Chevy vs GMC

[jimjoe]

I'd like to share some comparisons between these two after a couple of weeks. Although I have both a Suburban LT3 and a Yukon XL Denali I'd think that this still might be of some interest here as this applies as well to the 'hoe vs Yukon as well. Below I will focus on the differences rather than the different options.

General
Fit and finish is not good on both vehicles where I had to repair a couple of smaller things. Despite nothing to worry about there is much need for GM to improve that. Regarding looks I won't comment here as everybody has different preferences.

Ride
As somebody mentioned that before in this forum the Autoride suspension is crap. The Suburban without that drives much softer and much more comfortable. The Autoride is just overreacting. The 6.0 is noisier than the 5.3. Also the exhaust noise is louder on the 6.0 even if this might be on purpose. Insulation is better on the Yukon making interior noise levels about the same in both vehicles. A Denali insulation on the 5.3 would be just perfect. Both vehicles do not have good insulation on the sides which was only improved slightly from the previous generation.

Powertrain
The 6 speed is comfortable and smoth but that is the same on the Suburban's 4 speed. For the 6 speed switching in to the first gear coming from the 2nd feels not smooth enough.

Power and fuel consumption
Although I can feel the difference between the two engines it is not significant. Here I might be a bit biased by my 750 lb/ft Super Duty. The 4WD vs the AWD is a plus in MPG. Riding the Suburban on 2WD mode I get some 20 MPG mixed. The Yukon is at 17 to 18 MPG mixed. That's some 15 % less. Also the 6.0 doesn't have the 8 to 4 cylinder shutdown mode.

Summary
Both vehicles are great when it comes down to carry lots of goods or passengers. For towing I would favor the Yukon or any other Chevy 6.0/6.2 SUV on the Suburban. When it comes to ride and comfort the Chevy is on top the line.

Hope this helps to somebody.

Jim

 

[JKmotorsports]

Great info. Always nice to have this come from an actual owner with personal experience rather than just reading an article from a magazine. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[DMTX]

some good information for thought there... I'm actually pretty curious why you have both an 07 Suburban and Denali XL.

 

[jimjoe]

That's pretty easy. The Suburban is back home in Europe whereas I drive the Yukon in the Bay Area. A Hoe or 'burb definitely is a bit large for carry-on

 

[Greenage]

Good Review/Comments! I had to add my some of my own experiences too.

General
Fit and finish is not good on both vehicles where I had to repair a couple of smaller things. Despite nothing to worry about there is much need for GM to improve that. Regarding looks I won't comment here as everybody has different preferences.

I'd have to disagree here. The fit and finish on the 07's is a thousand times better then the previous generation. There is still room for improvement, but to say not good isn't really fair.

Ride
As somebody mentioned that before in this forum the Autoride suspension is crap. The Suburban without that drives much softer and much more comfortable. The Autoride is just overreacting. The 6.0 is noisier than the 5.3. Also the exhaust noise is louder on the 6.0 even if this might be on purpose. Insulation is better on the Yukon making interior noise levels about the same in both vehicles. A Denali insulation on the 5.3 would be just perfect. Both vehicles do not have good insulation on the sides which was only improved slightly from the previous generation.

I agree the non-Autoride Suburban drives softer, but I actually like the Autoride feel better. To me the non-Autoride is too "mushy" for lack of a better word. The 6.2 in the Denali is much louder then the 5.3, but I actually like it! It sounds as good or better then the stock GTO or C6 exhaust! Because of this, I do see where this could be too loud for some!

Powertrain
The 6 speed is comfortable and smoth but that is the same on the Suburban's 4 speed. For the 6 speed switching in to the first gear coming from the 2nd feels not smooth enough.

I don't notice the 1st to 2nd issue with the 6 speed, but I would say that it takes a little getting used to the 6 speed. It is very smooth, but very slow to accelerate out of the lower gears. Where you really notice the smoothness of the transmission is when passing on the highway, or accelerating while getting on the highway.

Power and fuel consumption
Although I can feel the difference between the two engines it is not significant. Here I might be a bit biased by my 750 lb/ft Super Duty. The 4WD vs the AWD is a plus in MPG. Riding the Suburban on 2WD mode I get some 20 MPG mixed. The Yukon is at 17 to 18 MPG mixed. That's some 15 % less. Also the 6.0 doesn't have the 8 to 4 cylinder shutdown mode.

When I first test drove a Denali, I thought the same thing about the power. I thought how the heck can this thing say it has 380hp! But after driving it for a couple months now, and comparing to the 5.3 in my Av, I can definitely tell the difference. I still think that the 6.2 is a slug when accelerating in 1st or 2nd gear. The power is most noticeable when passing on the highway, climbing hills or accelerating onto the highway. The 6.2 combined with the 6 speed is so smooth!!! The 6.2 definitely doesn't get as good MPG as the Suburban, but I didn't buy it for gas mileage either.

 

[DMTX]

That's pretty easy. The Suburban is back home in Europe whereas I drive the Yukon in the Bay Area. A Hoe or 'burb definitely is a bit large for carry-on

Gotcha... :thumbsup:

 

[73shark]

I still think that the 6.2 is a slug when accelerating in 1st or 2nd gear.

I wonder if the sluggishness is an artifact of the torque management system to protect the tranny? I know that a full throttle start with mine feels like an anchor is dragging ,but if I ease out and let it shift to 2nd, then floor it, it seems to get it on.

 

[1BadPig]

That's pretty easy. The Suburban is back home in Europe whereas I drive the Yukon in the Bay Area. A Hoe or 'burb definitely is a bit large for carry-on

Wow! What does it cost to drive the 'Burb in Europe (with the higher gas prices)? Do you get nasty looks from the locals?

 

[Rollin Thunder]

I wonder if the sluggishness is an artifact of the torque management system to protect the tranny? I know that a full throttle start with mine feels like an anchor is dragging ,but if I ease out and let it shift to 2nd, then floor it, it seems to get it on.

i did an experement and i found if you turn off the Stabilitrak and go in to 1 on the tranny it just LEAPS and goes, i think that you feel draging in the brakes on the rear wheels being used to stop the wheels from spinning. keep in mind the wheels do spin alot when you do this, be prepared.

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

I too think the fit and finish over is good on the GMT 900 series.

 

[bparker]

:iagree:

I too think the fit and finish over is good on the GMT 900 series.

 

[gmcul8r]

I almost completely disagree with the thread starter (JimJoe's) comments!
I've had an '07 Tahoe, an '07 Yukon XL, and currently have a '07 Yukon XL Denali.

To me the fit and finish is great, but obviously there is always room for improvement.

I heard alot of bad things about the Autoride suspension, but driving my Denali is sooo much smoother then our previous '07's. Exactly like Greenage said, they felt "mushy".

Both the 6 and 4 speed are smooth, I agree with that until you need to go up hills in the 4 speed. I live in a realy hilly area and I HATED the 5.3 and 4 speed combo for this. If I needed to accelerate up a hill in the 5.3 I had to give atleast half to 3/4 throttle and the vehicle would still lug up the hill unless you gave it enough throttle to downshift. Then it would jerk real hard and finally have enough oomf to get up the hill. With the 6.2 and 6 speed, hills are barely even noticable. I love it!

I drive a Duramax with nearly 500 horsepower and well of 800 lb/ft and also have an '07 Z06, so I might be a little biased too when it comes to the power, but to say that the power is not significant is far from the truth. Well, I guess if you consider only 2 seconds better to 60 not significant.

I do agree with the 15% better gas mileage in the 5.3, this is exactly what I have experienced.

I don't tow with my Denali (that's what the Dmax is for) but I would much rather have the 6.2 and that 6 speed going up a steep pass over the 5.3 any day!

The Tahoes/Suburbans & Yukons are great vehicles! I never owned one with the 6.0 so all my opinions are based on the 5.3, but the 6.2 and 6 speed combo is worth the extra money, and then some.

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

I think the look is awesome( don't see how that can be improved) I drove a $40,000 Cadillac CTS and I like the material they used for the dash. I wish that could have made it into the Tahoe, other than that I don't see what else they could do to it and keep costs under control. I hope we get at least 10 years on this body style as it rocks in my book. I don't see what else they could do to it.:thumbsup:

 

[tommyg]

Jim's message is also a little confusing, as GM makes a 5.3, a 6.0, and a 6.2 liter motor, all available in one way or another for the suburban or yukon. He describes the 6.0, but says it is in his Denali, which is actually a 6.2. I'm assuming that he's referring to the 6.2, not the 6.0, though at the end of his post he mentions the 6.0/6.2, so in actuality, i'm not sure if he's describing the 6.2 in his denali, or comparing the 5.3 to the 6.0 that is also available in his suburban.

now i think i've just confused myself as well...

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

I think all of the GMT 900 series are great, and you can't go wrong no matter what you choose.

 

[1BadPig]

Besides the engine options, I think the biggest difference that led us to Tahoe instead of Yukon is the front end design. I preferred the looks of the Tahoe over the Yukon.

 

[RandyDenali]

My opinion...

I just bought my 07 Yukon Denali on September 15th. Before this, I owned a 2002 Lexus IS300. The only reason that I sold that car is my wife and I had a baby in June and I needed a bigger rig.

I have to say, I have not been a big GM Fan, I owned a 1998 Camaro and it was nice but nothing like my IS. I started checking into the Denali back in March when I found out that the interior and exterior changed. My folks have a 2004 Avalanche and it's nice but the interior (no offense) is cheap.

I have driven the Lexus, Toyota, Infinity, and Honda SUV lines, and I really liked the fit and finish of the Denali the best, it was a bit more expensive that some of the others but far less than some. For the money, its a great rig. Mine is quiet, has a lot of power and a lot of toys...And looks nice. The only major complaint is that you see so many on the road.

I have found a couple of minor problems which have been addressed. When the tranny switches from 1st to 2nd gear, the Denali boggs for a second and then catches up on the RPMs. It does not do it all the time but it is annoying. And of course the minor squeeks that you can't find always will drive you crazy.

Overall, GM has hit a home run with this new line. I have been impressed. I am curious to see if it is as tight as my IS at 70,000 miles or will I get the "GM Shake" as my parents Avalanche has. I have only 69,400 miles to go.

Randy

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

I just bought my 07 Yukon Denali on September 15th. Before this, I owned a 2002 Lexus IS300. The only reason that I sold that car is my wife and I had a baby in June and I needed a bigger rig.

I have to say, I have not been a big GM Fan, I owned a 1998 Camaro and it was nice but nothing like my IS. I started checking into the Denali back in March when I found out that the interior and exterior changed. My folks have a 2004 Avalanche and it's nice but the interior (no offense) is cheap.

I have driven the Lexus, Toyota, Infinity, and Honda SUV lines, and I really liked the fit and finish of the Denali the best, it was a bit more expensive that some of the others but far less than some. For the money, its a great rig. Mine is quiet, has a lot of power and a lot of toys...And looks nice. The only major complaint is that you see so many on the road.

I have found a couple of minor problems which have been addressed. When the tranny switches from 1st to 2nd gear, the Denali boggs for a second and then catches up on the RPMs. It does not do it all the time but it is annoying. And of course the minor squeeks that you can't find always will drive you crazy.

Overall, GM has hit a home run with this new line. I have been impressed. I am curious to see if it is as tight as my IS at 70,000 miles or will I get the "GM Shake" as my parents Avalanche has. I have only 69,400 miles to go.

Randy

I am a new GM convert myself after buying an 07 Tahoe and test driving the new 08 Cadillac I am convinced GM is getting it's act together as far as interiors.

 

[73shark]

i found if you turn off the Stabilitrak and go in to 1 on the tranny it just LEAPS and goes,

By Stabilitrak, did you mean the Traction Control? I couldn't find a Stabilitrak switch.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

o sorry i just presumed they were the same thing, just so i know were talking about the same thing here is a pic

its the button all by its self, that has a car swerving, i call it the squiggly button:crazy: