Considering 100 to GMT800. Am I crazy? (1 Viewer)

[matador454]

Strongly considering selling my 100 in favor of a GMT800 Suburban 2500 (6.0L not 8.1L). I love my car but know in a few years time (maybe as little as one) I will be yearning for more space as my young family grows and we also add another furry friend. Basically nothing can compare to the possible cargo space of a Suburban as a road tripper/family vehicle and the 3rd row in the LC may work occasionally but at big hit to cargo room.

From what I have been reading about the platform the 2500 is typically viewed as dead reliable, but not sure if that’s just a relative term. My LC is an 06 with 185K on the clock, and everything works, so that makes it tough to let go from that perspective but parts availability would also be way cheaper with the burb. Being able to swap the radio to standard double din while keeping HVAC is also alluring.

Another thing on my mind is low-mileage well-cared for 2500s are hard to come by so I feel if I wait another couple years it’ll just be harder and pricier. Unfortunately we have three vehicles already and a fourth isn’t in the cards if I want to stay married, so the swap now will basically be a wash or possibly net cash gain between the two (which will make any unforeseen repairs easier to swallow if so).

I recognize this is a 100 forum, but surely plenty have experience with this platform as well. I thought y’all could let me know if I’m crazy?

 

[newbielx470]

Personal choice should be respected. But being in SLC where LC's are much beloved, you may be mocked by neighbors for trading in LC for a Suburban

 

[Rednexus]

The GM800Ts are probably the best truck GM ever made. Modern enough to have good engines/trans, and they look good, but aren't yet hampered by too much tech, fugly styling, DoD, etc. They are EVERYWHERE around here, most of them get kept on the road and used as farm trucks, contractor trucks, shop trucks, etc.

That being said they are still a GM truck. You'll have electrical and mechanical problems - all of which will be easy and cheap to fix. Parts will be available everywhere, but you'll be working on it more. The interiors are functional but made of the cheapest possible plastics. There is no contest between a 2UZ and a 6.0/LQ4 - one is a dead-reliable, albeit somewhat underpowered engine, one is routinely harvested from junkyards and easily built into forced induction monsters. I doubt they'll be much of a MPG difference, despite the 6.0 having much more power and towing capacity.

I would personally choose a GM800T if I was primarily towing. They'd make a great oversized rig for towing a mid-sized camper. For off-roading and overall reliability, it won't be as good as a Toyota and you will be working on it more. You may need to occasionally fix it on the side of the road. However the cheapness of parts will probably make it close to a wash in overall lifecycle cost.

In every other situation I'd choose a 100.

 

[GTV]

Why not Sequoia?

 

[Trapper50cal]

If you need to go Bowtie, go all the way...

1977 Chevrolet K20 Suburban Silverado 4-Speed 4x4

Bid for the chance to own a 1977 Chevrolet K20 Suburban Silverado 4-Speed 4×4 at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #120,843.

bringatrailer.com

 

[J1000]

100 does SUV stuff but can also go off-road. Chevys don't go off-road so if you don't care about that then it makes sense. Also if you don't mind the interior falling apart, door cards coming off in your hand, and turquoise gauges.

 

[matador454]

Why not Sequoia?

I feel like if I’m going to make the jump for more room with all three rows, make it undeniably worthwhile. First gen Sequoia has definitely crossed my mind though since bigger than a Tahoe

 

[suprarx7nut]

Why not Sequoia?

I feel like if I’m going to make the jump for more room with all three rows, make it undeniably worthwhile. First gen Sequoia has definitely crossed my mind though since bigger than a Tahoe

I was going to say, let me introduce you to the Toyota Sequoia.

I'm not sure which generation the GMT800 is, but I was in a couple very recent year Suburbans recently (uber black) and while they were nice, they were definitely sub-par compared to an LC/LX. The older Suburbans are just cheap - inside and out. They are spacious, but that's about it.

Maybe the top trim GMC Yukon's are nicer, but I would definitely not want to trade an LC for a similar aged Suburban.

 

[ScotyDosentKnow]

Also would add it depends on what you want to do with it. Took the 100 to Ouray CO this year and on the drive down we were thinking maybe we should have brought our 23' Tundra instead. Once we got there I was happy I brought the 100 because even that felt big in areas. I cant even imagine trying to off road in a Suburban, the 100 is at the limits of what I would want to try to navigate/turn around on a mountain or forest road.

 

[TexLexican]

I had a 98 z71 and still love those trucks and prefer the sound and look of them over a lot of cars. I do not miss the cheap interior and random rattles throughout. Parts are cheap as well as build quality.

 

[Mike NXP]

These forums are enough reason to stick with a cruiser. It's really a nice perk being able to come here crying about our latest problem and having a world full of people chiming in on how to help.

That being said the Suburban is also bad ass and it seems like every generation produced are tanks. I see some old ones still kicking around here, got passed by one doing 80+ the other day.

 

[NE Snowman]

Crazy? nah, that would give you more room and keep more money in your pocket. I personally would not buy one. I’d pick up a 1st gen sequoia if it came to needing space….or a Sienna.

But it’s not a comparable SUV, build quality, reliability, off-road functions, interior quality, etc.

2005 2500 MSRP 42k (loaded)
2005 TLC MSRP = 55k (could you find them this low?)

Have you owned or driven a 100 yet? I was surprised how much smoother and how great the view is from the drivers seat. I no longer enjoy driving my wife’s 4R and I had one first.

These aren’t “cheap”, and if you find a cheap one, it will come for your wallet later.

 

[Rednexus]

Problems will be part of life with a GM vehicle, the big benefit is that they are usually very cheap/easy to fix. Toyota SUVs, outside of some components, are harder to work on, parts are usually not in stock at any parts store in BFE, and they are more expensive. Probably the most reliable vehicle we had was a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix with the Series III 3800 - that car would not die and was perfect at 214K when we sold it. I also hated it because the interior was cheap and the 3800 (despite being bulletproof) was kind of anemic, rough, leaked oil in the driveway, etc (e.g., not a Toyota ).

If we had a bigger camper, I'd love a GM800T 3/4 ton with an 8.1 and Allison transmission. Our camper right now is sized where my GX can easily pull it. I do like the simplicity of the 800T, however, they are a modern classic and probably close/near the "bottom" of their value curve before they get more rare and come up in price.

 

[Rednexus]

Crazy? nah, that would give you more room and keep more money in your pocket. I personally would not buy one. I’d pick up a 1st gen sequoia if it came to needing space….or a Sienna.

But it’s not a comparable SUV, build quality, reliability, off-road functions, interior quality, etc.

More space, yes, but compared to a 2500 Suburban with a 6.0, there is a major difference in towing/hauling capacity.

 

[Mike NXP]

If you need to go Bowtie, go all the way...

1977 Chevrolet K20 Suburban Silverado 4-Speed 4x4

Bid for the chance to own a 1977 Chevrolet K20 Suburban Silverado 4-Speed 4×4 at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #120,843.

bringatrailer.com

This thing is bad ass, this is the model I see driving around all the time. I want one

 

[Zjohnsonua]

The perk to the GM800 is their parts are everywhere, they have power, and they have space. That's about the end of 'em. They were built disposably, and it shows. Hard to find nice ones. Good on you if you find a nice one and can keep it so.

 

[jsloden]

I had been driving foreign cars for so long I had forgotten how bad the interior quality was on 90's and early 2000's american cars. I purchased a 96 bronco on a whim and was quickly reminded. This one had been taken care of pretty well but every piece of the interior rattled like it was about to fall off. The body shook and was just all around extremely unpleasant to drive. But hey, the top comes off.

 

[Trapper50cal]

This thing is bad ass, this is the model I see driving around all the time. I want one

Yup, true square-body, not the later models that have different front fenders that try to claim square-body status. It IS old though.

 

[tbisaacs]

I have a 200 series now but had a GMT800 suburban before. I definitely have a soft spot for them but they are really disposable and at this age it’s hard to find one that hasn’t been treated as such.

I hated the ride on mine and replaced every soft bushing and shocks etc.

 

[a_traut_man]

We had one growing up and I completely understand the need for more space. Personally I would go with an Excursion but I’m a Ford guy at heart and think they are built better than the Chevys… and this awesome build has always left me wanting a low miles Excursion to run into the ground

Full-Size Overland: The Excursion Part Two - Expedition Portal - https://expeditionportal.com/full-size-overland-the-excursion-part-two/