Denali Duramax: Expectation vs. Reality

[Stbentoak]

Good point . I’ve had the fortune of owning several Lexus vehicles in the past . Really bullet proof and reliable cars but I’d be surprised if their impending timing belt/water pump maintenance didn’t affect the resale value at a relatively high mileage

Nah, I don't think so... the vehicle will be 6-8 yrs old and on a local buy here pay here lot, dealers won't have it on their lot, and those kinds of buyers don't have a clue about long range maintenance. Plus, this belt has been proven to go 200K + so another reason that it is a non-factor. Also by that time, so many will have been done by owners who do care, that the price will come down to a more reasonable level, most likely under 1K.
There are a million other maintenance and fix items out there that could cost you 1500.00 that could happen to any vehicle at any moment. I'd be a lot more concerned about emissions system issues long term than this goofy belt. They are much more likely and much more costly.
BTW emissions coverage is a federally mandated warranty that is 8/80, but it only covers "Select" few components and those components are unfortunately not the ones you will pay for when they go bad. I've already been thru it with other vehicles...

 

[Dailypaints]

I have about 500 miles on the Denali Duramax and wanted to share a few things that may help people as they wait. I know browsing this forum for the 7 months after I ordered my Denali helped a ton but it also had me developing certain expectations about features.

Denali Duramax
No Packages
Power Retractable Running Boards
22" Wheels
Panoramic Sunroof

Sound System
I've seen several posts on here leading me to believe the stock Bose sound system would be inadequate. My wife's Infiniti has a Bose system that doesn't sound great so I was convinced I was going to need a subwoofer/amp. However, I think the sound system is fantastic. The bass is enough that it can slightly shake the rear view mirror but it won't be heard in the car next to you. The mids and highs are crystal clear. For context, I've had cars with two 12" woofers and I am big into home theater sound. If you think a Sonos soundbar and sub sounds great on a TV, you will love this system. But, if you have to have a full 5.2 theater with a sub that'll shake the house, then you may be slightly disappointed.

Cameras
The cameras are excellent and really make you comfortable driving a vehicle of that size. One small feature I find particularly helpful is when you reverse, not only does it have the lines directly behind the car but it also has a line to show you how far out the front will swing. Tough to describe, but you have 2 lines for the rear bumper and then depending on which way you cut the wheel, you'll have an additional line on either end of the front bumper as well.

MPG
I had high expectations for this based on other posts and I can say the Duramax gets unbelievable mileage for the size and weight. The longest trip I've made was about 75 miles and I averaged 30.4 MPG. Around town and short trips to drop my kids off at daycare, I get just over 20.

Safety
This is actually the reason I wanted a Yukon in the first place. I am the person that was always against spending money on cars and I drove an old Altima for 12 years. I now have 2 kids and I had a close call in my small car that made me look into safety ratings. I was surprised to find out that cars are only crash tested against a car of the same weight and size. I just assumed a 5 star safety rating on any car was good to go. This led me down a rabbit hole of countless articles but the bottom line is that your odds of surviving a crash in a truck/SUV exponentially increase vs. being in a car. The sheer size and weight along with the bumper height are what make it so great. I can say that I feel totally safe driving this thing around. At red lights, it makes other SUVs look small. Another thing in regards to safety is that the rear cross traffic alert and the pedestrian alert are incredible. Several times I did not see pedestrians until it would've been too late (they were walking on the shoulder) but I was alerted.

HUD
This is my favorite feature I never knew I needed. It is a game changer to not have to look down at your navigation or speed.

Retractable Running Boards
These are great as they are actually usable since they are so wide. My wife's Infiniti has small ones that you can't really put your foot on with any stability and you are better off not using them when wet. The Yukon running boards are wider than I thought they would be and are grippy enough.

Google Built In
My whole house is run by Alexa so I was sad to see you can't put Alexa on the 22's. But, I'm liking Google so far. It's minor but there is a slightly longer delay summoning Google than there is with Alexa. I also did the Youtube Premium 3 month trial which works great with this system.

DEF
I've never had a diesel so DEF is new to me. I had no idea what to expect in terms of refilling or even monitoring. I didn't know there was a gauge similar to fuel. I'm sure there's some sort of driving habit variable but at least for me, after 500 miles, it only went down 1 bar out of 8. So, if it stays constant, I guess I can expect to refill around 4k miles.


I'll update as other things cross my mind. I have a few mods being done in the next few weeks (tint, chrome delete, ceramic graphene coating) that I'll post about also. If you have any specific questions or perhaps would like any photos of any specific areas, just let me know.

 

[Dailypaints]

I have about 500 miles on the Denali Duramax and wanted to share a few things that may help people as they wait. I know browsing this forum for the 7 months after I ordered my Denali helped a ton but it also had me developing certain expectations about features.

Denali Duramax
No Packages
Power Retractable Running Boards
22" Wheels
Panoramic Sunroof

Sound System
I've seen several posts on here leading me to believe the stock Bose sound system would be inadequate. My wife's Infiniti has a Bose system that doesn't sound great so I was convinced I was going to need a subwoofer/amp. However, I think the sound system is fantastic. The bass is enough that it can slightly shake the rear view mirror but it won't be heard in the car next to you. The mids and highs are crystal clear. For context, I've had cars with two 12" woofers and I am big into home theater sound. If you think a Sonos soundbar and sub sounds great on a TV, you will love this system. But, if you have to have a full 5.2 theater with a sub that'll shake the house, then you may be slightly disappointed.

Cameras
The cameras are excellent and really make you comfortable driving a vehicle of that size. One small feature I find particularly helpful is when you reverse, not only does it have the lines directly behind the car but it also has a line to show you how far out the front will swing. Tough to describe, but you have 2 lines for the rear bumper and then depending on which way you cut the wheel, you'll have an additional line on either end of the front bumper as well.

MPG
I had high expectations for this based on other posts and I can say the Duramax gets unbelievable mileage for the size and weight. The longest trip I've made was about 75 miles and I averaged 30.4 MPG. Around town and short trips to drop my kids off at daycare, I get just over 20.

Safety
This is actually the reason I wanted a Yukon in the first place. I am the person that was always against spending money on cars and I drove an old Altima for 12 years. I now have 2 kids and I had a close call in my small car that made me look into safety ratings. I was surprised to find out that cars are only crash tested against a car of the same weight and size. I just assumed a 5 star safety rating on any car was good to go. This led me down a rabbit hole of countless articles but the bottom line is that your odds of surviving a crash in a truck/SUV exponentially increase vs. being in a car. The sheer size and weight along with the bumper height are what make it so great. I can say that I feel totally safe driving this thing around. At red lights, it makes other SUVs look small. Another thing in regards to safety is that the rear cross traffic alert and the pedestrian alert are incredible. Several times I did not see pedestrians until it would've been too late (they were walking on the shoulder) but I was alerted.

HUD
This is my favorite feature I never knew I needed. It is a game changer to not have to look down at your navigation or speed.

Retractable Running Boards
These are great as they are actually usable since they are so wide. My wife's Infiniti has small ones that you can't really put your foot on with any stability and you are better off not using them when wet. The Yukon running boards are wider than I thought they would be and are grippy enough.

Google Built In
My whole house is run by Alexa so I was sad to see you can't put Alexa on the 22's. But, I'm liking Google so far. It's minor but there is a slightly longer delay summoning Google than there is with Alexa. I also did the Youtube Premium 3 month trial which works great with this system.

DEF
I've never had a diesel so DEF is new to me. I had no idea what to expect in terms of refilling or even monitoring. I didn't know there was a gauge similar to fuel. I'm sure there's some sort of driving habit variable but at least for me, after 500 miles, it only went down 1 bar out of 8. So, if it stays constant, I guess I can expect to refill around 4k miles.


I'll update as other things cross my mind. I have a few mods being done in the next few weeks (tint, chrome delete, ceramic graphene coating) that I'll post about also. If you have any specific questions or perhaps would like any photos of any specific areas, just let me know.

Great to hear your input. Can you share your timeframe from order to receiving the vehicle. I just got off the phone with my dealer and he told me they were no longer building any 2022 Duramax Yukons and that I would need to start all over with an order for a 2023 and he pretty much said it will still be months to get it.

 

[Crash51730]

Great to hear your input. Can you share your timeframe from order to receiving the vehicle. I just got off the phone with my dealer and he told me they were no longer building any 2022 Duramax Yukons and that I would need to start all over with an order for a 2023 and he pretty much said it will still be months to get it.

I had 10 weeks from order to delivery of my Duramax Yukon XL SLT. Early march to mid May.

 

[tthecchadd]

Great to hear your input. Can you share your timeframe from order to receiving the vehicle. I just got off the phone with my dealer and he told me they were no longer building any 2022 Duramax Yukons and that I would need to start all over with an order for a 2023 and he pretty much said it will still be months to get it.

11/15/21: Ordered
4/21/22: Order Accepted
5/30/22: Order Produced
6/22/22: Delivered to dealer
6/23/22: Took Delivery

 

[1Guy]

If you’re doing lots of highway miles, especially towing, the Duramax makes great sense.

If you drive mostly in-town doing stop-and-go, this modern direct injected turbo diesel will never be able to regen its DPF as often as it needs to. These factors along with more points of failure: DPF, SCR, DEF, Turbo detract from using it strictly as a low speed grocery getter and kid hauler.

Not knocking the 3.0 Duramax in any sense as I am a huge diesel fan. Loved my old 2002 VW Golf TDI, w2003 Silverado 2500HD Duramax (LB7), 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 5.9, 2011 Audi A3 TDI, and current 2017 Jaguar F-Pace 20d.

Modern (post 2007) diesels are not the tractor engines they used to be with mechanical pumps that could handle filtered motor oil, biodiesel (B99), WVO, ULSD, Farm Diesel, or even JP-8.

These new diesels run extremely high fuel rail (common rail) pressures (20,000+ psi), and have complex emissions systems and have no tolerance for poor quality fuel with water and particles. They also are way more efficient, powerful, quieter, and don’t stink like my old mechanical VW Golf TDI 1.9 ALH, though these modern diesels are not as willing to drink any swill you give them, and they don’t last as long; at least their emissions systems don’t last as long.

I have been leaning towards the diesel but then I saw this posting. I am a low mileage driver, about 7k miles a year. Work from home, Daily driving is mostly in town, stop and go, kid and errand runner. I also have a cabin in up state NY. Round trip is 1k miles, I make this trip 4-5x a year. While highway miles may account for 50% of the annual mileage my daily driving is in town and stop and go. Should I be looking at the gasser?

 

[BrokerThis]

@1Guy yes, in my opinion, the gasser might be more practical in your situation. Esp with gasoline being cheaper than diesel at the current moment, due to political / world issues.

 

[bunky319]

I have been leaning towards the diesel but then I saw this posting. I am a low mileage driver, about 7k miles a year. Work from home, Daily driving is mostly in town, stop and go, kid and errand runner. I also have a cabin in up state NY. Round trip is 1k miles, I make this trip 4-5x a year. While highway miles may account for 50% of the annual mileage my daily driving is in town and stop and go. Should I be looking at the gasser?

My situation is probably not much different from yours and I have been planning on the diesel for a long time. I'd be interested in hearing from other people on this forum and getting their opinion to this question (although maybe it really belongs in the diesel sub-forum).

 

[Holy Roller]

My situation is probably not much different from yours and I have been planning on the diesel for a long time. I'd be interested in hearing from other people on this forum and getting their opinion to this question (although maybe it really belongs in the diesel sub-forum).

As already mentioned, diesels work best when run all day. Particularly on the highway.

But diesels can be used as grocery getters and mommy mobiles as long as your usage falls within the following suggested guidelines:

Diesels should never be started and stopped with less than 60 seconds running time. If you need to marshal your vehicle fleet around your driveway then a diesel is not a good fit for you.

A short trip would be defined as engine running 1-10 minutes.

A medium trip is engine running 11-29 minutes.

A long trip is engine running 30 or more minutes.

For every six short trips a diesel needs one long trip.

For every ten medium trips a diesel needs one long trip.

Most people’s driving patterns fall within these parameters. But not everyone.

Source: Nine years, 105,000 miles driving Chevrolet’s 2.0L diesel.

 

[Stbentoak]

While all of the above is true, I would add that the LM2 is probably one of the most forgiving light diesels designed. It was put together for the average person who wants the advantages that a diesel has to offer. It can handle short trips better than any other dmax as it has been designed for a daily driver type mode. I have never seen one on any of the forums I read (and I read many) "Gummed up" from short or non use. This vehicle comes up to temp as fast as any I've owned and completes regens in shorter mileage than any I've owned, even if interrupted. I've drove it 1k in a day and I've drove it less than a mile per day for 2-3 weeks straight. Not a whimper out of it either way.

 

[Seamus]

While all of the above is true, I would add that the LM2 is probably one of the most forgiving light diesels designed. It was put together for the average person who wants the advantages that a diesel has to offer. It can handle short trips better than any other dmax as it has been designed for a daily driver type mode. I have never seen one on any of the forums I read (and I read many) "Gummed up" from short or non use. This vehicle comes up to temp as fast as any I've owned and completes regens in shorter mileage than any I've owned, even if interrupted. I've drove it 1k in a day and I've drove it less than a mile per day for 2-3 weeks straight. Not a whimper out of it either way.

I concur. I am almost the exact same story. 2-3 weeks I may only drive 2 miles each way to my garage, one highway trip if lucky. Then just tow 1600 miles round trip to Va. But not one issue and I think I am at 16 months ownership and 13K ? I read somewhere it was designed this way also, for soccer moms. Just drove 165 miles today and 28 mpg, cant beat it. I think if you live in a very cold climate up north and do alot of short trips, that may be an issue where one would consider gas over diesel.

 

[skisanger98]

I have a 22 Suburban Durmax and within my first 6500 miles I have average well over 26 MPG. When I drive straight highway miles I am exceeded 30 MPG. As far as DEF at 6500 miles I had 3 bars left.

I have had other Suburbans with gas engines and the decision to go to diesel was the best move. I have been very happy with the power (towing and non-towing) and the milage.

 

[steiny93]

While all of the above is true, I would add that the LM2 is probably one of the most forgiving light diesels designed. It was put together for the average person who wants the advantages that a diesel has to offer. It can handle short trips better than any other dmax as it has been designed for a daily driver type mode. I have never seen one on any of the forums I read (and I read many) "Gummed up" from short or non use. This vehicle comes up to temp as fast as any I've owned and completes regens in shorter mileage than any I've owned, even if interrupted. I've drove it 1k in a day and I've drove it less than a mile per day for 2-3 weeks straight. Not a whimper out of it either way.

Wife and I both have baby diesels (eco and dmax) as our daily drivers. Either of them will go months of sub 10 minute trips before a long drive. Infrequently we will get a regen notification, but 10 minutes on the highway and all is back to normal. The dmax will regen quicker but it regens significantly more often and uses significantly more DEF (2x at least more), not really a complaint but an observation.

 

[Seamus]

Well, someone will own it when the oil pump belt needs to be changed. May not be the first owner, but if you are selling it, and the potential buyer knows they are staring at $1500 general maintenance coming, it will affect the resale. Agree, it’s not that big of a deal - similar to timing belt/water pump at 100k on Honda’s V6; gotta be done. But to just dismiss it as a “non issue” because the first owner won’t own it doesn’t alter that it needs to be done…is a bit short sighted. If someone is selling a rig with 120-130k on it, the buyer will ask if the belt has been changed, and it will swing the price as appropriate.

I still think the diesel is a fine option, and it’s a great engine. Depends on user’s application and preference.

I wish people were as maintenance conscious as alot of us but they are not. They just buy on price point. Especially used. But being a car nut always in and out of several cars, when I buy I look at maintenance when newer and along the way. Tells alot about how it was taken care of and used. We all look for common known issues. So this argument can be made for all 5.3 and 6.2 since 2021.....Everyone knows of the lifter, pushrod, cam issues. Whole top end comes off and metal may have gone through the motor. IF I were buying a 2021-2022 5.3 or 6.2 and DIDN'T see that the lifters were done.....I'd be reluctant to buy that truck knowing that had to be done and thats alot more expensive out of pocket..several thousand dollars. I'd probably be reluctant to buy if it was recently done too, because who knows if it ate the cam and put metal through that motor. I'd be MORE reluctant to buy the gas motor with no warranty as it is a guaranteed issue. Not one oil belt has been documented anywhere, and engineers recently said when interviewed they were happy to announce the interval is now 200K on the belt. The gas motors are dropping lifters with very low miles, there is no escaping that its coming eventually. I think the gas resale will be worse, thats an expensive fix. No man wants his wife in a truck that can get stuck.

 

[BigJohn76]

Does your new Duramax Denali have a low-range transfer case or is it single speed (high) AWD only?

It has high and low 4 wheel drive not AWD like older Yukons.

 

[Canadiansteelman]

What’s your opinion on the power of the diesel ? Does it feel like it’s struggling at all ?

The answer is no, that 3 litre diesel has amazing torque. Very hard to believe it’s only 3.0 litres in size. You can cruise at 80 mph and it doesn’t seem like it Is even working.

 

[jmzvet]

I wish people were as maintenance conscious as alot of us but they are not. They just buy on price point. Especially used. But being a car nut always in and out of several cars, when I buy I look at maintenance when newer and along the way. Tells alot about how it was taken care of and used. We all look for common known issues. So this argument can be made for all 5.3 and 6.2 since 2021.....Everyone knows of the lifter, pushrod, cam issues. Whole top end comes off and metal may have gone through the motor. IF I were buying a 2021-2022 5.3 or 6.2 and DIDN'T see that the lifters were done.....I'd be reluctant to buy that truck knowing that had to be done and thats alot more expensive out of pocket..several thousand dollars. I'd probably be reluctant to buy if it was recently done too, because who knows if it ate the cam and put metal through that motor. I'd be MORE reluctant to buy the gas motor with no warranty as it is a guaranteed issue. Not one oil belt has been documented anywhere, and engineers recently said when interviewed they were happy to announce the interval is now 200K on the belt. The gas motors are dropping lifters with very low miles, there is no escaping that its coming eventually. I think the gas resale will be worse, thats an expensive fix. No man wants his wife in a truck that can get stuck.

I doubt the lifter / valve train problem is “guaranteed” to happen on every 2021 5.3 & 6.2 engine.
I wish GM would release the data as to the number of V8s on the road vs the number of those affected.
That being said, If my 5.3 goes down, I have my 3.0 to get me around.

 

[tjs3922]

I had a 23 Ultimate on order for 6 months. Never showed. I ended up with 2 - 2023 Denali's with the reserve package. One (the XL) stickered at 99 so no real savings over the ultimate. Just fell in love with. My other one was a "good deal" sticker at 93 with dealer giving me 1500 off, plus a fair trade number for my 21 Denali.

I guess the only thing I don't have is the Ultimate interior which seems pretty cool and the wheels which I am not a big fan.

I love them both and feel like I made a decent decision for the time period (Oct 23).

I do have to say my white leather interior on my tricoat Yukon looks damn fine. I would say as luxurious as the Ultimate.

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

I had a 23 Ultimate on order for 6 months. Never showed. I ended up with 2 - 2023 Denali's with the reserve package. One (the XL) stickered at 99 so no real savings over the ultimate. Just fell in love with. My other one was a "good deal" sticker at 93 with dealer giving me 1500 off, plus a fair trade number for my 21 Denali.

I guess the only thing I don't have is the Ultimate interior which seems pretty cool and the wheels which I am not a big fan.

I love them both and feel like I made a decent decision for the time period (Oct 23).

I do have to say my white leather interior on my tricoat Yukon looks damn fine. I would say as luxurious as the Ultimate.

I'm a fan of the Light Shale/Teak...esp in the dead of summer.

A little microfiber cloth and water wipedown about once a week and the interior looks showroom new...

Every person who gets into my ride compliments the interior...Love it far more than all black...and honestly even more than the Alpine Umber...

BTW, I have white envy...many days I wish I had picked the White Frost...see sig, this is my first non-white GM Full size...(but it does match my boat...so there is that)

 

[tjs3922]

I have been pretty happy with the ease of cleaning the Light Shale interior. I have found a leather clearing/conditioning package that I am happy with (Lexol, easy to get priced well).

I did notice your white color preference. We were waiting on that Sage green color. The white tricoat Denali was special ordered at our dealer and the buyer backed out. My salesperson knew I might jump and we did. It is my first white vehicle ever and really like it. My XL is the Sterling Metallic and love the color. We didnt think we would like it. My liked it so that is how it came to be. Super glad we grabbed that one as well.

I will also try the microfiber and water once a week. Thanks for the tip!