2021 AT4 3500

bones30 · August 1, 2021

Good Morning,

I have located a pacific Blue metallic in transit. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have all the features I want but they are just features not complete deal breakers. A couple of the features it doesn’t have are rear view camera and HD surround vision. I’m also assuming it doesn’t have the larger 8” screen. Can those options be added after the fact?

I wanted some of the collision safety features as well but I don’t think it has that. I’m wondering if those features sound nice until you are actually driving and they are more of a nuisance.

I have never purchased a new vehicle before. The dealer told me what the price is but what other costs fees should I be expecting once the truck arrives?

Anything else I should know?

Thank you in advance.

Another JR · August 2, 2021

I have an SLT with those options except for the rear view mirror camera display. I would have bought that if i could but it was not available on the SLT, and the AT4 and Denali were about 6 k more and I actually liked look of the SLT the best of the 3.

The surround camera is nice if you are trying to park around obstacles, but the vast majority of the time parking I only use the rear view from the tailgate camera. The hitch view from that same camera is also very useful when lining up to a hitch or backing right up to a wall. I don’t think I’d miss surround view if it suddenly went away.

i have safety packages 1 and 2, or whatever they are called. The lane departure warning with vibrating seat is something I really wanted and it works well. I use it in vibrate mode normally but if driving a long highway stretch I turn on the audio warning and crank it it up as a guard against possibly nodding off (not as a substitute for stopping when sleepy though). Using vibrate most of the time means the beep really gets my attention when i use it. The forward collision alert works well also, but that was less important to me. It has gone off several times, but in each case I was already aware of the situation and covering the brake. I have not had it actually brake on me. There was one time it briefly alerted as though a head on was imminent, but it was due to a weird turn lane layout from the opposite direction on a curve. I could see why it alerted even though it technically was a false alarm.

I doubt it is easy to add the options later, but I don’t know.

I have pacific blue metallic, and I like it. It doesn’t stay looking clean very long though - kind of like black.

Random · August 2, 2021

Let's see if I can help answer some of your questions ...

Yes you can probably add on after the fact, but it's almost always significantly cheaper and easier to get whatever features you want/need from the factory than try to get those added on after the fact. Finding all the necessary parts and getting the vehicle re-programmed isn't always easy or straight forward. The dealer may not even be able to or want to do the work either. For any upgrades/changes you want to do after the fact, you may want to look through the forums here to see if anyone has done it before which will make your life a lot easier if you plan on doing the work yourself. I kick myself for overlooking the missing cab lights on the truck. They are a $50 option, but will cost me around $150 in parts plus any labor to install; though I suppose I could just poke the holes in my roof myself.

The prices that dealers quote you tend to be based upon whatever factory and dealer incentives are going on that month, which doesn't always tell the whole picture. You'd be best off understanding what those incentives are and how you actually qualify for those before taking the dealer at their word. In regards to other costs and fees, you can expect to also pay tax, title, documentation, and possibly destination fees if they haven't already rolled those up into the vehicle price. You'll also want to calculate for any dealer add-ons you might be wanting to do such as Ziebart coating, bed liners, under seat storage, or whatever you might want to purchase extra. Once you get past the first salesman who sells you the car, be aware of the second salesman, whom many forget about, which is the F&I manager. The F&I manager may run your credit, setup the loan, and do all the paperwork at the end, but their most important job is to sell you more stuff after you've already worked out your deal with the first salesman. They are going to try to sell you on any add-ons, warranty, and vehicle protection stuff. So do plan for the second salesman and the extra stuff they will probably convince you to buy. Not saying that stuff is bad, but many forget about that part when negotiating with the first salesman and end up paying more than they planned/budgeted for.

bones30 · August 2, 2021

Thanks I appreciate all the input.

Another JR: good to know about the surround vision. I am a little worried about that color showing dirt.

Random: It does make a little nervous trying to lock in a truck in transit without knowing the exact cost.

nards444 · August 2, 2021

All that safety crap is a pain and more distracting then its worth. My truck just has the blind spot indicator that it, and works good.

Only thing I think I would miss is the surround vision. I have the bed vision camera, which doesnt work at night AT ALL, and the quality sucks anyways during the day.

Grjfer · August 2, 2021

I have an SLT with the the surround vision. I use it often. I find it very useful especially parking. The hood is huge on these trucks without the camera I always thinking I'm about to fit vehicles next to me while parking. Not to mention thinking I'm a foot away from something in front of me only to find out I'm 10 feet away from it. My only complaint is the camera must be toggled on to see what's in front of you. Our RX 350 automatically toggles at speeds below 8 to 5 miles an hour.

Another JR · August 2, 2021

6 hours ago, nards444 said:

All that safety crap is a pain and more distracting then its worth. My truck just has the blind spot indicator that it, and works good.

Only thing I think I would miss is the surround vision. I have the bed vision camera, which doesnt work at night AT ALL, and the quality sucks anyways during the day.

I can understand the opinion that the extra safety features aren’t necessary for you. I had that same opinion for a long time. However, now that I’m in my late 50s I appreciate the help avoiding an accident. I will say again though that the features themselves work quite well on these trucks and false alarms are rare in my experience. I run with all of the features active all the time.

nards444 · August 2, 2021

1 minute ago, Another JR said:

I can understand the opinion that the extra safety features aren’t necessary for you. I had that same opinion for a long time. However, now that I’m in my late 50s I appreciate the help avoiding an accident. I will say again though that the features themselves work quite well on these trucks and false alarms are rare in my experience. I run with all of the features active all the time.

Yeah to each their own and what they like, not dogging anybody. My wifes denali has it all, and like you said it does work.

Much like back cameras a lot of this stuff will not be optional real soon here. Just for me I dont need it nor need to spend the extra money for it at this point.

newdude · August 2, 2021

On 8/1/2021 at 11:08 AM, bones30 said:

Good Morning,

I have located a pacific Blue metallic in transit. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have all the features I want but they are just features not complete deal breakers. A couple of the features it doesn’t have are rear view camera and HD surround vision. I’m also assuming it doesn’t have the larger 8” screen. Can those options be added after the fact?

I wanted some of the collision safety features as well but I don’t think it has that. I’m wondering if those features sound nice until you are actually driving and they are more of a nuisance.

I have never purchased a new vehicle before. The dealer told me what the price is but what other costs fees should I be expecting once the truck arrives?

Anything else I should know?

Thank you in advance.

No. Surround vision is not an item that can be added in or added in with any ease.

Get a truck with the features you really want.

Another JR · August 2, 2021

57 minutes ago, nards444 said:

Yeah to each their own and what they like, not dogging anybody. My wifes denali has it all, and like you said it does work.

Much like back cameras a lot of this stuff will not be optional real soon here. Just for me I dont need it nor need to spend the extra money for it at this point.

“...My wife’s Denali ...”.

Reminds me of a funny craigslist ad I saw where a guy was selling one of the bigger Harleys, and said he was open to a trade for another Harley, “but no Sportsters - my wife doesn’t need a bike.” Cracked me up.

bones30 · August 3, 2021

Thanks everyone for the replies. Now I just need to decide!

Another JR · August 3, 2021

Regarding your question about total price, we could take a guess at what will be charged (sales tax, license fees, document prep fee, etc) but you’ll get the best estimate by calling the dealer’s finance office (the person you sit down with to sign papers and complete the purchase).

Edited August 3, 2021 by Another JR
Typo

Dunn · August 10, 2021

buy everything you want on the interior from GM....this site is littered with threads of people wishing they had and trying to find ways to add it, many times it not being possible........get what you want or you will kick yourself later after the newness wears off........i am missing a few things i had on my 2020 in my 2021 doesnt and kinda regret it, it was only another 1k to get them from GM and impossible to do now........so much so i was looking for an AT4 few weeks ago until HD radio wasnt available any longer

you do get an 8inch screen though in your truck and its the premium without Nav i believe

BowtieOwner · August 19, 2021

On 8/1/2021 at 11:08 AM, bones30 said:

Good Morning,

I have located a pacific Blue metallic in transit. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have all the features I want but they are just features not complete deal breakers. A couple of the features it doesn’t have are rear view camera and HD surround vision. I’m also assuming it doesn’t have the larger 8” screen. Can those options be added after the fact?

I wanted some of the collision safety features as well but I don’t think it has that. I’m wondering if those features sound nice until you are actually driving and they are more of a nuisance.

I have never purchased a new vehicle before. The dealer told me what the price is but what other costs fees should I be expecting once the truck arrives?

Anything else I should know?

Thank you in advance.

Not sure if you're still on the fence or not. For me I do use the HD surround vision, it helps with parking, especially with objects in the front and making sure you are within the lines with the top down view. The rearview camera is sort of neat at first, but it's more of a gimmick. I have it in both my truck and my '19 Camaro, and I don't really ever use it in either. I also have the collision safety features, and I leave most on, but I turned off the lane departure warning because it was ALWAYS going off since these trucks are big and I usually ride the right line.

As for the purchase price, as others have said you can settle on a price with the salesman, but the Finance Manager will try to upsell items like tire protection, extended warranty, and gap insurance. You can always tell them no though, just need wear your mean face that day.

GMC4Zee · August 23, 2021

I have the HD surround vision on my '21 AT4 in the color you are looking at. The one feature of it I did not know about till I was hooked up to my trailer was the fact that when you turn on a signal, you get the camera view from the mirror mounted camera which helps you not cut corners too tight and see objects you may side swipe. Also the cab mounted camera helps with 5th wheel hitching as I use an Anderson hitch which has the ball and socket. Adding the extra cameras might get pricey. Adding collision stuff would include paddle switches on the dash besides all the sensors and wiring plus a BCM update. I ordered mine to get all the options I wanted. Only option I don't have is sunroof. Oh yeah love my heads up display. Had one on my G8 and really missed it.