Same question I ask to myself should I gotten Denali over a Tahoe

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southofi10

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I wonder all the time is the Denali better built than the Tahoe.i bought the Tahoe cause it felt priced better but when I open it I see the leather seat and they look cheaply made. After driving mercedes for many years they all had fake leather mates but look better than real leather. Also was why more durable than leather. I wonder is the Denali the same leather quality does it it have better features than the Tahoe. Also the lights of the Denali never caught my eye much. Is the denali better in quality . I know the share same engine and same body and interior as the Tahoe. So what does it make it better to cost more I wonder. What does a loaded Denali have that the premier Tahoe does not .
From what I'm told, the difference in Chevy and GMC is... they use washers on the GMCs.
 

GTNator

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My opinion is that the quality in the all three GM triplets is the same, and it’s good.

Dealers say there is a difference in leather quality as one goes up from Chevy to Denali to Esky. Also the trim inside is supposed to be better, more real wood, more metal instead of plastic, etc. But the bones are all the same, solid, strong GM truck. They’re all great and I would happily own and trust my family’s safety and comfort during long road trips in any of them.


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Larryjb

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... They’re all great and I would happily own and trust my family’s safety and comfort during long road trips in any of them....


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Until one of those silly plastic coolant fittings crack and leave you with a puddle of coolant and your truck on the side of the road.

I'm not trying to slam GM. I have a Tahoe and, for the most part, love it. I also have an 08 Explorer and I love that one too. Every automobile manufacturer has their weak points. As I said in another post, you just have to pick what problems you will want to deal with.
 

WillCO

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Same Arlington TX factory, same personnel, same parts aside from those that need to be different cosmetically or to provide functionality GM wants to offer exclusively in the Denali or Escalade. The MMI in the Escalade is brand-specific to be consistent with other Cadillacs, though it's probably not as good as the MyLink MMI.

I had 3 BMWs in a row before this Tahoe, and my wife has a Mercedes C300 now. I won't lie, the quality of interior materials is superior in those. Not as much as it used to be though, and my sense is that the Tahoe is as good a full-size SUV as the BMWs were good sport sedans. It does what it is supposed to do very well and to this point (2016 model, 40K miles), I've had no mechanical issues.

Also, FWIW - BMW finally has a 3-row SUV on the market, the X7. It's Range Rover-sized, still not as large as a Tahoe. For the V8 model, you can't get near one for under $100,000, and quite a bit more once you add normal features. It has to be considered that I paid less than $60K for my Tahoe. I don't think it's half the vehicle a BMW X7 is at all. And again, I've had 3 BMWs.
 

WillCO

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Dealers say there is a difference in leather quality as one goes up from Chevy to Denali to Esky. Also the trim inside is supposed to be better, more real wood, more metal instead of plastic, etc.
I've heard the same about the leather. With my eyes, the difference might be there, but it looks like differences in one leather vendor to another more than a differentiation of product. Hardly worth mentioning. As goes the trim, I'm pretty confident there is no difference at all between Tahoes and Denalis. Maybe Escalades.

Until one of those silly plastic coolant fittings crack and leave you with a puddle of coolant and your truck on the side of the road.
Although this doesn't invalidate your point, I'm not sure that everyone isn't using the silly plastic coolant fittings these days. BMW and Mercedes both are.
 

cardude2000

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Same Arlington TX factory, same personnel, same parts aside from those that need to be different cosmetically or to provide functionality GM wants to offer exclusively in the Denali or Escalade. The MMI in the Escalade is brand-specific to be consistent with other Cadillacs, though it's probably not as good as the MyLink MMI.

I had 3 BMWs in a row before this Tahoe, and my wife has a Mercedes C300 now. I won't lie, the quality of interior materials is superior in those. Not as much as it used to be though, and my sense is that the Tahoe is as good a full-size SUV as the BMWs were good sport sedans. It does what it is supposed to do very well and to this point (2016 model, 40K miles), I've had no mechanical issues.

Also, FWIW - BMW finally has a 3-row SUV on the market, the X7. It's Range Rover-sized, still not as large as a Tahoe. For the V8 model, you can't get near one for under $100,000, and quite a bit more once you add normal features. It has to be considered that I paid less than $60K for my Tahoe. I don't think it's half the vehicle a BMW X7 is at all. And again, I've had 3 BMWs.

I’ve heard the same about the leather but who knows.

To be fair the base price of a MB C series is LESS than that of a Tahoe. My E series is only incrementally nicer than my Denali from a materials standpoint IMO. But it’s a 2013 so an entire generation earlier than my SUV. The 2018 E I’m getting is MUCH improved.

Also the Tahoe and the X7 are almost identical dimensions.

I agree though the X7 is crazy money. The V8 with a premium package can be had for under $100k but only barely.
 
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steve45

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With a Tahoe, you get cheap chrome plated door handles on which the plating peels off and slices your hand. On a Denali, you get the same cheap chrome plated door handles on which the plating peels off and slices your hand.

With the Tahoe, you get a poorly designed instrument panel that requires you to look down and try to figure out which button or 'soft' button to push to make adjustments. On the Denali, you get a poorly designed instrument panel that requires you to look down and try to figure out which button or 'soft' button to push to make adjustments.

With the Tahoe, you get instrument panel lighting that is pathetic. Much of it you can't see in the daytime, at night some items are bright and some are dark and difficult to see. On the Denali, you get instrument panel lighting that is pathetic. Much of it you can't see in the daytime, at night some items are bright and some are dark and difficult to see.

With the Tahoe, you get a backup camera that doesn't work when the sun is behind you. On the Denali, you get a backup camera that doesn't work when the sun is behind you.

When I was in engineering school, we learned about ergonomics. The goal was to design products that consumers liked. Guess GM never got the message because each new model is worse than the last.

Buy the Denali if you've got money to burn.
 

Rdr854

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With a Tahoe, you get cheap chrome plated door handles on which the plating peels off and slices your hand. On a Denali, you get the same cheap chrome plated door handles on which the plating peels off and slices your hand.

With the Tahoe, you get a poorly designed instrument panel that requires you to look down and try to figure out which button or 'soft' button to push to make adjustments. On the Denali, you get a poorly designed instrument panel that requires you to look down and try to figure out which button or 'soft' button to push to make adjustments.

With the Tahoe, you get instrument panel lighting that is pathetic. Much of it you can't see in the daytime, at night some items are bright and some are dark and difficult to see. On the Denali, you get instrument panel lighting that is pathetic. Much of it you can't see in the daytime, at night some items are bright and some are dark and difficult to see.

With the Tahoe, you get a backup camera that doesn't work when the sun is behind you. On the Denali, you get a backup camera that doesn't work when the sun is behind you.

When I was in engineering school, we learned about ergonomics. The goal was to design products that consumers liked. Guess GM never got the message because each new model is worse than the last.

Buy the Denali if you've got money to burn.
Fortunately, on the base LS Suburban, the dash instruments are clear and rear park camera works fine during the day.

All kidding aside, your point is well taken that there is not much difference between a fully decked out Tahoe and a Denali (other than the power train). That said, it really comes down to personal preference. I am very happy with the LS trim level and know that for the price of two I could have bought an Escalade ESV (which likewise is very nice). However, because the primary purpose of my Suburban is to haul stuff, I cannot justify the additional cost — especially when it is not my daily driver.
 
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