2018 Sierra Replaces 2008 Canyon

rkj__ · August 30, 2018

I never thought I would, but I bought a full size truck.

I've been a midsize truck fan for years. My 2008 Canyon was my first truck. I bought it when I was 22. I had a ton of fun with it at meets, and off roading. It comfortably carried me through my bachelor life, and well into home ownership and marriage. It did everything I needed it to do. It towed. It hauled. It was unstoppable. But, if I did want to stop, it was very parkable.

But, repairs started to get more frequent, and the costs were getting significant. Paying for an axle swap 5 hours from home when on vacation, prompted me to start shopping for a new truck.

I always thought I would get a second gen Canyon next. But, I bought a Sierra instead. Why? Dealers never wanted to sell me a Canyon any time I asked about them. They always encouraged the full size trucks, with their massive discounts. They are a seriously good value. Also, my wife and dogs found the Sierra to be much more comfortable. Also, I really hate the rear seats of both the crew and extended Canyon. Neither are exceptionally good for cargo, as the floor is obstructed.

When shopping for this truck, my must haves were:

Double Cab
4x4
Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
Carpet floor

I was open to a V6, but John Bear did not even have one to test drive. They are not that common on dealer lots.

I tried looking at very basic, bottom of the line trucks. After ruling out the depressing looking work trucks with vinyl floors, I found anything that had all my must haves, and the basic appearance package (window tint and shiny wheels), typically came with a few other options, and the price was very close to the Elevation Edition.

The Elevation Edition suits me very well. It is an option package on the "Base" trim level. On the outside, it looks like a high end Sierra, similar to the All Terrain package. The interior does not have many luxury features, and has basic cloth bench seats. Sure, it will be a bit of a beast to park, and I won't be doing any hardcore off roading with it but I look forward to many comfortable drives in it, and listening to the V8.

I really wanted the blue, with the silver wheels. The truck they had on the lot had a few extras, but after spending over three and a half hours with a good salesman, we were able to make a deal.

We are very excited to take delivery on Friday.

It comes with everything I wanted and more.

When I get it, all I really need to do is get a tonneau cover, and trim or delete the jumbo sized air dam.

It still feels a little crazy. I spent the last 6 years hating on the bloated full size trucks, and drooling over all the pretty Canyons over on Colorado Fans. I shook my head, every time I saw a post here where somebody swapped their midsize for a fullsize. Now I'm doing it myself.

The ZR2 was my dream truck. Had it come out in 2014 or so, I might have even bought it. But, my priorities really changed after I met my wife, bought a house, and a small travel trailer. Instead of looking for lockers and high clearance bumpers, I started caring more about comfort, on road manners, and fuel range. My Canyon had a ton of wind noise, and towing my trailer, I was looking for a gas station at only 350km. The V8 will probably get near the same fuel economy as my lifted I5, so the extra 22L of fuel capacity will help increase our range.

Happy Trucking

Untitled by Ryan Jakob, on Flickr

Untitled by Ryan Jakob, on Flickr

Edited August 30, 2018 by rkj__

cire0309 · August 30, 2018

Congrats on the new truck!

Funny how priorities change with age. Soon you’ll be trading in for a crew cab when you have little ones. When they get older (no car seats) you can go back to a DC .

rkj__ · August 30, 2018

55 minutes ago, cire0309 said:

Congrats on the new truck!

Funny how priorities change with age. Soon you’ll be trading in for a crew cab when you have little ones. When they get older (no car seats) you can go back to a DC .

I did some reading, and it sounds like a rear facing car seat fits fine in the middle row of the double cab. There's no way of knowing what the next 7-10 years will bring for my wife and I, but we don't plan on having any kiddos within the next few years anyways.

cire0309 · August 30, 2018

It will fit in the center but getting the detachable base ones through the smaller double cab door will require some maneuvering. Don’t get me wrong, love my DC and the longer bed is far more handy than the bigger door.

jlozan2 · August 30, 2018

4 hours ago, rkj__ said:

I never thought I would, but I bought a full size truck.

I've been a midsize truck fan for years. My 2008 Canyon was my first truck. I bought it when I was 22. I had a ton of fun with it at meets, and off roading. It comfortably carried me through my bachelor life, and well into home ownership and marriage. It did everything I needed it to do. It towed. It hauled. It was unstoppable. But, if I did want to stop, it was very parkable.

But, repairs started to get more frequent, and the costs were getting significant. Paying for an axle swap 5 hours from home when on vacation, prompted me to start shopping for a new truck.

I always thought I would get a second gen Canyon next. But, I bought a Sierra instead. Why? Dealers never wanted to sell me a Canyon any time I asked about them. They always encouraged the full size trucks, with their massive discounts. They are a seriously good value. Also, my wife and dogs found the Sierra to be much more comfortable. Also, I really hate the rear seats of both the crew and extended Canyon. Neither are exceptionally good for cargo, as the floor is obstructed.

When shopping for this truck, my must haves were:

Double Cab
4x4
Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
Carpet floor

I was open to a V6, but John Bear did not even have one to test drive. They are not that common on dealer lots.

I tried looking at very basic, bottom of the line trucks. After ruling out the depressing looking work trucks with vinyl floors, I found anything that had all my must haves, and the basic appearance package (window tint and shiny wheels), typically came with a few other options, and the price was very close to the Elevation Edition.

The Elevation Edition suits me very well. It is an option package on the "Base" trim level. On the outside, it looks like a high end Sierra, similar to the All Terrain package. The interior does not have many luxury features, and has basic cloth bench seats. Sure, it will be a bit of a beast to park, and I won't be doing any hardcore off roading with it but I look forward to many comfortable drives in it, and listening to the V8.

I really wanted the blue, with the silver wheels. The truck they had on the lot had a few extras, but after spending over three and a half hours with a good salesman, we were able to make a deal.

We are very excited to take delivery on Friday.

It comes with everything I wanted and more.

When I get it, all I really need to do is get a tonneau cover, and trim or delete the jumbo sized air dam.

It still feels a little crazy. I spent the last 6 years hating on the bloated full size trucks, and drooling over all the pretty Canyons over on Colorado Fans. I shook my head, every time I saw a post here where somebody swapped their midsize for a fullsize. Now I'm doing it myself.

The ZR2 was my dream truck. Had it come out in 2014 or so, I might have even bought it. But, my priorities really changed after I met my wife, bought a house, and a small travel trailer. Instead of looking for lockers and high clearance bumpers, I started caring more about comfort, on road manners, and fuel range. My Canyon had a ton of wind noise, and towing my trailer, I was looking for a gas station at only 350km. The V8 will probably get near the same fuel economy as my lifted I5, so the extra 22L of fuel capacity will help increase our range.

Happy Trucking

Untitled by Ryan Jakob, on Flickr

Untitled by Ryan Jakob, on Flickr

I was in a very similar situation when I got my 18 SLT. I was driving a 2014 is350 and never dreamed of owning a truck. That all changed when I built my first house.... I needed more cargo space and the option to tow. I was dead set on a Tacoma but the deals they have on the 18' Sierras were just way too good to pass up. By the time i got the the dealership the options were pretty limited in the SLT trim. However, i found my dream truck and we made a deal.

I've had it a couple months and can't imagine going back to a smaller car haha. It's crazy how your mindset adapts to what your needs are over time....

ANyways awesome truck man congrats! Any mods you plan on tackling? I took of the air dam as well and it looks so much cleaner and more aggressive.

rkj__ · August 30, 2018

2 minutes ago, jlozan2 said:

ANyways awesome truck man congrats! Any mods you plan on tackling? I took of the air dam as well and it looks so much cleaner and more aggressive.

Nah, other than the aforementioned air dam delete and tonneau cover, this vehicle will stay stock I think. It does have mud flaps and a hood guard installed, which are not shown in the picture I posted.

When I was single, and living rent free with my parents, it was easy to justify spending thousands on mods. But now, this guy has bills to pay! This truck comes stock with so many upgrades over my last one.

100 more horsepower, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, 7" touch screen with bluetooth, auto 4x4, bumper step, moveable tie down points, stake pockets, locking tailgate, side steps, body coloured door handles, side moldings, and mirror caps, integrated trailer brake controller, 110V AC power outlet, tow/haul mode, led accent lights, even LED cargo box lighting!

That's a lot of upgrades!

aseibel · August 30, 2018

24 minutes ago, rkj__ said:

I did some reading, and it sounds like a rear facing car seat fits fine in the middle row of the double cab.

yeah, it will fit, but for the first 4 years of child' life, you have to crawl up/in there to put the baby/kid in the seat and buckle them in. or lift the detachable seat up and in. I can't imagine having to do that in the center position. My wife read all the baby books/blogs saying the center position is "safer" and she still chose not to use it because of how hard it is to reach. Both our kids rode in window seats.

And that only works for the first child anyway. Once you have two, someone has to sit next to a window.

Anyway, beautiful truck! enjoy it as long as you can!

jlozan2 · August 30, 2018

5 minutes ago, rkj__ said:

Nah, other than the aforementioned air dam delete and tonneau cover, this vehicle will stay stock I think. It does have mud flaps and a hood guard installed, which are not shown in the picture I posted.

When I was single, and living rent free with my parents, it was easy to justify spending thousands on mods. But now, this guy has bills to pay! This truck comes stock with so many upgrades over my last one.

100 more horsepower, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, 7" touch screen with bluetooth, auto 4x4, bumper step, moveable tie down points, stake pockets, locking tailgate, side steps, body coloured door handles, side moldings, and mirror caps, integrated trailer brake controller, 110V AC power outlet, tow/haul mode, led accent lights, even LED cargo box lighting!

That's a lot of upgrades!

Can you post pics of the mud flaps and hood guard? thinking about doing that to mine...

Two mods you might want to think about are the cargo light diode mod and installing some floor-well lights.... makes our trucks look a lot better with the nice interior! I did both for less that $50.

rkj__ · August 30, 2018

Just now, aseibel said:

yeah, it will fit, but for the first 4 years of child' life, you have to crawl up/in there to put the baby/kid in the seat and buckle them in. or lift the detachable seat up and in. I can't imagine having to do that in the center position. My wife read all the baby books/blogs saying the center position is "safer" and she still chose not to use it because of how hard it is to reach. Both our kids rode in window seats.

And that only works for the first child anyway. Once you have two, someone has to sit next to a window.

Anyway, beautiful truck! enjoy it as long as you can!

My reading suggests forward facing seats can fit in the window seats, though again, somewhat tightly. I did not totally disregard how well the vehicle could or could not handle children. We don't have any plan to have children in the short term, but it's hard to predict exactly what the next 7-10 years will bring us. My wife and I talked about it, and she vetoed buying a minivan for this purchase! Other than a truck a van is the only vehicle that can come close to a truck's versatility at a reasonable cost.

Neither of us like the appearance of the sub six food beds, and we also did not like the increased cost of the crew cab. Crew cab long beds start to get harder to maneuver, and are somewhat rare on dealer lots.

rkj__ · August 30, 2018

10 minutes ago, jlozan2 said:

Can you post pics of the mud flaps and hood guard? thinking about doing that to mine...

Two mods you might want to think about are the cargo light diode mod and installing some floor-well lights.... makes our trucks look a lot better with the nice interior! I did both for less that $50.

This is the only picture I grabbed of the actual truck. I take delivery on Friday, and will take more pictures on the weekend for sure, and will add them to this thread.

Sierra Dan · August 30, 2018

Thanks for sharing and welcome to the club Ryan

Great looking Sierra.

jlozan2 · August 30, 2018

11 minutes ago, rkj__ said:

This is the only picture I grabbed of the actual truck. I take delivery on Friday, and will take more pictures on the weekend for sure, and will add them to this thread.

That hood guard looks sick! When you get the truck can you let me know what brand it is?

rkj__ · August 30, 2018

1 minute ago, jlozan2 said:

That hood guard looks sick! When you get the truck can you let me know what brand it is?

Thanks!

Coming from the dealer, I would have thought it to be a GM part, no? I can check to see if there are any markings on it, but I don't think there are.

Honestly, I considered asking them to remove it, but my wife said she likes it, so it will stay on. lol

cire0309 · August 30, 2018

My reading suggests forward facing seats can fit in the window seats, though again, somewhat tightly. I did not totally disregard how well the vehicle could or could not handle children. We don't have any plan to have children in the short term, but it's hard to predict exactly what the next 7-10 years will bring us. My wife and I talked about it, and she vetoed buying a minivan for this purchase! Other than a truck a van is the only vehicle that can come close to a truck's versatility at a reasonable cost.

Neither of us like the appearance of the sub six food beds, and we also did not like the increased cost of the crew cab. Crew cab long beds start to get harder to maneuver, and are somewhat rare on dealer lots.

Vetoed a minivan, she’s a keeper.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

rkj__ · August 30, 2018

17 minutes ago, cire0309 said:

Vetoed a minivan, she’s a keeper.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I knew I loved her when I let her drive my Canyon for the first time! She is a keeper for sure! Yesterday, she even mentioned selling her Mini Countryman S, and keeping the Canyon, instead of selling it. I'm not sure where that thought will go. We also talked about selling both, and getting something different. Or we will just sell the Canyon. Too many options! So much to think about!

We do have some concerns with the future maintenance costs for both the Mini (2012, 100,000km), and the Canyon (2008, 226,500km). But that is so hard to predict.

The Sierra will cover nearly all our needs, so the second vehicle's primary role will be in-town commuting, in the short term anyways.

Edited August 30, 2018 by rkj__