Help me choose a cat-back!

[Prospect62]

Well, after cutting and splicing on my factory exhaust way too much, it's finally starting to give up. Since I bought the truck in January 2020, I've fiddled with the OEM "norma" clamp and never gotten it to seal right, I've had aftermarket mufflers welded in and cut back out, I've had my "flexy" pipe completely blow apart. Most of the welds done by hack the muffler shops have corroded and are leaking (New York salty roads+crappy welds).

I just put a new transmission in this thing ($5000 later) so it looks like I'll be keeping her for a bit longer than planned. The exhaust is leaking to the point I can smell it in the cabin and I've decided it's time for a whole new cat-back system. Here's what I'm considering:

Gibson single: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/gib-615637/make/chevrolet/model/suburban/year/2016

Gibson dual: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/gib-65687/make/chevrolet/model/suburban/year/2016

MBRP single: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mbr-s5043304

Corsa single: https://www.amazon.com/Corsa-14748-...f7-5c5b21200257&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m

Borla single (dual tip): https://www.summitracing.com/parts/bor-140558

All of these are the stainless versions of themselves because NY salt kills exhausts and I want this to last at least 5 more years. All of them appear very similar in construction and methodology. All of them use the factory "norma" clamp to secure the lovely ball and socket connection to the cat. I looked at Magnaflow but I learned that the Magnaflow kit retains some version of the V4 "flapper valve". I have my AFM tuned out and don't want that valve in my pipe, so Magnaflow is out. As far as I know, none of the systems I posted above retain any verison of the flapper.

The Corsa is like double the price of the other three. Is it really worth it? I know many here have used Corsa.

Just looking for input and opinions and if anyone here has personally used any of these kits, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks.

 

[Thrust]

I have the Borla touring, and mine does have the V4 flapper valve. They may make versions that don't? Best to check Borla's website.
I am pleased with it. If you sit in the 3rd row it is loud when someone accelerates but up at the drivers seat sounds perfect. My wife even liked it after we got it installed. Fit and finish was top notch and looks great with the dual tips.

 

[Danyi2170]

Got the Corsa with the black chrome tips. Love the sound and looks. I also have the DFM disabled. A little loud on cold start though.

 

[sealandsky]

Corsa all day long...

 

[Prospect62]

Does the Corsa have a flapper valve for the AFM or is it a straight pipe into the muffler?

 

[Danyi2170]

Does the Corsa have a flapper valve for the AFM or is it a straight pipe into the muffler?

No flapper valve

 

[Prospect62]

No flapper valve

Thank you. You like yours? It isn't "too much"?

 

[Danyi2170]

Love mine. And you will too. Buy it!! No but seriously it’s a great sounding exhaust. Receive many compliments on it.

 

[Prospect62]

Despite it's heavy price advantage and what looks like outstanding build quality, I have to pass on the MBRP. Every single video I have seen online of MBRP systems has disappointed me. They just sound boomy, flappy and loud for the sake of being loud...which I hate. I want something with a refined tone (which is why I always liked Flowmaster but they don't offer a kit for the Burb).

I like the sound of the Borla and the Gibson a lot. The Gibson has fitment and quality issues, I am told.

The Corsa seems like the gold standard but its SO LOUD. I think the Corsa might wear on me and wake up my whole house when I leave for work at 5am.

The Borla costs the same as the Corsa.

I am a very confused guy right now.

 

[Thrust]

I like my borla system. Not to loud but loud enough when you put the skinny pedal to the floor.

 

[Prospect62]

I like my borla system. Not to loud but loud enough when you put the skinny pedal to the floor.

The Borla is definitely in the running.

 

[Prospect62]

I have the Borla touring, and mine does have the V4 flapper valve. They may make versions that don't? Best to check Borla's website.
I am pleased with it. If you sit in the 3rd row it is loud when someone accelerates but up at the drivers seat sounds perfect. My wife even liked it after we got it installed. Fit and finish was top notch and looks great with the dual tips.

Apparently the GM Performance Parts version of the Borla exhaust has the flapper. The aftermarket version that you buy direct from Borla does not. Despite it being up with Corsa on the high end of the price scale, I think I may try the Borla.

The Gibson people were very nice when I asked about head-pipe mating issues and leaks I'd seen online, but I just worry about the quality of their kit at literally half the cost of competing exhausts. While I would appreciate the cost savings, I would also appreciate not having to crawl under the truck to fix the exhaust ever again.

The Corsa quality and design looks great and you won't find a single bad review ANYWHERE ON THE INTERNET. They also offer a very attractive discount through my GOVX account. But I just think it'll be too loud for my circumstances.

The MBRP has exceptional design, quality and a decent customer support team at a LOW price but at the end of the day I can't reconcile the fact that it sounds like a parts store cherry bomb. Numerous online reviews indicated that the interior resonance is VERY bad.

Due to the concerns I raised before, a "muffler delete" isn't an option. I want to do this one more time with a good quality cat-back and never worry about my exhaust again.

If Flowmaster made a kit for the Suburban I'd be all in because I'm a die-hard fan of the Flowmaster sound. Alas, they do not.

I think the Borla will give me what I'm looking for, but I am worried about DRONE because I had a Borla muffler welded in place of the stock muffler for about 3 weeks before I got sick of the booming drone and ripped it out.

Still can't decide...

 

[Prospect62]

I like my borla system. Not to loud but loud enough when you put the skinny pedal to the floor.

Do you notice any drone or booming at cruising speeds?

 

[Thrust]

The backstory on my exhaust is I found it on marketplace via an individual that buys damaged amazon freight. The system was for a 6.2L Tahoe/Yukon and had a small (50 cent piece) size dent on the top of the muffler. Other than that it was brand new. So I drove up to Topeka, inspected it, said yup that will work and handed the man $500. Once home, I went to a local exhaust shop here in Wichita and had them install it as well as bend up the piece that would allow it to fit my Yukon XL. The system is not a GM part numbered Borla system. And it does have the flapper valve in it. Now they may have changed that and got rid of it. The GM factory exhaust the valve is behind the muffler, on the Borla system it was/is in front of the muffler. The exhaust system was the first mod back in Nov 2020, after owning the SUV for over 4 years at that point.
To answer your question on the drone, no it doesn't have any. To my preference, it has the right sound (quiet) for trips, errand running, etc, but has a nice decibel when the skinny pedal is to the floor.
Attached are some pictures from when I got it installed.

 

[Prospect62]

Thank you for the info. I appreciate real world opinions.

 

[RB_Trucker]

I have a Corsa sport Catback single passenger exit dual tip on my suburban, sounds so damn good, cold start is loud but calms to a nice slightly raspy rumble, highway cruise is quiet stomp on it and the angels sing…. V4 is still enabled but I don’t mind it sounding like a big liter tractor motor.

 

[Prospect62]

I have a Corsa sport Catback single passenger exit dual tip on my suburban, sounds so damn good, cold start is loud but calms to a nice slightly raspy rumble, highway cruise is quiet stomp on it and the angels sing…. V4 is still enabled but I don’t mind it sounding like a big liter tractor motor.

Thank you. I have my AFM disabled via tune, so not a concern thankfully. I see many guys with the aftermarket exhausts and the AFM activation sounds horrible.

 

[Trey Hardy]

3 co workers have borla exhaust and they all love them and they sound awesome!
They have the atak mufflers so it’s a bit loud

 

[Danyi2170]

You still haven’t decided?!? Lol

 

[Joseph Garcia]

You still haven’t decided?!? Lol

It doesn't appear so.

The OP has received more good quality information on his question than I have ever seen in one thread on this topic. Excellent feedback.

Time to sh*t or get off the pot.