Yukon denali or slt 4x4?

[Carolina Boy]

I am still hunting for my next yukon. There are a couple nice '07 denali's for sale locally and came close to pulling the trigger on one this weekend but then I started asking myself, why am I stuck on getting a denali? shouldnt I be able to find an '07 slt for less $ and have basically the same truck? Now that I've been thinking about it, I thought I would pose a couple questions on the board to get feedback from my fellow members? Your input regarding the following questions would be appreciated:

How much less should a comparably equipped '07 slt cost than an '07 denali?

I've been searching online and interestingly the slt's do not seem to be any less expensive than the deanli's and there are actually fewer slt's with the options I want than there are denali's which obviously come pretty much loaded but it get's a little tricky when you are looking for specific equipment and color combos, black on black or white on black, with nav, quad captains, 20's and sunroof. You get the idea.

Secondly, how concerned should I be about mileage?

I have found some solid deals on higher mileage '07s (denali's and slt's) in the 85-110k mile range. I know the powertrain warranty expires at 100k so should I cross off the ones with over 100k so Im still covered? I havent read much about relaibility problems with these trucks but just want to make sure especially with the awd on the denal's.

Next question- I looked at a nicely equipped '07 denali this weekend that had a small module mounted on the lower right hand side of the steering wheel. It appeared to be a trailer control module like you see in heavy duty dually trucks. Is this an option from the factory?

I know the autoride comes standard with the denali package (another nice feature for towing) but I havent seen this in any others. Also, would you be worried by this? I know these trucks are made for pulling, and I will be doing some towing of my own including a light bike trailer and a 17ft center console, but if the previous owner installed this module it makes me wonder if the truck was being used regularly to do more serious pulling that might have caused more wear and tear on the vehicle. Thoughts?

Lastly, the reason I started considering the slt's, as funny as it might sound, is becuase I already have a pretty good idea of how I want to mof my yukon and the right slt would actually be LESS work than a denali. Hear me out- no matter if I get a white on black and do the storm trooper look or a black on black and do the murdered out look, I know one of the first things I will do is remove all of the badges and either color match or black out all of the chrome on the truck. Well, the slt has less chrome, so that means less money to spend on paint. Also, I know I am going to lower the truck when I mount either 24"s or 26"s and from what I've read it sounds like the slt's (without autoride) are easier to lower than the denali's that come standard with autoride? Is this correct or am I missing something?

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[skippy737]

Just get the denali and be done with it bigger engine,'more options, id go for an 08 i think thats when they came with cooled seats. Ur nuts will thank u in the summer!
Some say they dont hold their value, which may be true but after 2015 ill prob have 30000 miles and im sure i could get 35k for mine

 

[Carolina Boy]

Just get the denali and be done with it bigger engine,'more options, id go for an 08 i think thats when they came with cooled seats. Ur nuts will thank u in the summer!
Some say they dont hold their value, which may be true but after 2015 ill prob have 30000 miles and im sure i could get 35k for mine

thanks skip! yeah resale is what it is. Im not really worried about it. at this point in the game, having owned as many cars as I have, I definitely understand the "you gotta pay to play" rule. dont get me wrong, I still scratch my head when I see guys paying cash for new $120k amg's knowing the second they drive off the lot they are losing $20k and in a year they will be lucky to make back $70 but hey to each their own I guess.

anyway, do you have any thoughts regarding the other questions I posted- high mileage with expired powertrain warranty, evidence of heavy towing, reliability, modding like lowering etc?

 

[blueflamed03]

me, Id take the lower mileage. anything over 100K, your looking to replace stuff...and if it has no warranty, unless your paying cash, you'll have that repair expense, and a car payment.

i always look at mileage as a major determining factor.
My 03 just turned 95,000.

 

[edgaranah1]

I would go with a denali. personally having an sle I have spent alot of money and time buying the oem parts it didnt come equiped with. the interior door panels even look better haha. I used to care about the mileage of a vehicle but after having 4 trucks in the past 6 years I really dont care anymore. This Yukon is the only truck I had for more than 4 years.

 

[mike1944]

I would go with a denali. personally having an sle I have spent alot of money and time buying the oem parts it didnt come equiped with. the interior door panels even look better haha. I used to care about the mileage of a vehicle but after having 4 trucks in the past 6 years I really dont care anymore. This Yukon is the only truck I had for more than 4 years.

Good advice. This forum is all about guys trying to upgrade their cars. That's why I bought a Denali with all the toys.

 

[alxs210]

Denali!

 

[fishhunter911]

Do you mind all time AWD? or would there be times you need a real 4WD? Also, do you need the larger engine? I just got a 07 SLT with 83k on the clock for a touch over 20k. If you find one that is well maintained you will be fine with the higher mileage.

 

[Carolina Boy]

some good points here guys...thanks! the difference between awd and 4wd is negligible to me as long as I have something that can get around in the snow. and its light snow...6-9 inches is a lot here

I think Im sold on the denali. from the research Ive done, it doesnt sound like lowering the autoride is that much harder anyway...plus I think im just gonna do the rear belltech kit for now to drop the rear a couple inches to level it out...I mean, $250 for a kit I can install myself, thats a no brainer for me and if I decide I wanna go lower later down the road Ill deal with it then

 

[GM Customer Service]

Carolina Boy,

For general used pricing information I would recommend looking at the KBB web site (www.kbb.com). This will help you get general information on pricing differences with the trim levels, miles, condition etc.
Now for warranty information this really depends on a few different factors. Are you purchasing from a dealership or an individual? I would take the following into consideration if you are purchasing from a dealer:
If the vehicle is out of the manufactures warranty, I would recommend asking about extended warranties such as Major Guard GMPP; however, you are planning on doing modifications and this may effect the manufactures warranty (if applicable) or the GMPP. These are questions I recommend asking your sales person.
As far as the vehicle you looked at, I am unaware of this option form the factory. I would recommend inquiring more about it and I could possibly get some information from our Technical department. I hope this information helps.

Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service

I am still hunting for my next yukon. There are a couple nice '07 denali's for sale locally and came close to pulling the trigger on one this weekend but then I started asking myself, why am I stuck on getting a denali? shouldnt I be able to find an '07 slt for less $ and have basically the same truck? Now that I've been thinking about it, I thought I would pose a couple questions on the board to get feedback from my fellow members? Your input regarding the following questions would be appreciated:

How much less should a comparably equipped '07 slt cost than an '07 denali?

I've been searching online and interestingly the slt's do not seem to be any less expensive than the deanli's and there are actually fewer slt's with the options I want than there are denali's which obviously come pretty much loaded but it get's a little tricky when you are looking for specific equipment and color combos, black on black or white on black, with nav, quad captains, 20's and sunroof. You get the idea.

Secondly, how concerned should I be about mileage?

I have found some solid deals on higher mileage '07s (denali's and slt's) in the 85-110k mile range. I know the powertrain warranty expires at 100k so should I cross off the ones with over 100k so Im still covered? I havent read much about relaibility problems with these trucks but just want to make sure especially with the awd on the denal's.

Next question- I looked at a nicely equipped '07 denali this weekend that had a small module mounted on the lower right hand side of the steering wheel. It appeared to be a trailer control module like you see in heavy duty dually trucks. Is this an option from the factory?

I know the autoride comes standard with the denali package (another nice feature for towing) but I havent seen this in any others. Also, would you be worried by this? I know these trucks are made for pulling, and I will be doing some towing of my own including a light bike trailer and a 17ft center console, but if the previous owner installed this module it makes me wonder if the truck was being used regularly to do more serious pulling that might have caused more wear and tear on the vehicle. Thoughts?

Lastly, the reason I started considering the slt's, as funny as it might sound, is becuase I already have a pretty good idea of how I want to mof my yukon and the right slt would actually be LESS work than a denali. Hear me out- no matter if I get a white on black and do the storm trooper look or a black on black and do the murdered out look, I know one of the first things I will do is remove all of the badges and either color match or black out all of the chrome on the truck. Well, the slt has less chrome, so that means less money to spend on paint. Also, I know I am going to lower the truck when I mount either 24"s or 26"s and from what I've read it sounds like the slt's (without autoride) are easier to lower than the denali's that come standard with autoride? Is this correct or am I missing something?

Thanks for your help everyone!