--- title: "Driving a Chevy Suburban Now Costs $1,500 More per Year Than It Did In January" description: "We all know gas is expensive these days, but this study puts some hard data on exactly how much large SUVs cost to drive now." date: "2026-05-20" modified: "2026-05-20" authors: - name: "Andrew P. Collins" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/driving-a-chevy-suburban-now-costs-1500-more-per-year-than-it-did-in-january" categories: - "News" --- # Driving a Chevy Suburban Now Costs $1,500 More per Year Than It Did In January ![Chevy Suburban getting gas]() *\Chevrolet, adobe.stock.com, edited by the author\* Every driver in America is well aware of today's [high gas prices](), but a new study puts some hard numbers on just how much our fuel spending has gone up in 2026, and those numbers are bleak. The average annual fuel cost to drive a gas-powered car went up by $706 dollars between January and April. And if you have a big SUV, you're looking at spending about $1,500 more per year for gas than you did just five months ago if things don't turn around. This study, put together by [iSeeCars](), "analyzed over 2.1 million 3-year-old used cars sold in 2025 to calculate annual mileage and compare annual fuel costs using the cost of fuel (gas or electricity) in January and April 2026." The broad takeaway—bad gas mileage equals higher operating costs—is pretty obvious. But looking at these actual numbers and thinking about how many people drive around in Suburbans, Tahoes, Yukons, and Sequoias really makes you realize how beat-up we're getting at the gas pumps these days. Naturally, this is also an opportunity for EVs to shine. The iSeeCars study also looked at the changes in operating costs for electric and hybrid cars, and also broke out fuel-spending averages by vehicle body type. So if you're car shopping and cost is a consideration (is it ever not?), taking a look at this data might encourage you to opt for something a little smaller than a three-row body-on-frame GM behemoth. I'll share iSeeCars' tables here wholesale for you to examine and discuss. You'll find a writeup of the study methodology on [the data firm's site](). Since the calculation factors in the average-driven miles of each vehicle, this data is more a reflection of what real American drivers are experencing rather than a direct comparison of fuel economy from one model to another. And of course, we're using accumulated data to make inferences about the future here—just because the [average cost of regular-octane gasoline]() is $4.56 in the US right now doesn't mean it'll be high forever. Still, this is empirical substantiation of just how rough it is to drive a gas hog when fuel prices are volatile. ## Top 10 Vehicles With the Biggest Fuel Cost Increases, January vs. April 2026 | Rank | Model | Avg. Miles per Year | Annual Fuel Cost, Jan 2026 | Annual Fuel Cost, Apr 2026 | Fuel Cost Increase | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Toyota Sequoia | 17,856 | $3,523 | $5,145 | $1,623 | | 2 | Chevrolet Suburban | 19,626 | $3,347 | $4,889 | $1,542 | | 3 | Nissan Armada | 18,098 | $3,284 | $4,797 | $1,513 | | 4 | GMC Yukon XL | 18,734 | $3,193 | $4,664 | $1,471 | | 5 | Chevrolet Tahoe | 16,727 | $2,860 | $4,177 | $1,317 | | 6 | Cadillac Escalade ESV | 16,387 | $2,847 | $4,159 | $1,312 | | 7 | GMC Yukon | 16,592 | $2,831 | $4,135 | $1,304 | | 8 | Jeep Wagoneer | 16,975 | $2,782 | $4,064 | $1,282 | | 9 | GMC Sierra 1500 Limited | 17,069 | $2,772 | $4,050 | $1,277 | | 10 | Chrysler Pacifica | 20,872 | $2,682 | $3,918 | $1,236 | | **Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle Average** | **13,323** | **$1,533** | **$2,240** | **$706** | ## Fuel Cost Increase By Drivetrain Type, January vs. April 2026 | Drivetrain | Average Miles per Year | Annual Fuel Cost, Jan 2026 | Annual Fuel Cost, Apr 2026 | Fuel Cost Increase | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles | 13,323 | $1,533 | $2,240 | $706 | | Conventional Hybrids | 14,696 | $1,055 | $1,540 | $486 | | Plug-In Hybrids | 11,660 | $1,385 | $1,676 | $291 | | EVs | 11,880 | $714 | $725 | $11 | ## Fuel Cost Increase for Major Gas Vehicle Segments, January vs. April 2026 | **Segment** | Average Miles per Year | Annual Fuel Cost, Jan 2026 | Annual Fuel Cost, Apr 2026 | Fuel Cost Increase | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Minivans | 19,292 | $2,472 | $3,610 | $1,139 | | Trucks | 14,369 | $2,154 | $3,146 | $992 | | SUVs | 12,731 | $1,479 | $2,161 | $681 | | Passenger Cars | 13,714 | $1,316 | $1,922 | $606 | *Got a story tip? Drop us a line at tips@thedrive.com.* ## Author As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()