What surprised you the most about your new 2500/3500?

KMK454 · December 12, 2015

There are some things that surprised me positively and negatively about my 2500... feel free to add your own!

Positive:

Exhaust Sound - The factory exhaust on the 6.0 actually sounds really good. It has a nice idle burble and, under throttle, opens up to a nice growl. I was expecting quiet; I'll still want to go aftermarket at some point (Corsa!), but the factory muffler is good.

6.0 Strength - The conventional wisdom on forums is buy the diesel, and if money was no object, I would have. It's the better engine, and there's no need to debate it in this thread. However, the 6.0 feels much stronger than its 360/380 ratings suggest. I almost wonder if it's either underrated or the 4.10 gears just match up perfectly with it. It's not going to win a drag race, but it'll move out when unloaded. The transmission does a great job of keeping it in the power, too.

Fun to Drive - I didn't expect the truck to be fun to drive, but the 2500 has just the right amount of truck feel that was missing from the 1500 I test drove. The 1500, while nice, felt like a crossover SUV with a better engine. The 2500 felt like a truck, but not in an overly punishing way. Add in the decent V8, exhaust sound, and view over the front hood, and it's a fun drive.

Negative:

Fuel Range - I knew the fuel economy would be bad, especially while towing. I did not know how badly the fuel tank capacity would limit range, especially while towing. Towing MPG averages about 9-10 MPG, meaning you get about 300 meaningful miles of driving before it's time to find gas. In populated areas, this means more aggravation as you maneuver through crowded and cramped gas stations with a trailer. In rural areas, this means you hope that one gas station is open. I'd like another 6 to 8 gallons of tank capacity.

Headlights - The front of the truck is dominated by lights: a bottom row of fogs, a middle row of lights, and an upper row. Add in tow mirrors and clearance lights and you have even more lights. But while driving down an empty highway on a moonless night, I found legal highway speeds bordered on outdriving the headlights. They are simply unsatisfactory and need to be addressed in future updates.

Middle Rear Seat Comfort - The middle spot in the rear seat is significantly less comfortable than the other seats. The padding on the cushion seems to bow up, while the armrest seems to bow out. In most cars, this isn't the best seat, but for a truck, you'd think the rear would be a little bit better because of the ability to put a flat bench in the back. It just seems far worse than it has to be. Not a big issue other than the few times the truck is packed!

snarkee · December 12, 2015

I love my 15 2500hd gasser.....i added led headlights and fog lights

newdude · December 12, 2015

The projector halogens should have been reflector style. If you have the fogs off, the headlights are okay, but the reflector style on the 2012 make them look bad.

The 4.10 work wonders with the engine and trans for sure. 3.73 (when they used them 2007-2013 when the 4.10 were optional) were not as good to drive (and you lost 4k pounds towing with them).

crankman · December 12, 2015

Coming out of a 1/2 gm truck i enjoy the payload of my 2500. Im a pack rat and carry everything with me and the truck never complains. Ican hook up any of my trailers and she just pulls them with ease. The exhaust does sound good and heck I had to pass some slow poke today and throttle response was perfect. It is a good solid truck for me.

George C · December 13, 2015

I'm surprised the seat springs rattle like a cheap Yugo.
It's not just my truck, it's a lot of them.

The Front passenger seat shakes when no one is sitting in it, and rear seat springs rattle, causing my to fold them up to stop the rattle.
It's just not a sign of high quality, and it's definitely not something I expect from a 55k truck. It's a fairly wide spread problem, and one would think a simple fix from a factory build standpoint.

My dealer looked at me like I had three heads when I told him about it, but after taking it for a ride, agreed that the rattle is very loud. They still don't have it fixed yet.
Aside from that small ten dollar part, I like it a lot. Drives as smooth as glass.

Wife's Denali is almost perfect.

JRKRACE · December 13, 2015

2015i Denali Duramax..

Good:

Quiet

Smooth riding

No exhaust stink

Nice dash layout with nice materials

Tows AWESOME!!!

Brakes are top notch.

Bad:

Power is there but at a much difference place than my LBZ. You really need to push the pedal to get moving.

Pedal has springs that belong in the suspension. No need for a hard pedal.

Seat comfort sucks. Seat frame seems cheesey. Always flexes and pops. Had it in for warranty and didn't help. I'm always adjusting seat for some reason.

Towing mirror led is too bright. No need to get blinded when turning at night.

December 16, 2015

This is my first PU. My first instinct was to replace our outgrown series of family minivans with a Suburban. But the new Suburban has gone soft and lacks any serious utility or hauling capability (like our '91 2500 Suburban did!). So a Crew Cab/standard bed/bench seat (we are often a family of 6) PU became something to consider. After test driving the '15 1500 (5.3 and 6.2) and 2500 Dmax, I settled on the 6.0.

Pleasant surprises:

The interior is MASSIVE. No problem with 3 adults/3 boys and stowing trip stuff in the bin under the rear seat.
I don't know if the stock cloth seats were this nice, but the Katzkin covers I replaced them with before delivery provide an excellent combo of firmness and shape.
Love that my youngest son - who is prone to motion-sickness in the rear of a car - can ride up front in the center next to me
Although the Z71's 'jackrabbit' stance is (too) aggressive, DIY adjustments to the torsion keys make minor leveling adjustments possible
Being able to crawl underneath it to inspect/work is a plus
Wide availability of aftermarket options (thought I could avoid side steps but the AMR's are a gem, Bedrug is fabulous, folding cover a necessary, etc)
Ability if desired to install a topper and effectively have a 'better Suburban' for a fraction of its price
Extremely quiet interior and ride
Exhaust note/growl is perfect (first muffler I've NOT been tempted to replace immediately)
18" wheels with tall sidewall tires are impervious to curb dings
18" polished wheels (4/8-spokes) actually look better than the 5-spoke 20"s (in my humble opinion, of course)
Relieving pressure in the tires (to 60 all around) significantly improved ride comfort
Regular (or worst) gas is just fine
Gas prices plummeted right after buying it
Feels like a proper HD truck, not a car (1500)

The Bad with the Good:

I knew milage would be poor, but....
Stock bed height (jack rabbit stance) makes loading large items into the bed a challenge (and I'm 6'0)
Jackrabbit stance impacts rear visibility to see close objects
Rear camera is barely adequate (can this be upgraded?)
My sailboat has a tighter turning radius
Visibility and spacial awareness over the corners takes some getting used to
Towing mirrors block forward visibility when cornering
It's the vehicle of last resort for trips that involve parking in tight quarters
Good luck trying to wash/wax without a ladder

CRApex · December 16, 2015

Towing mirror led is too bright. No need to get blinded when turning at night.

I agree..I bought the darkest window tint at Walmart and cut out a couple pieces to fit over those incredibly bright LED signals. Toned it down so it is tolerable and they are still plenty visible.

Cosmic Charlie · December 16, 2015

The Bad

Rear camera is barely adequate (can this be upgraded? - The 2011 SLT I had was better

Towing mirrors block forward visibility when cornering - Can be dangerous when pulling out, got to look 2,3, even 4 times

Headlights aim forward only no side light litte up - I'm on a wait list for the bulb upgrage (Fog lamps help but are off during Hi Beam ...)

December 16, 2015

The Bad

Rear camera is barely adequate (can this be upgraded? - The 2011 SLT I had was better

Towing mirrors block forward visibility when cornering - Can be dangerous when pulling out, got to look 2,3, even 4 times

Headlights aim forward only no side light litte up - I'm on a wait list for the bulb upgrage (Fog lamps help but are off during Hi Beam ...)

What bulb upgrade??

Re: towing mirriors, 'roger copy' on the risk of having to ping-pong around them, again, again and again, especially at night. Also have to agree with another poster that the center rear seat should be more comfortable. I do find myself enjoying the cruise control in this vehicle where as I hadn't touched one in decades; it does seem to help with MPG too.

I see you are in MA. I just installed a ShurTrax bed weight for the CT winter. Looking forward to the experiment.

Cosmic Charlie · December 16, 2015

#PIT5374B: Headlight Performance (BCM Calibration and Bulbs) - (Jun 15, 2015)

Subject: Headlight Performance (BCM Calibration and Bulbs)

Models: 2015 GMC Sierra

2014 GMC Sierra 1500

The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern
Some customers may comment of poor headlight performance when driving in very dark rural areas. While the headlights meet all FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) requirements and CMVSS (Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) requirements, customers may request better headlight performance for these very dark rural areas.

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/175886-headlights-on-2015-2500hd-update-kit/

this is not an automatic upgrade - you must TELL the service writer you have trouble see at night on the sides of the front of the truck ... which is very true on my 2015 25HD - some late build 2015's come with the upgrade bulbs installed at the factory ... (IIRC)

Cowpie · December 17, 2015

My 2015 2500 (pre mid year), the lights seem fine for the rural roads I frequent. Of course, i am not trying to drive 80 mph down the gravel roads, so maybe that is why. On the two lane highways, not an issue either. I yellow tinted the lower bumper driving lights to actually make them fog lights and they add a good accent and supplement the headlights quite well. Best thing about my 2500, it is not my previous 1500.

The wheel well liners, front and back are my only real complaint. Whoever designed them did a lousy job. They have a textured surface that mud loves to stick to and build up to an extreme. It is a real pain to clean out the wheel wells. That textured surface might have been designed to reduce some rock noise or something, but it is a real PITA with mud, which also goes along with the rocks in my area. A smooth surface would have been better. But the folks in Detroit must have forgot that some of us actually use pickups off of the highway or street.

December 17, 2015

My 2015 2500 (pre mid year), the lights seem fine for the rural roads I frequent. Of course, i am not trying to drive 80 mph down the gravel roads, so maybe that is why. On the two lane highways, not an issue either. I yellow tinted the lower bumper driving lights to actually make them fog lights and they add a good accent and supplement the headlights quite well. Best thing about my 2500, it is not my previous 1500.

The wheel well liners, front and back are my only real complaint. Whoever designed them did a lousy job. They have a textured surface that mud loves to stick to and build up to an extreme. It is a real pain to clean out the wheel wells. That textured surface might have been designed to reduce some rock noise or something, but it is a real PITA with mud, which also goes along with the rocks in my area. A smooth surface would have been better. But the folks in Detroit must have forgot that some of us actually use pickups off of the highway or street.

Are the after-market liners that GM sells as accessories the same texture or smooth?

Re: fog light tint - this is the product recommended on a german car (MB) forum to tint the glass fog covers: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000994BUW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_25&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER. Apparently it works quite well. I've wondered if it will work as well on sealed-beams.

Cowpie · December 17, 2015

Have no idea about aftermarket. The liners were factory installed. I didn't use a spray tint. I used film. Easy to replace as needed.

December 17, 2015

Have no idea about aftermarket. The liners were factory installed. I didn't use a spray tint. I used film. Easy to replace as needed.

I know the '15 liners are factory installed. I just wondered if a substitution would help you (or if it is the same material).

For anyone curious about the Dupli-Color' tinting option, it works well on the old MB fogs but note that we apply it to the protected inside of the lens covers. No idea how well it will hold up on the exterior of a sealed beam unit. Can't argue with film as a no-risk option for the exterior.