Which is the most reliable year 01, 02, 03, 04, 05?

[adventurenali92]

When I was looking to buy a GM full size several things persuaded my to go with an XL. The extra space in the rear for all my detailing gear was number one. But the xl rides a lot better than the short wheel base. I think the longer wheel base is more smooth over the road, and seems to handle windy roads a lot better. The short wheel base to me felt a little more squirrly around the corners. And I live in the mountains so I drive windy roads every day and that’s important to have good handling on those roads. And the AWD system helps that big time as well. Yeah I can’t turn it off for when I don’t have snow but it handles so well that it’s worth it. And in snow it’s very capable. I haven’t gotten stuck yet in three winters!

 

[norcalboon]

I bought a 2005 Yukon XL SLT 2 years ago with 118K miles, now have close to 150K. Aside from preparing it to tow our TT, the only issue we've had is the rear end, basically had it rebuilt. It runs great and have had several passengers comment how comfortable the ride is. It's my wife's daily driver with our 3 kids and she has no problems. With a kid I'd suggest the XL for the extra space.

 

[rv8pilot]

In 2015 I acquired a 2001 Yukon XL with 231,000 on the clock. The previous owner did no maintenance other than oil changes and replace what broke (window regulators, brakes, etc.. nothing major. The first thing I did was replace all the fluids with synthetic and flush out the old stuff. Fortunately GM used synthetic fluids originally and these helped to preserve the transmission and rear end. I now have 245,000 on it and recently drove it from Boca Raton, Fl to Albuquerque NM without a hitch. Used in a reasonable manner these vehicles will last a long time, there are accounts on this site of over 500,000 on highway drivers. Get the long wheelbase version, you will be delighted with all the stuff (and people) you can carry. Handling is superb,why do you think the Feds like them? I'm an old sports car driver and although no sports car you can really horse it around. Have fun.

 

[stevedonato]

Thanks for your reply and advice Wes. To be honest I have only just started to look. The Tahoe I sat in the other day was at a used car dealership it had 235,000 miles on it and they wanted $3995 + tax etc. It was in OK condition for the mileage, it was when I asked the dealer about the accident it had been in (dent in rear bumper and dent in front bumper) he replied "accident? what accident?"...needless to say I thanked him for his time I went on my way...lol

Remember the only think lower than a used car salesman is a Lawyer. Stay away from Dealers and try to get one in the 200k range, also, most automatic trannys only last 100-150k before a rebuild is required and, always run a Carfax on the VIN when you find one you like

 

[stevedonato]

Great to know.....I am guessing the 6.0 uses more gas than the 5.3 and 4.8? I saw GMC Denali's with 6.0 Iron block (whatever that is..lol)

My son has the 4.8 in his 2000 Silverado 4x4 decent mileage. The 6.0 454cu in a 4x4 will most likely get 8mpg in 4wd so unless you have deep pockets...

 

[Tonyrodz]

My son has the 4.8 in his 2000 Silverado 4x4 decent mileage. The 6.0 454cu in a 4x4 will most likely get 8mpg in 4wd so unless you have deep pockets...

Isn't the 8.1 the 454?

EDIT:

 

[hectorotani]

Just got 05 Z71 love it

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

 

[adventurenali92]

My son has the 4.8 in his 2000 Silverado 4x4 decent mileage. The 6.0 454cu in a 4x4 will most likely get 8mpg in 4wd so unless you have deep pockets...

The 6.0 is not a 454. It also does not come in the 4WD equipped suv. It only comes in the 4WD equipped 2500 pick up trucks. If you’re looking at a 6.0 it’s like either a Yukon Denali or an Escalade and in the GMT800 platform the Denali and Escalade only comes in AWD.

 

[ueww40]

I have a 2004 Tahoe which I am very happy with. Your best bet is buying from private party on craigslist or other market place, but beware. Know what you are doing. It is best to bring a knowledgable gearhead with you who is also a good negotiator. Once you decided on a car you wish to buy, do one more thing before you do, get a carfax of the car to find out its history. Also, buy nothing that has more than 150000 miles on it if you want to keep the car for a while. 125000-130000 is a good mileage to start with. That way the car has some overall life left for you to enjoy and you won't feel so bad when putting in some money for repairs.

 

[iddqd]

When I was looking for my truck, I specifically filtered only 05-06. The reasons for that are trivial:

1. In 2005 GM added Electric radiator fans, saving you a cup of gas per 100km and adding a couple of HP. Btw, some maintenance operations (like belt replacement, radiator cleaning) are easier to perform, since the truck doesn't have those bulky shroud and fan
2. By 2005 GM finally figured out how to build this thing and all earlier year problems had been solved.

So, I found a clean 2005 Escalade EXT with 140K miles on it and bought it.