I am very disappointed at the list of small things that are no longer on the 03 that were on the 01 or 02. My list so far is:
1. No power door lock switch by the liftgate. 2. No keyhole on the liftgate. 3. Removal of the Denali insignia from the doors. 4. Change to the standard Yukon headrests rather than Denali specific. 5. Elimination of the chrome bezel from the exhaust pipe. 6. Elimination of the 2 way lid on the console. 7. Elimination of the lighter jacks on the back of the console. 8. Elimination of some driver information functionality (but some now things have been added) 9. Elimination of the under hood light.
This coupled with the fact that many Denali only items are now available on the YXL. Now the only unique Denali items are:
1. 6 liter engine with all wheel drive on a half ton. 2. Transmission temerature guage on a half ton. 3. There may be an additoinal engine oil or transmission cooler on the Denali. 4. Some unique interior/exterior trim.
On the flip side, the price difference is less than it used to be. If I were buying today, I would have to seriously compare a loaded YXL with a DXL.
I have the Major Guard 6year/100k miles zero deductible. Didn't really care about the years as the mileage limit would be hit well before that. A rental car comes with any repair that has to remain at the dealer overnight. Don't know what you paid for yours but I'm sure mine was cheaper. ;-)
I paid $1670 for a 7 year 100,000 mile warranty with 4 wheel drive and a $50 deductible. I doubt you paid less than that. I paid $220 additional so I could have a loaner car even when the car is in service for a few hours (as opposed to overnight).
A 3 year no deductible 100,000 mile plan would have cost $1400. The first day rental would only be $90 on this plan.
Major Guard 6/100 $0 deductible; free loaner from first day included cost me exactly $0.00 courtesy of General Motors. And so far looks like it was worth every penny though not from my pocket. This deal was negotiated a year after I had purchased my vehicle and GM was more than happy to provide it at no charge.
When the GM Buyback rep contacted my dealer and spoke to the service advisor, he was told that my RO file was over an inch and a half thick. The GM rep contacted the BBB and told them to ask me exactly what did I want........
I agree, the only thing i really like is the full time AWD. It would be a nice touch if they offered a low range for the tranny like some of their European and Japanese counterparts.
I think electric folding mirrors is a nice touch and a must have for a narrow garage. Movable pedals is definitely a plus. Like I said, there are plusses and minuses. I do think there is less of a differentiation to the standard model. There definitely not a $10,000 difference between a fully loaded Yukon and a Denali. The difference is probably closer to $1000-$1500 now. You get all wheel drive and a 6 liter engine along with a few cosmetic items for that difference. If you do not desire all of the equipment that is included in the Denali, than the difference gets much greater.
Here's what I would like GMC to do for the 04 Denali:
Put back all the features that was deleted from the 02 , keep what they added for the 03 and add for the 04:
1. The ability to go from AWD to 2 WD . Better gas millage w/2 WD. 2. Voice GSP navigation system. 3. Backup sensor. 4. Colored Liquid Crystal Display gages. (Toyota did this few years ago. Really looked nice.) 5. Tire pressure sensors on all wheels. (Jeep has this now. You can read out tire pressure at any speed.) 6. LCD 7" TV in back of each of the front head rest w/DVD player.(as an option).
That's all I can think of right now. Anybody else have anything to add for the 04?
tightening the belt tensioner there Larry? Son of a Gun and Armour All may void any warranty on the belt as they've been known to crack rubber and vinyl. Ditto goes for your tires.
My '01 and my dad's both had a little belt squeak. My dad's was worse than mine. The dealer aligned one of the pulleys and the squeak was gone. NW Yukon here as well - Spokane.
If memory serves the feds have required all SUVs to have tire pressure monitoring devices in the by model year 2004. You can thank the Ford Exploder and Tombstone tires for that one.
Also some of the features that were in the old trip computer are now in the dash as part of the new information center that replaced the message center.
Almost all of the Denali features are now available on the Yukon/XL. The only things that I don't think you can get are the Nav system, 2 tone seating, 6 disc changer in console w/cassette in the head unit and the trip computer in the console.
The adjustable pedals are desirable, at least in a lot of families that I know of. The women are a lot shorter than the guys, and with the moving pedals it lets smaller women drive these beasts with out pulling the seat all the way up to the steering wheel. The owners manual states that for safety reasons the driver should be no closer than 10 inches from the wheel because of the airbags. In my head this makes the truck safer for smaller and short drivers, not to mention a pregnant woman that can't reach the pedals any other way. I have seen several posts on Edmunds about pedal extenders for short/pregnant people, this s an option that makes these trucks available to even more people.
It was my understanding that neither warranty repairs or service, had loaner rights, the warranty guard says you can have one if the work to be performed is "2 hours or more " ... ill confirm this when i stop by to pick up my plates.
In my case a 50,000 mile warranty minus the 36,000 factory only adds a measely 14,000 miles, i think id be better off investing the funds and taking a chance...
I used to invest the funds myself as well. If you are only jumping from 36,000 to 50,000 miles, i would agree with your logic. But, if you take a higher mileage warranty, it may be worth it. The way I decided is I looked at the history of 2 prior vehicles and analyzed if I would come out ahead with the extended warranty. Both came out a couple of hundred dollars ahead with the extended warranty. Add to that the fact that I did some things my self to reduce my out of pocket expenses on those 2 cars, I decided to go with the extended warranty. Interestingly, if the Chrysler warranty had not been available on my DXL, I probably would have gone without the extended warranty becuase the GM warranty fell too high on my cost analysis curve (aside from the fact I couldn't get the mileage desired).
My 2002 DXL is approaching 9,000 miles/9 months old. I still haven't decided which warranty to buy. My preference is to purchase a 6 year/75,000-100,000 $0 deductible warranty from GM through a dealer over the internet. However, I am intrigued by the prospect of getting a Chrysler or independent warranty. I have some questions I hope you can answer:
1) Is the Chrysler warranty honored at GM dealerships like a GM warranty (i.e. they get approval and do not require you to lay out the money)?
2) I heard that you can't trust the independent warranty companies - is this true?
3) What should I expect to pay for the best price for each of these (GM vs. Chrysler vs. Independent)?
4) Can you provide the name and telephone numbers for any dealers who give rock bottom prices for these warranties?
Thank you to all my fellow Denali fans out there for your kind assistance.
I bought it from Champion Autoplex in austin. They sell both Chrysler and GM and said they can directly process the Chrysler paperwork. I negotiated the warranty as part of my new vehicle purchase at $100 over dealer cost for what ever warranty I wanted. I was not comfortable with the independent warranty companies because of issues I heard about collecting (of course I have not collected anything yet either)
2003 Denali, after 6 jump starts, that many trips to the dealer, the zone rep is now saying that it has a steering wheel sensor problem that can be solved with a soft ware up date, that was a week ago, so far no soft ware. Any body out there experiencing any problems. (no it has a new, non oem delco battery)
I wonder, does anyone think that a GMC, possibly Denali version of the Avalanche would be a good idea? I think an Avalanche based Denali with 320 horsepower, Denali interior, Denali front end and grill and a monochromatic paint scheme with polished rims would be a hot item. Priced between the Avalanche and EXT, it would be an alternative for buyers that prefer the GMC's more conservatice and classy styling to the harsh and aggresive (not too mention plasticy) look of the Avalanche. It would also be a welcome alternative for people considering an EXT as it would be somewhat cheaper. In my opinion this would strengthen GM's product line. One of the great things about GM is that they have three essentially similar products, as with the Yukon/Denali/Tahoe/Escalade, but the styling differences offer something for everyone. A GMC Denali based Avalanche would mean even more choice for consumers and I have no doubt that it would sell. I realize that GMC has the Sierra Denali, but this would be something different. As a GMC fan, I would love to see more models added to the current lineup of trucks. An Avalanche derived Denali could allow GMC to continue to market itself as a more upscale and attractive alternative for people that want something more than a Chevrolet.
goodnathan; I am sure the folks at GM have looked into this....and your input may help them. From my point of view I looked closely at the Avalanche before I bought my Denali. I liked the concept and flexibility with the except that I could not really used the back end like a real pickup. i.e. I need to haul yard materials like compost, sand, soil etc and the beefy side pillars on the bed don't allow for a front end loader to easily dump a yard or two into the back. We also wanted to be able to have a canopy like cover to use for road trips but nothing(and still as far as I know) like that was available. So we went with the Denali and a trailer. I still think the Avalanche/EXT is a neat vehicle, but not for my needs.
Awhile ago there was a discussion on gas mileage, and I said I'd report back after a long trip. Driving from s NJ down to VA and back--around 700 miles or so overall--I got about 16.5 mpg round trip with an average speed of just under 50mph due to bad traffic around DC and some in-town driving while at my destination. For the trip back ONLY, during which traffic was much better, I averaged around 17.3mpg with an average speed of about 60mph.
These numbers all are according to the DIC, but I calculated my mileage at the two fill-ups I did and found the mileage figures to be almost exactly the same. So it seems, too, that the Denali's DIC gives very accurate mileage data, unlike complaints I've heard from owners of other vehicles.
My 'global' gas mileage over 20k+ miles of mostly mixed driving with a few long trips thrown in is now at 14.8mpg, up 0.2 from when I started the trip.
A belated thanks for the information! Here is a quick update for everyone that may be interested in what has transpired, including my conversations with General Motors:
For those that missed it, I T-boned a Toyota Land Cruiser on October 14th, after he made an illegal left turn in front of me. I assumed I hit him between 35 and 45 mph, as I was in a 45 mph zone and barely remember hitting the brakes. The cop said I did not, as there were no skid marks (he also claimed that ABS will stil leave skid marks). The car had $11,000 worth of damage and my hope was to get out of it completely, courtesy of his insurance company - which is also mine.
Well, I am not going to be able to get a 2003, as there is simply not enough money on the table from the insurance company to make that happen. I was hoping to sell the Denali for $25K "as is", and then get a check for the repair costs and diminished value from the insurance. The body shop said the truck was a "steal" at that price, but with the flood of used cars on the market, nobody wanted to step up. Even the body shop employees wanted to buy it, but they had all bought new cars on the 0% finance promotion.
So, the repairs were finally started last week and the truck should be done next week. I dread the inevitable paint fumes, but hopefully they will go away and that "new car" smell will still be around (since it was a new car). I have given the insurance company two dealer estimates on diminished value: Each dealer says it lost approximately $8,000 in value because of the hit. How accurate that is I don't know. While the insurance company says they will pay "something", they feel the dealership estimates are "inaccurate". We are supposed to settle on that when the repairs are done. I am still doing physical therapy (sore neck), so we have that to go over as well.
Now, where it gets interesting is with GM. As you may recall, the airbags did NOT deploy despite a head-on collision. I got the run around and finally filed a complaint with GM and the NHTSB. GM sent an investigator to pull the black box. In case you didn't know it, many GM products now have these, which are very similar to the airline black boxes. They called me today with the information and I was surprised with the detail. Here it is:
According to the black box, five seconds before impact I was traveling 36 mph and did not have my foot on the gas or brake (coasting). Two seconds before impact I hit the brake with 100% downforce and the ABS activated. At impact I was traveling 25 mph. The event was a "long" event from the time I hit the brakes to the time of impact, so the airbags did not deploy based on that length of time. Makes a little sense I suppose.
Anyway, that is all for now. GM is sending me the report and I will let you know more when it appears. Thanks again for your interest!
y2kgts - I'm curious if GM let on as to how much data they can record on that black box and how it activates....continuous reload mode or ? Although it can be a very useful tool I could see them using it against some drivers when it comes to warranty items(i.e. hard accelerations during break in they say caused later ring/cylinder problems) just my paranoid side peaking out
Interesting point. My initial response was to dismiss your concern as being overly paranoid, but once I thought about it a bit it seemed a reasonable concern, things (and big companies) being the way they are.
I was told it stores certain "event" items indefinitely, such as top speed, accidents (sudden deceleration), and I would guess things like oil change intervals. As they are sending me the full print-out, I am hoping that it shows me more of what is recorded. I will let you know.
Oh, and in re-reading what I previously wrote, don't worry about the initial speed (36 mph in a 45 zone), thinking I was "grandma'ing" it: Just before the intersection in question there is a 30 mph school zone, which I obey religiously. When I came out of the school zone I accelerated, then saw the rather crowded intersection and backed off the gas. That much I do remember, but I still thought I was closer to 45 mph. Fun!
I would be surprised if a properly functioning ABS would cause skid marks. Skid marks are caused (at least that is my understanding) by the wheels locking and the resulting friction from the tires not rolling causes rubber to be deposited onto the surface which the tire is in contact with. ABS is designed to avoid locking the wheels during braking (hence the name Antilock Braking System...).
On to a more important matter - your settlement. I personally would not accept any settlement that does not address the financial loss you have suffered. The notion that you would be offered less than what two independent estimates agreed upon as the reduction in value as a result of the accident, is frankly, offensive. After all, the accident was not your fault. Again, I do not know what the legal climate is where you live, but at a minimum, I would talk to an attorney about your situation. The fact that the same insurance company covers both drivers would appear to be complicating the situation, which would argue even more for an objective assessment of your circumstance.
Just a quick heads up that my local GMC dealer called me to let me know that GM started offering 0% for 60 months on all GM products today. Previously it was limited to 36 months. This was one of the reasons I decided to stick with my repaired 2002 rather than go to a 2003 - I have 0% for 60 and didn't want to lose it.
Now that it has changed, anybody want a very low mile 2002 (7,500 miles) loaded DXL for around $37,500? The car is being repaired as I type and should be done next week. Full factory warranty and all that stuff...
Here in south Jersey we are getting the first snow of the year. Started this morning about 4am and there were a couple of inches down by the time I left for work around 7. Normally my wife drives the Denali and I drive our Intrepid, but she decided to work from home today (school's out and someone needed to stay home with the children) and so I got to drive the truck. This was our first snowfall since we bought the truck, and I was very impressed with its performance.
U shouldn' be surprised that the insurance company has access to the Black Box info..All u have to do is consult your message center and it will tell u the top speed you achieved..
I am sure you are correct in your Paranoid Assumption, they've got us all under the microscope. Larry
I currently own a 2000 BMW X5 4.4i. Wonderful vehicle, fast, very fast. Over the course of ownership, I have had very few problems. But small and cramped. V8 is also a little loud for a $54K vehicle. I am considering purchasing a low mileage 2001 or 2002 Yukon Denali. Any thoughts? I checked out the MSN Carpoint site and most of the reviews there were positive. There were some that were negative posts, but for the most part everything was positive. Also, if I decide to go new, how much should I expect to see of of MSRP?
I can only speak for myself, but we've owned an '02 Denali bought new in March of this year, and through nine months and 22k miles are very happy with the vehicle.
Only routine maintenance (oil changes, an air filter, tire rotations and diff service) so far.
There are other posters here who think that the Denali is inferior in build quality to, say, a Toyota truck, but I haven't seen it so far. All the gaps on my truck are consistent, the moldings line up across panels, the leather upholstry is well-fitted, etc.
And it is admittedly early but so far the truck hasn't picked up any body rattles, loose trim, or anything annoying like that.
It's a BLAST to drive, and did very well in our recent snowstorm (I live on mid-east coast). Coming out of an X5 4.4 just about anything this big is bound to feel slow, but of all the available offerings, only the Denali/Escalade will not feel *very, very* slow to you, I suspect.
The stock sound system is, I think, pretty good, and the gage layout is good too. The steering wheel audio controls are fine for me now, but were a bit awkward at first.
As to MSRP, I dunno. I paid a bit over $1k over invoice when we got ours back in the spring. I could've done better, but would've either had to order one or take one that wasn't exactly the color I wanted. At the time, this just about agreed with Edmunds TMV for our area. I could have paid less, but this was the best offer I got from a local dealer. The market might have changed considerably since then, and the truck has gotten some new equipment--StabiliTrak, etc., so-again, I dunno what a good out-the-door price would be.
I would suggest using one or more of the on-line services, you should get a pretty good benchmark. I got quotes from two of the services and best-offer cash quotes from a couple local dealers as well, and they were all within a few hundred of each other.
Thanks. Your comments are insightful. I will look into the online services. I have learned over the past two years that no matter how powerful the V8, we all can go 100 MPH - some just take a little less to get there. I checked out the Sequoia no dice. Checked out the GX470 - overpriced. On the XC90, too much Volvo hype.
The X has been great, but my kids need the room and the on board DVD player : )
We are very happy with our 2001 DXL. One major problem at 18,000 is we had the transmission replaced. We now have 32,000 and no other big problems. The gaps between the hood and frint fenders on ours is awful ranging from 1/8 to almost 1/2" on the same seam. I am woring with Gm to get this resolved, so far I have been unsucessful.
As far as towing, people hauling, there isn't a better vehicle made.
Note that there are some improvements for 2003. They also have removed lots of little things (I am sure they saved $100-$200 doing this).
I have a 2001 DXL and in spite of some minor fit and finish problems initially, the vehicle has served me well. GM could certainly do a better job, but remember, it's GM. I am happy with the vehicle and would certainly buy another. For my money I don't think there is a vehicle made that affords me what the Denali offers. Great ride and handling and enuf pep for my tastes. Not to mention enuf room to seat a lot of family, and i might add, seat them in comfort. If someone is looking for this "type of vehicle", u can't make a better choice. It is huge, so i would suggest anyone thinking of buying one, make sure you can live with the beast. And if u live in a big, crowded city, Fa get about it..... Larry
One piece of advice I've heard--after we got our truck, unfortunately--is to go with an aftermarket sunroof. If one gets the factory sunroof, he loses the rear automatic climate control--one only gets a manual control for the rear.
Of course, I've never had an aftermarket sunroof installed, but I've heard a couple of horror stories, so there's that to consider on the other hand.
One other thing--I have a regular Denali, not a DXL. I vacillated, but finally decided that the DXL was just a bit too big (it's actually too long for my garage unless I wanted to have to pull it all the way in and walk out the back and around the vehicle to get to the inside door).
I haven't really needed the extra space so far, and really liked the truck's performance, and felt that the extra length and weight would make it noticeably less nimble. If/when I need the space, I can always get a rooftop coffin, I guess; but most of the time it'd just be extra weight to carry around.
By the way, I sometimes talk about how much I enjoy driving the truck, how nimble it is, etc., and people look at me as if I am an idiot.
I've been driving for well over 30 of my 40 years now (I was a country boy, we get to drive early), my first car was a '65 MGB my dad and I rebuilt from a junker and in which my dad taught me to *drive* on the winding country roads of central VA, so I don't think I am totally clueless about driving.
Believe me, these trucks--the Denali and the Escalade--are far and away the best-driving big SUVs on the market. Nothing else comes close, in my opinion, and if driveablility is important to you, I think the Denali will really be most appealing to you.
But test drive 'em all and see for yourself.
Whatever you choose, good luck. Let us know which way you go.
Ours is a 2001 with 32k miles on it. It's been rock solid and the only niggles we had were some weather striping that was misaligned(wind noise) and a pulley adjustment causing belt chatter. I did have a dent fixed from a hit and run, it was minor. I'd buy this rig again without hesitation. From what I've seen they depreciate pretty quick, like most GM vehicles and a 2001 could probably be found for between $30k and $35k depending on miles and location.
Our 02 Denali has developed a strange whistling sound that is fan related and the dealer can not locate the problem. It sounds like a partially blocked air passage either at the heat exchange box or somewhere else in the HVAC plumbing. It is worse in cold weather and sometimes dissappears altogether in warmer temperatures. The high pitch whine is not electrical and varies with the fan speed. It is not affected by any of the temp or dirctional settings on the HVAC dials. Not a huge problem, but it drives me nuts.
Truck is awsome. I have owned 95 Yukon, 2000YXL and 2001YXL and this is by far the best vehicle I have owned.
Should not delete rear climate controls on an 03....
We definitely needed the extra room of the DXL and have used it several times. The 3rd row on the regular Denali is for occasional use or children only. I have taken adults in the 3rd row comfortably for a long trip.
I agree--the third row in a regular Tahoe/Yukon/Denali is for only really comfortable for children, and this is definitely something to consider if you'd like to be able to carry 6-8 adults OR 6-8 people PLUS a lot of stuff. My children are still young and thus don't at all mind climbing back there when we have more adults to carry, so it works fine for us for now.
Have a DXL 2001, 34000 miles lots of towing being done. Only real problems were front axle replaced twice. 1st from delivery and at 30k. LOUD howl at 30-40 and 55-65 with power applied.
Much nicer with new axle. Would like to replace 2nd row bench with captain chairs. Should be cheaper than an 03 since it depreciates like a rock. Anyone with any experience with this? All comments and suggestions appreciated.
How would you better describe a LOUD howl. Is it something like a coyote? I'm just curious as to what a howl would sound like, of course, in your opinion. thanks
Comments
1. No power door lock switch by the liftgate.
2. No keyhole on the liftgate.
3. Removal of the Denali insignia from the doors.
4. Change to the standard Yukon headrests rather than Denali specific.
5. Elimination of the chrome bezel from the exhaust pipe.
6. Elimination of the 2 way lid on the console.
7. Elimination of the lighter jacks on the back of the console.
8. Elimination of some driver information functionality (but some now things have been added)
9. Elimination of the under hood light.
This coupled with the fact that many Denali only items are now available on the YXL. Now the only unique Denali items are:
1. 6 liter engine with all wheel drive on a half ton.
2. Transmission temerature guage on a half ton.
3. There may be an additoinal engine oil or transmission cooler on the Denali.
4. Some unique interior/exterior trim.
On the flip side, the price difference is less than it used to be. If I were buying today, I would have to seriously compare a loaded YXL with a DXL.
For an idea on the pricing:
http://www.joebasilchevrolet.com/major_guard.htm
course these prices can be negotiated.
A 3 year no deductible 100,000 mile plan would have cost $1400. The first day rental would only be $90 on this plan.
Who needs remote contolled folding mirrors? Is adjustable foot pedals desirable? I don't think so.
How about a battery that doesn't leak.
Might as well go with the Yukon and save 10G.
Put back all the features that was deleted from the 02 , keep what they added for the 03 and add for the 04:
1. The ability to go from AWD to 2 WD . Better gas millage w/2 WD.
2. Voice GSP navigation system.
3. Backup sensor.
4. Colored Liquid Crystal Display gages. (Toyota did this few years ago. Really looked nice.)
5. Tire pressure sensors on all wheels. (Jeep has this now. You can read out tire pressure at any speed.)
6. LCD 7" TV in back of each of the front head rest w/DVD player.(as an option).
That's all I can think of right now. Anybody else have anything to add for the 04?
Larry
Also some of the features that were in the old trip computer are now in the dash as part of the new information center that replaced the message center.
Almost all of the Denali features are now available on the Yukon/XL. The only things that I don't think you can get are the Nav system, 2 tone seating, 6 disc changer in console w/cassette in the head unit and the trip computer in the console.
The adjustable pedals are desirable, at least in a lot of families that I know of. The women are a lot shorter than the guys, and with the moving pedals it lets smaller women drive these beasts with out pulling the seat all the way up to the steering wheel. The owners manual states that for safety reasons the driver should be no closer than 10 inches from the wheel because of the airbags. In my head this makes the truck safer for smaller and short drivers, not to mention a pregnant woman that can't reach the pedals any other way. I have seen several posts on Edmunds about pedal extenders for short/pregnant people, this s an option that makes these trucks available to even more people.
In my case a 50,000 mile warranty minus the 36,000 factory only adds a measely 14,000 miles, i think id be better off investing the funds and taking a chance...
thanks for the link ill check them out as well...
DL
1) Is the Chrysler warranty honored at GM dealerships like a GM warranty (i.e. they get approval and do not require you to lay out the money)?
2) I heard that you can't trust the independent warranty companies - is this true?
3) What should I expect to pay for the best price for each of these (GM vs. Chrysler vs. Independent)?
4) Can you provide the name and telephone numbers for any dealers who give rock bottom prices for these warranties?
Thank you to all my fellow Denali fans out there for your kind assistance.
thanks,
DL
Steve, Host
So we went with the Denali and a trailer.
I still think the Avalanche/EXT is a neat vehicle, but not for my needs.
These numbers all are according to the DIC, but I calculated my mileage at the two fill-ups I did and found the mileage figures to be almost exactly the same. So it seems, too, that the Denali's DIC gives very accurate mileage data, unlike complaints I've heard from owners of other vehicles.
My 'global' gas mileage over 20k+ miles of mostly mixed driving with a few long trips thrown in is now at 14.8mpg, up 0.2 from when I started the trip.
For those that missed it, I T-boned a Toyota Land Cruiser on October 14th, after he made an illegal left turn in front of me. I assumed I hit him between 35 and 45 mph, as I was in a 45 mph zone and barely remember hitting the brakes. The cop said I did not, as there were no skid marks (he also claimed that ABS will stil leave skid marks). The car had $11,000 worth of damage and my hope was to get out of it completely, courtesy of his insurance company - which is also mine.
Well, I am not going to be able to get a 2003, as there is simply not enough money on the table from the insurance company to make that happen. I was hoping to sell the Denali for $25K "as is", and then get a check for the repair costs and diminished value from the insurance. The body shop said the truck was a "steal" at that price, but with the flood of used cars on the market, nobody wanted to step up. Even the body shop employees wanted to buy it, but they had all bought new cars on the 0% finance promotion.
So, the repairs were finally started last week and the truck should be done next week. I dread the inevitable paint fumes, but hopefully they will go away and that "new car" smell will still be around (since it was a new car). I have given the insurance company two dealer estimates on diminished value: Each dealer says it lost approximately $8,000 in value because of the hit. How accurate that is I don't know. While the insurance company says they will pay "something", they feel the dealership estimates are "inaccurate". We are supposed to settle on that when the repairs are done. I am still doing physical therapy (sore neck), so we have that to go over as well.
Now, where it gets interesting is with GM. As you may recall, the airbags did NOT deploy despite a head-on collision. I got the run around and finally filed a complaint with GM and the NHTSB. GM sent an investigator to pull the black box. In case you didn't know it, many GM products now have these, which are very similar to the airline black boxes. They called me today with the information and I was surprised with the detail. Here it is:
According to the black box, five seconds before impact I was traveling 36 mph and did not have my foot on the gas or brake (coasting). Two seconds before impact I hit the brake with 100% downforce and the ABS activated. At impact I was traveling 25 mph. The event was a "long" event from the time I hit the brakes to the time of impact, so the airbags did not deploy based on that length of time. Makes a little sense I suppose.
Anyway, that is all for now. GM is sending me the report and I will let you know more when it appears. Thanks again for your interest!
Chris
just my paranoid side peaking out
Oh, and in re-reading what I previously wrote, don't worry about the initial speed (36 mph in a 45 zone), thinking I was "grandma'ing" it: Just before the intersection in question there is a 30 mph school zone, which I obey religiously. When I came out of the school zone I accelerated, then saw the rather crowded intersection and backed off the gas. That much I do remember, but I still thought I was closer to 45 mph. Fun!
Chris
On to a more important matter - your settlement. I personally would not accept any settlement that does not address the financial loss you have suffered. The notion that you would be offered less than what two independent estimates agreed upon as the reduction in value as a result of the accident, is frankly, offensive. After all, the accident was not your fault. Again, I do not know what the legal climate is where you live, but at a minimum, I would talk to an attorney about your situation. The fact that the same insurance company covers both drivers would appear to be complicating the situation, which would argue even more for an objective assessment of your circumstance.
Now that it has changed, anybody want a very low mile 2002 (7,500 miles) loaded DXL for around $37,500? The car is being repaired as I type and should be done next week. Full factory warranty and all that stuff...
Chris
I am sure you are correct in your Paranoid Assumption, they've got us all under the microscope.
Larry
Only routine maintenance (oil changes, an air filter, tire rotations and diff service) so far.
There are other posters here who think that the Denali is inferior in build quality to, say, a Toyota truck, but I haven't seen it so far. All the gaps on my truck are consistent, the moldings line up across panels, the leather upholstry is well-fitted, etc.
And it is admittedly early but so far the truck hasn't picked up any body rattles, loose trim, or anything annoying like that.
It's a BLAST to drive, and did very well in our recent snowstorm (I live on mid-east coast). Coming out of an X5 4.4 just about anything this big is bound to feel slow, but of all the available offerings, only the Denali/Escalade will not feel *very, very* slow to you, I suspect.
The stock sound system is, I think, pretty good, and the gage layout is good too. The steering wheel audio controls are fine for me now, but were a bit awkward at first.
As to MSRP, I dunno. I paid a bit over $1k over invoice when we got ours back in the spring. I could've done better, but would've either had to order one or take one that wasn't exactly the color I wanted. At the time, this just about agreed with Edmunds TMV for our area. I could have paid less, but this was the best offer I got from a local dealer. The market might have changed considerably since then, and the truck has gotten some new equipment--StabiliTrak, etc., so-again, I dunno what a good out-the-door price would be.
I would suggest using one or more of the on-line services, you should get a pretty good benchmark. I got quotes from two of the services and best-offer cash quotes from a couple local dealers as well, and they were all within a few hundred of each other.
The X has been great, but my kids need the room and the on board DVD player : )
As far as towing, people hauling, there isn't a better vehicle made.
Note that there are some improvements for 2003. They also have removed lots of little things (I am sure they saved $100-$200 doing this).
If someone is looking for this "type of vehicle", u can't make a better choice. It is huge, so i would suggest anyone thinking of buying one, make sure you can live with the beast.
And if u live in a big, crowded city, Fa get about it.....
Larry
Of course, I've never had an aftermarket sunroof installed, but I've heard a couple of horror stories, so there's that to consider on the other hand.
One other thing--I have a regular Denali, not a DXL. I vacillated, but finally decided that the DXL was just a bit too big (it's actually too long for my garage unless I wanted to have to pull it all the way in and walk out the back and around the vehicle to get to the inside door).
I haven't really needed the extra space so far, and really liked the truck's performance, and felt that the extra length and weight would make it noticeably less nimble. If/when I need the space, I can always get a rooftop coffin, I guess; but most of the time it'd just be extra weight to carry around.
By the way, I sometimes talk about how much I enjoy driving the truck, how nimble it is, etc., and people look at me as if I am an idiot.
I've been driving for well over 30 of my 40 years now (I was a country boy, we get to drive early), my first car was a '65 MGB my dad and I rebuilt from a junker and in which my dad taught me to *drive* on the winding country roads of central VA, so I don't think I am totally clueless about driving.
Believe me, these trucks--the Denali and the Escalade--are far and away the best-driving big SUVs on the market. Nothing else comes close, in my opinion, and if driveablility is important to you, I think the Denali will really be most appealing to you.
But test drive 'em all and see for yourself.
Whatever you choose, good luck. Let us know which way you go.
Truck is awsome. I have owned 95 Yukon, 2000YXL and 2001YXL and this is by far the best vehicle I have owned.
We definitely needed the extra room of the DXL and have used it several times. The 3rd row on the regular Denali is for occasional use or children only. I have taken adults in the 3rd row comfortably for a long trip.
Much nicer with new axle. Would like to replace 2nd row bench with captain chairs. Should be cheaper than an 03 since it depreciates like a rock. Anyone with any experience with this? All comments and suggestions appreciated.