What’s going on with the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 and 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 official MPG estimates? Some models receive ratings as low as 15 MPG combined. Here are all the details.
As the 2022 GM pickup trucks reach the dealership lots, the EPA publishes the latest MPG estimates. Also, thanks to Jordan Nutt for sending us some images of the window sticker of a 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 Trail Boss model from a dealership lot.
EPA often changes its efficiency validation procedures for a new model year. Manufacturers submit the efficiency estimate data for all vehicles to the EPA. The government agency checks the numbers and has an option to retest any vehicle. Once all data is verified, the official estimates are published.
In this case, the 2022 Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 list a new classification for trucks with “Mud Terrain Tires”. This classification did not exist for 2021 vehicles. This classification has some of the lowest MPG ratings for 2022 models.
While it’s true that the latest 2022 GM trucks (such as the Trail Boss and the AT4) use at least two aggressive mud-terrain tires from the factory. The tire selection has not changed dramatically from the 2021 model year. These specialty 4×4 trucks still use either Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac or Wrangler Territory tires. It may be case that the latest Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires on 20-inch wheels were re-evaluated by GM and/or the EPA. Some trucks get a lower rating for 2022: 14 MPG city / 17 MPG highway and 15 MPG combined. This is a significant drop from a 2021 Trail Boss rating of 16 MPG city / 21 MPG highway and 18 MPG combined.
TFLtruck owned a 2020 Silverado Trail Boss truck with a 5.3L V8 and a 10-speed automatic transmission. In our real-world testing, we found that the truck’s actual MPG was basically the same as the EPA estimates. We often got close to 21 MPG on our longer highway trips. Why the lower rating for 2022?
There may be one more culprit. The microchip shortage forces GM to remove some features such as Auto Start/Stop and cylinder deactivation from some of their trucks. Take a look at the window sticker that Jordan sent in below. It shows a discount of -$50 for the lack of Auto Start/Stop.
The lack of the engine Auto Start/Stop can significantly affect the EPA efficiency rating.
It’s not all bad news. Many of the 2022 GM truck combined gas engine ratings are between 16-18 MPG. Their 3.0-liter Duramax I6 diesel-powered trucks are rated anywhere between 21-26 MPG combined.
Here is one of our long-term reviews of our 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 Trail Boss.
