Those Who Moved From an '07-14 to '15+ generation... How Was It?

Curious to get owner thoughts for those who happened to move from the GMT900 platform ('07-14) up to the '15-'20 MY - what did you like better, or what was perhaps worse, in your view?
Have any maintenance or DIY repairs been easier or harder for you on the 15+ gen comparatively?
Did you hang onto your GMT900 truck or sell it, and if so why?
Are you happy you made the jump when you did or, if you could go back, would you have waited for the '21+ gen?

Thanks all!

won't touch anything after 2020
but the k2's we have are so far pretty solid. thought they were kinda fugly at first but they grew on me.

I went from an '06 Yukon XL Denali to '17 Yukon Denali.
The '06 was much easier for healight replacement, and air filters.
I had the collapsed lifter/ bent pushrod on the '17 with the 6.2L which prompted me to a cam and lifter replacement. The rear cargo area in the '17 sux ass, it is sloped down toward the back, I keep a length of rope back there to secure stuff on road trips, aggravates the shit out of me to lift the gate and have stuff slide out. That whole thing, 3rd row seats and all are coming out soon.
Overall I am very happy with both vehicles and enjoy driving the newer one and it gets much better fuel mileage. Sort of wished I kept the '06 but I sold it to our middle son. He prefers that for road trips with his family over his wife's '22 GMC Terrain

Doubeleive said:

thought they were kinda fugly at first but they grew on me

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Funny, I think they look better in current times! More squared-off looking if that makes sense, if I had to put a reason behind it.

MobileHomie said:

I went from an '06 Yukon XL Denali to '17 Yukon Denali.
The '06 was much easier for healight replacement, and air filters.
I had the collapsed lifter/ bent pushrod on the '17 with the 6.2L which prompted me to a cam and lifter replacement. The rear cargo area in the '17 sux ass, it is sloped down toward the back, I keep a length of rope back there to secure stuff on road trips, aggravates the shit out of me to lift the gate and have stuff slide out. That whole thing, 3rd row seats and all are coming out soon.
Overall I am very happy with both vehicles and enjoy driving the newer one and it gets much better fuel mileage. Sort of wished I kept the '06 but I sold it to our middle son. He prefers that for road trips with his family over his wife's '22 GMC Terrain

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Dam I had not come across the sloped cargo area thing before, that is odd. Good to know. Honestly in our '14 I feel like the space behind the rear seats is arguably pointless lol.

Did you do the cam/lifter job yourself on the '17? I ask because I've watched the below video before and it's quite the undertaking!

The slight cargo slope isnt a problem - a hell of a lot better than the fold forward seats that had to be removed to get them out of the way - that shit sucked.
Pros: They are all faster and have better MPG. AA/carplay is the most advanced anything needs to be in a vehicle; once you get to stream your spotify while googling a map, all is well. There are much more storage cubbies including the unique one behind the screen, and the floor bin behind the 3rd row (which is much bigger on the burb btw). The dash is a soft touch material with "double stitching" that holds up remarkably well and of course doesnt crack. All the materials seem better actually. Buttons on radio/AC dont flake off.
Cons: Backup cam is worse. Halogen headlights are terrible. I liked the NAV on my 13 better, but AA is better than either OEM. Mirrors are smaller - too small. Finally, 2nd row cupholders are lacking with captians. Good news is all of these can be fixed with mods except BU cam. The K2s are the sweet spot IMO, and I have no desire to gamble on a T1 with all the issues they are dealing with...

The K2 has all of the problems the 900s have plus more of their own. I want to like the K2 because I like the way they look and the T1 is ugly and bloated with bad lines, but the quality gets worse with each body style. The biggest issue with the K2 is the ride quality. They’re very rough and these body style is prone to vibration issues at highway speeds if the tires aren’t perfect (read: buy nothing but Michelins). You’ll have better luck with 18” wheels and non-MagneRide suspension, but the 18”s look terrible and then you’re stuck with a lower trim level and a 5.3L. You can feel every imperfection on the road. My 2008 rides better than almost any K2 I’ve driven (and I’ve driven 100s of them since they came out and was the go-to for fixing the vibrations for years). The T1’s have much more plush ride, which is probably why people like them despite the massive amount of issues they have and the ugly looks. The other big issue I have with the K2 is they’re all boomy inside. From the pickups to the XL’s, they just get worse as the cabin size increases. Some are almost unnoticeable and some are very noticeable. The 15-16’s were the worst and had a bulletin about the roof but they all do it.

If you’re oblivious and can’t notice either of these issues, good for you. Many here tell me I’m crazy when I say these things but there are also plenty of people who do notice them. I am not planning to buy a K2 but of these issues. I have basically restored my 2008 with the intention of keeping it on the road for a long time to come because all the new stuff is just garbage that isn’t designed to last. If I do buy something else, it will very likely not be GM. I’ve been a GM fan since before I could drive but I’ve had enough, post bankruptcy GM sucks.

Runfor5 said:

Dam I had not come across the sloped cargo area thing before, that is odd. Good to know. Honestly in our '14 I feel like the space behind the rear seats is arguably pointless lol.

Did you do the cam/lifter job yourself on the '17? I ask because I've watched the below video before and it's quite the undertaking!

Click to expand...

The fold down third row and the false floor behind it have a definite slope. I do like the hidden storage, perfect for a small rifle and some range ammo! I folded the third row down the day after I bought it and keep an icebox and other stuff back there. We have only one child left in the house so I like the cargo area more than the seating.
I did not do the cam and lifter swap myself. It is a daunting task and I don't have the shop space for the Yukon. I had a performance shop do the work, they pulled the engine and did it on the stand.

Here’s a different perspective to your question.

I owned and drove a 2015 Yukon XL Denali for 6 years 149K miles. It was totaled by a drunk driver. Wife was driving her ‘13 Escalade ESV Luxury coming up in 128K miles, she wanted a newer one. Despite me trying to convince her ‘13 is in great shape well maintained and has a lot more miles in it she got a ‘19 Escalade ESV Premium and I started driving the ‘13 Escalade ESV.

Having now been driving the ‘13 Escalade ESV for over a year there are only a couple things I miss about the ‘15.

1. Passive door entry handles. Enables you to unlock and open the doors by simply having the key fob in your pocket. Don’t have to hit the unlock button on the key fob.

2. Push button start.

3. The 6.2L L86 in the K2XX is faster than the GMT900 6.2L L94.

4. The K2XX does get better mpg.

5. Bluetooth wireless audio streaming.

6. There are more USB and car charger ports in the K2XX over the GMT900.

Items 3, 4, and 5 above are fixable with mods if you’re willing to put that work and money into your vehicle.

That being said a lot of what @91RS mentions above is spot on.

The GMT900 platform definitely rides softer and smoother than the K2XX. It could use a little less sway but again upgraded sway bars solve this and I would recommend them for any model year full size GM SUV owner.

The seats are softer and more comfortable in the GMT900 over the K2XX.

I’ve been running on E85 since I’ve been driving the ‘13 ESV. Something the K2XX 6.2L is not able to do in stock form.

The bi-xenon HID headlights in the ‘13 Escalade are way better than the stock HID headlights in the K2XX Denali. But the K2XX Escalade Headlights are the absolute best. Even better than the ‘21+ Tahoe/Burb and Yukons.

The 6 speed in the GMT900’s is better than the 8 speed in the K2XX’s; Shifts smoother, not as clunky; But the 10 speed in the K2XX’s is leaps and bounds the best transmission available for the GM full size platform.

Just thought I’d throw in my observations and thoughts from a slightly different perspective than what you asked.

I have both. I drive my 08 avalanche daily, 100 miles a day to work and back (combined). I also have a 19 Yukon Denali that I bought new at the end of 18.
The seats are softer in the avalanche, I'm assuming because the rear traffic alert that's built into the Denali. The 10 speed and 6.2 combo is leaps and bounds above the 4 speed, 5.3 combo (even with ported heads and btr stage 2 truck cam).
The ride is similar. Both have 22s and both have Michelins. Getting a perfect balance on the tires is critical and it took 4 different shops before I found someone who takes the time to do it right.
All in all, they are both great vehicles. Both have their known possible problems and are about the same. I like the push button and the more refined interior on the k2 platform.

Given the age of the nnbs, I'd go for 18-20.