Somebody convince me..

[Chris N5CWM]

OK, somebody convince me that trading in a 2001
GMC Yukon XL 2500 8.1 4x4 AND a 2001 Dodge Ram
2500 quad cab 4x4, for a 2003 GMC 2500HD D/A
is a good idea.

Are the dealerships moving the 2003s that are on
the lot at invoice + a bit, or do I have to spend
5 hours doing the showroom shuffle to get the
price right? I bought the Yukon XL at invoice
plus a small %, and a trade in. The Dodge Ram I
bought at invoice, plus Dodge had a $2,000 cash
back deal going at the time.

The two trucks I am looking at are MSRP at $41k
(extended cab SLT 4x4 short bed D/A) and $46K
(4-door SLT 4x4 short bed D/A, with OnStar and
leather which I don't really need).

It's a shame I cannot find a Duramax with the six
speed ZF manual trans to test drive to compare it
to the Allison. I haven't seen a DMax/ZF in over
a year on a lot!

Actually I would not trade in two vehicles on a
new one. Hate the thought of all the lost equity!
I'd sell them myself outright then go shoppin'.
;)

[ 10-31-2002: Message edited by: Chris N5CWM ]</p>

[NutNbutGMC]

^...Only one thing you need to do. Go put your foot in one. Hard. Take the trade-ins and the checkbook. You'll come home with a D/A. Personally, I'd get (me gots... ) a 4-door, add a stereo upgrade and rock the roads.

[ 10-31-2002: Message edited by: NutNbutGMC ]</p>

[Oongawah]

Chris,

My wife has the 02' Yukon XL(Nice Ride, and nimble). I've drove every truck in the valley before settling on my 02' Max CrewCab. If you don't need the 6th seat, get the leather. I wish I didn't need the 6th seat, I would have taken the leather in a heartbeat(of America-hehe). I just got the juice this past week. It turns that engine that drives like an 8.1 with turbo lag, into a 300 series Mercedes. It is smooth with no turbo lag. Just make sure you get gauges if you're like me or Mackin. From a personal standpoint I wouldn't put one on until the engine is broke-in enough to tow. I'm seriously thinking on selling my Z28 because this truck now is as fast as it is, and I use it more for work. Hope this helps. I guess to answer your question, I would do it. Better fuel mileage, power, and endurance. I love it!

[Chris N5CWM]

I have test-driven a dozen various D/A Chevy and
GMC 2500HDs since they came out. I even testdrove
a ZF DMax when the DMax first came out. But the
salesman didn't want to get mixed in with the
Houston traffic at 5PM so I only got to drive it
around in a subdivision. :(
When I seriously decide to do this I plan on
hitching my boat, 7,000 Lbs (not a lot) with me
to see how it compares to my other tow vehicles.
I know, the new DMax won't be broken in yet so I
wouldn't be taking a truck with 7 or so miles on
it and doing a dozen 0 to 80 MPH loaded runs. ;)
Just curious how the "grade braking" performs,
and whether it will stay in 5th gear (Allison)
going up a few local Houston hills.

[Chris N5CWM]

NutNbutGMC, are you referring to the new 2003
Delco/Bose upgrade stereo, or the aftermarket
upgrades? I love the way the new 2003 Bose units
sound! The 2001 Yukon XL has AM/FM/CD/cass but
in my opinion it is one of the most bland
sounding units I've heard in a new vehicle. It
only starts to sound good when I turn it up loud
but it is TOO loud by that point.

As for aftermarket upgrades, the new units look
sweet with the color LCD displays and motorized
front panels, but I hate hacking up the dash and
wiring to get there. I'd rather have a great
sounding stock system which the new Delco is.

[Jelisfc]

I was in pretty heavy traffic both to and from work today. If you don't mind shifting it's no big deal. Some may frown but I had the cell phone in my right hand leaning on the console and was shifting left handed in stop and go traffic. With a hyd clutch it's no more work than braking an auto. My first truck had such a stiff clutch my leg would start to quiver if I sat at a light too long.

[Chris N5CWM]

Jelisfc, my current truck (Dodge Cummins of all
things! Don't hold it against me now guys!) is
a 5 speed manual. That is the ONLY WAY I would
own that truck. ;) If it didn't have a Cummins
under the hood, I would not even THINK of having
any other Dodge in my driveway. LOL!

I love shifing gears and yes it sucks getting in
stop N go traffic with a manual but again I LOVE
manual trannies. The Allison is tempting though.
Still I read a lot of topics in this forum and
there are some problems with the Allison and I
hope by now after almost 3 years in production
that they have most of the major ones worked out.

If it came down to identically equipped D/A trucks, but one
with an Allison and one with the ZF, I'd end up
with the ZF truck.

[Jelisfc]

I just picked mine up yesterday and only have 100 miles on it so I would be premature to comment too much yet.

If you want a manual why not order one? My dealer DID NOT have an allocation and I waited 5 wks and 6 days from date of order on a GMC which should be harder to get.

[Maverick]

I believe today was the last day you could order a ZF6 truck. You might have to wait for a 2004 if you have to order one.

[Swayse]

I drove a 2001 Dodge Cummins with a 5 speed with DD1, Edge Comp box, and Southbend clutch for 73,000 miles. Sold it to a guy I know and it's still going strong. I do miss shifting sometimes, but the allison is the only auto that I would drive in a work truck. It feels like a manual that shifts it's self. I've never seen a 6 speed chevy Dmax, wouldn't mind test driving one to see how I like it. But it would be hard to beat that slick shifting NV4500, I've driven some NV5600, don't know if I like them.

[srubrn]

Chris,

Tell you what, you come over to Mississippi and I will let you drive my crew cab ZF6 all you want. I wouldn't have it any other way. I pull a 10K camper and it stays in 6th gear and never comes out. My transmission doesn't go into limp mode or hunt for gears. It just pulls and the clutch is as easy to depress as a toyota. 19mpg in town too.
One thing, you can't get leather with a 6spd.

[SoCalDMAX]

Chris,

These trucks can be found for invoice or $50 over invoice. Search for Autobytel.com or Buckles Motors. I'd hold out for getting exactly the configuration you want, these are pretty spendy and no sense getting it without the stuff you want. If Burger King can "have it your way" with who they have to work with, GM should be able to swing it. You can search for vehicles on the GM web site and maybe trade from a dealer willing to give you the right price. Is GM still offering the 0% financing for 60 mos? That should at least partially offset the loss from selling 2 vehicles in this depressed used car market.

As for the 6 speed; I love my Allison tranny, but you know what you want and I hope it can be found. The good part is the truck is so quiet inside you could use a handsfree cell kit and the other party would think you're calling from the office. ;) Thinking about it, I didn't get the Onstar, but I've seen it demonstrated a few times and it really seems useful! There's something kinda nice about pushing a button and hearing a voice at the other end answer all of your questions, make your dinner/movie/etc reservations and give you directions. Better directions than I get from the passenger seat...

Good Luck! Steve

[ 11-01-2002: Message edited by: SoCalDMAX ]</p>

[car of the week]

WELL JUST GOT OUR NOVEMBER RATE SHEETS (IN SO. CAL) ALL SILVERADO'S $2000 REBATE OR 0% FOR 36 MONTHS, 2.9% FOR 48 MONTHS, AND 3.9% FOR 60 MONTHS. JUST THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED. SORRY I DON'T HAVE THE RATES IN TEXAS, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THEY COULD BE THE SAME.

GOOD LUCK, RYAN

[Big O]

Chris N5CWM
If you are ever this way (La.) you can try mine out. Clutch is easy and after break-in, it shifts real smooth. The only neg. is the squeacking clutch pedal when it is hot.

[DMAXDiva]

Chris:

As far as the sound system goes, the new Bose is definately light-years better than the pitiful stock system GM put in my '02 (for sanity's sake, I HAD to do a serious aftermarket upgrade! ;) ). Besides, they also offer the XM option now too. I went with Sirius aftermarket, and highly recommend either of the two if you travel much (no cross-country signal fade at all! :cool: )

As far as tranny choices, I originally ordered a ZF truck, but ended up buying a D/A off the lot and have NEVER regretted the decision. Frankly, the Getrag in my old Cummins Ram was a much better manual than the ZF IMHO...it just had a better "feel". The ZF truck I test-drove had sloppy throws and a leg-press clutch (granted, it was an early '01, and I understand that there have been modifications since). I'd love to drive a new one, but ZF's on the lot are scarce as hen's teeth around here...

Best of luck to you!