07 Silverado, 4wd or 2wd?

[cschmidt56]

New member but not new to trucks.

 

I am at a place in my life where I need a Truck but I still need to haul stuff.

I have one Grand Kid with another on the way. My 2003 Jeep has worked well

but with TWO car seats, things are going to be too tight.

 

I've looked at the new Silverado Crew and the Avalanche and I like both, but my

pocketbook is thinking they are both a little pricy. My closest dealer has a 2WD

Crew with the Z71 Off Road package. In the Crew Cab, they come equipt with the Stabilitrack

system and with the Z71 you get the Eaton rear Locking Diff. Seems like a nice package.

Driving it in a snowy/icy parking lot the truck tracked true the ABS worked well and

the diff engaged quicker than I've seen them engage.

 

Looks like the price point to get the same truck in a 4WD is about 3-4000 more than the same truck

in 2WD.

 

Caveats:

 

I don't Tow currently, but might buy a small Flat bed trailer

75% of my driving is single person in the vehicle

I don't intend to haul stuff like a pallet of Bricks

Being that this is the newest vehicle in the family it would be the "Travel Vehicle"

I do live in a Lake Effect Snow Area.

 

The Truck test driven was a New 2007 Silverado with LT1 Group, Towing, Z71, 18 inch tires and wheels

4.8 liter with auto and 3.23 gears. Pretty basic, but the LTI Z71 dresses the truck out VERY nice in my book.

 

After the Test Drive, I really thought I could Live with this truck and it would do everything that I required of it.

 

Are there any owners that thought the same before purchase?

 

Chris

[mini1]

Get the 4WD if you have lake effect snow. The new 4x4 system works great on these trucks in the snow. If you aren't doing much hauling and aren't driving off-road then skip the trailer/tow package and the Z71 package. If you are going to be the only one in the truck most of the time, then an extended cab sounds like a better option for you. If you like lots of options, then you might want to look at a used GMT-800 (99-07 classic). Something in the 03-06 range would get you everything you want at a much lower price. They are very good trucks, minus the ugly 90's dashboard.

[lost_in_alabama]

With car seats, you will need the crew cab. I suspect that trying to put 2 car seats in the back of an extended cab would be tight. Has anyone done that with the new trucks?

 

I always buy 4 wheel drive, just cause I want it. No justification needed or offered.

 

When I was in Fort Wayne, I enjoyed having the 4 wheel drive, but I knew plenty of people that didn't have it, and they got around just fine.

[cschmidt56]

With car seats, you will need the crew cab. I suspect that trying to put 2 car seats in the back of an extended cab would be tight. Has anyone done that with the new trucks?

 

I took a Spare Car Seat that matches the one in the Jeep with me when I went looking at the Extended Cab.

I Loved the way the door opens on the Extended cab because it would make it much easier to get the kids in. The problem is the distance that MY seat needs to come back for MY comfort, that the Extended cab is OUT. It is tighter than in my current Jeep.

 

Another thing that is swaying me towards the possibility of the 2WD is that I'll be transporting my Mother in Law around more often now that Dad just passed on. Had a heck of a time with folks getting in and out of the Jeep let alone a 4WD Crew Cab.

 

Might seem strange that I look out for all my passengers, but that's just the way I am.

 

Chris

[HuntingEd]

I say go w/ 4WD, cause in my experience the light back end of trucks loose grip pretty quick. Unless you want to load dead weight in your bed go w/ 4wd.

 

Not to mention you'll get much better resale value.

[Zed71]

I say go w/ 4WD, cause in my experience the light back end of trucks loose grip pretty quick. Unless you want to load dead weight in your bed go w/ 4wd.

 

Not to mention you'll get much better resale value.

 

 

4x4 is great, but you only really need it 2-3 weeks of the year in the winter (based on a winter here in Alberta) and will get worse fuel mileage regardless of whether it's engaged or not.

 

If you aren't hauling, I think the 4800 is perfectly fine. Heck I remember when a 200hp 350 was more than enough.

 

I personally like the 4x4 W/ 5300 but I really don't know my plans for my truck in the future so I got a base package that covered most of my foreseeable needs.

[GeoHawk]

If you are concerned with resale value go with 4WD. If not, then 2WD.

 

If you are going to have to deal with more than a few inches of snow and DON'T want to have to put extra weight in the bed, get 4WD. Otherwise, if you can load up the bed, the locking rear diff. will get you through all but the deepest snows.

 

Ease of entry/exit is going to be a wash on the new crew cab trucks as the 2WD trucks sit the same as the 4WD trucks do now (ground clearance and total vehicle height are only 0.1 inch difference now).

 

Sounds like the 2WD Z71 would work for you.

[caddycruiser]

I say go for the 2wd if you know you don't have the use for 4wd most of the time, like saving money, and also want to reduce long term maintenance costs. That's all we buy--and we've had to have each truck located from other states because of it--and we love them. Less weight, no transfer case to clunk around with regardless of whether using it or not, better gas mileage, and cheaper in the beginning.

 

We've had each through some pretty nasty winters and such, with nary a problem. A 4wd MAY still be able to claw it's way around more and out of some things, but a 2wd with rear locker and Stabilitrak especially can do some pretty amazing things--and they seem to be, at least partially, increasing a bit in popularity. Hence the more recent 2wd versions of Z71 package models.

 

If we still lived in western PA and had bad roads and hills to climb regularly, we MIGHT reconsider, but for right now--and most every situation---it'd just be a waste.

[cschmidt56]

caddycruiser,

 

All good points on the 2WD.

 

On the weight issue that some of you have mentioned, if we were talking a 2WD Regular cab I would tend to agree that they would need more weight in the back end. My Father In Laws Dodge Ram with 2WD is a pain in the butt in the Winter time. Even with a heavy Fiberglass Shell on the back and two tractor tire wheel weights in the bed, this truck is still almost undriveable on ice and snow.

 

With the added heft of the CREW CAB there is more weight on that back axle, and with the locking diff and the Stabilitrack system I would think that this truck would be nearly as capable as my current Jeep in the Snow around here.

 

Granted, 4WD would have some re-sale benefit, but I've never had a problem with selling my vehicles after I am done with them. I've had too many folks say that I take too much care in the upkeep of my vehicles.

 

Now a 4WD Crew with the Z71, Locking Diff and Stabilitrack must be an amazing package to be sure.

 

I just have to remember that there is nothing wrong with either vehicle I have now and just wait for the best deal. I just HATE waiting! LOL!

 

Chris

[rossn2]

WHy not go with the 07 Classic Silverado Crewcab (LT1 pkg) in 4x4 without the Z-71 pkg. You can still get the locking rear end, and you're not paying for skid plate, upgraded shocks, and Z71 stickers. Also, they've got 0% financing right now and/or great rebates...

 

Go over to www.edmunds.com and check out various options and what you should be paying for the truck! I did a quick write up and for an 07 LT1 4dr Crew Cab 4WD 5.8 ft. SB (5.3L 8cyl 4A) with the PDZ and PDU packages, with the $1750 rebate you should be right at $28,097 if not less...Good luck!

[cschmidt56]

Tim,

 

I thought about the Classic design truck and it just does not "TALK" to me the way the New 2007 does.

I like the looks of the Crew Cab Much better in the newer model also, and the interior also has some finer points that I like over the previous model.

 

My Brother In Law has the Extended cab 2006 and this has been his 3rd Extended Cab. Works well for him with no kids.

 

I may just wait till later in the year. I would love to get 0% again, but the best I can do right now on the new model is 4.9% which is not too bad.

 

Chris

[GeoHawk]

With the added heft of the CREW CAB there is more weight on that back axle, and with the locking diff and the Stabilitrack system I would think that this truck would be nearly as capable as my current Jeep in the Snow around here.

 

Chris

I have the Trac-Loc diff. on my Wrangler and I can get around in the snow in 2WD almost as well as 4WD. The locker on my Silverado (1500HD Crew Cab) isn't nearly as effective, but there's no weight back there as opposed to the Wrangler (which has some with the hardtop) and I'm also running 265s instead of the stock 245s which doesn't help things either. Even with the rearward weight shift for the crew cabs, you might need a couple bags of tube sand to help things out, but you should be fine.

[SoCalChris]

My truck is 2WD, and I've only gotten stuck once. The only reason that I got stuck was because I was being impatient, and was trying to get around a 4WD that got stuck, and was partially blocking the road. Other than that, the 2WD has been good to me in the snow. I would definitely get a locking rear end though. Also, we don't get lake effect snow here, so it might not work quite as good for you.

[steveR]

4x4’s are like snow tires, you need them only occasionally. You should be fine if you’re careful. As I said to my co-worker who was thinking about getting snow tire to go skiing; “Just think of all the money you saved on not buying snow tires, when you are upside down in a snowy ditch”. All seasons are ok in all seasons. Summer tires are better in the summer and winter tires are better in the winter. 4x4 are better in the snow, loose grip situations and grades. I could never get out of my snowy cottage road without it.

Most of the time 4x4’s only gets you deeper down the trail and stuckerer. The tow truck usually does not have a cable long enough to reach you.

 

 

SteveR