2021 GMC Yukon MPG and Fuel Cost
The 2021 GMC Yukon gets up to 18 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 23 mpg with the diesel, across 12 EPA-tested versions.
EPA fuel economy
2021 GMC Yukon · 12 EPA-tested versionsBest gas version
18MPG combined
16 city 20 highway
$3,600 a year to fuel15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.32 a gallon (regular gas)
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop
Best diesel version
23MPG combined
21 city 27 highway
$4,100 a year to fuel15,000 miles a year at EPA's $6.29 a gallon (diesel)
3.0L turbo 6-cyl diesel · RWD · 10-speed automatic
Best version costs $9,000 more in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)
At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $3,600 to $5,000 a year. New for 2021: a diesel version.
Every 2021 Yukon version
EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.
| Version | Combined | City / Hwy | Fuel / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas | |||
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon 4WD |
18 mpg | 16 / 20 | $3,600 |
5.3L 8-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon 2WD (also Yukon XL 2WD) |
18 mpg | 16 / 20 | $3,600 |
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · XL · auto start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon XL 4WD |
17 mpg | 15 / 19 | $3,800 |
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · no start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon 4WD |
17 mpg | 15 / 20 | $3,800 |
5.3L 8-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic · no start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon 2WD (also Yukon XL 2WD) |
17 mpg | 15 / 20 | $3,800 |
6.2L 8-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon 2WD · Premium fuel |
17 mpg | 15 / 20 | $4,700 |
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · XL · no start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon XL 4WD |
16 mpg | 15 / 19 | $4,050 |
6.2L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon 4WD (also Yukon XL 4WD) · Premium fuel |
16 mpg | 14 / 19 | $5,000 |
6.2L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · no start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon 4WD (also Yukon XL 4WD) · Premium fuel |
16 mpg | 13 / 19 | $5,000 |
6.2L 8-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic · no start-stop
EPA listing: Yukon 2WD (also Yukon XL 2WD, Yukon XL 2WD) · Premium fuel |
16 mpg | 14 / 20 | $5,000 |
| Diesel | |||
3.0L turbo 6-cyl diesel · RWD · 10-speed automatic Best
EPA listing: Yukon 2WD (also Yukon XL 2WD) |
23 mpg | 21 / 27 | $4,100 |
3.0L turbo 6-cyl diesel · 4WD · 10-speed automatic
EPA listing: Yukon 4WD (also Yukon XL 4WD) |
22 mpg | 20 / 26 | $4,300 |
Fuel cost at your prices
EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.32 a gallon for regular gas, $5.32 a gallon for premium gas, and $6.29 a gallon for diesel. Change the numbers to match your driving.
| Version | Per year | 5 years |
|---|---|---|
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop | $3,600 | $18,000 |
5.3L 8-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop | $3,600 | $18,000 |
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · no start-stop | $3,812 | $19,059 |
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · XL · auto start-stop | $3,812 | $19,059 |
5.3L 8-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic · no start-stop | $3,812 | $19,059 |
6.2L 8-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop | $4,694 | $23,471 |
5.3L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · XL · no start-stop | $4,050 | $20,250 |
6.2L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · auto start-stop | $4,987 | $24,937 |
6.2L 8-cyl · 4WD · 10-speed automatic · no start-stop | $4,987 | $24,937 |
6.2L 8-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic · no start-stop | $4,987 | $24,937 |
3.0L turbo 6-cyl diesel · RWD · 10-speed automatic | $4,102 | $20,511 |
3.0L turbo 6-cyl diesel · 4WD · 10-speed automatic | $4,289 | $21,443 |
At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.
GMC Yukon MPG by model year
The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 17 to 19 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2016. Diesel: 23 mpg (2021 to 2026).
- Best gas version
- Best diesel version
2021: gas 18 mpg · diesel 23 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Best gas version | Best diesel version |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 19 | – |
| 2017 | 19 | – |
| 2018 | 19 | – |
| 2019 | 18 | – |
| 2020 | 18 | – |
| 2021 | 18 | 23 |
| 2022 | 17 | 23 |
| 2023 | 17 | 23 |
| 2024 | 17 | 23 |
| 2025 | 17 | 23 |
| 2026 | 17 | 23 |
How the 2021 Yukon compares
2021 full-size SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.
| 2021 model | Best combined | Best gas | Fuel / year |
|---|---|---|---|
Best: diesel |
24 mpg | 18 mpg | $3,600 |
Best: diesel |
23 mpg | 18 mpg | $3,600 |
GMC Yukon This page Best: diesel |
23 mpg | 18 mpg | $3,600 |
Best: gas |
19 mpg | 19 mpg | $3,400 |
Best: gas |
15 mpg | 15 mpg | $4,300 |
2021 Yukon recalls and complaints
NHTSA lists 14 safety recalls and 554 owner complaints for the 2021 Yukon.What they cover, and crash test ratingsQuestions
Does 4WD lower the 2021 GMC Yukon's gas mileage?
Sometimes. On versions that differ only in drive, the gap ranges from 0 to 1 mpg combined: the 3.0L turbo 6-cyl diesel gets 23 mpg combined with two-wheel drive and 22 with 4WD.
Does the 2021 GMC Yukon need premium gas?
Some versions do. EPA lists the 6.2L 8-cyl versions on premium, the diesel runs on diesel fuel, and the rest use regular.
How does the 2021 Yukon's MPG compare with the 2020?
For 2021, the best gas version is rated 18 mpg, the same as the year before.
Sources and method
- US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
- EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.32, midgrade $4.93, premium $5.32, diesel $6.29 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
- Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026.
Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.