Cummlative Test Drive Thoughts

lrtexasman · August 28, 2018

Thought it might be interesting for those that take test drives to list pros and cons of the model(s) they drove. Also, if someone has a general question and is located a good distance from a dealership perhaps someone can answer for them. I drove the GMC SLT X31 earlier today. Overall, I was very impressed with the truck and I think it's going to be an eventual winner for GM.

Appearance: 8/10 Truck looks great, but it seems a little portly due to width and cab/bed lengths. The paint quality and panel fitment looked great on the trucks I saw. The doors, tailgate, and hood opened and closed smoothly. However, there is a good bit of plastic trim around the bumpers and lights. The interior is nicer than the critics say. The dash pad was soft and the interior didn't seem too dated to me. Yes there is plastic and the display screen is not huge but it is functional and durable. The upper glove box couldn't hold much more than gloves though, lol. The center console is deep (bucket seats) and has plenty of gear/purse room. The console drink holders are shaped well and seem to be deep enough to hold a good sized drink, however, they are a little low and a bit forward from where your arm naturally rests.

Drive: 8/10 Truck it tighter than I expected. Very quite and solidly sticks to the road. The 5.3 had plenty of power and shifted well. I did feel one clunk early in the test drive going from 2nd to 3rd gear. There is enough suspension movement (not shake/vibration) to feel like you are in a truck and not a car. Has a nice turning radius and plenty of hood visibility. The front seat comfort was good, but not very good. The butt portion of the seat supports weight much better than 2014-2018. I am 6'1 215lbs and I filled the seat area up and weigh enough to test the support. The leather is ok, I would prefer a thicker and grainier texture. Fortunately it is not too soft. The back seat also has good thigh support, however, the upper shoulder area needs more padding. I would also prefer the rear seat if it was reclined a couple more degrees. The middle rear seat is better than the F150 Lariat+ but it still pushes your middle back a little bit. The pull out cushions are cool for kids to stuff things in, I suppose. Plenty of leg room front and back and rear seat pull down rest works well. The rear vents do push some air into the back seat.

Safety: 9/10 Brakes were nice and quite and the truck stopped very well. The blind spot alert is not bothersome. The front radar and lane assist work well and were not nuisances at all. The backup camera is good. I wish all the safety features were standard across all trim levels.

Misc: 8/10 The split tailgate was a lot of work to get it to function all the different ways. Not really sure how much use it will actually get. I bet a few people are going to bang them on their hitches when dropping the step down. Also its very weird not being able to open without the remote, perhaps it will cut down on tailgate thefts. If the battery is dead, you're not going to get it open. The bed is nice, plenty of tie down points and an electrical plug. The bed lining seemed to be durable and of high quality. Plenty of wheel packages and accessories to choose from.

Pricing: 7/10 Pricing is horrendous right now, which is to be expected. I guess I never take negotiating seriously until I can get 10k of a domestic. MSRP is about right for what your getting, but until the rebates kick in, I'll remain on the sidelines.

I sat in a Silverado LT today (08/28) with cloth and 40/20/40 seat. The cloth seats were harder than the leather seats. Perhaps they will break in. The front fold down console sit straight up as a seat. I did not see how to recline it. When folded down the two cup holders are just okay.

Sierra Dan · August 28, 2018

54 minutes ago, lrtexasman said:

Thought it might be interesting for those that take test drives to list pros and cons of the model(s) they drove. Also, if someone has a general question and is located a good distance from a dealership perhaps someone can answer for them. I drove the GMC SLT X31 earlier today. Overall, I was very impressed with the truck and I think it's going to be an eventual winner for GM.

Appearance: 8/10 Truck looks great, but it seems a little portly due to width and cab/bed lengths. The paint quality and panel fitment looked great on the trucks I saw. The doors, tailgate, and hood opened and closed smoothly. However, there is a good bit of plastic trim around the bumpers and lights. The interior is nicer than the critics say. The dash pad was soft and the interior didn't seem too dated to me. Yes there is plastic and the display screen is not huge but it is functional and durable. The upper glove box couldn't hold much more than gloves though, lol. The center console is deep (bucket seats) and has plenty of gear/purse room. The console drink holders are shaped well and seem to be deep enough to hold a good sized drink, however, they are a little low and a bit forward from where your arm naturally rests.

Drive: 8/10 Truck it tighter than I expected. Very quite and solidly sticks to the road. The 5.3 had plenty of power and shifted well. I did feel one clunk early in the test drive going from 2nd to 3rd gear. There is enough suspension movement (not shake/vibration) to feel like you are in a truck and not a car. Has a nice turning radius and plenty of hood visibility. The front seat comfort was good, but not very good. The butt portion of the seat supports weight much better than 2014-2018. I am 6'1 215lbs and I filled the seat area up and weigh enough to test the support. The leather is ok, I would prefer a thicker and grainier texture. Fortunately it is not too soft. The back seat also has good thigh support, however, the upper shoulder area needs more padding. I would also prefer the rear seat if it was reclined a couple more degrees. The middle rear seat is better than the F150 Lariat+ but it still pushes your middle back a little bit. The pull out cushions are cool for kids to stuff things in, I suppose. Plenty of leg room front and back and rear seat pull down rest works well. The rear vents do push some air into the back seat.

Safety: 9/10 Brakes were nice and quite and the truck stopped very well. The blind spot alert is not bothersome. The front radar and lane assist work well and were not nuisances at all. The backup camera is good. I wish all the safety features were standard across all trim levels.

Misc: 8/10 The split tailgate was a lot of work to get it to function all the different ways. Not really sure how much use it will actually get. I bet a few people are going to bang them on their hitches when dropping the step down. Also its very weird not being able to open without the remote, perhaps it will cut down on tailgate thefts. If the battery is dead, you're not going to get it open. The bed is nice, plenty of tie down points and an electrical plug. The bed lining seemed to be durable and of high quality. Plenty of wheel packages and accessories to choose from.

Pricing: 7/10 Pricing is horrendous right now, which is to be expected. I guess I never take negotiating seriously until I can get 10k of a domestic. MSRP is about right for what your getting, but until the rebates kick in, I'll remain on the sidelines.