What buying reasons did you factor in when buying your newest truck or SUV? I always want to make sure I'm providing you the information you are looking for and your answers would be helpful with future reviews.
I bought a 2023 GMC SIERRA with the LZ0 back in December 2022. I had been following your videos that you posted on your High Country Silverado. What really sealed the deal for me was the interview you did with GM’s chief engineer for the LZ0 (John Berta). My previous truck purchase was a 2003 Silverado 2500HD. So you can imagine the difference between these two pickups. You and Jill are thorough in your vehicle coverage. I’m always interested in how a vehicle drives on dirt/gravel roads since I have to drive 8 miles on this type of road to get to a main paved highway. Also do the tires seems to pickup and throw lot of stones on gravel roads? Road noise at highway speeds is also a welcome measurement. ThanksWhat buying reasons did you factor in when buying your newest truck or SUV? I always want to make sure I'm providing you the information you are looking for and your answers would be helpful with future reviews.
Thanks and I’m jealous. Great choice! If I’m being honest, it has been a struggle to educate people on the 3.0L Duramax. People want it to be a HD towing machine and it is about fuel economy and low-end torque for off-road. Sounds like you got that message.I have not owned a pickup truck since my ’86 Power Ram W250 which I sold in the early ‘90’s. Last month I decided it was time to sell my 15-year-old Toyota Highlander, and since I’m getting close to retirement decided it was time place desire over practicality.
To that end picking up my 24 GMC Titanium Rush Sierra 1500 AT4 Duramax this afternoon. I was initially looking at Colorado’s and Tacoma’s, decided to give the GMC’s a look. By this time, I was leaning towards a GMC Canyon but something about shelling out 50K+ for a midsize didn’t sit right with me, so started looking at full size options. I instantly fell in love with the half ton AT4, which landed me on the dealer lot a few days ago plunking down a not insignificant amount of cash.
What sold me on the AT4?
I am super stoked about picking up my AT4 in a couple of hours. Have an iDash DataMonster and a 4Knines floor hammock on order, so my buddy can come along for the ride.
- Looks – Both inside and out I really like the look of this truck. One of the must haves for me was little to no chrome and the AT4 hit this mark. I wanted something a bit more upscale than the elevation. I looked at the AT4X, but the interior was a bit loud for my taste and while I’ll be going off road, I don’t think I’ll be hitting anything so demanding that the ruggedness of the AT4X would really come into play. Plus saving a bit of cash compared by choosing the AT4 over the AT4X helped sway the odds in the non-X’s favor.
- Diesel – Until last month I don’t think I’ve ever considered owning a diesel. Watching reviews of the LZO 3 liter left me impressed with what this engine is capable of. I considered the 6.2 liter, but don’t need the extra grunt, and the Duramax seems like the me economical option. If I’m being honest though the idea of owning a diesel strikes a chord with my red-blooded male DNA that the big gas engine just didn’t hit.
- Features – Cameras, heads up displays, 13” info screens, adaptive cruise control, and the like are light years away from the bare bones Power Ram of my youth.
- Reliability – I tend to own vehicles for 10 years or so, and while I’ve seen there have been a few issues with the current gen Sierra/Silverados, I didn’t see that any other brand was significantly more reliable.
- Material Quality – I was very impressed with the quality of the materials used in the interior of the AT4. To my eyes it strikes a good balance between luxury and ruggedness, which again is light years ahead of what my W250 had.
- Power – I don’t anticipate to much towing, 305hp and 492 lb-ft of torque will meet my needs.
- Multi Pro Tail Gate – Initially was not a big fan, but once I tried using to get into the bed I was sold.
Desire over practicality that put a smile on my face. I’ve had my ‘23 GMT SIERRA SLT 1500 for just over a year (1year review posted in this forum) and am very pleased with its performance. Make sure you update the firmware on the IDASH. When I did my second oil change I switched to Mobil 1 ESP X2 (Dexos D, 0W-20) which is now available in 5 quart jugs at the major parts stores. Still using the PF-66 oil filter although there are a bunch of alternatives. The LZ0 sips fuel and DEF so you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy.I have not owned a pickup truck since my ’86 Power Ram W250 which I sold in the early ‘90’s. Last month I decided it was time to sell my 15-year-old Toyota Highlander, and since I’m getting close to retirement decided it was time place desire over practicality.
To that end picking up my 24 GMC Titanium Rush Sierra 1500 AT4 Duramax this afternoon. I was initially looking at Colorado’s and Tacoma’s, decided to give the GMC’s a look. By this time, I was leaning towards a GMC Canyon but something about shelling out 50K+ for a midsize didn’t sit right with me, so started looking at full size options. I instantly fell in love with the half ton AT4, which landed me on the dealer lot a few days ago plunking down a not insignificant amount of cash.
What sold me on the AT4?
I am super stoked about picking up my AT4 in a couple of hours. Have an iDash DataMonster and a 4Knines floor hammock on order, so my buddy can come along for the ride.
- Looks – Both inside and out I really like the look of this truck. One of the must haves for me was little to no chrome and the AT4 hit this mark. I wanted something a bit more upscale than the elevation. I looked at the AT4X, but the interior was a bit loud for my taste and while I’ll be going off road, I don’t think I’ll be hitting anything so demanding that the ruggedness of the AT4X would really come into play. Plus saving a bit of cash compared by choosing the AT4 over the AT4X helped sway the odds in the non-X’s favor.
- Diesel – Until last month I don’t think I’ve ever considered owning a diesel. Watching reviews of the LZO 3 liter left me impressed with what this engine is capable of. I considered the 6.2 liter, but don’t need the extra grunt, and the Duramax seems like the me economical option. If I’m being honest though the idea of owning a diesel strikes a chord with my red-blooded male DNA that the big gas engine just didn’t hit.
- Features – Cameras, heads up displays, 13” info screens, adaptive cruise control, and the like are light years away from the bare bones Power Ram of my youth.
- Reliability – I tend to own vehicles for 10 years or so, and while I’ve seen there have been a few issues with the current gen Sierra/Silverados, I didn’t see that any other brand was significantly more reliable.
- Material Quality – I was very impressed with the quality of the materials used in the interior of the AT4. To my eyes it strikes a good balance between luxury and ruggedness, which again is light years ahead of what my W250 had.
- Power – I don’t anticipate to much towing, 305hp and 492 lb-ft of torque will meet my needs.
- Multi Pro Tail Gate – Initially was not a big fan, but once I tried using to get into the bed I was sold.
I heard from a fan this weekend that's there some confusion on why the Ram V8 went away. Do you understand the reasons why? Just looking to see if this is a video idea.My story is very simple, always loved Trucks. I had a 20’ 3.0 Sierra and the lease was set to expire during the “vehicle shortage” as rates started to rise I looked to unload it. Ended up with a 22’ Ram Laramie. Why did I choose Ram? Simple, wanted one last V8 and it meant all my other wants/needs. I’ve had zero issues with it thus far.
Fast forward to today, looking at downsizing back to a midsize. No more towing, child seats/boosters. Etc.
I have no idea on the real reasoning, other than EPA/CAFE reasoning. I do know Stellantis was buying CAFE credits from Tesla to offset what they were paying the government in fines.I heard from a fan this weekend that's there some confusion on why the Ram V8 went away. Do you understand the reasons why? Just looking to see if this is a video idea.
I was interested in the RAM last year and was lucky enough to rent one on a business trip. Black Ram Laramie Trim, 22" Black Aluminum Wheels, Tim's favorite, a pano roof, and leather seats, The deal breaker was two things, The body lean in turns was excessive and it seemed to wallow even on smooth roads...Okay, it was a rental, but not the #1 Deal Breaker That was the dial shifter. Just could not get used to it, annoying when parking.I bought my first truck in 2019. I needed a truck to pull my trailer, and I'm not brand loyal in the slightest so I did think about all 5 trucks. All my comments/thoughts are back in 2019 of course, so things may have changed. Also not trying to offend anyone if they happen to own a truck I didn't like. Going through this process today in 2024 may look differently. Back then I insisted on a v8 or a diesel, no gas turbos or small v6s. Just my preference.
Titan:
Almost immediately disqualified. It didn't have any advantages that couldn't be found in other trucks, but had some major flaws in my opinion, like lack of used parts and finding mechanics that know the engine/truck inside and out. I just didn't see a point to this truck, even with cost it wasn't cheaper than the others. I was worried about resale as well.
Tundra:
Too old, hard on fuel, mediocre interior, rougher ride. It had a solid engine and good performance, but so do others.
F150:
It was stale back then, still is to be honest, the 2024 doesn't look all that different from a 2014 other than fascia and bumper, I did want a fresher look if I could get it. The 5.0 was a definite attraction, still is, but the 10 speed its mated too seems to cause issues for some owners. It was also quite pricey compared to other options, might be region specific.
Silverado/Sierra:
I spent a lot of time evaluating these trucks side by side with the Ram. I liked a lot about it, exterior was nice and fresh and muscular (finely getting rid of the square wheel wells) but the interior was somewhat disappointing and I wasn't able to get my engines of choice in a reasonably priced truck. My preference was for the 6.2 (before the new lifter issues became apparent) and they weren't going to sell that to me in a basic or volume trim. What I really wanted was the upcoming 3.0 duramax but that wasn't in production yet and I guessed (correctly) that GM wouldn't offer that in cheap trims either.
Ram:
This was the best compromise of features and value. It rides amazing (important to me as it's a daily driver), has very smooth linear power, amazing interior (the others have caught up now for the most part), and a very reliable transmission that was used for at least 7 years prior, and an engine that was used for 10 years prior, in short it was a known quantity. It's not the fastest truck, but its still the most powerful vehicle I've owned and tows what I need it to and gets decent MPG when daily driven. In the end what tipped the scales in favour of the Ram vs the Sierra was simply cost. I got a lot more truck for my money, the GM dealer wanted an additional $10k CAD for a work truck sierra with vinyl floors and a smaller engine (5.3) with a problematic 8 speed (I think they've fixed this now but back then it wasn't good at all). MSRP's were similar, but when it came time to crunch the numbers the Ram dealer put more on the table and offered me more on my trade in. It was a no brainer decision at that point.
I don't think there is necessarily a bad truck these days, seems like its the bread and butter of all these manufacturers and they pour lots of effort and money into these trucks. But buying new today I would definitely still only really consider the American trucks, and if I'm being honest I'd still have a hard time between the final two choices I had back in 2019. It would more than likely come down to cost again, I'd probably "downgrade" to a 4th gen Ram Classic just because it's the cheapest V8 around.
If money were no option I'd lean more towards the 3.0 duramax, or even a 3/4 ton truck which is a whole different comparison.
I was interested in the RAM last year and was lucky enough to rent one on a business trip. Black Ram Laramie Trim, 20" Black Aluminum Wheels, Tim's favorite, a pano roof, and leather seats, The deal breaker was two things, The body lean in turns was excessive and it seemed to wallow even on smooth roads...Okay, it was a rental, but not the #1 Deal Breaker That was the dial shifter. Just could not get used to it, annoying when parking.
You know, I'm waiting for the first manufacturer to just put a D and an R button on the wheel. Or the shift paddles but they are just D or R. That way, your hands never leave the wheel. The Park can be its own button somewhere. Hell, that can be attached to the electric parking brake as far as I'm concerned.I also hated the dial but after 2 years of ownership it stopped getting on my nerves. Life is just too short.
My dad had a’58 Plymouth with the push button automatic transmission. It never worked very well especially in the cold weather. I like my center console shifter in my ‘23 GMC SIERRA 1500 as well as the shift paddles on the steering wheel.You know, I'm waiting for the first manufacturer to just put a D and an R button on the wheel. Or the shift paddles but they are just D or R. That way, your hands never leave the wheel. The Park can be its own button somewhere. Hell, that can be attached to the electric parking brake as far as I'm concerned.