Op/ed 2008 Sierra 1500

[DownhomeVA]

Hey fellas. Does anybody have any pros or cons to share about the new '08 Sierra 1500s? I've got an '02 2500HD silverado 6.0L V8 4X4. Helluva truck. Just too much truck for me. I've only had it for about 8 months. I was in the market, the price was right, and I got this strange swelling feeling in my pants when I turned the key. I excitedly bought an uber-truck just because it stroked my ego to say so. I stayed happy for a couple of months, then the gas mileage started taking its toll. I have no need for a 2500, HD truck, or especially a 2500HD. I pull a jon boat. That's it. The truck is in great condition. It's just that I need to downsize quickly so I can minimize my losses in the transaction. It's only got 44K miles on it. I am young and stupid, and am consciously making a young and stupid decision (again) by wanting to purchase a brand new 2008 sierra 1500. I know, I know, go "newly" used if you can. Let somebody else take the 25% depreciation hit. I've never had a new vehicle. I want one. Like I said - young, stupid.

 

So is the 08 great, crap, or just mediocre? You guys are a great source of knowledge, so I'm trying to tap into the opinions of the great minds on this site.

 

Reviews? Opinions? Other suggestions?

 

Thanks for any input fellas.

 

 

Sean

[jrrod2004]

yeah wait for the 6.2 with the 6 speed, you wont regret it.......

[Bostonsfavson]

Long story short, they're great trucks. There have been no major recalls and there are no major problem areas on the new '07/'08s. Very impressive for a first year model under any circumstances, but even more so considering the circumstances. Remember that GM was practically hemorrhaging money at the time so they bumped up the release of the GMT900 trucks (truck being the most profitable vehicles they made) by several months, thereby reducing available product testing time. Naysayers, including myself, thought for sure that these trucks would be plagued by various issues, but this hasn't been the case.

[unit731]

Gas Mileage? Truck?

 

Hmmm . . .

 

Do you really thing you would obtain better gas mileage in a new truck?

[jrrod2004]

he could always buy the escalade hybrid

[DownhomeVA]

Gas Mileage? Truck?

 

Hmmm . . .

 

Do you really thing you would obtain better gas mileage in a new truck?

 

 

i'm sure i can beat the 9.2 mpg i'm getting right now!

 

thanks for the input guys... and i hate to display my ignorance, but what is GMT900?

[svensk]

I'd keep what you got. Unless money isn't an issue you'll be getting quite a bit more monthly due compared to what your most likely paying now. Your new truck would have to get 30+mpg for a while to offset the cost of buying a new body style truck just for millage.

[jsn0801]

I went from a 1997 silverado w/5.7l to 2007 new body silverado w/5.3l. I get 19mpg mixed driving, more power, quieter/smoother ride, way better turning radius. I really like the 180 degree rear doors. I think its a great ballance between power and economy.

[y2kz71]

there really isnt any cons of the new trucks...I love mine with the 5.3

 

GMT900 is just the tech term for the new trucks...GMT800 was the 99-06 version

[jrrod2004]

you haven't gone truck shopping have you?

[d3athsong]

Loving my new 08. Not a bad thing to say about it. Then again, theres less then 300km's on it yet, so probably not a good measure on it.

[Heysdad]

I love mine..2008 GMC Z-71 4X4....Sure it has a few little quirks going on, but anything new is going to have that.

 

What I don't like, is how I was treated at the "Stealership" when I brought these minor issues to their attention. It's like they just want to brush it off...I have just over 1300 miles on it, and they act like it's 20 years old or something....Everything I show the service writer comes back CND....(Can Not Duplicate) from the Tech....Their Killin Me.

 

Other than that....I try to find reasons to go for a drive. It's so quiet inside...I just turn on my seat heater, open the sunroof, put on some music, and just drive. It's awesome....

 

I'm running E-85 in it, at $2.33/Gal here in North Texas. It likes E-85...

 

My last truck was a '92 Toyota 4X4 Extracab V6. It was great at the time, but that was 15 years ago. Things have really changed in the industry over that amount of time.

 

It's hard to pull the trigger on a new truck if all you're looking for is MPG's. You need to want the whole package to make it worth while.....

 

Trust me, you'll never look back if you get a GMT900.

[Darkanion]

I bought a new '07 Sierra Denali at the end of May. I have 9000 miles on it. Except for oil changes and optional things that I wanted to do to the truck, it hasn't had a wrench on it, for any reason. I haven't had it in for any squeaks, rattles, recalls, TSB issues, or anything else.

 

I've been up to Colorado once in the truck. It was great on the road and on the back-roads. It rides good. It drives good. It moves down the road good. And, if I can keep my foot from getting too heavy on the gas pedal, I can get pretty good mileage out of it.

 

For instance... We had a family reunion near Lufkin, a while back. After I got back to I-45, at Centerville, I made a point of keeping the speed down to around 65 or 70. There were a few short bursts of 80/90, to get around people who were going annoyingly slower than me. But, overall, I kept the speed down pretty well. I was "good" for a change...

 

Looking at the map, just now, that's about 120 miles from Centerville to Dallas. According to the DIC, I averaged between 21.5 and 22. That's not bad at all, for a big d@mn truck w/ a 400+hp 6.2L motor in it... But, I'll admit, that's also a bit slower than I usually drive on the highways. I've noticed that it seems like each 5 mph past 65/70 costs me "about" 1 mpg. That said, I'd probably ordinarily get about 17-18 on the road..

 

EDIT : If you look around here, you'll find some posts about people talking about the 6-speed transmissions that are in the Denali trucks. There are some shifting / programming annoyances that some people are dealing with. BUT, GM has also just issued a TSB for that issue. I haven't had it done to mine yet, as I'm waiting to hear what other people have to say about what the new programming actually 'does' for them.

 

The bottom line, though, is this... I'd gladly do it all over again and trade in my Acura for this truck. No regrets, what so ever!