Newer D/A owners, please chime in.
In my quest of purchasing a new TV/DD, I decided to swing by my local GMC dealer this weekend to check out their offerings. The only Duramax they had was a 3500 Denali. Took it for a ride and wa...
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Well I checked them out again today. My biggest gripes are still the same. They weren't willing to deal much. For the price point I would expect rear heated seats and keyless entry/start. Low DEF tank. Really noticeable without running boards. Partially with them. This was their "offroad" model and I would say it was roughly 8-10" off the ground.
Engine was a rocket and quiet. Hit it from a roll and it scooted nicely. Trans seemed nice, but hard to tell with a short drive. Firm shifts. I like how the rear seats flip up to flat floor like my Tundra. Other makers have storage bins that take up too much room.
Wheels- Gawdy. I like plain jane or black.
Tow mirrors are pretty slick. I like them.
Biggest issue driving was the console armrest seemed to constantly be in the way when turning right using my right hand. Also the difference in spacing between the gas and brake seemed too much. Very hard to keep my heel in one place and just rotate my foot between gas and brake. It improved with seat placement and steering wheel extended, but still not very driver friendly in stop and go for long periods of time I imagine.
Steering was responsive and almost too light. Ram almost too heavy. Ford is just right. This was a 2500 and major major difference over the 3500 I test drove the first time. This truck wasn't bad. Pretty smooth and I imagine with a small load in the back would be very enjoyable.
Fit and finish I thought was sub par for the almost $70K sticker price. Fog light surrounds did not sit flush on bumper on either side. I checked a couple trucks and all were like that. The perforated grill (I wanted a Denali) looked like there was still plastic shards on the back side from the form. Not a very clean cut. Just little odds and ends while I waited for the salesman to bring the keys back for 10 minutes.
At the end of the day, had they met the price of the ram (around $55k for similarly equipped ram) I may had pulled the trigger. But, they thought they had gold and would not go under $63K. Offered one last $62K offer as I was walking out the door.
Not a bad truck, just not for me. I think it is priced a little high for what it is. Ford and Ram both offer equal trucks for far less money.
2016-02-20_07-38-54 by RoyBelluomini, on Flickr
2016-02-20_07-08-10 by RoyBelluomini, on Flickr
2016-02-20_07-08-26 by RoyBelluomini, on Flickr
Engine was a rocket and quiet. Hit it from a roll and it scooted nicely. Trans seemed nice, but hard to tell with a short drive. Firm shifts. I like how the rear seats flip up to flat floor like my Tundra. Other makers have storage bins that take up too much room.
Wheels- Gawdy. I like plain jane or black.
Tow mirrors are pretty slick. I like them.
Biggest issue driving was the console armrest seemed to constantly be in the way when turning right using my right hand. Also the difference in spacing between the gas and brake seemed too much. Very hard to keep my heel in one place and just rotate my foot between gas and brake. It improved with seat placement and steering wheel extended, but still not very driver friendly in stop and go for long periods of time I imagine.
Steering was responsive and almost too light. Ram almost too heavy. Ford is just right. This was a 2500 and major major difference over the 3500 I test drove the first time. This truck wasn't bad. Pretty smooth and I imagine with a small load in the back would be very enjoyable.
Fit and finish I thought was sub par for the almost $70K sticker price. Fog light surrounds did not sit flush on bumper on either side. I checked a couple trucks and all were like that. The perforated grill (I wanted a Denali) looked like there was still plastic shards on the back side from the form. Not a very clean cut. Just little odds and ends while I waited for the salesman to bring the keys back for 10 minutes.
At the end of the day, had they met the price of the ram (around $55k for similarly equipped ram) I may had pulled the trigger. But, they thought they had gold and would not go under $63K. Offered one last $62K offer as I was walking out the door.
Not a bad truck, just not for me. I think it is priced a little high for what it is. Ford and Ram both offer equal trucks for far less money.
2016-02-20_07-38-54 by RoyBelluomini, on Flickr2016-02-20_07-08-10 by RoyBelluomini, on Flickr2016-02-20_07-08-26 by RoyBelluomini, on Flickr
