The wife & I have a two-car setup & are thinking that perhaps one of us needs a truck + I like trucks alright + this is Texis, so we need a truck + the new Silverados look pretty good to me. So...we test drove one last night just to see what it was all about. We drove a black Z71 w/ a couple options and the little v8 (295hp, 305 tq), but nothing fancy. They're running 0% on the 2007s (appeals to the accountant in me) as well.

We both have lexus cars right now & I have to say that we were quite impressed with the solid feel of the truck, the smooth ride & the general appeal of the interior. Ergonomics were pretty good & it didn't feel like just a big, empty cavern you sit in while driving - the seats & cabin held me well while driving & cornering, etc. I would have to say that the fit & finish were on par with the luxury cars/suvs that we've been driving & the solid feel of everything from the door handle to the radio knobs to the doors shutting and the glove compartments (yes, 2 of them) was as good or better than the Lexus cars we're in.

I 80% expected to be quite unimpressed & to quash my idea of moving to a truck, 15% expected the truck to be alright, but probably not worth the trouble, 5% expected to be impressed. We were both impressed quite a bit & now this is a real possibility...

thoughts?

 

I know I'm going to get a ton of flamin' for this... but have you test drive the Tundra?

 

no, not yet. I fully intend to test drive the tundra, the GMC equivalent and maybe the Ford (but I think it's still ass-ugly on the inside, IIRC).

 

I've drove the new style Sierra. our local dealer had a big kind of party deal when GMC/Chevy redid the body style on the new Sierra. it's like this i've drove all of the big 3 diesel trucks
i rank them in the following order:
#1. GMC Sierra/Chevy Silverado(it's probably got the best interior and its a upgraded/refined from dad's 04 Duramax Sierra 3/4 ton) also they upgraded the Duramax. good work GM. the tranny is silk smooth
#2. Dodge Ram. If you look at the interior size alone if your a big boy(like myself 6 ft 4 275 lbs) . My dad's friend has a 07 Mega cab 4 door Cummins 4x4 1 ton. IN OHIO STATE COLOR RED AND GREY REPRESENT . it's like i'm a big boy and i can stretch out in the back and take a nap in the back if needed. HOWEVER the Motor(Cummins) is an animal but the transmission isn't as smooth as the Sierra or Silverado
#3. Ford Super Duty. We got 2 6.0 liter Power Jokes(as i call em) down at the station on squads. PIECE OF MONKEY SHIT best decribes those motors. they get recalled SERIOUSLY every 2 months. one we've had Turbo issues with. the local Ford dealer then brought a new Super Duty down with a 6.4 twin turbo Powerstroke for us to demo as a grass truck. I thought it had little to no balls. we just placed a order for a new Dodge 5500 Ram Cummins. we demoed a new Dodge and at times when i was driving it i was having to lift on the throttle to stay back from our engines.

 

if you decide Ford hold out till 09 if possible that's when their redoing the 1/2 ton Fords. they just redid the 3/4s and up for 08 with the Pooper Duties. did I say i Hate Fords.

 

Thanks for the input, Derek...I've heard that very thing about the Fords - a lady I work with had 2 (one lemon lawed & replaced by the dealer) that both had issues.

I'm not a huge dude and I'm coming from a Lexus IS, so space isn't a huge thing to me - I'd rather feel hugged by the interior than to be able to dance in the seat. I agree that the interior of the new Chevy is relatively nice & the materials they used are well suited for the interior.

I hope Ford's trucks look better than they do now - I may hold out, then. The interiors are all big, flat, panels.

 

I'm only 5'-7" myself and used to look like a midget in my Dodge Ram

 

^ 5'-7' is a midget, lol

 

The new chevy/gmc is a great truck. My buddy just got one (came from a 05) and its far better. One thing i would recommend is either extended cab or crew cab. It will come in handy and the extra space is nice to put things in so you dont always have to place things in the bed

 

regular cab - too short...like driving an Aveo
crew cab - wtf...this isn't a bus I'm needing...too long & funny looking

extended cab - juuuuust right Exactly what I want - a little extra room but not a limo truck.

 

how bout the titan? i got an 04 w/ 60K and only had brake issues, but that comes w/ the first model year. the interior is excellent. it was much better than that year silverado. I know they revamped the newer ones w/ more hp and tq. I believe the 07 titan has 317 hp and 390 tq. The new silveradoes are nice though. my buddy has one and the power is much better than previous years and the interior is a lot better.

 

I'd suggest a Titan however until they redo the body style i believe the brake system a POS. the reason I say this i have 2 different friends(one with a 06 and one with a 04) they each go through brakes every 10,000 miles. and they don't tow anything super heavy(4-wheelers, dirt bikes, runs to Home Depot/Lowes) you know usual stuff with trucks. to be honest I think Nissan put to light of brakes on the truck and don't want to admit to it. HOWEVER i believe on the new body style they'll learn from their lesson.

 

Just playing the devil's advocate here, but do you really need a truck? The reason why I ask is while trucks have a huge appeal at times, they can still be a pain in the ass. Fuel consumption, difficulty in some parking situations, and the space they take up in the garage. Perhaps a nice Ridgeline would be the way to go. A number of friends who like the idea of a truck have purchased them and really seem to enjoy them. Much more akin to driving a car. Perhaps a Tacoma? Again, not trying to discourage you, but the shortcomings of trucks can be very evident if they're not being used for what they were intended for.

For the record, I use a number of trucks between my farms, and have found the Fords to be the most reliable. My 6.0 Powerstroke was a fiasco, but my new 6.4 is a beast and haven't had any issues after 30 000 km. Whatever you decide, I think many of the domestics are now very comparable, price point being the deciding factor. As another poster has mentioned, try a new Tundra. My neighbour just purchased one, and except for horrendous fuel milage, she really enjoys it.

Terry

 

My daily driver is a Tundra, therefore I cannot recommend anything else since I haven't driven them yet. I'm in love with mine (CrewMax) and look forward to drive back home everyday.The only downside is the interior which still feels like a truck but really nothing dramatic.I still can't praise enought that V8. But you live in Texas, you might want to take a look at the domestics.The new Silverados are nice looking and it's nice to have a wide variety of engines.Do test drive the Tundra and tell us your thoughts.

 

Go with the GMC, but forgo the 4.8 and get the 5.3 with active fuel management, they are rated @ 15 city and 20 hwy.

Should be a great truck for you

 

I'm waiting for the 6 speed to give them a real look, but I really like the styling of it. The hybrid may be interesting as well...hopefully MMC they all get the 6AT?

 

I had a 96 Chevy extended cab for a little. I test drove the new chevy and was very surprised how refined the ride and steering was compared to my old truck.

I have read else(not sure where) that are HUGE rattleboxes though after a few thousand miles.

Also dont expect anything more than 15-17mpg as well.

I would find one used and test drive it and compare new to slightly used

 

what kind of discounts from MSRP should I expect? They're doing either 0% or 3K cash back, but the 0% is much better ( ). Is 2K off MSRP too optimistic from a 33K truck?

 

well, this midget can still kick yo azz

 

ol' dude is big

 

On a 33 grand truck with truck market weak i'd say 26-27 with tax.
I don't know what your local tax is. but in the state of Ohio it's 7.5%.
for 26-27 grand i'd expect to roll out there ready to rock. if one dealer won't "deal" don't be discouraged. keep shopping around work them against each other.

 

Tundra Limited with the 5.7liter. plenty of power and the motor is rock solid..how would you like to shred tires at a stop light without a ton of effort . i test drove it and i wanted one badly...

I think they also have the 0% financing.......and 5K cash back going on as well.

 

not that you would buy a truck for speed, but I believe the 5.7 does 0-60 in 5.9.... STOCK!

 

I have 07 Chevy Silverado Regular Cab LS Model. Brand new since January, 2007.

My impression so far... I would NEVER buy it with my own money. (Company provides it) Coming from Acura CL, i cannot stand its interior (relatively same since 2000), gas milage is ridiculous even with my V6, so nosiy...etc. My brake pads start making noisy after 6000 miles. chevy doesn't want to do anything saying it's normal...

IMO, I would pursue import if you MUST have a truck. I think you have better resale value and also get to enjoy it while driving it.

 

do you have a classic or the new body style?

2007 silverado classic (for those that don't know)


2007 silverado

 

i like the sierra over the silverado. front end on the gmc looks way better.

 

I have classic although I thought the new body style only applied to 2008 model. If I knew they were changing out the style, I would have waited for it. But oh well. Even with the newer design, I still think interior needs ALOT improvement. Then again, I'm used to driving Imports...

 

I was just looking at them tonight and my dealer has the red tag event going on and i looked at a few that were marked down 6-7k. I even saw a crew cab duramax with the 6 speed allison trans loaded marked down almost 10k

 

 

No offense but that is complete BS. Have you seen those new interiors by GM??? The CTS, Malibu, and Silverado are as nice as any other vehicle's interior in their class. Have you seen the interiors of the Camry and Tundra. Hard, crappy plastic and the panels don't even line up any more.

 

the denali ones are sick!

 

Agreed. The interior on the new chevy truck is every bit as good (and in my opinion) better than the tundra. Its the best looking one out there. (the chevy/gmc interior)

 

Have you went and test drove a used one to see if there are any weird noises, creeks, and cracks?

Post pics if you get one

 

Get the 5.3 liter. IMO, your resale value is dead if you don't. Also, if you plan to tow something you will want the extra power, and might possibly need it.

GM truck forum
http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/

 

Haven't driven it yet, but after a minute on google, wow the interior is pretty nice. I've actually test driven the Tundra and it hauls ass for a ginormous truck. I think it was a double cab, very spacious. Drives very smoothly and again, it hauls ass! I don't like the exterior or interior at all on the Tundra though. Nothing really matches or flows well. I'm not even an interior-kinda guy, I've always thought the G35 interiors were ok, but the Tundra on the other hand is awkward.

Silverado:

CLICK (warning: HUGE picture)





Tundra:





See what I mean? Way too much going on in the Tundra. I think the fake aluminum and shiny black plastic on the center stack ruins it, not to mention all the other shapes are blocky. And yes, the freakishly tall shift knob is as weird to use as it looks.

 

First of all, it's matter of personal opinion. I don't know what you normally drive to compare it but coming from 03 CL, let's just say, I've seen better interior. Now you're comparing with camry, Tundra... once again there is clear difference in comparing TOYOTA vs. ACURA.

Second of all, look is one thing... It's the materials that really matter to those who actually drive it everyday. You want to talk about hard, crappy plastic panels? just get in any GM and you'll know what I mean. I'm not it's not like that with Cadillac (for the amount they paid for) but most of wood grains in these trucks are hardly geniune. It makes it look cheap and it certainly won't last long. Like I said, few of my co-workers received 08 classic with the newer look and my opinion still stays the same as far as their interior. It's definitely different but not good enough to justify buying it over imports. Then again that is MY opinion.

To the OP, if the interior doesn't concern you and you're basically wanting 'big truck' with a lot of torque, I would say go for it. It is YOU that's going to be driving everyday. I just don't personally recommend it after driving it for 11 months. That's all.

 

plus, looks like he's looking for 'fully-equipped' Chevy truck that obviously is WAYYYY different than what I drive. I think we're talking apple vs orange in that case.

If you're okay with gas prices these days, I'd say go for it!!

 

My boyfriend drives 2007 Silverado (new body) Crew Cab. I'm used to smaller cars as I drive the TSX but I have to say that I do like his truck. I drove it from Chicago to St. Louis and except for not so good gas mileage, it was a great ride.

 

No, I dont see what you mean. The Chevy interior is butt ugly.

 

Ignore all that wood...that makes it ugly. The interior that I would get would be sans-wood & the dark leather seats w/dark carpet & dash - none of this ugly tan & wood crap.

The materials that make up the interior really are much nicer than they used to be & a whole lot better than many other cars out on the road. That's what one of the dealbreakers was when my wife got rid of her 04 Jeep GCSE...she was going to get an SRT, but the interior went from pretty good in 04 to looking like Tupperware made it in 05+.