Considering an Upgrade

99silveradoz71 · February 25, 2004

I know I posted some of this over on the HD area, but I figured I'd get the thoughts of the 1500 guys.

I have a 99 Chevy Z71 with 60k on it. My parents' neighbors are looking to get rid of their f150, and I told them I'd give them a hand looking for a replacement. And now I find myself considering a purchase...I don't NEED a new truck, but mine still has good value and the time isn't bad at all for buying from what I see/hear. The big issue will be the bottom line(of course)- payments...as I just bought the house in October.

Anyway, basically looking for a crew cab in 4wd. I have buckets now and would like to stick with those. I want to get the plow prep in the event that I want to add one later. Drove a 2500HD crew last night and it wasn't bad...stiff ride as to be expected for the size, but not bad new. Today, I drove the Chevy 1500 Z71 crew with 17" wheels/tires. Also a nice ride.

I don't haul much(mowers/snowblowers...that type of cargo) and don't really tow(though I just got a 10' enclosed trailer with no cargo). So far my Z71 works for me well with no problems on power, etc.

Apparently you can get a 2500(LD) in a crew, but according to GMC, you can't get the plow package with that...Chevy only says no plow on the 1500LT. If I went with an HD, I'd go with the 6.0L. My thoughts/concerns are, the extra weight/size, and the change in fuel economy(I know, I'm not buying a truck to get great mileage).

Anyone have a 1500 crew yet? What are the deals/prices you have seen or gotten? It seems that the 1500 crew has a 7000GVW, so it may be a bit more substantial than my ext cab z71. Thanks as always.

carguru · February 25, 2004

Bottom line is whether you want to have a payment or not. The dealers here don't deal as much on the 1500 crew cabs yet. The 2500's are nice too. You will trade off some fuel mileage for the 2500 and maybe slightly less of a fuel mileage tradeoff for the 1500. The 1500 crew cab will weigh more than the truck you have now so the payload/GVW is pretty much a wash. There are some great rebates out there right now. The 2500 has $500 cash plus 0% financing through March 1. Plus if you have the GM Card, there are bonus cash offers through March 31 too. The deals for the 1500 are currently $500 less than the 2500. The newer trucks are pretty great. You can personalize all of the settings with the steering wheel controls/DIC. The thought did cross my mind when we picked up our Tahoe, but I've got mine set up just about the way I want it, so....