Option Suggestions Before I Order? Advice?

redwngr · March 19, 2015

Well I sold the motorcycle, the Corvette, the G6, and the 2500HD before I moved overseas. I will be stepping off an airplane with my wife and two children and don't even own a vehicle. I don't necessarily HAVE to buy now, but it makes sense. I prefer not to buy an interim vehicle. I haven't had good luck selling anything I have owned less than two years and coming out ahead.

In the end, I would love cooled seats but the price I would pay for the Denali is a solid $8000 more than the SLT. I can't see $8k worth of value in the upgrades, both options and standard, along with being able to put an exhaust and some other aftermarket mods immediately on the SLT.

You can get cooled seats on SLT (and on LTZ).

I think my Z71 rides like a dream, but the last truck was a 2500.

John_chadra1 · March 19, 2015

The 6.2 with 8-Speed always gets 3.23 unless its a Max Tow then it gets 3.42 and the larger rear axle.

The 5.3 with 6-Speed gets 3.08 or 3.42, unless its a Max Tow then it gets 3.73 and the larger rear axle.

Somehow my 2014 SLT AT 6.2 has a 9.76" rear in it. I was under the impression that only the max tow got the 9.76 rear??

PokoDenali · March 19, 2015

Somehow my 2014 SLT AT 6.2 has a 9.76" rear in it. I was under the impression that only the max tow got the 9.76 rear??

Huh... Every document I've ever seen says that only the Max-Tow gets the 9.76" rear... I just searched the 2014 and 2015 dealer order guides to make sure I wasn't wrong and the only mention I see of the 9.76" axle upgrade is with the Max-Tow Package. I don't mean to sound condescending, but how do you know you have a 9.76"? Do you know the ratio and the axle code? I'm just curious now...

JRaschke11 · March 19, 2015

You can get cooled seats on SLT (and on LTZ).

I think my Z71 rides like a dream, but the last truck was a 2500.

Yeah when I posted that for some reason I mistakenly thought you could get the AT package with a Denali, so I was thinking that either the SLT with AT package and no cooled seats, or the Denali with AT package and cooled seats. I have reviewed the options a million more times and realized my mistake.

John_chadra1 · March 19, 2015

I have a family friend that is the service manager at a Sparta Chevy. I had him look into it one day and he confirmed that it has 3.42s and a 9.76" ring. The housings for the 9.5 and 9.76 are identical, just the ring and pinion are different. I want to put 4.10s in it, that is the only reason I had him look, otherwise I would have just assumed it was a 9.5. When I first got the truck, I read somewhere that when production began, they planned to have the 9.5 in the 5.3 and the 9.76 in the 6.2 regardless of options. My truck has a production date of 11/13, so I don't know...

JRaschke11 · March 19, 2015

GM doesn't make it easy to directly compare the SLT to the Denali. You can't add both trucks to the comparison tool. So I am making an Excel spreadsheet with every single option for both trucks to see what overlaps as both standard and optional and what I get for the price.

I like the Denali a lot, but believe it or not I am not a fan of the grille. I know it's distinctive and all, but I like the regular GMC grille. The exterior styling cues are the reason I buy Sierra over Silverado.

PokoDenali · March 20, 2015

GM doesn't make it easy to directly compare the SLT to the Denali. You can't add both trucks to the comparison tool. So I am making an Excel spreadsheet with every single option for both trucks to see what overlaps as both standard and optional and what I get for the price.

I like the Denali a lot, but believe it or not I am not a fan of the grille. I know it's distinctive and all, but I like the regular GMC grille. The exterior styling cues are the reason I buy Sierra over Silverado.

If you download the brochure or pick up a real copy from the dealer it shows the Denali compared with all the other trims... or you can go on the GM Fleet website and download the whole 187 page dealer order guide that tells you everything you'd ever want to know about what's available in which combinations on these trucks.

PokoDenali · March 20, 2015

But I can pretty much tell you the only difference is the Denali exterior appearance package, MagneRide suspension, a fancier mostly digital guage cluster, and the Denali embroidery in the seats and door sills. Otherwise it's an SLT with basically every option coming standard, including spray in bedliner.

jamin87ss · March 20, 2015

But I can pretty much tell you the only difference is the Denali exterior appearance package, MagneRide suspension, a fancier mostly digital guage cluster, and the Denali embroidery in the seats and door sills. Otherwise it's an SLT with basically every option coming standard, including spray in bedliner.

Pretty much wrapped it up there

JRaschke11 · March 20, 2015

But I can pretty much tell you the only difference is the Denali exterior appearance package, MagneRide suspension, a fancier mostly digital guage cluster, and the Denali embroidery in the seats and door sills. Otherwise it's an SLT with basically every option coming standard, including spray in bedliner.

Yeah it's the little nitty gritty like this I am interested in. Some options matter a lot to me, and some don't matter at all. I really have to weigh what is standard on the Denali vs SLT, versus what I can add manually to each package and the final price.

It's a nightmare being so picky, but I want to make it easy on the dealer and not be one of those customers. I want to send the dealer an order that I know for sure I want and just walk out a happy customer. If I am spending $50,000 on a truck that I am going to drive literally every day for the next 10 years, I can't have a single compromise IMO.

I grew up decidedly NOT well off, and to spend this much money on this kind of vehicle is outlandish compared to the rest of my family. But it means a lot to me and I have saved cash for several years now, so I want to put in all the effort I can.

crafferty · March 20, 2015

Yeah it's the little nitty gritty like this I am interested in. Some options matter a lot to me, and some don't matter at all. I really have to weigh what is standard on the Denali vs SLT, versus what I can add manually to each package and the final price.

It's a nightmare being so picky, but I want to make it easy on the dealer and not be one of those customers. I want to send the dealer an order that I know for sure I want and just walk out a happy customer. If I am spending $50,000 on a truck that I am going to drive literally every day for the next 10 years, I can't have a single compromise IMO.

I grew up decidedly NOT well off, and to spend this much money on this kind of vehicle is outlandish compared to the rest of my family. But it means a lot to me and I have saved cash for several years now, so I want to put in all the effort I can.

If I was you I would just go ahead and final a dealer that has a Denali and work out a deal. You'll probably be able to work out a much better deal and you'll have all the features you want an then some.