Sierra Denali

[tone357]

Hello guy's, I am seriously considering purchasing a Sierra Denali. I know you guys love your trucks, but what I really want to know before I purchase is, what are some of the things that you don't like about your truck. I just want to have a clear picture of what I'm about to get into. Thanks

[Stevens03]

I don't have one but when considering the Denali, it's AWD but really there's nothing to not like about them. The SLT can be loaded up similar to the Denali's and you can have selectable 4x4. Thats what i did, and you can get 3.73's. The denali's come with 3.42's.

[HawkScot]

All the Denalis we looked at were loaded up with lots of extras that we did not want. We ended up ordering the SLT with only what we wanted.

[Matt_]

There's nothing i "didn't" like about mine.

 

But if you're planning on running a leveling kit or want to run a lift kit, you're better off with a loaded SLT with 4x4. The AWD systems are figgity with the angles and vibrations are hit or miss; more so with leveling kits than suspension lifts... for suspension lifts you can get a special driveshaft that cuts down the vibes.

 

If you're planning on offroading you'll also be better off with 4x4. The Denali can do quite a bit offroad, but out of the two the 4x4 is better suited. The AWD is more street oriented and works great when all wheels have some amount of traction.

 

In short:

 

For a truck that's not going to be offroaded and you want some great street performance (able to slam the gas and always have traction without the trac control kicking in)- the AWD Denali is the way to go.

 

For a truck that's going to be lifted and possibly wheels once in a while - the loaded SLT 4x4 would be my choice.

[Baja 252]

I really like mine. I think which one to get depends on what you want the truck to do and what options are important to you. In my case I wanted AWD and I love the A/C seats in the Summer. I also tow a lot, so I wish I could have gotten the 3.73's. But with the 6.2 the 3.42's work just fine.

[redsled2007]

Of all the SD's that I've seen, the paint is pretty crappy (Lots of orange peal that makes the paint look dull)for a vehicle that lists for about 50K. I was able to get a repaint and constantly get other truck owners asking me how I got my truck so shinny and smooth as glass looking.

Other then the paint issue, which I don't have now, I wouldn't get rid of it for anything!!

[[email protected]]

I don't like my tan interior

 

The "wood grain" shows any scratch\swirl mark

 

I have a rear wheel drive I went from an all wheel drive and the only thing different is traction in the rain and when I decide to floor it other than that nothing much I can tell between the two so I'm glad I got RWD for now less parts to break slightly better gas milage

 

Other that that I love my truck fun to drive and looks good to me

[Matthias]

To be honest forget about some serious offroading with a fullsize truck like the sierra...if you want to do that then get a JK Rubicon...nothing better out there IMHO...all the other stuff people call here offroading can be done either with the Sierras AWD system or the 4x4....GM's AWD system is awsome in any condition..even offroad...believe me. If you want a lift and I'm talking about serious suspension lift and no leveling kits that stress your suspension parts and leave to premature wear then all you need for the Denali is a different driveshaft like Matt already said...got mine from ProComp and no vibs at all. I'm so happy I did the full suspension lift..truck rides great and looks so much better...I love the look of the Denali...especially the grill.

So it really depends on what you want...I wanted the best streetperformance all the time that's why I got the Denali and the AWD...a great choice IMHO...nothing I do not like about my truck...I just love it

[obxdiver]

I love mine. For a while, I was considering upgrading my 2010 SD to the 2011 Denali HD.

Then I changed my mind and was going to trade my 2010 SD on a 2011 SLT loaded 4x4, then deck it out to look like the SD.

My reasoning....I wanted selectable 4x4 vs AWD, because, after I first bought my truck, I drove it in sand, and it did not do so well in the deep stuff.

However, after reading about the traction control system more on this forum, I found that I needed to disable TC/ST in the sand.

I have since done that (by pressing & holding the TC button for 5 seconds), and this truck walks the dog in the sand now.

All 4 tires dig in and pull hard, even in deep soft sand w/o the computer trying to stop wheel spin. Sand driving requires some wheel spin.

So... I changed my mind again, and now am keeping my 2010 SD. I love it.

It also performed flawlessly in 13" of snow this past December.

I have put a Volant CAI on it and it sounds like a raped ape when I get on it.

You will love the Sierra Denali. Go get it and ride with pure style, and power.

[obxdiver]

@WhiteDenali2010

I love your sig pic. Sweet looking lifted SD. The rear wheel house liners would really dress your rig up.

[Matthias]

@WhiteDenali2010

I love your sig pic. Sweet looking lifted SD. The rear wheel house liners would really dress your rig up.

Thx

 

The rear wheel liners are being shipped..gonna do some new pics when the 35" tires and the wheel liners are installed

[mjdxtreme]

I love mine. The only thing I did not like was the wood grain interior. I ended up swapping it all out for the all terrain brushed parts. Other than that I love it. I am currently consideing putting a supercharger on it to love it even more. I have the 2wd and dont have a whole lot of issues with traction unless the roads are wet.

[whoudi]

OP- I think we're in the same boat here, I too have been researching the pros and cons of the sierra denali vs. a loaded SLT 4X4. My main concern is the snow capabilities of the AWD system on the new denalis. My current truck (03 Silverado SS) has the viscous coupling mechanical AWD compared to the electronically controlled open style front diff on the new AWD trucks. My SS is a BEAST in the snow, no problems what-so-ever plowing through 18+ inches of fresh Michigan snow. Where I have become a bit skeptical is the electronics in the newer system doesn't want the front diff to engaged itself when it feels you start to slip (heavy snow) and applies most of the power to rear to compensate. Not exactly my idea of AWD but I understand the logic.

 

Now obxdiver and others I've read have figured out that if you totally disable the trac control AND stabilitrak by holding the button for 5 seconds it allows the front diff to carry more of the load and in turn get you out of any sticky situation you may find yourself in like offroad/sand/snow what have you. Of course a true 4x4 is going to basically eliminate this (my) dilemma but denalis are not offered in 4x4, at least not 1500s and to me a loaded SLT and denali just aren't the same thing.

 

I'm not sure if this was one of your main concerns so I apologize for the long post/hijack but I thought I'd chime in anyways. Good luck shopping.

[Matt_]

FWIW my Denali had absolutely no issues in snow.

[tmoney82]

I have no problem with mines! If you want to mud ride and crap, get a 4wd or some old truck! I think the grill and the 20's looks a lot better than a regular sierra!