Probably. But I don't notice the handles on any of my trucks or SUVs feeling cheap.
Probably better said: I was more surprised the OE were plastic chrome on a >$55k truck? IDK why though, the only vehicle I've ever owned that didn't have plastic handles is my 1980 Corvette lol
I was also surprised the textured black amazon replacements were so inexpensive? >$50 for all 4
They're a totally different type of plastic.....softer, more malleable. Of the two, they feel less well made; yet somehow, they've survived 3x longer than OE
Aesthetically, I love the GM design. Functionally, not so much...
My wife's Merc coupe has handles that utilize the same style lateral pivoting lever. But the hand placement openings are not so centrally located across the handle. They're in a better position of leverage, offset towards the rear of the car, further away from the the much more robustly made fulcrum arm. You can rip away at them all day and they pivot every single time.
The GM design has far too weak of an attachment arm for the hand placement section to be that close to the pivot point. Rolling your wrist laterally, even slightly, to get a car door open is counterintuitive. It's the opposite of how you would think things should be designined
I hate to be so critical of one part on an awesome vehicle, but any kid who's been to a playground a couple of times can tell you what's wrong with GM's design on these handles....
It's time consuming to replace these door handles and seal the door cavities up correctly....and I'm too OCD to have 3 UV faded handles and 1 new one lol