:help: I'm considering either an '05 1500 Z71 5.3 Ext. Cab/Standard Box or an '05 2500HD DMax Crew Cab LS/Standard Box. I just drove the DMax this morning. What a beast! The ride was not as harsh as I expected, and the engine had bags of torque... I accelerated to 80 faster than a vehicle of it's size ought to be able to. It's equipped properly and will more than suit my needs. I have some concerns with this truck, however.

First, and honestly, it may be alot more truck than I really need. I plan to haul my full-dresser motorcycle (~800 lbs) in the bed while possibly towing a second motorcycle (bike+trailer ~ 1,000 lbs), maybe 3-4 times a year for several thousand miles. In addition to the occaisional haul, I'm something of a weekend warrior regarding the usual homeowner projects... building/landscaping, flooring, electrical, etc etc etc. I do not currently own a camper trailer, but I have been giving it some thought and it may materialize within the next few years. All in all, it's really nothing a 5.3 Z71 could not handle.

Second, here in NY the 2500HD must be registered as a commercial vehicle. That means I cannot drive it on parkways... a deal-breaker. I can "obtain" a reciept indicating that I have had a cap permanently installed on the bed, along with seat and seatbelt mounting hardware, and re-register it as a passenger vehicle. ;) But that has to be my doing, and there are no guarantees. I spoke to a DMV counter-person and it sounds like they really don't care, and I have seen quite a few 2500's and 3500's with passenger plates in my area, but I'd hate to end up with a commercial vehicle I don't want or need.

And finally, this thing is gonna break my bank account. I know that the DMax will retain more value longer than a gasser, and it also eventually pay for itself in the long-haul, but again, I may not really need it in the first place.

So, with all that said, what do you guys think? Should I go with the sure-thing Z71 and save about 8-grand, or pull the pin and spring for the DMax and hope to heck the DMV lady is in a good mood when I get to her counter? I know this is kind of a biased group to be asked about DMax vs. Vortec, but please try to be fair. I'm truly stuck. :confused:

8k does suck, so make sure you are going to keep it forever, or NEED it to haul/tow.

Ah, what the heck just get it if you want it, you only live once, and just think about that DMAX feeling every time you get behind the wheel, it's like a mini vacation.

If I were you ... i would buy the 1500. You do not need the bigger truck, it sounds like you are unsure if you can afford the bigger truck ... so why buy the bigger truck?

If I were you ... i would buy the 1500. You do not need the bigger truck, it sounds like you are unsure if you can afford the bigger truck ... so why buy the bigger truck?

It's not so much the "abiliity" to purchase as the "need" to purchase. Believe me that I am suprised at myself for even considering a gasser over the 'Max. I went over the numbers again after posting and the difference between the two trucks is a solid ten grand. TEN GRAND! Sure, we're talking Crew vs. Extended as well, but TEN FRIGGIN' G's!

I'm going back to the dealer on Wednesday for a side-by-side comparison/demo drive. This may go down to the wire....

...On the other hand, I'd really hate to be a year or so down the road and saying to myself "Why, oh why did I not get the 2500 DMax Crew when I could have?" I'm singing that song right now having purchased an S-10 Crew in 2002....

You mentioned that you may decide to buy a camper in the next few years. If you think that will become a reality, you are limiting your choices with the 1/2 ton. I''m a camper and I've yet to meet someone who says they have too much truck. That would be my biggest concern over which truck to buy. Another option of course is the 2500HD with the 6.0 gas engine. Kinda between the two options you mentioned. Yes I'm a D-max owner (well, me and the bank), but it's crazy to blow the extra coin if you don't see the need in the future. Diesel fuel prices are no longer an argument for buying a Duramax, either. A 6 liter HD will give you the extra power you may want over the 1/2 ton, and give you a bit more leeway down the road if you decide to buy a camper. The GM discount going on right now is enticiing too, so you can probably get into a diesel cheaper now than ever. Good luck with your decision.

And there is always the 8100 too. You won't be dissappointed either which way you go. I started looking at a Colorado and worked my way up to the Dmax. I don't NEED it, but it is fuel efficient and powerful. Plus the CrewCab 1500's have a much smaller bed. You will be glad if you get a CC (with the normal sized bed of course)!!

There is also a 1500HD that has the 6.0 in it, but they are hard to find in my area the way I would want one equipped. Good luck.

Here are my $.02.....in Connecticut my dmax CC was issued combination plates and I have no problems getting on the only limited access hwy we have here (merit pkwy). I just can't expect to pull the camper there. I've seen "comb" plates in NY on some pickups - check it out - can't see why you'd have a problem - the truck has the same footprint as the Z71. I agree with the comment about never having enough truck - I hear a LOT of folk with regrets about being undersized - especially folks pulling campers. Maybe thats why all us dmax guys are so content. Its a hell of a vehicle - expensive yes - but if you take care of it it'll give many years of service and a much higher resale when its time to trade. And the endorsement of the CC is right on - especially if you have a family. I'm thinking that net/net the difference at the end would be a lot less than $10K. Good luck with your decision.

ok, my 0.02 for this subject, i had gone back and forth about the whole factory muscle truck versus the the Dmax crewcab diesel. if i loose my current job i can use it for hauling mobile rv's/trailers/etc... BUT the cost is more, on the other hand, i can get a nicely loaded GM sport truck that has all kinds of balls in horses!!! and costs less, but they both should be in the same ballpark for fuel consumption.. NOW, lets throw in a curveball at this moment and add the GM employee discount to save serious bucks on top of that. HMMMMMMM

that either makes your decision harder now, or makes the real beefy truck more affordable for you.... i got my $50k truck for $38k with the special financing and a trade-in...
its all in how you desire to look at it...

Lots of good advice from everyone... :)

It's going to come down to a seat-of-the-pants, back-to-back-to-back test drive on Wednesday (tomorrow). For now, I can't honestly forsee purchasing a camper anytime in the next few years, but who knows? Pulling two bikes a coupla thousand miles at a time a coupla times a year is about the most hauling I do. Sure, I'll fill the bed with mulch or gravel now and again, but that's not every day either. I want the DMax for it's power, and the overall sense of overkill appeals to my musclecar roots... the Crew Cab is nice, too. Forget the 1500 CC's with that tiny bed. But the 5.3 Z71 will do 98% of what I need it to do... right now... for alot less coin, but I'd rather have too much truck than not enough... like I have now <sigh>

I'll be sure to post the results of tomorrows test drives... the wife is coming and she is going to drive them, too. She loved my (her) 1992 K1500 Blazer and misses it... I have a feeling she is going to lean towards the Dmax. Watch this space for breaking news.

Your're a done deal if your wife drives the Duramax. She may let you pick the color, tho.

10k isnt that much difference if you consider the chance that you maybe be unhappy with the 1500 and lose out big time on trade in value when you decide to get the dmax. I lost quite a bit of money trading in my ford to get a dmax but its what I wanted and I can afford so I did it. Probably not the smartest thing I have ever done but Im loving every minute of the dmax. Im still young and can make less than ideal decisions and find some sort of excuse to make it ok. Both trucks are awesome, cant go wrong either way. ):h

Dave

Just got home from driving two trucks.

Truck #1: 2005 2500 D/A CC/Std.
Truck #2: 2005 1500 Z71 5.3, Ext/Std....

Impressions:

#1. What a monster. Pulls like a locomotive, and sounds like one! I've never owned (or even driven) a diesel, and I see the allure. Ride was not bad, but not great... even on three-lane superslab there were a few jitters on expansion strips and even a bit of a shimmy at 80MPH (when I got back to the dealer, I saw that 3 lugs were missing from the front/right and 4 missing from the rear/right :eek: ). Good turning radius, though... it has moves that defy it's size. A little noisy inside, but not anything that would distract. The back seat is awesome. All in all, it's alot of truck. Absolutely not a pretend truck, either... payload is over 3K!

#2. Quiet and smooth. The 5.3 seemed like it had plenty of grunt and was willing to pull to the redline (which it did) and sounded like, well, an older small block. The power driver seat was a joy, and the Auto-Trac splitter is a welcome sight... I actually engaged it at 70 MPH in a downpour. The cab is damn near silent on the road, and the ride is almost car-like. Did I mention this thing it quiet? The back seat is there, but as we all know, not too inviting. 1300-pound payload is not too much of a concern with an 800-pound motorcycle, but might become a concern with a bike in the bed and towing another.

Costs:

#1 GMS = $37,417. Subtract trade, add tax, subtract $3K rebate and it's ~ $22,311.
#2 GMS = $29,572. Subtract trade, add tax, subtract $3K rebate and it's ~ $13,022.

The bottom line:

I tow an 800-pound motorcycle 3,000 miles round-trip once or twice a year. That accounts for between 15-30% of my roughly 15-18K annual mileage. I'll estimate another 5% of the time hauling building materials. The rest of the time I'm commuting 42 miles round trip or driving empty. I do not truly need to own a locomotive in order to get this done.

Much to my surprise (seriously), my wife did not care for the DMax. Too rough around the edges and she swears the front passenger seat was not as comfortable as the Z71, even though she agrees they are identical. She like the Z71, comparing it to our late beloved K1500 Blazer.

Now, some reality checking. I made a mistake in 2002 when I bought the S-10 CC short bed. I rationalized that the Silverado was overpriced at $27K and that I could save $5K and get better mileage while still git'n it done with the S-10. I regretted it almost immediately. I usually keep my vehicles about 5 years, but I'm dumping the S-10 in 3.5. Despite this, my gut instinct right now is that the DMax is more truck that I will need in the next 5-7 years and to go for the Z71. For even money, I'd grab the DMax and accept the extra grit. But I really don't think my driving and hauling habits justify an $8K expenditure.

I told the dealer I'd call him my midday tomorrow (Thursday) with my decision. And for the record, I have NEVER in my life agonized like this over a vehicle purchase. I'm acting like an indecisive chick with this thing. Comments?

You're going to have to compromise the ride quality a bit with the HD. That's part of the difference between the 2 trucks. 1/2 tons have a more car-like ride. I am surprised your wife preferred the Z-71, but all in all you are being very pragmatic in your decision. That's not a bad thing. Most of us on this site don't NEED a diesel, either. I had a 3/4 ton 6.0 before that was getting the job done for me. My new trailer pushed the truck to its' limits and GM had good incentives last year on diesels (not as good as this year, tho), so I took the leap. I can't justify why I went all the way up to a diesel, there were other options, but I don't have to. I could afford it, and I'm glad I did. As Kramer says "You gotta listen to the little man inside you". Seems to me he's saying "Z-71". You're right, it will do all you need it to do, your wife prefers it, and it will save you $. No, $$$. Good luck, and let us know.

Congrats on your purchase. You are now the proud owner of another high quality GM product!

Have you thought about keeping your current vehicle? I bought the 04.5 duramax and allison but kept my 94 s-10 with the gas 4.3 V6. I do all the towing (10,000 lb trailer) with the sierra and all my work commuting with my s-10 (with 195,000 miles on the pickup). I'd much rather put my "dry driving" miles on the old pickup and save all my fun RV ing miles for the sierra. Yes I do have to insure an additional vehicle and do the maintenance on it but it makes me feel better to put the easy miles on the much cheaper vehicle and saving the "speciality" vehicle miles for the truck that I bought specifically to tow with. I just can't imagine how much sooner I would wear out the great truck by commuting with it. just my preference!

If it ain't too late...... As you can see from my sig I have both the trucks you're contemplating. My wife like yours wanted the Z71. I took the Big "D". Now she wishes she could have mine. :( Too bad. I don't need it either but I'd kill to keep it.
Even my wife agreed if one had to go it would be the Z71...

Besides, she does look pretty darn sharp drivin the beast.
Either way they are great trucks. Good luck. :)

In order to make the comparision apples to apples as possible, you need to back out the additional costs of the crew cab over the extended cab. You should also factor in the difference in depreciation and the fact that many components are much stronger in the HD and will last longer (lower maintenance expense).

Also, be aware that the HD trucks normally are delivered with 80 lb pressure in the tires. Most drive them empty at around 55 lbs. This will help the ride.

It's done. I signed a contract to buy the Z71. I take delivery on Wednesday.

I slept on it last night after driving the Z71 and D/A back-to-back, hoping to wake with a decision. Instead, I woke with a headache. I really wanted to love the DMax, but I didn't. Maybe I'm getting old (maybe??), but I really don't think the ride is forgiveable... this coming from a guy who once owned an '84 Rabbit GTI :D . The Dmax is one hell of a truck and I have a newfound respect for it after the test drive. But it's just not for me... not right now, anyway.

I want to thank everyone who responded to my corny noob post without torching me, especially BLUEHERON. You guys rock... :ro) . I'll probably be dropping into lurk mode here just to keep abreast on whats going on, but I'm afraid I don't have much to add. Who knows... maybe in a few years when I get my 28' Bounder....

Later.

Rockhead

Good luck with your new truck. You made an educated decision on what to buy. I'm sure it was the right one.

Popping out of lurk mode to offer you guys a couple of cold ones and wish everyone a happy new year. I've got about 9K on the Z-71 so far and added a Westers PCM tune just last month. It woke up the 5.3 nicely and got an extra half-MPG to boot! I love the gasser, but I will admit to a bit of diesel envy whenever a nice 2500 pulls up next to me.
:cool2:
I'm glad I went the gas route, especially in light of the fact that the DMax I was looking at was (is) an LLY... not that there's anything WRONG with that... I just would have been annoyed to have gotten it home only to have the new motor release a month later!

Anyways, just giving a shout to let all know I'm still here and to say thanks for all the advice. Dropping back in to lurk mode....:cool:

Rockhead

Go for the 1500, unless you think you are going to pull alot more in the future.

Avoid the 04.5 or 05 Duramax, big time overheating problems. I have first hand experience with this problem.

FM

Go for the 1500, unless you think you are going to pull alot more in the future.

Avoid the 04.5 or 05 Duramax, big time overheating problems. I have first hand experience with this problem.

FM

Thanks for the advice... I made the purchase back in July. Look two posts up... I was just sayin' "Hey" and "Thanks".):h

Rockhead,

This thread is kinda interesting to me because I just went through the same debate with myself. Currently have a Tacoma 2WD and need another truck due to buying a farm and not have having 4WD. Last year I pulled a trailer approx 5 - 10 times around town ( 30 - 50 miles roundtrip ) and my truck ( getting 9MPG though ) did it fine but I was only towing approx 1 - 2k pounds. I have a 40 mile roundtrip commute to work, all highway. My wife and I test drove both the 2006 2500HD CC LLY Duramax and the 2006 1500 CC w/ the 5.3 and were very impressed by the ride amenities etc. I have a buddy at work and we debated back and forth on whether too get a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton. He says that for what I need to do a 1/2 ton will work 75% of the time and that the 7k additional price tag for the diesel is a wash w/ the gasser 2500HD.

After much debating w/ myself and my buddy I bought the 2500HD LLY EC ( I got the LLY over the LBZ due a better rebate ) due to the high resale of diesel, higher demand for the diesel ( in ohio at least ), better MPG ( yes we can debate that ), longer warranty on the motor / tranny, being able to pull anything safely, and last but not least the pur and smell of the diesel.

Scott

Avoid the 04.5 or 05 Duramax, big time overheating problems. I have first hand experience with this problem.

FM

I keep reading this here... Haven't had that problem (knocking on wood). Hottest my truck has been is 208° (according to attitude), towing 11k in 98° heat.

I have nothing to tow or haul, but god i LOVE the feeling of getting behind the wheel and firing that baby up....besides that i drive a semi or a living,so diesel is a no brainer!! Just get the diesel than you can be cool like us and hang out on this site all day!!

1 You only live once. If you can swing it, DO IT
2 Buyers Remorse over NOT getting enough truck for your needs lasts only as long as it takes to trade it in.. but by then the depreciation hit will make the difference over 8K
3 Throw 6K at a vortech and watch the mileage plummet like a wounded duck
4 Throw 6K at a DMX and laugh while enjoying a solid 17 mpg, and having reserves of power.
5 Because Diesel Smells better than gasoline.
6 Throwing a little tiny 600.00 module on your DMX will make you regress 13 years.... your Wife will thank you for it!

Well Rock... I was in a very similar situation and due to $ restraints, I never even had hoped of getting a NEW Duramax. I am an avid fisherman and indeed need 4x4, plus I pull a pop-up. I have two psycho bro-in-laws that insisted that you can never have too much power and I have to agree. I have missed some excellent deals on fifth-wheels due to not having enough tuck. Well in August I took advantage of the GM employee incentive and got a once in a lifetime deal on a '05 4X Duramax... I LOVE IT!!! I'm somewhat anal about maint and keep my vehicles a long time; I hope to run this truck actively for 15 years, and I believe I can do it. I truelly believe you enter an elite club when you purchase a DURAMAX, and I in no-way regret my decision to buy. I hope this was of some help and good luck. p.s.- What ever you do... make sure its a GM product!!!! -Ken aka dorsetip

you may consider buying 1500 crew cab 6.0 later if you miss the power later you could install aftermarket programer ex... 6.0 will pull anything you need sounds like to me remember diesel fuel is more than unleaded X2

Ahh, the thread that won't die. I'm just checkin' in too, and I have the 04.5 LLY. I have had ZERO problems with the overheating that others have had. I towed 10k to Niagara Falls last July (about 500 miles), and the temps never exceeded 215F.
Good to hear from you Rockhead and that you're happy with your truck. It's good to do your homework before a big purchase so you know what you're getting and no surprises later. Keep us informed.