05 Tahoe or 09 Yukon

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Jester1023

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This question covers two different generation Tahoe’s/Yukon’s so I put it in the 07-14 section it could have gone in the previous generation section as well!So I am currently running around in a 04 Yukon with 182k miles on it this vehicle does not have 4wd it’s much like the Denali awd but it does have 4lo so it’s essentially equipped with part time 4wd

At first I was not too keen on this but I rather like it I bought this vehicle from a friend of mine who buys and sells a lot of older tahoes & Yukon’s it was and still is in good shape synthetic for its whole life I’m at a point right now though that I need to make a decision it’s starting to develop some rust on one of the rockers along with paint that’s starting to chip,peel,crack & flake among other issues though not major it’s starting to develop some quirks the instrument cluster is no longer fully lit,my air bag sensor needs replacing along with my fuel tank sensor I’m eventually going to need tires sooner than later so I need to make a decision soon on what direction I need to go.

The truck has run good other than routine maintenance I’ve changed brake lines had to replace an injector put a new cat in & swapped out a power window master switch so it’s not a lot but with 182k I probably need to move on from this vehicle before i start sinking more money into it as some of the fire mentioned can add up quickly especially with rust starting to develop and having to start fixing paint that’s starting to well crack peel & flake!

With that being said I reached out to my buddy & he has an 05 Tahoe with 120k on the clock for 7k I did come across another Yukon this one being an 09 4 years newer but 127k and 4K more and it’s through a dealer.my buddy knows the dealer as he buys & sells a lot and knows him personally so if I wanted to go this route I can and not be overly worried about getting taken for ride as my friend knows him as he occasionally sells him vehicles he sometimes picks up at auctions I’m just not sure I want to absorb a payment right now it would be easier as 7k is a big chunk of $$ to come up with in one shot I’m hoping I get a decent amount back with my taxes which I usually do!I already got the ok from the wife she wants another vehicle too but right now she’s content with her highlander she loves driving my Yukon though she says she always feels so safe in it.

Anyway I believe the 09 is AWD black it’s a flex fuel vehicle.the Tahoe i dont have a bunch of info on it just yet I only reached out to my buddy tonight to get his thoughts on looking for another vehicle and he mentioned the 05 not sure what trim or color it is yet all I have is the mileage I really like the color of the Yukon black and like the AWD I don’t do towing or off roading but living in the northeast we get the occasional snow storm like we got hit with today the Yukon cut through the weather & drifts like butter with no slippage whatsoever so I know what having a part time vehicle is capable of I’m assuming the Tahoe is a locking 4wd but I’m not sure not sure about it being flex fuel capable either which to me I’m not really sure of the pros & cons of flex fuel having never owned a flex fuel vehicle.

One thing I will say about the Yukon that I really don’t necessarily care for is the second row is bucket seats sure it gives you easy access to the third row but I’m yet to use it in three years the third row that is in my current Yukon I like having that seperation from the back area so I prefer a bench seat for the second row it’s not a deal breaker but it’s something to think about.the one thing I worry about with getting the older albeit only by 4 years Tahoe is development of rust spots but there is no way around it up here in the northeast for less mileage and money I think the Tahoe is the smart move but I do like the drivetrain of the Yukon and the few little extras that it has over the Tahoe not sure if it’s worth 4K more though I wouldn’t have to come up with a big bulk of money but on the flip side if I go through a dealer to finance only minimally I’d have to throw full collision on and I’m not sure I want to lock myself into another car payment as I just got done paying off my wife’s highlander

What are your guys thoughts

thanks
 
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Jester1023

Jester1023

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my apolgies it was late when I wrote this out last night I did not realize it would look like a jumbled mess!I edited the original to make it a bit more reader friendly sorry about that
 

OR VietVet

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You could guess I would go for the 05 Tahoe.

Hopefully the friend has records for maintenance and repairs on the Tahoe.
 
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Jester1023

Jester1023

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Thanks I'm thinking that was the right direction to go in the 09 Yukon does have service records I'll have to see what kind of records my Friend has for the Tahoe!
 

Bigkevschopshop

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both have pros and cons.

I guess the best thing to tell you is, what vehicle makes you happy? Both should do you well on service if properly maintained by prior owners. The interiors in the 07-14 are better for seating etc, dashes are their weak spots. Suspension, getting out of torsion bar front end is kinda nice also. But Simplicity of the 00-06 is the key reason why I always gravitate back there also.

I always look at service records on anything I am considering, I can generally rule out the badly maintained ones, since most of the records are on carfax reports now. My 03 tahoe I got showed 140k but was really 240k on it, someone swapped clusters, 2500 dollars is what I bought it for, spent some money on her, but for having almost 300k on it when I sold her, she always got me home. I cant complain and it always did me well. My upgrade from there was a 2012 subruban with 97 k. Sold at 150k miles, did me well till it got hit.

Its all on what YOU like man. Get something comfortable, and in good shape, a few thousand for better maintenance and better truck is worth it in my opinion. I paid high for my current yukon, but service records were very detailed, paint and drivetrain is perfect, interior good other than dash.
 
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Jester1023

Jester1023

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Thanks Big Kev I appreciate the input I already know pretty much what the 2nd gen tahoes/Yukons are all about there probably is not much of a difference between 04/05 I'll have to check in with my buddy about service records for the Tahoe.

The Yukon has very detailed reports but notice there is a redflag as well as it has been maintained there is an accident on the vehicle the carfax says Minor but carfaxes really don't give you much details of the extent of the accident I know a few Body guys so I can always have one of them take a ride down with me to take a look at the yukon if I decide to go that route the records on that is very detailed!
 

petethepug

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We almost stayed with a NBS when it was time to purchase another Yukon. We had an 06 Denali and sold it in 08. It was time to go back to a full size SUV in '14 and I was going to get another 06 or the new body style (NNBS) in an 07 or 08. We purchased an 08 Denali XL and completely amazed at the difference between the NBS & NNBS (07-14). The 6.2L motor is all aluminum. Paired to a 6SP vs the 4SP in the 06 Denali XL it's a day and night difference. Back up camera is standard and it's the last year GM also incorporated staged LED lighting visible through the rear view mirror as a visual warning as well as sensors that proximity beep at the same time.

It's all leather inside and it's good leather at that. It may or may not have air conditioned front seats but deffinetly will have heated seats front & back. If you want to swap out the captain chairs for a bench it's a bolt in, bolt out process but only between the same chassis length, standard or XL configurations. 2nd row seats tumble forward with the flick of a switch.

Since you mentioned 09 and AWD that leaves the only option as the Denali trim. 2009 is the golden year for the NNBS and the Yukon Denali XL. It's also the first year Bluetooth (phone only) is integrated into the OnStar module. The hp gets up'd to 403 from 385 and, like you said, it is flex fuel compatible. More importantly 09 is the one and only year GM has the flex fuel motor and no cylinder deactivation (AFM). Without the AFM, there's no additional hardware to circulate in the motor is oil changes were missed. GM also updated seals in the transmission in 09 to cure a 2nd-3rd shift issue.

Check out the brochure ... GMC_US Yukon_2009

Good luck with whatever you choose
 
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Jester1023

Jester1023

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Thanks Pete I appreciate all of that!I'll read up on it!I did not go and look at the Yukon yet the vehicle is not A denali and I was mistaken about it being an AWD vehicle.I'll have to go down and at least give the vehicle a look!
 
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wsteele

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There are a few things to consider on the '09 that you don't have worry about on the '05.

I have an '07 Yukon, it came with AFM (Active Fuel Management). That sounds like a great idea, right? Well actually, it isn't such a great idea, especially in the '07-'09 years. You see, when the '07 rolled out, it had a few design glitches that they didn't correct until the '10-'11 model years. It has to do with how one of the valve cover was designed and also how a pressure relief valve in the crankcase worked.

My '07 ran fine for about 95K miles. It then picked up a low idle miss. When I had it looked at, the dealer finally concluded I had some stuck rings that they couldn't unstick with a solvent bath. Because my engine was under 100K, GM stepped up with new rings and pistons and while down there, they installed a oil deflector on the pressure relief valve and a new valve cover (both stock starting like in '10-'11 model years) to help avoid the stuck ring thing going forward.

So, if it were me, I would avoid the '09, unless all of the above had been done on that truck. :)
 

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