I just bought a GMC Sierra 2500 Denali w/Duramax. Now hear me out.

One reason was that I have experienced the Death Wobble. Not fun. From the SD board, I see that this is still an on-going issue. As I only use my truck to tow a trailer on highways, 2WD is just fine with me. But I wanted a higher trim level, and for the most part, 2WD on higher trim levels is difficult or impossible to obtain.

I know the debate between solid axle and IFS rages on, but if I have to go 4WD, a truck without a solid front axle is attractive to me.

But the main issue is that Ford does not lease F250s. I do not use my truck often, but when I need a truck, I need a truck (11,000 lbs. trailer). So I do not put many miles on my truck. These new trucks are friggin' expensive. I have a hard time wrapping my head around writing an $80k check for a truck that will just be sitting 45 weeks out of the year.

Ram leases HD trucks, but Ram is riding high right now and incentive money is really, really skinny.

GM will lease HD trucks, but in my area at least, no Chevy leases at all, and Sierra leases only on Denali trims. And GM is subsidizing those leases. On a 39 month lease, I got a 68% residual, and an interest rate somewhere around 2% (near as I can figure).

I do not believe that the GMC is the best truck out there, but it is a pretty good truck. And the Denali has all the latest safety technology and towing cameras. Way more truck than I really need, so plenty good enough, even if it is not the best.

So we will give GM a ride for 39 months and see how it goes.

 

I feel ya.

At this point in time, Ford and Ram have to develop IFS for their HD 4x4s. Solid front axles have their place, but Death Wobble among other things just shouldn't be acceptable in a vehicle that in top trim is pushing six figures. I was strongly considering Chevy and GMC to replace my Ram, but I knew I was a couple years away moneywise, and just hoped the 05 would hold it together a little longer. No such luck... a pretty bad DW event last month was likely the culprit for loosening or damaging a tranny cooler line, and a week later, I discovered I was leaving a trail of ATF+4 everywhere I went. Between the transmission repairs (because if that line went, the other 15 year old lines would need replacement as well), doing a proper DW repair (I bought a steering stabilizer, but would still need the track bar and ball joints), and the constant annual recharge/leak-check of the AC, I was looking at $2500-3000. Problem was, I was having surgery on July 28 and I would need to get to a good number of post-op visits over the rest of the year. Also, needed to financially concentrate on co-pays instead of truck repairs. I either had to get the Ram fixed or find a new vehicle in the 2 weeks after the surgery when my sister would return home after bunking in and helping me out. I lucked out - was able to make a straight trade (no cash except dealer and MV fees) for a very clean 2016 Chevy Traverse AWD. That was as small as I was interested in going for a vehicle, although if I couldn't make the deal on it, I knew I had to go smaller and/or older. Last week, I had to travel to the same doctor's office as last month when that last DW struck. I knew where the pothole was and went straight for it - the Traverse with 4-wheel independent suspension barely noticed. This has ended a run of 24 years with Ram diesel duallies and 30 years of full-size pickups... for now. Hopefully, I'll get back in a full-size truck in the future, but DW pushed my chips to the table.

 

I understand that DW potential is inherent in a solid axle design, but one would think that now that we have cars that can drive and park themselves, someone would have figured out a solution to the DW problem.

It seems to me that the OEMs have decided that a certain percentage of buyers having DW issues is acceptable and stopped worrying about it.

 

GMC is professional grade

 

Well, I don't know about that. Just worked out better for me than Ford or Ram.

I did take a shake down run down I-35 to The Czech Stop in West, TX and picked up some kolaches.

Really nice ride. Quiet inside. Wife and I were talking in a normal voice. A far cry from my first diesel, a 1997 F-250 7.3.

Engine was turning just a hair over 1600 RPM at 75 MPH. Just a hair under at 70 MPH.

 

I've said it over and over again, every truck built in America is built to suit the needs of the average user. The differences come in how one likes the way it feels to them, or the interior appointments, etc. The trucks will certainly do the job.

 

Congrats on your new truck Jschira. I am new to Ford trucks and the whole DW issue is mind boggling that this is an issue in today’s world.
It says a lot to me about the quality of parts and the company that Ford doesn’t address this with a recall. I did get a notice in the last month that they were extending the warranty on my steering stabilizer. Guessing it is due to this issue but I really don’t want to wait for the DW experience before it gets fixed. And how is it being fixed? Same OEM parts again so I can wait for it to fail again.

The one suggestion I would give is that you consider purchasing Onstar. I loved having it with my 2016 Sierra. Whenever I had issues or questions on the road, Onstar was helpful in connecting me to someone that could answer my question. Plus, whenever I spoke to them, the agent could instantly see what vehicle I had without asking me for a vin number. Finally, it was great to have when I was traveling and camping outside of cell service coverage. The few times I have tried Fordpass, it has been a joke. Each time they want me to recite my vin number which is such an outdated process, then they have been incapable of answering any questions. So frustrating.
Good luck with your new truck. I hope you have a good experience.

 

Competition is a good thing!

The new Bronco is clearly targeted at shortcomings of the Jeep Wrangler. Having GMC and Ram make truck offerings that can challenge Ford is a good thing all around. Ford is responding - the biggest evidence of this is the new 7.3L Godzilla gasoline engine. More targeted improvements to come I'm sure.

Enjoy the new GMC and don't forget to check out the new Fords in 39 months!

 

The biggest issue that I see with these monster V8s is that there is limited torque down low in the RPM range. OK. I know. They tow just fine. But personally, I very much dislike running down the road in 5th or 6th gear at 3000-4000 RPM, shifting 2-3 gears when going up even a modest hill, etc. Just look at the Ike Gauntlet towing videos on Youtube. The gassers are all running 3000 RPM+. Some, 5000 RPM+.

I don't like drama while towing. With a diesel, I can punch in 65-70 MPH on cruise and drive for hours with the engine just humming along at 1600-1700 RPM.

Just a personal choice on my part. And I am in the fortunate position to be able to afford a diesel.

 

Those L5P Duramaxes might be the only one I'd even considering buying new. If RAM and Cummins get rid of that CP4 fuel pump for 2021 (which is the rumor) and goes back to CP3 I'd make that the top choice because I have a slight preference for that motor but the GM's have the best riding 4wd setup for highway hauling if you aren't an off road guy (I'm not and prefer 2wd anyway)

I like old Fords better than old GM or Dodge stuff though.

 

I see diesel guys make similar comments like this often. Could you elaborate on your issue with RPMs? You just dislike the noise or something?

 

Certainly not trying to talk you out of a diesel for towing, just noting how Ford is upping their game in the truck market.

 

If Ford leased F250s, I might have considered them. But with a PowerStroke.

 

Hey, good luck with the GM. I'm not real crazy about their looks but I'm sure they are good trucks.
I sincerely hope that your satisfied with your choice.

 

So today it seems the "switch" is electrical in nature!