Question from a first time buyer - Tahoe or Yukon advantages/disadvantages

Doubeleive said:

no idea really other than Chevy has more product line's, like I said under the skin there is basically no difference. Some people seem to think chevy/gmc/cadillac use inherently different parts. They do but only for the surface of what you see different style grill, dash, cluster, some buttons, exterior trim, etc. Powertrain wise, frame and all the important parts are the same. So many parts you can swap from A~Z from vans, pickups, suv's. any motor with a matching 8th digit vin can be a direct swap doesn't matter what it came out of.
Historically the GMC/Cadillac line has offered more higher end product but they have mostly closed the gap with the T2 line, finding a gmt900, k2 "chevy" with a 6.2liter can be hard to find.
and with the T2 line they finally let Cadillac do a mostly separate design, how far they have actually strayed I couldn't say it's just one thing they "announced" in press releases as the T2's were in design phase still. The gm penny pinchers certainly have some say in all of it.

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It's like this with appliances as well. There's people that swear by Maytag, Kitchenaid, Whirlpool, etc. The fact is they are all made by the Whirlpool corporation in the same plant and all use the same architecture. Same pumps, motors, etc. Where they differentiate is the exterior aesthetics, some of the features and the badge stuck on the door.

If it's a GM full-size SUV it goes down the same line in Arlington, TX. Right after an Escalade goes down the line will be a Tahoe and then followed up by a Yukon. The same people are putting them together and until you see the body/interior trim being installed you'd have no idea if it's a Cadillac/Chevy or GMC.

StephenPT said:

From the pictures they look to be projector lenses. I've always been a fan of projector head/fog lights versus reflector. They do a much better job with concentrated and intense lighting. The 21+ GM SUVs all use LED reflectors with the Yukon also having LED reflector fogs. For '25 the Chevy and GMC models go to LED projector head/fog lights.

FWIW - the IIHS tested the '21 Tahoe and one of their test criteria is headlight performance. The Tahoe headlights received a poor rating. They haven't tested the Yukon, but I own one and honestly they are not impressive with their light output. Very similar design, just different aesthetics from the Tahoe headlight design. It will be interesting to see when the '25 platform gets on the road and starts getting reviews, but I'll bet the head/fog light performance will be improved just by the change to projector lenses alone.

2024 Chevrolet Tahoe 4-door SUV

2024 Chevrolet Tahoe 4-door SUV - large SUV

www.iihs.org

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The head light on the Tahoe and Yukon is equally terrible. Therefore, we completely redesigned the headlight, installing 4 bi LED lenses and 2 high beam lenses. And now you can drive my Yukon safely at night))

StephenPT said:

It's like this with appliances as well. There's people that swear by Maytag, Kitchenaid, Whirlpool, etc. The fact is they are all made by the Whirlpool corporation in the same plant and all use the same architecture. Same pumps, motors, etc. Where they differentiate is the exterior aesthetics, some of the features and the badge stuck on the door.

If it's a GM full-size SUV it goes down the same line in Arlington, TX. Right after an Escalade goes down the line will be a Tahoe and then followed up by a Yukon. The same people are putting them together and until you see the body/interior trim being installed you'd have no idea if it's a Cadillac/Chevy or GMC.

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yep and transformco owns a few and electrolux. appliance parts often crossover to a long list of models
same with proctor and gamble, you think you are getting a variety of choices at the store, your not, not really they just throw 15 brand names out there to make it look that way
a few major conglomerates own a huge variety of brand names, all it takes is a little poking around to see
Harmon international for instance owns a large variety of audio brands
it's all about market share

.

DaveL said:

I have been waiting 20 years to buy a Tahoe or Yukon. I am finally to the point to treat myself after paying for 10 years of college.

I want a 2025 with the newer diesel in it (so I have plenty of time to decide).

My question is, besides styling/personal preference, is their any benefit of a Tahoe over a Yukon or Yukon over Tahoe?

Examples would be material quality, build quality, reliability, long term maintenance costs, etc.

I'm assuming that in general, both of them would be basically the same but I wanted to ask.

I'm also assuming that their are going to be lemons on both sides.

We keep our vehicles until the doors fall off so long term maintenance costs are important to us. We have been very lucky with the vehicles we have owned in the past.

My son is getting my current vehicle when we purchase and we can retire our 2007 Toyota Camry with almost 200K miles on it.

My wife and I are going to be using it as a mostly a highway cruiser. I'm retired now and we are going to be doing a lot of road trips in it, so I want the magnetic ride control and the air ride.

The center dash seems to be where the interior styling differs the most. Every month I go back and forth on which one I prefer.

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Given that you have been waiting 20 years, it should be noted that the Gen5 Tahoes’ seats are a couple inches narrower than the Gen2 seats in a 2004 Tahoe despite the Gen2 vehicle having smaller external dimensions. Similarly, there is less usable tall driver shoulder room in Gen5 Tahoes than in the Gen2 (and maybe Gen3) Tahoes.

DaveL said:

I have been waiting 20 years to buy a Tahoe or Yukon. I am finally to the point to treat myself after paying for 10 years of college.

I want a 2025 with the newer diesel in it (so I have plenty of time to decide).

My question is, besides styling/personal preference, is their any benefit of a Tahoe over a Yukon or Yukon over Tahoe?

Examples would be material quality, build quality, reliability, long term maintenance costs, etc.

I'm assuming that in general, both of them would be basically the same but I wanted to ask.

I'm also assuming that their are going to be lemons on both sides.

We keep our vehicles until the doors fall off so long term maintenance costs are important to us. We have been very lucky with the vehicles we have owned in the past.

My son is getting my current vehicle when we purchase and we can retire our 2007 Toyota Camry with almost 200K miles on it.

My wife and I are going to be using it as a mostly a highway cruiser. I'm retired now and we are going to be doing a lot of road trips in it, so I want the magnetic ride control and the air ride.

The center dash seems to be where the interior styling differs the most. Every month I go back and forth on which one I prefer.

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If front tow hooks and skid plates are required, not all Gen5 Tahoe and Yukon trim levels seem to offer them as standard features or even as options.
In some earlier generations of Tahoes and Yukons, tow hooks have been standard and skid plates were standard or available as options for all or nearly all trim levels.
Others have already remarked about the omission of fog lights on certain trim levels.

The daytime driving lights on Tahoes look like the laughing emoji eyes >< and the Yukon's look like a body builder flexing (or brackets) []. Besides the lights, the major deciding factor for me was getting cooled seats in the front (Premium package option on Tahoe, i think and SLT on Yukon) and the Chevy dealer in my area didn't sell many diesels. They actually pushed buyers away from them, even telling someone I know they didn't have many techs to work on them and any work took a long time. The GMC dealer in my area orders a lot diesels (people come from hundreds of miles away since they have inventory) and plenty of techs to work on them.

Will you be dealing with separate Chevy and GMC dealerships or a combo? How are the service departments? We were looking to order a '22 Yukon until the owner of several dealerships where wife and I do part time work bought the Chevy store. Then the Tahoes looked better.
I once tried to order an '02 Camaro in a big city. They put me in a chair and forgot me even though i had bought there years earlier. I left and my brother gave me a name of a guy a few miles from the city.

JGinLA said:

Will you be dealing with separate Chevy and GMC dealerships or a combo? How are the service departments? We were looking to order a '22 Yukon until the owner of several dealerships where wife and I do part time work bought the Chevy store. Then the Tahoes looked better.
I once tried to order an '02 Camaro in a big city. They put me in a chair and forgot me even though i had bought there years earlier. I left and my brother gave me a name of a guy a few miles from the city.

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They are seperate dealerships. I have visited both one time over the years. Nothing remarkable about either one. We talked to the sales guy for 30 minutes at each place.

But it seems like the GMC dealership that carries a bunch of Yukons with the duramax is about 45 minutes away. I'll probably have to go there to buy it and then to the one 10 minutes away for service.

Welcome from SoCal. Congrats on the milestones. A 200k Camry is typical. Expect about 400k from a diesel Tahoe or Yukon. You posted in the right forum for a look into these GM trucks. I especially like the household appliance analogy on sister brands made by the same company.

On getting a new truck now …

The seats: They have gotten firmer and more narrow as stated. Rent a Tahoe, Yukon & Escalade for a weekend drive mini vacation. Put at least 2hr seat time in each one. Compare interior noise specifically noting how loud your conversation has to be with the radio off. THIS is where laminated door glass eliminates pays back every drive.

Lighting, you’ll 100% want to drive at night with these new trucks. Best lighting lowers driving fatigue, heightens safety and longtime vehicle enjoyment.

Drivetrain: “One of America's most beloved turbodiesel engines, the 3.0-liter inline-six Duramax, powering the GM full-size SUVs, has just bid farewell to the car industry for good. GM killed it last week. August 8 was the final day customers could order an SUV powered by the Duramax.“

If you want a 3.0L baby Duramax, consider a preloved Escalade because you’re now kinda committed to preowned inventory. The depreciation will offset the higher price point but the diesel is almost immune to wear.

Drive all of them and consider the long run. Keep in mind you’re likely going to have this truck for a long time so features and options will matter.