Got a raise - Time to upgrade

MattDewalt · February 20, 2005

Looking to update my 99 Silverado. Probably with used 1-2 years old at most. Only way I could buy new is if I got a GREAT deal. My truck currently has 105k on it. So I'm thinking 10K trade-in value less 5K payoff leaves me with 5K down. I'm trying to keep payments in the $300-$350/month range for 5 years. That being said, I'll probably be looking for a truck in the low $20k range. I need a 4x4 ECSB with a V8 with power options (no leather). I'm considering '03 up Silverado's and Sierras. Are there any major improvements since '99? Are the coomon problems still there (steering shaft clunk, driveshaft clunk, junk rear brakes, sticky accelerator pedal, etc)? Any years I should stay away from? Also may consider a Tundra because I know 3 people who have them and love them. How would they stack up against the GM's?

Greg · February 20, 2005

I had a '99 Sierra and now have an '04 Sierra Denali. By upgrading to an '03 or later you will escape from CSK and gain a rear door on the driver's side.

MattDewalt · February 20, 2005

I see the newer 4.8s have the same horsepower as my 99 5.3. Are they alot better on fuel economy? Just trying to decide if I should go with more horsepower or better milage. My 99 seems to have adequate power.

Anyone know much about the new style Ford's? I had a 93 F-250 and it road really rough. I love the ride on my Silverado.

MyBigToy · February 20, 2005

If you're looking for a nice ride, check out an Avalanche. It puts any of the trucks to shame.

The new Fords ride pretty decent but they are a little stiffer than the GM's. One of my co-workers has a new F150 4X4 Lariat 4-door and it's considerably rougher than my Avalanche.

Greg · February 20, 2005

If you want a cushy ride and a real backseat with the option of having an 8 foot bed for long items, check out the Av. I had an '02 Av between my '99 and '04 Sierras. Aside from the ride, interior room, and flexibility, other plusses were:

- side storage bins eliminate the need for a storage box in the bed

- removeable bed covers can be stored on-board in a pinch

- the bed mat keeps stuff from sliding around

- With the covers, bed mat, and plastic around the bed, you don't have to buy these things for the truck.

Negatives:

- Rear visibility in an Av is awful, much worse than a pickup due to the high rear end. Some type of backup aid would be very useful.

- Access to the bed, especially the front, is tough. Too many times I had to crawl under the cover, use a broom, or flip-fold the seat / midgate to get something that rolled to the front. Even with the covers off, the sides are too tall and wide to reach over into the bed. A bed slide helps, but I lost some clearance under the covers.

- I found the bed too small for some of our needs. My wife needs a step and uses a wheelchair. Once I loaded that stuff in, there wasn't much room left in the bed for other stuff. Hmm, on the other hand maybe that wasn't such a bad thing when going shopping...