2017 Tahoe Premier vs Yukon Denali---which would you buy and why?

[hunter991]

Does the 6.2L require premium gas?

 

[Chris T]

Does the 6.2L require premium gas?

Yup

 

[DWebPro]

Does the 6.2L require premium gas?

Yes or Flex Fuel

IMO, my butt dyno says Flex Fuel gives 50+ HP.

 

[Guardian]

I just bought a 2017 Chevy Tahoe Premier with just about everything except the retractable running boards. I did order the HUD. I was looking at the 2017 Yukon Denali, but they wanted way, way too much for that vehicle and all they had were black, silver, and white.

I talked to my Chevy dealer about getting a new 2017 Tahoe Premier in Siren Red Tintcoat. He looked all over Texas to find one available and couldn't. Again, all they had on the lot were black, silver and white, and this was in April 2017.

So, he said why not order one from the factory. The GMC Yukon dealer never mentioned that option. It was take what they have or find one on your own. We ordered the Tahoe Premier with me picking and choosing what I wanted. I got the 20's with Chrome wheels. Exactly 6-weeks to the day, we went in and finished off the deal and drove the new truck home. I'm waiting on my title transfer and new tags.

I love driving this vehicle. I traded a 2012 Tahoe LTZ with about 44K miles and got exactly what I wanted for it. This new Tahoe weights about 500 lbs less then my old one and that makes a difference in how it moves. It's quick. I'm learning how to control the accelerator all over again! And this new Tahoe is quiet, very quiet, shockingly so. The ride is smooth with the Magnetic Ride Control which is one of the features that drew me to the Tahoe. I did test drive the new truck and put it over 75 on the highway just to make sure there was no buffering or air pressure problems that some people experience. Mine was just fine. Oh, this new Tahoe sits a little higher than the 2012 and being an older guy with stiff joints, it's a little harder to climb into. But, once inside with all the refined controls up higher so you can actually see them, it's great.

I think I saved about $10,000 over a 2017 Yukon Denali. That's a lot of money I can use somewhere else and still drive a nice, high-tech vehicle for a lot of years to come.

Just my opinion of course.

 

[jeffbco]

Yes or Flex Fuel

IMO, my butt dyno says Flex Fuel gives 50+ HP.

Is the 6.2 a flex fuel engine? In my 2013 5.3l Suburban the gas cap was yellow and there was info that the car was flex fuel. My 2017 Yukon Denali has no such designation that I can find - nothing near the gas filler nor in the owners manual.

 

[DWebPro]

Is the 6.2 a flex fuel engine? In my 2013 5.3l Suburban the gas cap was yellow and there was info that the car was flex fuel. My 2017 Yukon Denali has no such designation that I can find - nothing near the gas filler nor in the owners manual.

Yep! Whats interesting is I see the Escalade can handle flex fuel but cant find anything on the Denali being flex fuel compatible. Odd!

 

[Kendall69]

Denali not worth the extra 10K. I just brought home the 4x4 set with all of the Denali additions, and saved 10K. The grill who cares, the name Denali on the leather who cares. I got full leather and added thick sheepskins any way. The seat cooling still works. The vehicle is AMAZING. I got full entertainment, sun roof, etc etc. So I don't feel I'm missing anything including the 10K I would have been missing. The bigger engine - who cares, I can't keep the 5.3 under 80 mph no matter what I do. I don't plant on drag racing kids in rice burners to prove a point so the 6.2 is pointless. I'm not towing CAT tractors up the rockies, or 40ft long trailers so again, keep the 6.2. I'm getting 22 mpg when I'm nice to the pedal, that equals my diesel Sprinter so I'm glad about that.

 

[DWebPro]

so the 6.2 is pointless.

IMO, when my Tahoe is loaded with the family and luggage no towing, the 5.3 is horrible when passing on long road trips unless I put in octane booster. Even with the booster and 91 the 5.3 is still a slouch.

To each their own yes, there is no replacement for displacement.

 

[cardude2000]

Did you get the 8 or 10 speed or do you have 5.3 with an old tranny?

IMO, 8/10 speed and 6.2L is well worth the duckets.

Gotta pay to play baby!

 

[rjrdomer]

Did you get the 8 or 10 speed or do you have 5.3 with an old tranny?

IMO, 8/10 speed and 6.2L is well worth the duckets.

Gotta pay to play baby!

View attachment 83333 I just bought a 2017 Chevy Tahoe Premier with just about everything except the retractable running boards. I did order the HUD. I was looking at the 2017 Yukon Denali, but they wanted way, way too much for that vehicle and all they had were black, silver, and white.

I talked to my Chevy dealer about getting a new 2017 Tahoe Premier in Siren Red Tintcoat. He looked all over Texas to find one available and couldn't. Again, all they had on the lot were black, silver and white, and this was in April 2017.

So, he said why not order one from the factory. The GMC Yukon dealer never mentioned that option. It was take what they have or find one on your own. We ordered the Tahoe Premier with me picking and choosing what I wanted. I got the 20's with Chrome wheels. Exactly 6-weeks to the day, we went in and finished off the deal and drove the new truck home. I'm waiting on my title transfer and new tags.

I love driving this vehicle. I traded a 2012 Tahoe LTZ with about 44K miles and got exactly what I wanted for it. This new Tahoe weights about 500 lbs less then my old one and that makes a difference in how it moves. It's quick. I'm learning how to control the accelerator all over again! And this new Tahoe is quiet, very quiet, shockingly so. The ride is smooth with the Magnetic Ride Control which is one of the features that drew me to the Tahoe. I did test drive the new truck and put it over 75 on the highway just to make sure there was no buffering or air pressure problems that some people experience. Mine was just fine. Oh, this new Tahoe sits a little higher than the 2012 and being an older guy with stiff joints, it's a little harder to climb into. But, once inside with all the refined controls up higher so you can actually see them, it's great.

I think I saved about $10,000 over a 2017 Yukon Denali. That's a lot of money I can use somewhere else and still drive a nice, high-tech vehicle for a lot of years to come.

Just my opinion of course.

I bought pretty much the same truck except the base wheels. As you are in Texas, not sure if you went with 4WD as I know a lot of the ones down there are 2WD. I'm in the northeast so mine is Siren Red Tintcoat with Cocoa/Dune interior...love the color combination. Premier, HUD and the base wheels. Fixed running boards. Also got the max towing. I can't stand the thought of now having 4-lo so I just got the package. Love it so far. Also had to search for this car. Didn't want to wait to do an order as I had a GM Card incentive expiring.

 

[cardude2000]

I bought pretty much the same truck except the base wheels. As you are in Texas, not sure if you went with 4WD as I know a lot of the ones down there are 2WD. I'm in the northeast so mine is Siren Red Tintcoat with Cocoa/Dune interior...love the color combination. Premier, HUD and the base wheels. Fixed running boards. Also got the max towing. I can't stand the thought of now having 4-lo so I just got the package. Love it so far. Also had to search for this car. Didn't want to wait to do an order as I had a GM Card incentive expiring.

8/10 speed & 6.2 or 6 speed and 5.3?

It's getting hard to remember all the configurations.

 

[rjrdomer]

I just want to say Thank You to everyone that offered up their opinion/advice. I do appreciate all of your help! As of today, I'm still undecided. Can anyone tell me if the Magnetic Ride Control makes that much difference?

Thanks again!

To me, yes it made a difference. I drove a GMC Yukon SLT, Denali, and Tahoe Premier all on the same day. The sales people at both stores said I wouldn't notice much of a difference, but I did. My wife drives the Tahoe and she was coming out of an Audi Q5. I felt the magnetic ride control was more responsive, if that makes any sense. It made it a bit less trucky which was the goal for my wife coming out of a smaller Audi. I drive a 2002 Yukon SLT so for me,it didn't really matter. It was more for her.

I felt the Tahoe Premier was a nice balance between the SLT and the Denali. The Denali was a bit too flashy for my liking. I don't have the same issues passing on the highway as some others complain about. The car has its max horsepower at around 5k rpm, so if you're passing on the highway, you should get to that. Maybe I'm more tame of a driver but if a BMW sedan is doing 75, I usually don't need the extra umph the 6.2L would provide to pass him.

So here is why I went with the Tahoe Premier:

Magnetic Ride Control
5.3L takes regular fuel and to me, has enough power. If you're doing a lot of hauling...you may want to consider the 6.2L in a Denali or Silverado
I like the look of it better than the GMC. I like the bowtie and Chevy grille over the GMC
Easier to find with 20" wheels in my area. I drove both 20s and 22s and found the 20s to be a world of difference
Wife wanted HUD
I also didn't like that GMC stamps "Denali" on every damn piece of trim in the car. Headrests, steering wheel, etc. I'm driving a GMC...I know what it is. Don't need to try to fool me.

So it really comes down to your preference. Have you driven all of them? My advice is go and drive a GMC SLT and Denali. Then go over to the Chevy dealer and drive a Tahoe Premier within an hour of each other. See what you like. Drive different wheel sizes if you're unsure there. It DOES make a difference. I felt every little bump on the 22s. The 20s were better. I'd prefer 18s but you cant get a premier in 18s.

Also, look at prices. Maybe the Denali is nice and you like it, but stacked up against the Tahoe...you may not $8,000 like it.

I don't know where you live. Laura GMC near St. Louis or Everett in Little Rock generally post their rock bottom prices. See what's in their inventory and do some comparison shopping. Your local GMC dealer probably won't come close. But it should give you a base to negotiate off of. And if you can take the trip, go get the GMC at one of those stores. For Chevy....it's a little more difficult to find that high volume discount dealer with inventory. Quirk in Massachusetts is one. Classic in Texas is another.

 

[rjrdomer]

8/10 speed & 6.2 or 6 speed and 5.3?

It's getting hard to remember all the configurations.

Tahoe Premier comes 5.3 with a 6-speed.

 

[Guardian]

I bought pretty much the same truck except the base wheels. As you are in Texas, not sure if you went with 4WD as I know a lot of the ones down there are 2WD. I'm in the northeast so mine is Siren Red Tintcoat with Cocoa/Dune interior...love the color combination. Premier, HUD and the base wheels. Fixed running boards. Also got the max towing. I can't stand the thought of now having 4-lo so I just got the package. Love it so far. Also had to search for this car. Didn't want to wait to do an order as I had a GM Card incentive expiring.

In in San Antonio and I went with a 2WD. I don't pull anything and it's really my wife and I in the truck most of the time. I have the 5.3L with the 6-spd transmission. I don't do off-roading and I drive my vehicle mostly in city and occasionally on the highway. I'm retired so we're taking it easy and enjoying going where we want, when we want.

We also love the Siren Red Tintcoat with the Cocoa/Dune interior. It's really an amazing and classy combination. I have nothing but time so waiting for the factory order was just fine.

Congrats on the new wheels. I think you're going to enjoy it big time.

 

[Miami-Dade]

Congrats on your Tahoe Guardian!!

Do not recall seeing a Siren Red Tincoat Tahoe anywhere..Very nice color.

 

[Dcayman]

To me, yes it made a difference. I drove a GMC Yukon SLT, Denali, and Tahoe Premier all on the same day. The sales people at both stores said I wouldn't notice much of a difference, but I did. My wife drives the Tahoe and she was coming out of an Audi Q5. I felt the magnetic ride control was more responsive, if that makes any sense. It made it a bit less trucky which was the goal for my wife coming out of a smaller Audi. I drive a 2002 Yukon SLT so for me,it didn't really matter. It was more for her.

I felt the Tahoe Premier was a nice balance between the SLT and the Denali. The Denali was a bit too flashy for my liking. I don't have the same issues passing on the highway as some others complain about. The car has its max horsepower at around 5k rpm, so if you're passing on the highway, you should get to that. Maybe I'm more tame of a driver but if a BMW sedan is doing 75, I usually don't need the extra umph the 6.2L would provide to pass him.

So here is why I went with the Tahoe Premier:

Magnetic Ride Control
5.3L takes regular fuel and to me, has enough power. If you're doing a lot of hauling...you may want to consider the 6.2L in a Denali or Silverado
I like the look of it better than the GMC. I like the bowtie and Chevy grille over the GMC
Easier to find with 20" wheels in my area. I drove both 20s and 22s and found the 20s to be a world of difference
Wife wanted HUD
I also didn't like that GMC stamps "Denali" on every damn piece of trim in the car. Headrests, steering wheel, etc. I'm driving a GMC...I know what it is. Don't need to try to fool me.

So it really comes down to your preference. Have you driven all of them? My advice is go and drive a GMC SLT and Denali. Then go over to the Chevy dealer and drive a Tahoe Premier within an hour of each other. See what you like. Drive different wheel sizes if you're unsure there. It DOES make a difference. I felt every little bump on the 22s. The 20s were better. I'd prefer 18s but you cant get a premier in 18s.

Also, look at prices. Maybe the Denali is nice and you like it, but stacked up against the Tahoe...you may not $8,000 like it.

I don't know where you live. Laura GMC near St. Louis or Everett in Little Rock generally post their rock bottom prices. See what's in their inventory and do some comparison shopping. Your local GMC dealer probably won't come close. But it should give you a base to negotiate off of. And if you can take the trip, go get the GMC at one of those stores. For Chevy....it's a little more difficult to find that high volume discount dealer with inventory. Quirk in Massachusetts is one. Classic in Texas is another.

Thanks for the info!!! This is the type of information i was looking to gather. I haven't driven all 3 on the same day. However I may go this weekend to compare them all. My wife is currently driving a GMC Arcadia Denali but she wants a bigger truck to haul all of the kids sports equipment. I'm currently located in South Florida but I can't find any dealer in the state to come close to Laura's GMC prices.

Fwiw...I called Laura's GMC but they told me they won't lease me a car since I'm out of state. The salesman told me they had too many issues collecting sales tax for different states and counties. So I'm trying to find a dealer that will offer the same type of discounts as Laura's. I'll check with Everett in Little Rock. Thanks Again!

 

[rjrdomer]

Thanks for the info!!! This is the type of information i was looking to gather. I haven't driven all 3 on the same day. However I may go this weekend to compare them all. My wife is currently driving a GMC Arcadia Denali but she wants a bigger truck to haul all of the kids sports equipment. I'm currently located in South Florida but I can't find any dealer in the state to come close to Laura's GMC prices.

Fwiw...I called Laura's GMC but they told me they won't lease me a car since I'm out of state. The salesman told me they had too many issues collecting sales tax for different states and counties. So I'm trying to find a dealer that will offer the same type of discounts as Laura's. I'll check with Everett in Little Rock. Thanks Again!

Thanks for that info. I shopped Laura and Everett online only during my research. I never called either dealer since we decide to go with the Tahoe. But I do think, like you said, dealing with a high-volume out of state dealer may be easier if you are a cash buyer or are using your own financing. Leasing adds a few different issues to the equation.

Another difference, I'm not sure if I mentioned it along the line. Heads up display...I believe it may come standard on the Denali. It is an option on the Tahoe Premier to the tune of $500 or so. Even if you don't like/won't use the HUD, the instrument cluster is more refined and more digitized. With the HUD comes an 8" screen in the dash and only the speedo and tach are analog. Without HUD, you get the 4" screen and all of the gauges are analog. I recommend getting it. The whole middle section is customizable.

I've put pictures below to compare the two.

 

[rjrdomer]

Congrats on your Tahoe Guardian!!

Do not recall seeing a Siren Red Tincoat Tahoe anywhere..Very nice color.

Here is the Siren Red on a cloudy day. It's bright in sunshine and appears a much darker red in overcast weather.

 

[jpcortese]

Thanks for that info. I shopped Laura and Everett online only during my research. I never called either dealer since we decide to go with the Tahoe. But I do think, like you said, dealing with a high-volume out of state dealer may be easier if you are a cash buyer or are using your own financing. Leasing adds a few different issues to the equation.

Another difference, I'm not sure if I mentioned it along the line. Heads up display...I believe it may come standard on the Denali. It is an option on the Tahoe Premier to the tune of $500 or so. Even if you don't like/won't use the HUD, the instrument cluster is more refined and more digitized. With the HUD comes an 8" screen in the dash and only the speedo and tach are analog. Without HUD, you get the 4" screen and all of the gauges are analog. I recommend getting it. The whole middle section is customizable.

I've put pictures below to compare the two. View attachment 83440 View attachment 83441

I have HUD in my Corvette Z06 and have to have it in my next SUV. Being able to keep your eyes on the road and not at the dash panel is a real plus. It's why I have been interested in the GMC Denali. If it is available in the Tahoe Premier, I'll be taking a serious look at it.

 

[WillCO]

The HUD was a staggering $1100 on the BMW 5 series I had previously. I bought off the lot, so I ended up with a car that had one.

Meh. It felt like a gimmick. It was sorta cool but it washed out with polarized shades and my wife hated it enough to make me turn it off whenever she drove.

I'm not sure whether people are staring at their dashboards for extended periods of time as they drive down the road. I feel like a large numeric MPH indicator in the middle of the dash - which the Tahoe/Yukon have with any configuration - provides 95% of the utility that a HUD provides, at no additional cost.

Caveat, though. I am in a Chevy right now after 16 consecutive years of BMW ownership, and my point of view is that cars in general are getting too expensive with too many gewgaws that nobody really needs driving up the cost and complexity. So I am admittedly a crab on this topic. Get off my lawn.