do with reliability.
I believe the gearing was changed for better gas mileage since gas prices were up back in the day and the auto makers had to improve fleet gas mileage standards.
 
Thanks for the welcome and reply.
Is there any preference on gearing regarding 2009+ models for general driving?
Also, regarding reliability, any issues with 2009 specifically, since it was the first year with the 6 speed tranny?
Finally, is the 6 speed more reliable than an older 4 speed tranny?
I'm looking at a loaded 2009 LT with 137K miles currently... they're asking 13K.
Thanks!
 
You may want to spend some time in the sections that concern you but don't get caught up in the mentality that everyone has has a problem with "xyz" issue since in most cases people with problems are very vocal and complain looking for a solution. You have to put things in perspective and realize that most owners don't belong to a website, then majority don't post things like "my vehicle did great today and I didn't have any problems".
To get a more fair and balanced idea of AV ownership read threads about high mileage or multiple owner AVs. Then each year we get optimist who think this year is the year that GM is going to reintroduce the next gen AV etc.
As far as reliability I haven't read of bad things about the 6 speed, just people getting used to the difference in feel and some lack of towing ability. Then as far as the 4 speed I think that all depended on the owner and their needs or driving style, some members have been through several transmissions and considered it at it's design limits and when they rebuilt it they put in heavier internals. Many members have done well on the 4 speed tranny and have not had issues.
As far as specific used AVs you need to look at it's maintenance history and exposure to extreme conditions to decide if that vehicle is a good buy or not.
A sight like www.kbb.com  or www.edmunds.com can help you determine a good buy in your area, just remember that things like a CarFax report is only as good as info provided, if an owner or small repair shop failed to report an accident or other problem it may not show up.
 
Thank you for your thorough reply. The one I'm looking at has been a Florida car it's entire life and had 2 owners... One for the first 110k or so, and another the past 2 years for the remaining 30k... Looks like regular maintenance for the first and it was a corporate vehicle. The second owner doesn't show any maintenance records, but I do see it was repossessed. That's a bit of a worry, but given how pristine it is, I'm hoping for the best. Will give it a good look over when I get there.
 
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