2013 GMC Yukon XL 2500 - moving up from 2001 GMC Yukon XL Denali
- Thread starter jsoltren
- Start date
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As discussed before, when I am looking for a vehicle, or any major purchase really, I separate "shopping" and "procuring".
"Shopping" is the process of understanding the market and determining constraints. Am I dead set on one thing? What alternatives are available, and which ones are acceptable? What is my real price range? How long am I willing to wait? Does it really, truly need to be Victory Red? It's important to have these questions squared away before moving on. I knew that shopping was over when I started looking at my bank account more than Craigslist.
For my Yukon XL 2500, I was able to get together a pretty cohesive list, after considering funds, timing, need, and my own patience:
- New Body Style 3/4 ton full size GM SUV;
- 4WD with 4WD-LO;
- Chevrolet or GMC badge didn't matter, personal preference was GMC;
- Six speed transmission (2008 onward, the newer the better);
- Fewer than 100k miles (the fewer the better);
- Engine hours that suggest mostly driving and not idling;
- White (Crystal Red or Victory Red ideal, gold or silver okay, black not okay);
- Bench preferred, captain's chairs ok;
- Rust free vehicle, ideally one owner;
- Tan leather interior ideal, any interior (including vinyl floors and cloth seats) okay at the right price
- No leaks, no odors, no body rust, no peeling clear coat, no cracked leather.
- Mild undercarriage surface rust okay.
In my case I was motivated to move quickly because:
- I was getting a bonus from work that could cover the new purchase;
- I was spending quite a lot of time on research and wanted to get it done;
- The old 2001 Denali that this was replacing needed work. As much as I loved it, it was time for it to go. The sooner I got the new one, the sooner I could get rid of the old one.
"Procuring" is the process of going out and getting what you want. For my Yukon XL 2500, this took about a month of daily checking and refined searches, four dealer phone calls, two pre purchase inspections, and ultimately, a trip to San Antonio, 90 minutes from my house. I expect that the timing was about typical, and the location was really lucky.
== The Searches ==
After some trial and error, I settled on two methods of finding vehicles: Craigslist, and, cars.com.
Craigslist lets you find vehicles that are not listed any other way. My search was for the text "suburban|yukon 2500" in titles only. I checked Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio Craiglists daily (for vehicles in driving distance), and some other markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver) weekly for comparisons.
cars.com was my search site of choice because it syndicates listings from dealers including Carmax, but, it actually understands the difference between 4WD and AWD. This is important because, if looking for a Yukon XL, the Denalis have AWD but the 2500s have 4WD. This can be helpful if a 2500 is not listed correctly.
cars.com also let me specify all of my search parameters as mentioned above, sort by the newest postings, search nationwide, and use the same URL for the same searches.
These are the actual searches I used:
Suburban 2500
https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searc...39723&yrId=47272&zc=12345&localVehicles=false
Yukon 2500
https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searc...39723&yrId=47272&zc=12345&localVehicles=false
Modify the URLs for your ZIP code: replace "zc=12345" with your actual ZIP code.
I checked eBay once a week or two and found it to not be worth my trouble. I did find a really nice Duraburb in Victory Red that was $10k out of my price range.
A couple of dealers stood out. Chicago Motors, Asia Motors, and Motorsource, all in the greater Chicago area, regularly get 3/4 ton Suburbans from government auction. They come from all over the US and vary in cost and condition. They often have vinyl flooring and base level trim.
Sunshine Motors in Florida often gets these trucks in as well. Theirs don't seem to be quite as nice as the ones in Florida.
It might be helpful to buy a Carfax pass for running reports. Most good dealers these days include them for free.
I ended up whittling down my choice to four vehicles:
- a 2012 Suburban 2500 from Asia Motors;
- a 2012 Yukon XL 2500 from a Houston area dealer;
- a 2004 Yukon XL 2500 with the 8.1L big block V8 from a local dealer;
- a 2013 Yukon XL 2500 from a San Antonio dealer.
== The Phone Calls ==
Buying a vehicle is very much a human process, even today. So it's important to touch base with the humans involved before moving much further.
My dealer calls were usually about ten minutes long. I'd usually ask about:
- how the vehicle was acquired, to verify information on Carfax;
- getting roof and underbody pictures, since these are where problems tend to hide;
- getting a picture of the RPO codes, since this also confirms the VIN;
- dealership hours;
- getting a Carfax, since they'll often pay for it;
- vehicle availability for a pre purchase inspection.
I'd follow up every day for photos, but often times I'd receive them within about four hours.
Try not to waste the dealer's time.
I ended up passing on the vehicle from Houston. The Carfax revealed some time spent in upstate New York, and the roof photos revealed peeling clear coat. Time saved is money earned!
In the case of the one Austin area dealer, I decided to just stop by since they were close enough and had a good selection for me to visit without committing. I'm glad I did: I passed on a 2007 Yukon XL 2500 they had, but discovered a 2004 with the 8.1L that wasn't even listed yet! Sometimes you don't know where these things will hide. I ended up passing on it, but remain friendly with the dealer. He's a former IT guy who started trading trucks as a hobby until it turned into a full time job. Recommendation gladly given: https://www.centextruckandauto.com/.
== Pre Purchase Inspections ==
A used car inspection is absolutely, positively, mandatory. They're $200 at most. They can be done on site without the purchaser - or even the owner - being physically present. They give you a snapshot of the vehicle condition that is a critical negotiation tool. After ordering three of them so far, my jaw now drops in horror when someone tells me they *didn't* order one before buying used. Or did you not budget at least $500 for the search process alone, including a couple of inspections, Carfaxes, and possible plane tickets? Don't be a fool.
The inspector is loyal to their customer and has no conflicts of interest. They are motivated to be thorough and have no skin in the game when it comes to the purchase.
Here in the Austin area I can gladly recommend https://www.autopi.com/ and http://www.autolemondetectors.org/. For one of my inspections they were able to connect with a seller who wouldn't even give me their phone number by e-mailing him on Craiglist. For another one, I was able to order and review the inspection remotely while on a business trip. For other regions, I don't know, try yourmechanic.com or search Google for on site used car pre purchase inspections.
The auto inspections I ordered on three vehicles (one Excursion last year, and two 3/4 ton Suburbans this year) revealed a number of issues that I did not or would not have caught due to the enthusiasm of seeing the new vehicle. They include:
- missing or lost key fobs;
- oil seepage from difficult to find areas;
- codes and engine info that a cheap Bluetooth OBD-II scanner can't always find;
- 4WD inoperative;
- body repairs (they use a magnet and look for places it doesn't stick);
- leaking shocks;
- pulsing brakes.
Of the three inspections I've ordered, two caused me to pass on the vehicle.
== Purchase Day ===
Even the best used car dealer is still a used car dealer. Plan on spending an entire day. If you get in an out in less than two hours, good for you!
Call ahead, make an appointment, and get a ballpark figure for your trade in (if you have one) before you head down. Ask about payment methods for the down payment. This gives you a feel for how flexible the dealer is with payment options (do they take a personal check or do you need to be prepared to wire finds?), without giving away some negotiation leverage by suggesting you'll pay in cash. But you should be ready and able to pay cash if at all possible.
I ended up getting mine from American Auto Brokers in San Antonio, TX. They get a good stream of vehicles through and are picky with what they bring in. But be warned: they don't negotiate prices, add on a bunch of fees, and are ultimately a used car dealership just like anyone else. Read their Google reviews, I've posted my thoughts there.
== The Vehicle ==
I paid about $27500 for a 2013 GMC Yukon XL 2500 4WD SLT with 99300 miles. There is a price premium for newer vehicles. I was willing to pay this since newer hopefully means sensors and gaskets are less likely to fail. 100k miles is more than I wanted, but these are heavy duty trucks meant to run to 200k-300k, so I was less worried than I'd be with a truck with DOD/AFM or full time AWD.
Mine was white, with tan leather, and captain's chairs. The SLT trim level, with navigation and dual DVD screens, is basically a Denali without AWD or a heated steering wheel. It's loaded. No sunroof, though - and that's fine by me.
Right off the bat I knew mine would need new shocks, pads, and rotors, as well as most fluid changes and spark plugs.
So far the captain's chairs are working out for us. I may swap out a bench at some point. But as I mentioned before, we replaced the 2001 Denali with both a 3/4 ton truck, and a new Honda Odyssey. The NNBS interior is a regression from the NBS when it comes to cargo, but the Odyssey beats them both.
The biggest complaint I've got is the cracked dashboard. There is one crack just above the steering wheel that rattles. I'll use some hot glue to keep it together and consider a cloth dashboard cover. But didn't everyone's dashboards on these NNBS trucks crack at some point?
There are a lot of little things I like a lot more in the 2001 Denali, but in the end, it's nice to have a ~5 year old truck instead of a ~20 year old truck.
== Takeaways ==
- In my area (Austin-San Antonio), a nice 3/4 ton Suburban comes up about once every month or two.
- In the big cities in Central Texas (the prior two plus Dallas and Houston), a nice one comes up about once every 2-3 weeks.
- The nice ones are on the market for about 1-2 weeks. The crummy ones linger for months.
- It's important to check hours as well as miles for commercial vehicles.
- Expect a bunch of repairs at 100k miles. It's good to budget up to $1000 in parts, and maybe about the same in labor costs.
- No used vehicle is perfect but some are better than others.
- Victory Red? Good luck!
In my next long updates, I'll give a photo tour of the new truck, I'll talk about the hundred or so little differences between my 2001 Denali and the 2013 3/4 ton. Newer is not always better. Thanks for reading!
"Shopping" is the process of understanding the market and determining constraints. Am I dead set on one thing? What alternatives are available, and which ones are acceptable? What is my real price range? How long am I willing to wait? Does it really, truly need to be Victory Red? It's important to have these questions squared away before moving on. I knew that shopping was over when I started looking at my bank account more than Craigslist.
For my Yukon XL 2500, I was able to get together a pretty cohesive list, after considering funds, timing, need, and my own patience:
- New Body Style 3/4 ton full size GM SUV;
- 4WD with 4WD-LO;
- Chevrolet or GMC badge didn't matter, personal preference was GMC;
- Six speed transmission (2008 onward, the newer the better);
- Fewer than 100k miles (the fewer the better);
- Engine hours that suggest mostly driving and not idling;
- White (Crystal Red or Victory Red ideal, gold or silver okay, black not okay);
- Bench preferred, captain's chairs ok;
- Rust free vehicle, ideally one owner;
- Tan leather interior ideal, any interior (including vinyl floors and cloth seats) okay at the right price
- No leaks, no odors, no body rust, no peeling clear coat, no cracked leather.
- Mild undercarriage surface rust okay.
In my case I was motivated to move quickly because:
- I was getting a bonus from work that could cover the new purchase;
- I was spending quite a lot of time on research and wanted to get it done;
- The old 2001 Denali that this was replacing needed work. As much as I loved it, it was time for it to go. The sooner I got the new one, the sooner I could get rid of the old one.
"Procuring" is the process of going out and getting what you want. For my Yukon XL 2500, this took about a month of daily checking and refined searches, four dealer phone calls, two pre purchase inspections, and ultimately, a trip to San Antonio, 90 minutes from my house. I expect that the timing was about typical, and the location was really lucky.
== The Searches ==
After some trial and error, I settled on two methods of finding vehicles: Craigslist, and, cars.com.
Craigslist lets you find vehicles that are not listed any other way. My search was for the text "suburban|yukon 2500" in titles only. I checked Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio Craiglists daily (for vehicles in driving distance), and some other markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver) weekly for comparisons.
cars.com was my search site of choice because it syndicates listings from dealers including Carmax, but, it actually understands the difference between 4WD and AWD. This is important because, if looking for a Yukon XL, the Denalis have AWD but the 2500s have 4WD. This can be helpful if a 2500 is not listed correctly.
cars.com also let me specify all of my search parameters as mentioned above, sort by the newest postings, search nationwide, and use the same URL for the same searches.
These are the actual searches I used:
Suburban 2500
https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searc...39723&yrId=47272&zc=12345&localVehicles=false
Yukon 2500
https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searc...39723&yrId=47272&zc=12345&localVehicles=false
Modify the URLs for your ZIP code: replace "zc=12345" with your actual ZIP code.
I checked eBay once a week or two and found it to not be worth my trouble. I did find a really nice Duraburb in Victory Red that was $10k out of my price range.
A couple of dealers stood out. Chicago Motors, Asia Motors, and Motorsource, all in the greater Chicago area, regularly get 3/4 ton Suburbans from government auction. They come from all over the US and vary in cost and condition. They often have vinyl flooring and base level trim.
Sunshine Motors in Florida often gets these trucks in as well. Theirs don't seem to be quite as nice as the ones in Florida.
It might be helpful to buy a Carfax pass for running reports. Most good dealers these days include them for free.
I ended up whittling down my choice to four vehicles:
- a 2012 Suburban 2500 from Asia Motors;
- a 2012 Yukon XL 2500 from a Houston area dealer;
- a 2004 Yukon XL 2500 with the 8.1L big block V8 from a local dealer;
- a 2013 Yukon XL 2500 from a San Antonio dealer.
== The Phone Calls ==
Buying a vehicle is very much a human process, even today. So it's important to touch base with the humans involved before moving much further.
My dealer calls were usually about ten minutes long. I'd usually ask about:
- how the vehicle was acquired, to verify information on Carfax;
- getting roof and underbody pictures, since these are where problems tend to hide;
- getting a picture of the RPO codes, since this also confirms the VIN;
- dealership hours;
- getting a Carfax, since they'll often pay for it;
- vehicle availability for a pre purchase inspection.
I'd follow up every day for photos, but often times I'd receive them within about four hours.
Try not to waste the dealer's time.
I ended up passing on the vehicle from Houston. The Carfax revealed some time spent in upstate New York, and the roof photos revealed peeling clear coat. Time saved is money earned!
In the case of the one Austin area dealer, I decided to just stop by since they were close enough and had a good selection for me to visit without committing. I'm glad I did: I passed on a 2007 Yukon XL 2500 they had, but discovered a 2004 with the 8.1L that wasn't even listed yet! Sometimes you don't know where these things will hide. I ended up passing on it, but remain friendly with the dealer. He's a former IT guy who started trading trucks as a hobby until it turned into a full time job. Recommendation gladly given: https://www.centextruckandauto.com/.
== Pre Purchase Inspections ==
A used car inspection is absolutely, positively, mandatory. They're $200 at most. They can be done on site without the purchaser - or even the owner - being physically present. They give you a snapshot of the vehicle condition that is a critical negotiation tool. After ordering three of them so far, my jaw now drops in horror when someone tells me they *didn't* order one before buying used. Or did you not budget at least $500 for the search process alone, including a couple of inspections, Carfaxes, and possible plane tickets? Don't be a fool.
The inspector is loyal to their customer and has no conflicts of interest. They are motivated to be thorough and have no skin in the game when it comes to the purchase.
Here in the Austin area I can gladly recommend https://www.autopi.com/ and http://www.autolemondetectors.org/. For one of my inspections they were able to connect with a seller who wouldn't even give me their phone number by e-mailing him on Craiglist. For another one, I was able to order and review the inspection remotely while on a business trip. For other regions, I don't know, try yourmechanic.com or search Google for on site used car pre purchase inspections.
The auto inspections I ordered on three vehicles (one Excursion last year, and two 3/4 ton Suburbans this year) revealed a number of issues that I did not or would not have caught due to the enthusiasm of seeing the new vehicle. They include:
- missing or lost key fobs;
- oil seepage from difficult to find areas;
- codes and engine info that a cheap Bluetooth OBD-II scanner can't always find;
- 4WD inoperative;
- body repairs (they use a magnet and look for places it doesn't stick);
- leaking shocks;
- pulsing brakes.
Of the three inspections I've ordered, two caused me to pass on the vehicle.
== Purchase Day ===
Even the best used car dealer is still a used car dealer. Plan on spending an entire day. If you get in an out in less than two hours, good for you!
Call ahead, make an appointment, and get a ballpark figure for your trade in (if you have one) before you head down. Ask about payment methods for the down payment. This gives you a feel for how flexible the dealer is with payment options (do they take a personal check or do you need to be prepared to wire finds?), without giving away some negotiation leverage by suggesting you'll pay in cash. But you should be ready and able to pay cash if at all possible.
I ended up getting mine from American Auto Brokers in San Antonio, TX. They get a good stream of vehicles through and are picky with what they bring in. But be warned: they don't negotiate prices, add on a bunch of fees, and are ultimately a used car dealership just like anyone else. Read their Google reviews, I've posted my thoughts there.
== The Vehicle ==
I paid about $27500 for a 2013 GMC Yukon XL 2500 4WD SLT with 99300 miles. There is a price premium for newer vehicles. I was willing to pay this since newer hopefully means sensors and gaskets are less likely to fail. 100k miles is more than I wanted, but these are heavy duty trucks meant to run to 200k-300k, so I was less worried than I'd be with a truck with DOD/AFM or full time AWD.
Mine was white, with tan leather, and captain's chairs. The SLT trim level, with navigation and dual DVD screens, is basically a Denali without AWD or a heated steering wheel. It's loaded. No sunroof, though - and that's fine by me.
Right off the bat I knew mine would need new shocks, pads, and rotors, as well as most fluid changes and spark plugs.
So far the captain's chairs are working out for us. I may swap out a bench at some point. But as I mentioned before, we replaced the 2001 Denali with both a 3/4 ton truck, and a new Honda Odyssey. The NNBS interior is a regression from the NBS when it comes to cargo, but the Odyssey beats them both.
The biggest complaint I've got is the cracked dashboard. There is one crack just above the steering wheel that rattles. I'll use some hot glue to keep it together and consider a cloth dashboard cover. But didn't everyone's dashboards on these NNBS trucks crack at some point?
There are a lot of little things I like a lot more in the 2001 Denali, but in the end, it's nice to have a ~5 year old truck instead of a ~20 year old truck.
== Takeaways ==
- In my area (Austin-San Antonio), a nice 3/4 ton Suburban comes up about once every month or two.
- In the big cities in Central Texas (the prior two plus Dallas and Houston), a nice one comes up about once every 2-3 weeks.
- The nice ones are on the market for about 1-2 weeks. The crummy ones linger for months.
- It's important to check hours as well as miles for commercial vehicles.
- Expect a bunch of repairs at 100k miles. It's good to budget up to $1000 in parts, and maybe about the same in labor costs.
- No used vehicle is perfect but some are better than others.
- Victory Red? Good luck!
In my next long updates, I'll give a photo tour of the new truck, I'll talk about the hundred or so little differences between my 2001 Denali and the 2013 3/4 ton. Newer is not always better. Thanks for reading!
