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cost to own and gas cost today

Pollave

New Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
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2
hi so I decided to look at and likely get a 2013 a Alanche but my mechanic says they need fixing all the time he owns a 04 avalanche and that they are pigs on fuel

so what does the real world repair cost a year and how far can I get on hey driving 100km/to 80km/h I do a 460 km drive twice a month for work

what's it cost today in 2012/2022 to fill it up from empty and how far does a full tank get you
 
If you are using for daily driver - WRONG
it is a truck and gets truck gas mileage.

My guess for 2013 would be 18-19mpg on interstate
14-16 around town.
Towing or hauling 10-16mpg depending on load.

Same suburbans, tahoes and silverados and GMC counter parts

Maintenance is no more then any other chevy product of the time and similar engine like suburbans, tahoes and silverados and GMC counter parts

Big issue, I think; from reading on here, with 2007-2013 is the AFM system.
turn that off and seems they work better last longer and engine does not destroy itself.
 
To be fair, looking at the cost to repair on a used vehicle is always sketchy. If you buy one that's been maintained.. being that they changed the fluids on time and fixed things when it broke.. then the average repairs really aren't too bad.


But if you buy one that hasn't been taken care of, and the repairs are just going to rack up.

There are owners that love their vehicles and want them running right, and then there are owners that could care less, and only repair things when they can't get to work.


The avalanches use some of gm's most celebrated hardware when it comes to longevity. It just needs to be taken care of like everything else.


It's honestly strange to me that so many mechanics try to point you away from them, yet they themselves will own them. The thing is, that mechanics don't really take good care of their cars. They don't like paying people to work on them, but they also don't feel like working on them after a day of working on cars.



As for gas mileage. It toally depends on what your commute looks like. There's nothing wrong with dailying a truck if you want it universally purposeful. But don't expect any miracles. That said, I can't sya modern trucks are THAT much more rule efficient than an avalanche I. The real world. My friend is getting I think.. two miles per gallon less in his '04 avalanche than he was in his 2018 ram with the etorque 5.7l that cost 8x more when he bought it.
 
I agree with the above posts! The AV gets no better or worse then other vehicles in it's class of motor or weight, it is not a gas economy vehicle and should not be purchased for that reason, yet if you want a roomy,comfortable and versatile vehicle you would be hard pressed to find a better vehicle.
 
kinda what I'm looking for petty sick of my tiny focus I'm on a rotational schedule for work now too si I only drive long distance about 2 a month
 
kinda what I'm looking for petty sick of my tiny focus I'm on a rotational schedule for work now too si I only drive long distance about 2 a month
Realistically there are cheaper vehicles to own than an Avalanche. I love mine but it's a 2008 that averages 12MPG.

It's reliable enough and as along as you don't mind wrenching a bit the cost of ownership is in line with any other full size truck. Unless the AFM system destroies the lifters and/or your transmission goes PNNNNN
 
First, if you're concerned about gas mileage, don't buy a truck. If you're used to the low cost to fill your Focus and you're not realistic about a truck, you will have a heart attack when you fill your truck (especially now under the Biden crap-o-la energy policy and economy). However, if you understand that 30 gallons of gas will cost you at least $100+ then you're good.

Here is the fed site that tracks mileage as reported by people (also has the factory ratings), for my 2003 https://fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=mpgData&vehicleID=19131 &browser=true&details=on, it is pretty accurate (I am actually getting a little better than others are reporting) so you can search whatever model/year that you're interested in purchasing. When you search, be sure to click "view estimates" to get the details. In my 2003 FWD I'm getting 19+ MPG all highway (99%) at 78 MPH and I get 11+ MPG all 2-5 mile runs at 17 MPH average (to grocery store and hiking areas for the full tank).

As for the truck, no mechanical issues out of the ordinary for a 2003 vehicle. Regular maintenance and repairs.

I would suggest getting a 2002-2006, focusing on a low mileage, well maintained 2002-2003 pre-AFM. I love mine, runs great and lots of room.
 
If you are using for daily driver - WRONG
it is a truck and gets truck gas mileage.

My guess for 2013 would be 18-19mpg on interstate
14-16 around town.
Towing or hauling 10-16mpg depending on load.

Same suburbans, tahoes and silverados and GMC counter parts

Maintenance is no more then any other chevy product of the time and similar engine like suburbans, tahoes and silverados and GMC counter parts

Big issue, I think; from reading on here, with 2007-2013 is the AFM system.
turn that off and seems they work better last longer and engine does not destroy itself.
ygmn hits the nail on the head. Typical Chevrolet. I've am thinking about selling my 2013 Black Diamond. Here is how I look at it. This is a garage kept truck at work and home. It looks brand new, yet has 170k miles on it. Sure, it's high mileage but painstakingly maintained and parked at the end of any parking lot to avoid door dings. I've already replace the transmission 10k ago so what's the worst that could happen, you blow the engine up? Not likely but even if you did, for less than 5k drop in Jasper rebuild and you have a brand new truck. If they made the Avalanche today, loaded it would cost in the $60 range. If I sold the truck for $20k and someday you invested another $5k in a new engine, you are still $35k to the good and have one of the most amazing vehicles ever built since the El Camino. Just sayin'
 
I agree with KS Kizer. The simple fact of the matter is even the newest 2013 Avs are almost 9 years old. My 2005 2500 is 17 years old. Even though it only has 148,000 miles on it, I am experiencing all the typical GM issues with it. I just replaced the a/c blend door actuator, power window regulator, rebuilt the EVAP system because the charcoal canister came apart, and the 4WD electronics are currently jacked up. So far I've spent $400 on repair parts. Earlier this year I replaced all of the exterior lamps, including the bulbs and added LED tail lights to the tune of $850. Luckily, in my previous life, I spent 16 years as a GM Master technician so the labor only cost me a few beers. I paid $16k for it 4 years ago. So i have less than $18k invested in a truck that would cost around $60k if i tried to buy a new one.

On the same note, I'm lucky enough to have a company truck. I would have a hard time driving my big block daily, as it averages around 12 mpg on the highway running empty. I rarely drive it in traffic so i can't imagine what it would get on a daily commute. and with a 40 gallon tank, its a hundred dollar bill to fill it up and a 400 mile range before I'm looking for a gas station. Buy a truck to use as a truck and accept the bad gas mileage. The other option is an economy car that you already have.
 
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