What Gas Does A Chevy Express Take? (Solved & Explained!)

The Chevrolet Express is a series of vans first produced in 1995 to compete with the popular Ford Transit van.

It has come in many different dimensions over the years to suit different private and commercial purposes.

It has also been a popular choice for van conversions into vacation-friendly vehicles for families and groups heading for outdoor activities.

This article answers the question “What Gas Does A Chevy Express Take?”…

What Gas Does A Chevy Express Take?

The Chevrolet Express has made use of gasoline, diesel, and hybrid engines over the years. For all of the gasoline engines in every model year, regular gasoline is the recommended choice. For the hybrid model, it used “Flexfuel” also known as E85.

Below is a summary of the engines available for each fuel type:

Chevrolet Express LWB (1995 – 2002)

Gasoline Engines:

5.7L V8 4AT (258hp)
7.4L V8 4AT (294hp)
8.1L V8 4AT (340hp)

Diesel Engines:

6.5 TD V8 4AT (197hp)

Chevrolet Express SWB (1995 – 2002)

Gasoline Engines:

4.3L 4AT (203hp)
5.0L 4AT (223hp)
5.7L 4AT (258hp)
8.1L V8 4AT (354hp)

Diesel Engines:

6.5L TD 4AT (197hp)
7.4L 4AT (294hp)

Chevrolet Express LWB (2002 – 2007)

Gasoline Engines:

4.8L V8 4AT (290hp)
6.0L V8 4AT (305hp)

Chevrolet Express SWB (2002 – 2007)

Gasoline Engines:

4.3L 3AT (197hp)
4.8L 4AT (300hp)
5.3L 4AT (300hp)
6.0L 4AT (305hp)

Hybrid Engines:

5.3L Flexfuel 4AT (300hp)

Chevrolet Express (2008 – Present)

Gasoline Engines:

4.3L V6 4AT (194hp)
4.8L V8 4AT (275hp)
5.3L V8 4AT (289hp)
6.0L V8 4AT (304hp)

Diesel Engines:

6.6L V8 4AT (250hp)

What Is The Gas Mileage In All Chevy Express?

Below you can find the gas mileage ratings in miles per gallon – City / Highway / Combined – for each of the engine models described above:

Chevrolet Express LWB (1995 – 2002)

Gasoline Engines	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
5.7L V8 4AT	14	18	15
7.4L V8 4AT	13	17	14
8.1L V8 4AT	13	17	14

Diesel Engine	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
6.5 TD V8 4AT	–	–	14

Chevrolet Express SWB (1995 – 2002)

Gasoline Engines	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
4.3L 4AT	15	19	16
5.0L 4AT	14	19,4	14,1
5.7L 4AT	14	18	15
8.1L V8 4AT	13	17	14

Diesel Engines	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
6.5L TD 4AT	–	–	14
7.4L 4AT	–	–	13

Chevrolet Express LWB (2002 – 2007)

Gasoline Engines	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
4.8L V8 4AT	14	17	15,5
6.0L V8 4AT	13	16	14

Chevrolet Express SWB (2002 – 2007)

Gasoline Engines	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
4.3L 3AT	14	18	16
4.8L 4AT	14	17	15,5
5.3L 4AT	14	17	15
6.0L 4AT	13	16	14

Hybrid Engine	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
5.3L Flexfuel 4AT	10	13	11

Chevrolet Express (2008 – Present)

Gasoline Engines	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
4.3L V6 4AT	14	18	16
4.8L V8 4AT	13	18	15,5
5.3L V8 4AT	14	17	15
6.0L V8 4AT	13,5	16	14

Diesel Engine	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
6.6L V8 4AT	–	–	12,7

Chevrolet Express (2017 – Present)

Diesel Engine	MPG City	MPG Highway	MPG Combined
2.8 Duramax 4-Cyl	20	27	24

Does Premium Gas Give More MPG?

There are many claims that exist regarding premium gas and its properties of improving a car’s overall gas mileage.

While there may have been some cases where it seemed to happen, by and large, the idea is misleading at best, false at worst.

There is evidence, according to Consumer Reports, that on the race track, the additional power given off when burnt can help high-performance engines with a small boost of power for those crucial moments.

In the real world of driving, however, Consumer Reports found that premium gas has no significant or apparently measurable impact on a car’s performance or fuel economy.

This was reported as part of a Consumer Reports “Myth Busters” series, which suggests that this is a belief held by many.

It’s most likely the result of marketing campaigns by fuel suppliers to try and get more drivers to buy more expensive premium fuel in the hope of saving money in the longer term.

Does Premium Gas Extend The Engine’s Life?

It has been a sincerely held belief for many years that premium gas contains a greater amount of higher-quality detergent within it that helps to keep your engine cleaner than when you use regular gasoline.

For some older models of car, this was actually true and there was a marked difference between premium gas designed for bigger engines that needed a more rigorous and effective cleaning detergent.

Nowadays, however, the disparity between detergent content is much smaller. All the major gasoline suppliers use very effective detergents in all their gas.

It’s now cheaper to do so as the detergents have become cheaper.

There is some reason to believe that any gas that helps to keep your engine cleaner is therefore a better proposition than not, and would naturally extend engine life.

Again, that might have been so on older models, but the difference in newer models is negligible.

How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Chevy Express Hold?

Since its first model year, every model of Chevy Express, be it diesel or gasoline, has had a 31-gallon gas tank.

With an average gas mileage of about 15 MPG, you could expect a range of up to approximately 465 miles.

Of course, that would vary depending on the exact gas mileage and driving style.

Is It OK To Mix Different Types Of Gas?

As most drivers will be fully aware, mixing broader types of fuel such as gasoline and diesel is a big no-no. A gasoline engine cannot operate with diesel fuel, and vice versa.

The bigger question for many is whether it’s alright to mix different types of gasoline, such as regular or premium. In this case, it’s alright to do so.

Some people may believe that the different octane levels of premium and regular gas, typically 91-93 and 85-87 respectively, mean that the two should not be mixed.

As it happens, this is not the case. You can mix regular and premium, and the resulting octane level will be somewhere in the middle of the two gas-type ratings.

While mixing is alright, it might be better to stick at least to mostly premium if your car needs premium to operate at its most efficient or effective.

Do Different Types Of Gas Give More HP?

The answer to this question depends entirely on the type of engine that you use the gasoline in.

Premium gas with 93 octane level, when used in high-performance engines in premium-brand cars like Mercedes-Benz, will deliver maximized horsepower.

It’s not always the case that the high-octane fuel gives more horsepower, but rather that it allows a high-power engine to operate at its full potential.

You could put regular fuel in a high-performance Mercedes-Benz and it would work, but you would lose some horsepower in doing so.

How Often Do I Have To Change The Gas Filter?

Over the years, fuel filters have become increasingly durable and efficient. But still, it is recommendable to replace the fuel filter as frequently as every 20,000 to 30,000 miles.

Will Chevy Express Ever Have A Hybrid Or Electric Version?

Chevrolet did release a short-lived hybrid version of the Express in the 2002-2007 model years, but it only used Flexfuel and wasn’t very efficient.

In 2020, rumors circulated that GM was working on an electric delivery van with 250 miles of range. The project was apparently only known as BV1.

The rumors coincided with the company’s announcement of their Ultium batteries which will be heavily featured in the new GMC Hummer EV.

Given that GM has confirmed that it plans to release some two dozen electric vehicles in the coming years, it stands to reason that one of them would be one of their best-selling flagship commercial vans.

Chevy Express Gas Consumption Vs. Its Competitor Ford Transit

Overall, the Ford Transit vans get better gas mileage than the Chevy Express vans.

While the Express averages about 14-15 MPG combined, the Ford Transit Connect can get 26 MPG combined on its 2021 model and 17 MPG on its Transit-150 Passenger model.

So, the passenger vans are similar but the Express doesn’t live up to the gas mileage of the Ford Transit cargo van models.

Ford is known for its more economical engines on many of its models.

This is especially because of the brand’s popularity in Europe, where better engine technology has been developed to adapt to high gas prices.

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