Silverado or Suburban (2018)?

[Fuelie]

Are you the only one riding in it? I am thinking in you have other people riding with you the sub back seat is much more comfortable than the Silverado.

Tom

[mcdavis]

I drove 2 Yukon XL's, 4wd, SLT from 2001 - 2013. Recently got a 2016 Sierra Crew Cab Z71 SLE, but it does have leather and a fair amount of the frills. Definitely as nice as my Yukon XL's other than no DVD system, which I don't need anymore.

 

My kids are gone (youngest in college), so it's just me, the wife, and the dog. In my area, I deal with more ice in the winter than snow, and only for a few months. Make numerous 3 hour trips to the coast.

 

To me, my Sierra cab is every bit as nice and comfortable as any SUV I've ever owned. We go out with friends of ours who have a 2wd Silverado double cab, always take mine (get the crew cab). My parents are convinced it rides as good as a new Suburban that their friend, the GM dealership owner, drives and takes them out in.

 

At this point in my life, I will only own a 4 door truck in a vehicle this size. Gas mileage difference is irrelevant, they're both bad around town and decent on the highway for what they are. I can throw anything I want in the bed and not care about damage to the nice interior of a Yukon/Suburban. The stereo is more than nice enough to make my ears bleed (I like loud music).

 

I don't hunt, I'm not a 4wheeler. I am involved in real estate, so 4wd and a truck bed are valuable to me. I drive a lot (16,000 miles the first 6 months I owned the truck, and bought it used). I have a truck box, not a bed cover (came on the truck), so I use it as a trunk. Works for me, it's a deep box. No bed lining, a bed mat. 

 

Not sure how all of this compares to your situation, but that's my .02. I hope it helps.

[ftwhite]

    

I had a 2012 Suburban before moving to my 2018 Silverado. Suburban was better at towing and road trips because it was setup with auto-leveling MagRide, and electronic anti-sway. Barely felt like anything was back there (mainly pull ski and fishing boats). Got it stuck twice in getting into fishing spots: low clearance, and long wheel base. Could carry gear more easily in the Suburban, both in family situations (5 kids plus ski gear); and hunting/fishing (could access the gear from rear and sides easily, and with both rear rows folded, it is huge and longer than a short bed PU. It also is much more comfortable for back row passengers with air/temp controls, and bucket seats (option). Mounting roof racks is more straight forward with them as well.

  

However, with the PU, I get the flexibility to do dump runs without worrying about the mess or protecting the interior; and having the "high head room" and open loading of the open bed for gravel, mulch, bikes, etc. is great. I've never had a hard shell on the bed, just tonneau cover, so I only have that experience. It is absolutely true that a stinky dog, or a full strap of ducks certainly rides better in the back of the truck than the Suburban. Even wet/sloppy gear (skis and waders) are just easier to "toss in". With a crew cab, I also find that 90% of the scenarios where I need protected, warm, dry storage (guns, jackets, computer gear,...kids) is taken care of. Only once is while do I really wish I still had the Suburban. Off road, a short bed PU with a level, or slight lift 2-3Inches is way more capable IMO. No hunting of fishing spot has even challenged it yet, where the Suburban was near its limits. Never did lift the Suburban though. 

 

What kind of limited the current gen of Suburbans for me was the raised floors in the back to allow for a folding third row. I get it as an option for soccer moms, but for utility, it just sucks. I only had both third row sections in my Suburban when I needed it to be a bus. I run out of room faster in my short bed than the old Suburban.

 

For me, I’ll never go back. I’ll make a crew cab PU work for me, or I’ll change what I do to work with it. Its just more fun and macho owning a real truck.    

  

[VictorLin0725]

27 minutes ago, Fuelie said:

Are you the only one riding in it? I am thinking in you have other people riding with you the sub back seat is much more comfortable than the Silverado.

Tom

Honestly yes haha. 80% of the time its just me. I know its a little wierd but I do need either the trunk/bed space for my gear. 

[VictorLin0725]

33 minutes ago, ftwhite said:

    

I had a 2012 Suburban before moving to my 2018 Silverado. Suburban was better at towing and road trips because it was setup with auto-leveling MagRide, and electronic anti-sway. Barely felt like anything was back there (mainly pull ski and fishing boats). Got it stuck twice in getting into fishing spots: low clearance, and long wheel base. Could carry gear more easily in the Suburban, both in family situations (5 kids plus ski gear); and hunting/fishing (could access the gear from rear and sides easily, and with both rear rows folded, it is huge and longer than a short bed PU. It also is much more comfortable for back row passengers with air/temp controls, and bucket seats (option). Mounting roof racks is more straight forward with them as well.

  

However, with the PU, I get the flexibility to do dump runs without worrying about the mess or protecting the interior; and having the "high head room" and open loading of the open bed for gravel, mulch, bikes, etc. is great. I've never had a hard shell on the bed, just tonneau cover, so I only have that experience. It is absolutely true that a stinky dog, or a full strap of ducks certainly rides better in the back of the truck than the Suburban. Even wet/sloppy gear (skis and waders) are just easier to "toss in". With a crew cab, I also find that 90% of the scenarios where I need protected, warm, dry storage (guns, jackets, computer gear,...kids) is taken care of. Only once is while do I really wish I still had the Suburban. Off road, a short bed PU with a level, or slight lift 2-3Inches is way more capable IMO. No hunting of fishing spot has even challenged it yet, where the Suburban was near its limits. Never did lift the Suburban though. 

 

What kind of limited the current gen of Suburbans for me was the raised floors in the back to allow for a folding third row. I get it as an option for soccer moms, but for utility, it just sucks. I only had both third row sections in my Suburban when I needed it to be a bus. I run out of room faster in my short bed than the old Suburban.

 

For me, I’ll never go back. I’ll make a crew cab PU work for me, or I’ll change what I do to work with it. Its just more fun and macho owning a real truck.    

  

It's a little difficult for me becuase I ride 80% by myself and carry my GF once in a while for errands and such. The thing that is a struggle for me is that I regulary make 500 miles trips (monthly) which the suburban would be awesome at but still want the utility (and manliness) of the truck haha. Coming from a crossover I guess I'm just a little freaked out that my gear is going to be disconnected from my cabin and exposed to the elements. How would you say your silverado handles on the freeway for long distances? Also what colour is your truck, that looks awesome!

Edited January 15, 2019 by VictorLin0725

[ftwhite]

I got the truck in April'18. Only two long trips so far (500 miles to Montana, and 350 to Oregon). Highway drive is great. No complaints at all. Could drive across the country if needed. Road in back in 100+ temp, and that was less fun. More leg room than the second row Suburban surprisingly, but bad air flow.  

With a tonneau cover, there is very little (no) exposure. Mine leaks a little (BakFlip) in hard rain and car wash, but nothing I worry too much about. Like I said, anything important fits in the crew cab, unless that's full of passengers.

Color of mine is "Centennial Blue", which I think is aka: Blue Steel Metallic. Thanks, I like it too. 

  

[KJS Sullivan]

3 hours ago, VictorLin0725 said:

Do you think the bed of trucks are well used? I can't think of what I'd put in there without adding some sort of organization device like the DECKED system or a shell on it. What do you usually carry in the bed?

I carry a small assortment of tools for maintenance work on some commercial properties also I have the Line-X bed liner and the GM carpet liner with a leer shell on it might be able to see the pictures in my profile. The dog rides in the back when she comes with me and if I need to whole sheetrock no problem at all caring about 40 sheets of sheetrock on a 3/4 ton with the shell in place. Very versatile multi use. When we go camping we load up all the camping equipment it's locked it's safe, and on our way back from our camping trips if it's wet damp smelly it's no big deal in the back of the truck to Shell windows open. Also with a sliding window on the back of the crew cab and a sliding window on the front of the shell I'm able to put a boot in between that way I can air condition or heat the back for the animal and or the kids lol not really no kids are harmed in this explanation :-) but seriously the pickup truck version to me is much more versatile, you can pick up the Rubbermaid storage boxes bins and or the units that are built for the sides above the wheel wells and they are also lockable. You can still maintain a 4-foot width between the wheel wells for carrying plywood sheetrock or whatever you need to carry

[damnthetorpedoes]

2 hours ago, ftwhite said:

    

I had a 2012 Suburban before moving to my 2018 Silverado. Suburban was better at towing and road trips because it was setup with auto-leveling MagRide, and electronic anti-sway. Barely felt like anything was back there (mainly pull ski and fishing boats). Got it stuck twice in getting into fishing spots: low clearance, and long wheel base. Could carry gear more easily in the Suburban, both in family situations (5 kids plus ski gear); and hunting/fishing (could access the gear from rear and sides easily, and with both rear rows folded, it is huge and longer than a short bed PU. It also is much more comfortable for back row passengers with air/temp controls, and bucket seats (option). Mounting roof racks is more straight forward with them as well.

  

However, with the PU, I get the flexibility to do dump runs without worrying about the mess or protecting the interior; and having the "high head room" and open loading of the open bed for gravel, mulch, bikes, etc. is great. I've never had a hard shell on the bed, just tonneau cover, so I only have that experience. It is absolutely true that a stinky dog, or a full strap of ducks certainly rides better in the back of the truck than the Suburban. Even wet/sloppy gear (skis and waders) are just easier to "toss in". With a crew cab, I also find that 90% of the scenarios where I need protected, warm, dry storage (guns, jackets, computer gear,...kids) is taken care of. Only once is while do I really wish I still had the Suburban. Off road, a short bed PU with a level, or slight lift 2-3Inches is way more capable IMO. No hunting of fishing spot has even challenged it yet, where the Suburban was near its limits. Never did lift the Suburban though. 

 

What kind of limited the current gen of Suburbans for me was the raised floors in the back to allow for a folding third row. I get it as an option for soccer moms, but for utility, it just sucks. I only had both third row sections in my Suburban when I needed it to be a bus. I run out of room faster in my short bed than the old Suburban.

 

For me, I’ll never go back. I’ll make a crew cab PU work for me, or I’ll change what I do to work with it. Its just more fun and macho owning a real truck.    

  

I was in the same boat. Before this truck I had a previous generation Yukon XL Denali. The size was perfect, and I never had the third row in it so it was basically a fully enclosed pickup. When it came time to replace it the 6.2 was a must. To get that in a Suburban/ Yukon XL it meant buying another Denali (at the time I was looking). But what I really couldn’t wrap my head around was the non removable 3rd row. It creates a pretty significant increase in floor height. 

 

So in the end I got a crew cab pickup with basically all the options I had on the YXL and then some. I honestly think it rides better, is quieter on the road, and gets better mileage. There’s been a handful of times that I’ve missed the YXL but not as many as I thought. I also saved a ton of money by purchasing a truck, the price diffeeence is staggering. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by damnthetorpedoes

[VictorLin0725]

16 hours ago, martha3065 said:

I also have a Silverado (2016 LTZ Crew short bed) and Tahoe (2017 LT). Both with 5.3. Silverado is my DD, amd Tahoe is the wife's.

 

I agree with the comments above. For trips, I prefer the Tahoe. Ride is much better. Mileage is better in the Tahoe, due to gearing. If towing, I use the truck. With the rear seats of the Hoe folded, there is comparable room to the bed, but I use the truck if hauling anything dirty. Interiors are similar, but the "leather" in the Hoe is noticeably softer than the truck. As mentioned speakers are better in the Hoe (both have Bose). I don't really "off road," but the truck would be my preference due to 2 speed t-case. I have an Ultra Flex tonneau which keeps the bed pretty dry when I have things back there.

 

If I could only get one and didn't need the extra seating the Hoe/Burb offers, I would get the truck, but that's just me and a personal/lifestyle preference.

 

 

 

16 hours ago, JimCost2014 said:

If you go with the Sub, get a Husky liner for the back, personally like them better that Weather Tech. And the other product you will want to look into is made by Canvasback, they are covers for just the back of each seat in the second and third rows. We have 4 huskies and could not imagine how much hair would be on the seats if we did not use these.

Oh ya one last thing. Since you have the tahoe and the silverado, which transmission would you say is the most reliable and smooth? Looking at my options the Suburbans come with the 6 speed while some trucks come with the 8 speeds and the 6.2 L ones come in the new 10 speed. I've heard a few bad things about the clunky shifts of the 10 speeds but which tranny is the best out of the 3?

[JimCost2014]

1 hour ago, VictorLin0725 said:

 

Oh ya one last thing. Since you have the tahoe and the silverado, which transmission would you say is the most reliable and smooth? Looking at my options the Suburbans come with the 6 speed while some trucks come with the 8 speeds and the 6.2 L ones come in the new 10 speed. I've heard a few bad things about the clunky shifts of the 10 speeds but which tranny is the best out of the 3?

The 6 speed in the Tahoe has been great, really liked it in the 2014 Silverado that I had (6.2 with 3.42 rear end). The 8 speed that I had in my 16 Silverado (6.2 3.23 rear end) was starting to develop some of the issues that others have had. 8 speed in my 18 Silverado (6.2 3.23 rear end) has been great so far. No info from me on the 10 speed, have not driven one, but I would imagine that there will be a time period before they work out the bugs, just like the 8 speed. I have always had good luck with GM transmissions, I think they are built well ( they have their quirks like all manufacturers), just make sure to maintain them like the rest of the truck.

[Ira1976]

Hey Victor , typing this while sitting in my 2015 suburban with 166k .My turn to put in my 2 cents to this matter . Get a suburban LT(bench seats) . Both have their pros and cons , but as a daily driver and for what you need it for , id definitely go for the suburban. It's more versatile as far as passenger capacity and you'll even get a more lengthy cargo area with the suburban because you can flip down both rows and not have the cargo area and cab divided. If you want more off road capability just put some Rancho rs7000 or 9000 shocks for a 2" lift and you're straight . Good luck 

[martha3065]

My Silverado has the 8 spd. Hoe has the 6 spd.

8 spd takes some getting used to. I've had 2 or 3 TSBs applied in the 3 years I've had it. Still has some wierdness where it will slam into gear when down shifting or feel like it is slow between up shift, like a delay between gears. That's all "normal" though. ;) More of a nuisance, but doesn't make me hate the truck.

6 spd in the Hoe is smoother and has none of the unexpected shifting behavior. That wouldn't be my sole decider though.

[VictorLin0725]

44 minutes ago, martha3065 said:

My Silverado has the 8 spd. Hoe has the 6 spd.

8 spd takes some getting used to. I've had 2 or 3 TSBs applied in the 3 years I've had it. Still has some wierdness where it will slam into gear when down shifting or feel like it is slow between up shift, like a delay between gears. That's all "normal" though. ;) More of a nuisance, but doesn't make me hate the truck.

6 spd in the Hoe is smoother and has none of the unexpected shifting behavior. That wouldn't be my sole decider though.

I'm coming down to splitting hairs so every aspect counts. I've only test driven my friend's yukon and the smooth shifts upon acceleration and deceleration was one of the main reasons I liked it so much. Honestly I was going to get a Ford (I know right haha) but after feeling their handling and ride quality it was a definte no no. GM will have my business for the time being. Call me weird but the things I like most on my friends yukon was the column shifter, the key ignition, the mechanical parking brake, and the heavier steering feel.

[VictorLin0725]

4 hours ago, Ira1976 said:

Hey Victor , typing this while sitting in my 2015 suburban with 166k .My turn to put in my 2 cents to this matter . Get a suburban LT(bench seats) . Both have their pros and cons , but as a daily driver and for what you need it for , id definitely go for the suburban. It's more versatile as far as passenger capacity and you'll even get a more lengthy cargo area with the suburban because you can flip down both rows and not have the cargo area and cab divided. If you want more off road capability just put some Rancho rs7000 or 9000 shocks for a 2" lift and you're straight . Good luck 

Yep, definetly leaning towards the suburban or yukon xl for the time being. That being said, when it gets down to brass tacks and I'm ready to buy, price and everything else will need to come into play. Would you recommend the towing package? I can't seem to get the 3.42 ratio or trailer brake without the air ride suspension in the rear (which will almost definetly be a costly issue in the future). I rode in a Suburban once going to the airport (suprise suprise) and the car had 330 000kms on it so I'm definetly impressed reliability wise!

[Ira1976]

22 minutes ago, VictorLin0725 said:

Yep, definetly leaning towards the suburban or yukon xl for the time being. That being said, when it gets down to brass tacks and I'm ready to buy, price and everything else will need to come into play. Would you recommend the towing package? I can't seem to get the 3.42 ratio or trailer brake without the air ride suspension in the rear (which will almost definetly be a costly issue in the future). I rode in a Suburban once going to the airport (suprise suprise) and the car had 330 000kms on it so I'm definetly impressed reliability wise!

I'm not going to pretend that I know much about trailer brakes except that they can be installed aftermarket,  or how important that 3:42 axle actually is especially if you're only going to be towing a few times a year . I wouldn't opt for any of those so called suspension upgrades like magnetic ride or air, a headache down the line , I wouldn't be afraid of it either , those can be converted to a standard suspension pretty easily,  Arnot , Rancho , Bilstein have some great deals and they out perform oem. 

Let's talk reliability lol . I've seen the good ,bad and ugly over the 166k , I can tell You what's going to fail at exactly what mileage . I use mine for a luxury car service, drive with the seats and cargo at capacity all the time and dont have any complaints of the performance under heavy load btw. I know plenty of other guys doing the same , we all repair the same exact things at the same mileage , just keep an ac condenser stabilizer links and brake vacuum pump handy after 60k, til you enter the wonderful world of rods and lifters at 100k. Dont get me wrong, it's a reliable vehicle,  but you'll be replacing things you'd never expect to fail , and get a long life out of parts that you would . If you want superior reliability then buy a Land Cruiser.... yeah I said it, just keepin it real.

Oh yeah , and the suburban is due for a redesign for 2020 , so might wanna keep that in mind since itll be available in another 8 months .