Gmc 1500 - Extended Cab Or Crew Cab?

rock1356 · February 20, 2008

Hello,

Im getting close to purchasing my first truck ever. I know im going to get the GMC 1500 sierra. But I'm in a toss up over the extended cab with a regular bed or a crew cab with a short bed. Anyone get the extended cab, and if so, how do they like it. Is it roomy enough in the back for travel? I plan to use it for trips up to VT to snowboard and where else. The extended cab would have a larger bed that is a plus though. Just seeing what people have and why they made the decision.

Thanks

dhende04 · February 20, 2008

Hello,
Im getting close to purchasing my first truck ever. I know im going to get the GMC 1500 sierra. But I'm in a toss up over the extended cab with a regular bed or a crew cab with a short bed. Anyone get the extended cab, and if so, how do they like it. Is it roomy enough in the back for travel? I plan to use it for trips up to VT to snowboard and where else. The extended cab would have a larger bed that is a plus though. Just seeing what people have and why they made the decision.

Thanks

I have a Silverado 1500 Ext cab and find it to be a little crowded in the back for people to ride in. I'm 6 ft and hate to sit in the back. It's ok when my wife, myself and the dog go on trips because the dog is in the back and everything else is in the bed. My brother has a 2500 Sierra and there is much more room in the back for people to be comfortable. I don't usually Haul a lot of stuff in the bed, so the choice wouldn't be that difficult for me. I love my ext cab, but I would have gone with the Crew if I had the money. Hope my 2 Cents helps.

Dave

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Grip72 · February 20, 2008

i have the extended cab with regular box

the box is a nice size and it actually LOOKS like a shortbox to me...so it doesn't look long and fugly

as for the back seat..there isn't ALOT of room for normal sized people (20 somethings) and i haven't gone on any long road trips yet

i KIND of wish i got the crew cab...but i don't drive with that many people often enough to warrant having a small box

but i absolutely LOVE how the 'rear doors' open 170 degrees on my ext cab.

just keep in mind...if you're younger, and you get a crewcab...you'll probalby turn into a taxi haha

punmax · February 20, 2008

If your going to use it on trips, I would go for the crew cab, more comfortable and roomier. Good luck.

ndhonor · February 20, 2008

Well I have a Crew Cab and I would not trade it for any reason. I was thinking about the extended cab, but when I would sit back there I knew that I could not be comfortable. It was important to me for rear seat room because my family is all over 6', and two of us being 6'4". So if you are not planning on carrying people in the back often then extended cab should be ok, but if you plan on carrying people then I would recommend the crew cab. Thats just my opinion. This truck is for you and should be what you want, dont be persuaded too much by others.

d3athsong · February 20, 2008

If your going to use it on trips, I would go for the crew cab, more comfortable. Good luck.

Bah, youll be driving, so itll be plenty comfortable. It all depends on what you like, for hauling, the ext cab is really nice with a bigger bed. I have heard a lot of complaints about the rear doors making noise after awhile though. Mine are still nice and tight. Crew cab will be nice for the people you are hauling in the back seat, as they can sit comfortably. Unfortunately, the box is a little shorter, though for snowboarding gear, it should be fine

And the regular box looks like a short box casue it used to be the short box till they made a shorter box.

chevydriver37 · February 20, 2008

All my trucks have been extended cabs, and I swore up and down that my new truck would be a crew. Because of my budget, I had to make a choice between ext. cab 4x4, or 2WD crew. All said and done, I went with the ext. cab 4x4, as I have just a 6 year old who can get in and out of the back just fine. If it's just you and significant other, then the ext cab will do ya just fine. The doors open all the way which is a big plus. My other trucks didn't even have door access to the back, and that REALLY sucked. Maybe your best bet is to drive both, see how they feel, then make a decision.

mcascio · February 20, 2008

Just traded in my extended cab for a crew cab due to a newborn baby - well now almost 10 months old - but the baby seats are getting bigger.

Myself and two buddies took a road trip from Wisconsin to Florida straight through in my extended cab. That's about 19 hours straight in the truck. Most of the time, our legs were not touching the ground and up on the seat 'cause there wasn't too much leg room - especially if there's bigger guys in the front who have their front seat back. If you can save the back of the cab for just a body (no luggage or travel gear), you can make due, but don't plan on sitting upright the whole time.

I might have been able to hold off a little longer with the 170 degree swing they have in the NBS. But I was still using the Classic. Got tired of being stuck inbetween the doors when someone parks right next to you and you need to get the baby out.

Keta · February 20, 2008

I've owned almost all of the configurations and I'll never buy anything but a crew. This is my second.

marko · February 20, 2008

I have a 2005 extended, and was considering getting a new truck with extended cab. I don't have kids so mostly what rides in the back seat is my gear, or the occasional guest on biking trips, etc. I got the EC because I had a regular cab pickup before - no room for anything!

While I do like the extended cab's accessibility for gear (such as moving the front seat all the way forward, then you have this huge opening into which to put a new tv or whatever you just bought and don't want in the back) that is rarely required.

For an adult the back seat is always cramped. You always have to move the front seat up for passenger leg room back there.

It feels claustrophobic for an adult, especially with the tinted windows. I had the pleasure of sitting in the back of an extended cab once on a logging road (with a hangover) and I was definitely choking back the spew. I needed a view of the outside world, and a full-size window.

As for the new extended cabs, there is a strange bulge above the rear window. I sat in the back of a friend's extended cab and bashed my head on the bulge (and I'm only 6 feet tall). And there still isn't a lot of legroom.

The crew cab, otoh, is awesome for passenger comfort and legroom. There is SO much room, and the rear seat compartment especially on the nbs trucks is quite refined. And you only lose 8 inches of box, hardly noticeable.

Finally, with the presence of a B pillar in the crew cabs, they are much quieter than the extended cabs, especially after a few dozen thousand miles.

And, correct me if I'm wrong, is the sunroof not bigger on the crew cab? Or is it just that it opens farther because it retracts into the roof instead of overtop of it? (I will never buy another truck without a sunroof!)

Just my $0.02,

Zembonez · February 20, 2008

I've owned almost all of the configurations and I'll never buy anything but a crew. This is my second.

Of the two, I've liked the Excab versions better because of the extra bed space... but I don't need the rear seat for passengers.

hubbycap · February 20, 2008

I couldn't get the crew in my garage or I may have bought one. The GMT900 extended is the next best thing. 95%+ of the time it's 1 or 2 people. I use the back floor for small cargo mostly. I recently took a 400 mile trip with my wife and another couple and the girls rode in the back. No complaints, though we did ease the front seats up a tad. In retro spec, for that maybe 1% of the time when a crew would be ideal, I really don't miss it.

Jim, nightcap and turn in time in a few mins.

marko · February 20, 2008

I couldn't get the crew in my garage or I may have bought one. The GMT900 extended is the next best thing. 95%+ of the time it's 1 or 2 people. I use the back floor for small cargo mostly. I recently took a 400 mile trip with my wife and another couple and the girls rode in the back. No complaints, though we did ease the front seats up a tad. In retro spec, for that maybe 1% of the time when a crew would be ideal, I really don't miss it.

Jim, nightcap and turn in time in a few mins.

Yeah, I'd be tired and thirsty after writing all that, too.