Start with a Denali or Yukon???

[MrJuanderful]

Sorry,if this is getting old,lol.

I am looking around for a 2001-2006 Yukon or Denali.I like the Denali exterior styling,but I prefer the Yukon 5.3/4WD over the Denali 6.0/AWD drivetrain.

I have looked at a couple and searching CL,a lot for sale in the NY area.There are a ton of Denalis out there,pricing is about the same.Knowing I probably am going to make some changes,I want to keep the purchase price down.

So,if I get a Yukon,how much am I going to spend to change the front end/grille and running boards,etc?

Because,what I am thinking,is maybe I should just get a Denali with a mint body and interior as cheap as I can,and then collect parts for a future drivetrain swap.I am a decent mechanic,a buddy operates a shop and another buddy works in a tranny shop,so I have those bases covered.

The thing that bothers me about the Denali is the AWD.Just seems like potential problems,cost and something that just serves to suck more gas.

The things about the Yukon SLT that bother me are the applied moldings,bumpers and the non color matched running boards.

Interior,not sure. Basically want to stick with years that are more problem free,the luxury stuff doesn't really impress me one way or the other.

Any opinions are greatly appreciated,I should pull the trigger within the next week or two.

(BTW,probably will go with white or silver,black a distant 3rd)

 

[coolchuck]

I like the looks of the Denali too. No real problems with the AWD except the "whine". All the stuff on the SLT can be easily changed if you go that route. I think SLT will use a bit less gas.

 

[MrJuanderful]

I like the looks of the Denali too. No real problems with the AWD except the "whine". All the stuff on the SLT can be easily changed if you go that route. I think SLT will use a bit less gas.

Hey,Cool Chuck,do you have a Denali? If you do...what year and what issues have you had? How is the mileage?

You can PM me if you want to keep it quiet,but are you Chuck Norris?

 

[coolchuck]

LOL...If i were Chuck Norris, I would go to a dealer to trade my truck and leave with 2 trucks!

I have an 04 Denali with 84k miles. I've had it about 2 years. The front differential has the whine you will hear many speak of but its been that way since I got it. The only issues I've had are water pump and electrical. I was losing coolant under the truck. The water pump got changed at 73k; no more leak. The electrical issue, I believe, is due to a pinched wire under my e-brake pedal. I'm still verifying that. Its causing a loss of power, then "unknown driver" error. I had it apart last night to move the wires and check connections. No more issues so far...

I'm getting about 17MPG, mostly highway driving. It can use a good amount of gas but theres no car I l"m willing to trade for right now.

 

[anton28]

I sold my 02 Denali a few years back with 135k miles. I had zero issues with that truck and it was lowered on 24s most of its life. My current AWD escalade has 123k miles and I've had it since new. 3/5 drop on 26s sense 17miles old. Again zero issues. Start with the Denali.

 

[MrJuanderful]

Thanks guys,so far I haven't seen or heard of much bad about AWD...please give me some Horror Stories,I live for dat sh*t.

And excellent point about Chuck Norris.You probably are not him.Chuck would never boast of his incredible skillz.

 

[OHSIXX]

By the time you convert an SLT to a Denali you wish you would have just bought one in the first place

I have only had mine for 2 years--06' with only 92K on the clock---zero issues other than the autoride(which I fixed myself). Love the 6-0--need that extra HP to push this beast around. AWD works fine-great in the snow. Creature comforts in the Denali are great too especially the first and second row heated leather.... It is a great vehicle to do roadtrips in as well.....

 

[sickk23]

By the time you convert an SLT to a Denali you wish you would have just bought one in the first place

I agree with this. Unless you find a smoking deal on an SLT by chance, otherwise I'd shop for a Denali. Besides that, you don't want to look like a Denali and only have a 5.3 do you? Lol just kidding, they are both great.

 

[felixgun]

Definitely Denali. WAY easier swapping a bunch of plastic non moving parts then a whole drive train

 

[anton28]

The 5.3 vs the 6.0 is a big diffrience on its own.