Hello everybody,

I am planing to buy my first extra large SUV. I was looking between Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon XL. They both seem to be very similar trucks. I did as much research as I can and now I came here to ask the experts.

I can get:

2015 Yukon XL SLT with about 40K miles for $42000
2008-2014 Yukon XL Denali with 30K-50K miles for about $30000-$35000
2015 Suburban LT with 40K miles for $39000
2008-2014 Suburban with 15K-50K miles for $25000-$35000

Few questions I have are:

Are Suburban/Yukon XL differences big? I test drove 2015 models and noticed that they are the same cars, with the exception of front parking sensors, rain sensing wipers and better audio system in GMC.

What is the comparisons between older generation (2008-2014) and new one (2015+) on both brands? Is it worth it spending $10000-$15000 more on new models?

SUV will be used for work and lugging stuff around, so I would rarely need third row seats, and having large and flat cargo space is very important. I know new models fold flat, but old ones can simply remove third row seats, so that would give me plenty of space. Am I right in thinking this way?

How is the reliability on these cars? I read JD Power reports (for whatever that's worth) but they are being very vague. I plan on keeping it for some time (5 years at least) and would love to avoid dropping large amounts on constant repairs.


Thanks for your replies and advice.

 

The 15 loses some height in the rear because the third row folds flat. Depending on work this may be very important to you. The 15 is faster and rides a bit better but stiffer. The 8-14's are more truck like in my opinion. They are probably equal in reliability.

 

My only piece of advice is to avoid AFM engines like the plague. That prety much encompasses all 5.3 trucks. Go with an 08-14 Yukon Denali XL. The 6.2 motor is awesome, and does not have AFM.

 

@blueinterceptor Thanks! That is a good advice. When you are saying that they are more truck like, what do you mean?

@intheburbs I did not even see those issues, but when I googled it, there are so many people about the problem. That advice has been invaluable. I was actually leaning towards 5.3 engine because it uses regular fuel.

 

I just checked and it seems that 6.2 Engine in Denali and Escalade also has AFM. Did I read that wrong?

 

The 14's ride a little different. The interior and exterior are more truckish. The 15's ride more like a car. Nice but more like a car.
One other thing that is subjective. When there are heavy snows, I always take my trucks for a ride. City streets all paved mind you. I parked on some large piles of snow. Literally 30" deep. I just pushed my way in, crushed the pile. Not with the 15. It got stuck in 24" of snow and took quite a bit of maneuvering to get back in the driveway. A/T tires and all. Worked well in 15"s

 

I believe 2010 and newer 6.2 trucks have AFM.

 

Yes, the 2015s and newer have a "flat load floor" with the third seat folded, unlike the previous models.

When you look closer, however, its a little more complicated than that. GM raised the floor behind the seat by adding an elevated platform (it might have some storage under it) to be flat with the folded seat. So yes, it folds flat but you lose height (as already mentioned by someone). If you are OK with removing the third seat for cargo use, I would go with the 08-14 model. When the third seat is removed, the cargo floor is basically the floor sheet metal covered by a rug. Very durable and can take a lot of "throw the stuff in" use. The newer ones with the seat folded are more fragile when used hard, in my opinion. It would be easier to damage the folded seatback and the raised area behind it (which might be made of plastic, I don't remember).

It definitely looks to me like the new design accommodates people-moving and light soccer-mom use vs the older design which seems more rugged. For example, there are no more 3/4 ton models.

Steve