going from 2006 denali to lower end tahoe/yukon

vdubpower · May 5, 2015

so it might be time to make an upgrade from the 2006 denali to a newer vehicle

10 yr ago, the top of like denali cost around 55grand where as now that the price of a reasonable well appointed tahoe with the smaller engine

i know the new engine has more power than the 6.0 that I have currently and i probably dont need a 6.2 as we dont do any hauling in the vehicle. Just kids.

is the 5.3 sufficient power, without it having to downshift to get moving on the freeway when it needs to move..

also in terms of trim levels,...obviously its personal preference but some someone tell me what their thoughts are on the differnt higher end features if they are needed or not

for ex... magnetic ride?

and the various seat sensors and lane sensors etc

the sound system the 10 speaker vs the 9 speaker? any real differnces?

thanks

MikeNH · May 5, 2015

Any engine will need to downshift on the highway to accelerate. No reason to fear that. The nanny stuff was neat in rentals I've had but I always ended up turning it off as it gets annoying.

The Zip · May 5, 2015

vdubpower - you're hitting on some good points, sound like a person who want to spend his money on form and function versus looks. I will update this post in an hour or so, I can fill in all your squares. I will compare apples to apples (2001, 2008, 2015 Tahoe) since I owned all three at the same time and driving one consistently for 15 years, the GMC and Cadillac may have slightly different responses.

I will tell you though some of the GM Fullsize SUV's are coming with buffeting/pressure/shaking/ and vibration issues which can trump anything I may have to say about the 2015 model (look at the Yukon Noise in Cabin thread). Knowing what I know today, my Tahoe would still be on the lot.

The primary purpose I used my Tahoe for was to haul, 355 hp is more than enough if that's all you're doing, GMC a few more horses. I drive in the fast lane on central and southern California roads where speeds consistently reach high seventies. No body roll, but that's with 20in wheels. You will get roll with smaller wheels (compared with my 08). Don't know if I would attempt California fast lane driving with larger wheels. My truck only looks to upshift when merging, especially after a TSB fix last year.

I have an LT with all but a couple of the LTZ options (saved some bucks). It is an unfair comparison with the prior generations, but the 01 had the better suspension/shocks compared to the 08 and 15, I complained to the dealer the shocks in the 15 had too much bounce (Premium Ride). But others with Magnetic Ride complain they don't have enough bounce, take your pick with that.

This is one of the first cars in which I use all my options, the safety features on these new vehicles are second to none. You won't regret getting the many safety featues as possible especially carrying a full load. Outside panels and headrests are high on the 15 trucks, blind spots are worse as compared to the 01 and 08 versions. You will need the safety features.

No real difference with the sound system, but the issue with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) "may" contribute to buffetting and pressure in some of these vehicles. ANC (based on my research) is associated with the type of system installed.

My LT with all my options back in March of 2014 was around 55K out the door, so you may look to spend at least that today outfitted the same way.

The Zip · May 5, 2015

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The Zip · May 5, 2015

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The Zip · May 5, 2015

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vdubpower · May 6, 2015

the wife is going to be the primary driver, with three car seats across the middle,

one of the reasons i want to stick with this size vehicle is keeping the three in the middle.

a mercedes gl or other suv that size cant do it and though i can have kid in the third row, if i can save space that would help.

my bro went from a ford flex with 350hp with the turbo 6 which he loved to an oddesy van when his 4th kid came. His wife loves it, he hates the lack of power...but it is intriguing...My wife has driven it and liked it some too

so with our 2006 it doesnt have todays bells and whistles obviously and the rear camera lack there off is an issue at times, otherwise it moves fine..4wd is not really something i need in south cali...rarely are we in mountains..and for the most part its been bulletproof except for the reduced power engine issue from last week.

hopefully its a recall fix and i can check out the new ones

The Zip · May 6, 2015

Your heart is saying truck but your head is saying van, it sounds like you need a van. What you don't want to do is get one of these trucks and experience the pressure issue with kids. Send me a private message if you want more details about the truck.

The Zip · May 7, 2015

Vdub - this is a response to your PM, I'll break it out over a few post for an easier read. I wouldn't go smaller than an 18in wheel. These new trucks are higher than previous versions and the smaller the wheel, the more roll your vehicle will have. The roll gets worse as your speed and wind resistance increase. Being a current SUV owner, you know the drill. My cost for 20in tires is around 550 bucks, and that's with 600 treadwear. Every 100 in treadwear is equivalent to just under a year of tire wear, so that's about a 5yr/60K tire with rotation and balance package, the cost of 20's is manageable.

The 15 (early year) comes with a 6spd trans, the mid year (15i) I believe comes with the 8spd trans. As for the 6, I was merging on the interstate the other day with a full load and had 2 gears left when I reached 80 mph. Don't know if the 8spd trans include lower gears, but it would make sense especially with larger engines (the value would be gained in towing, why incorporate higher gears if this fullsize SUV can reach 80 mph in four). Gas mileage is better in the 07-14 version.

The Zip · May 7, 2015

Since all I do is haul, this is the worse part of these trucks, I lose about 6in in cargo space. Prior versions allowed me to take out the third row seats and fold-up the second row. I can still fold-up the second row, but the third row tucks neatly in the floor and levels out the cargo space. It could not have been made differently, my loss.

Technology is advanced, with the mid-year models being equipped with wireless capability and hands-free lift gate release. The truck incorporates your device and does everything your device did, talk to SIRI, etc...

The Zip · May 7, 2015

I have been driving the Tahoe for 15 years and it took me just under a year to get comfortable backing the 15. I do not see a small car if backing by looking over my shoulder, this is where a few of the safety features come in handy. The truck will send me a visual, physical, and or an audible announcement if I am getting too close. Back-up camera is a must! The other day I was sitting in the driveway and the driver seat started vibrating like crazy, the vibration finally stopped then a cat walked from under the truck. The safety features notify me of something in the front, back, and sides of the truck. And now, under the truck. The safety features are a constant in this truck, I am continuously being notified of something (somebody is driving too close, I am driving too close, I am following to close, following just right, crossed a lane without a blinker, someone is coming too fast as I back out, and so on)

vdubpower · May 7, 2015

thanks for all your replies, they are excellent

for sure a modern vehicle would be great for the wife who drives it 90 percent of the time, auto rear hatch, safety nannies etc, rear view camera are things that she would like...so it is inevitable im sure that ill move up this year

though, i still love the basic rareness of the older models, even though mine is a denali...plus i dont care so much if a bumper gets scraped or if the kids make a mess

plus i cant garage it, so it gets dirty

The Zip · May 7, 2015

Vdub - your welcome man. This is a perspective of my three generations of a specific brand of fullsize SUV you identify in the title. New vehicle roll-outs will have gremlins, GM fullsize SUV's are not exempt(chronicled in other posts on this forum). Hopefully this will aid in your search when looking at other manufacturers for a comparison. I don't think you will find a fullsize SUV with all of the safety enhancements for less than 55K, regardless of the manufacturer. But not being garaged, scraped bumper, and kids making a mess, spending more than 55K would be a waiste of money.

vdubpower · May 7, 2015

yeah its amazing how the prices have risen...i think the denali in 2006 was the price of the todays current tahoe with minimal bells and whistles

we have actually come from a long line of trucks too,...we had a 87 silverado sub, and a 94 suburban 1500 back in the days...i rarely drove those,...a little young back then

tsdrumm · June 4, 2017

We just made the move from a 2010 Yukon Denali which has the previous gen 6.2 and 3.42 gears to a 2016 Tahoe LT with the new 5.3 and 3.08 gears. Yes, maybe it requires a little more pedal effort to accelate at the same rate as the old one, but it was not as noticeable as you would think when you read it in text. The new engines have much more mid range to them than the old ones. For example the 6.2 in my Silverado blows the doors off the Denali but the peak numbers aren't that different. The new 5.3 is Way ahead of the the previous gen 5.3, and way ahead of the LQ9 in your NBS Denali.

As for features, besides the 6.2, the only thing our 10 Denali has that our 16 LT doesn't is cooled seats and some exterior chromed plastic bits. And our Denali was maxed out for that year. I didn't see any value in going for a LTZ at all. Denali maybe for the 6.2, but it's a 7-8k premium. I couldn't justify that for what amounts to just a people hauler. Oh and the LT doesn't have autoride, which in my opinion, is a welcome change.

And as a few other posters have stated, the safety features are way ahead of previous gens. Our 10 had blind spot alert, rear parking sensors, back up cam and that's it. The 16 has blind spot alert, front and rear sensors, rear cross alert, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise, on and on.

We didn't have any hesitation going "down" in trim level from one generation to the next. The content has gone way up. We got everything we had before and more, and way cheaper than if we had stayed at the same level.