1500HD vs 2500 vs 2500HD
 

Just looking for some input on a tow vehicle selection. I really am only interested in the Chevy/GM product line (no offense to Dodge/Ford people, just personal preference). Test drove a 2500HD yesterday and while it was a nice truck the ride was not what I had hoped for. Figuring 90% of the time the boat will not be on the back I'M not sure if I want to sacrifice the ride. Anyone have any experience that can compare the ride of these three vehicles? What about the power with the 6.0 Litre to tow 7000 lbs. plus?

Well, I can't help you in comparing, but in 99 I saw a regular 2500 Silverado and had to have it. So I only got the 3 door. It has the 6.0 and a 373. I have had none of the problems anyone talked about woth the 6.0. I only pull a Baja 272 which is mid 4,000 lbs plus the trailer, but it pulls it like it's not even there. It rolls along the tollway with the boat very nicely at 90. I can even find you a very nice Illinois State Trooper to verify the speed for ya :o . Fuel economy is eh,,,,, I get 16 with no boat on the tollway 10-12 with the boat on the tollway, and right around 10 running around town. Not good,,, not bad. I like the ride unloaded and loaded. Hope that helps. Yea,,, and as far as the 1500 HD,,, can anyone explain the purpose of that !!!???

1500 hd :( :( :( :( I have a 2000 chevy 2500 4x4 6.0 with 4.10 rear and a 3'' lift with 285 75 16 on 16x10's with a programmer, k&n, and flowmasters and it runs strong and pulls about 7200 lbs with ease but I get 12 mpg highway and 11 in town and 8 towing, I think my gears make my highway mileage suffer but I would never give them up :)

The 1500HD is rated to tow up to 10,800 lbs with the 6.0, 4.10 rear and regular cab.
As you move up in vehicle weight, ie. extended cab and crew cab the tow weight comes down a little. example the extended cab can pull 10,300.

Like you said, the boat wont be on the back 90% of the time so I would say the 1500 would be able to meet your needs with plenty of room to spare.

I bought a 2500. I love it, (except for the gas mileage). For a p/u, it doesn't ride bad in my opinion. Again, for a p/u.

DAVE

I run the 3500 with the Duramax and the Allison, in an ext. cab...what a nice truck..rides very well for a dually and the motor is quite. Pull the little race boat around like I forgot it at the marina. I pull upto 16,000 boats and Hostar trailer up and down the coast. It sure beats the hell out of that dodge we had! :D

I would spring for at least the 2500 just to get the larger axles,tranny, brakes frame etc. unless you will trade or sell before the warranty goes up. It's cheap insurance when you will be towing. The parts are significantly beefier even though the tow ratings and price increase is minimal. good luck!

26ZX,
I just purchased a new 1500HD GMC and absolutely love it. The purpose of the 1500? Well...it's the only way to get a crew cab without getting the 2500HD. GM makes the 2500 and the 2500HD but does not offer the crew cab in the regular 2500. I'm guessing they just matched up the "HD Series" and wanted to have a model in each size. The ride is still pretty stiff in the 1500 but it is much better than the 2500HD as I did test-drive both. The long wheelbase makes for a nice comfortable ride and I can't wait to pull the boat behind. From what I've heard the 1500HD uses the 3/4 ton suspension and/or springs but I'm not sure about that! So far this truck is much thirstier than my 2000GMC Extended cab 1/2 ton Z71. We still have less than 1000 miles on it and we're getting about 13 so far. This truck has ALOT more power than the old 1/2 ton but off the line the old 1/2 ton was MUCH quicker. Planning on getting the Gibson swept side exhaust and K&N FIPK when they become available. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!!!

Dave

Dave1972, I have only seen a couple 1500HD's with none available to test drive. Were you able to find out if, as previously stated, the axles, etc. were upgraded to the 2500 series?
For those that have the 2500 or any late model Chevy "extended" cab (not crew) how bad is it to sit in the back seat for a ride from say Chicago to LOTO? That will be our longest tow with family in back. I really don't want to get to the end of the block and start hearing "Are we there Yet?".

26ZX Donzi,
I have a 2500HD Crewcab with a D-max and use it everyday for business, driving from account to account. I love the truck. It is still a truck and has that bouncy ride. I did compare it to the Fords and the ride was comparable. I have 9,000 miles on it so far and have gotten use to the ride.
I would buy at least a 2500 for towing unless the 1500HD has the larger brakes. Test-drive the D-max. I'll never go back to gas for towing. I'm getting 15.8 city mileage, not towing. The only downside for the Chevy’s is the cheap sun visors. They don't come close to covering the side windows. I am going to replace them with a pair from a Suburban.
Dan

Test drive a 2500HD with the
Allison transmission. Best
thing that ever happened to
to towing. Be sure to get
disc brakes on the rear.
Tell the dealer you want to pull your boat on the test drive. He shouldn't mind.

26 Donzi,,,
We have the 2500 extended, and I have been told ( I dont sit in the back !! ) That it is as roomy if not better the my 2 door Tahoe sport was. GM finally put some angle on the back seat instaed of that uncomfortable old style. Chicago to the Ozarks and no complants. Love the truck.

26ZX Donzi,

Keep this in mind. The GM 2500 HD has an IFS front end under it. If you are complaining about the ride in this, you will not be happy with the ride in the SuperDuty. The SuperDuty has a solid axle set-up. For a 3/4 ton truck, you're probably not going to find a better ride. Remember, all 3/4, and 1 ton trucks used to have solid axles under them. I think you will find that it has a better ride then some other options you have. Also, you're looking at a work truck, not a Lincoln Town Car.

I think you're going in the right direction myself. Good luck.

Buck
#183

26ZX,
The 1500HD does not have the 2500 axles. The axle rating is 6000# but unless you are going to be putting ALOT of things in the bed and/or have a very heavy tongue weight, I would not personally move up to the 2500HD. The 3.73 ratio is better for gas mileage as well versus the 4.10 and the 6.0L seems to have plenty of power to pull!! Sure, if you are pulling ALOT and a very heavy load, the 2500HD with the Duramax and the Allison is perfect. I didn't like the whine of the Allison tranny going down the road and didn't need that as it truly is VERY Heavy Duty! I do know that the transmission is heavier duty than a standard 1/2 ton. I like the 1500HD because of the automatic 4wd option when driving in not-so-optimal conditions around our area (IL/WI). That option is not available on the 2500HD. The four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes come standard and are very nice and work very well in all situations. They have the automatic proportioning valve to apply the brakes evenly whether pulling a full load or just cruising empty. Let me know if you have other questions!!!

[ 01-27-2002: Message edited by: Dave1972 ]

[ 01-27-2002: Message edited by: Dave1972 ]

I have 2001 2500hd, crew cab, short bed, durmax, allison trans. Except for all the BS from GMC trying to get things fixed, truck is fantastic. Truck in shop now getting bed fixed from tool box cracking bed, & cruise control software update. Since mine was one of the first made had it's share of problems but I think they now have the problems fixed on new ones. Have had no motor problems & only problem with trans was leak. When I took truck in to have repaired they replaced trans so they could see what went wrong. MPG is about 17-18 no boat, 14 with 8000lbs load of boat & trailer running aprox. 75mph.

Wife got a new tahoe 4x4 & I drove for a day. I think the ride in my truck is better that the tahoe.

my 2000 2500 6.0 3:73pulls my 260 fine even full of fuel, trailering no problem. Had just enough grunt to back a 30'*10' zodiac up a steep incline in reverse(in 4lo).The only downside shakes like the space shuttle at 70mph plus. :mad: Going to try differnt tires to see if it fixes the problem.

Our 2500HD had a lot of problems. Should be bought back by GM at the end of February - finally! :) :) Good looking truck though. Ours had the 6.0 in it. I hear they have a lot of problems with it. Ours was a 2001. Are you looking at 2002? Check out pickuptruck.com - a lot of info there. Also I used to work at a truck place and we were an authorized Allison dealer/warranty center. Had a lot of them come back.

Buy at 2500HD! Don't waste your time with a
1500 ,I know tons of people say I tow great with my 1500 but once you get into a 2500 you will never go back. Also don't waste your time with a gas engine, go desiel (sp)! It is worth the money. By the time you get the gas engine with bigger gears your talking 14-15 mpg at best, that sucks. I'm getting 18mpg and it's not even broken in yet. I have a Dodge ,NOT one of your choices but you will spend the same money I did and JUST get a gas engine ,half ton.
Personally the Chevy Dmax/allison is an awesome truck , rides better than the other manufactures 3/4 tons and the interior is more like a luxury cars but you will pay a high price for it.
The Ford powerstroke is a good choice , I think it has the most interior room but doesn't get the fuel economy as the GM and Dodge.
I think the Dodge is the best for the money, the exterior styling blows away the GM , interior isn't as nice but it's a truck. Also for the 8k more you would spend on the GM just think what you could have done with the boat ?! :)

I have the 2500(non HD), X-cab and the 6.0. It tows the 253 Convincor great at 90mph. I also do 95% of my driving without the boat, and have to say that this truck rides better than my 99 Jetta Wolfsburg. I would also go with the Leather...makes the ride that much more comfortable.

P.S. I test drove the F250 before this truck, and the chevy's ride felt like a caddy compared to the ford.

I had a z71 previously to my 2500, burned up the tranny pulling my hammer, but it was very hilly and to the floor for 90 miles

it thogh the z71 was either a 1500 or a 2500???

whay year was it?

I had a 1999 Z71 1500 auto with 3.73 gears, now I have a 2500 4X4 with a 6.0 Heavy duty auto with cooler and 4.10gears

Tried today to buy a used 2500HD with the 8.1 Litre and Allison tranny. Same old story, Dealer wanted more than I would have paid for it new with a relative's GM employee discount. Still not convinced about the ride - loved the power and 5-speed tranny. Not sure about going diesel as I have to leave the truck parked outside at work without access to a plug for engine block heater. Normal winters in Chicago tend to wreak havoc with diesels. Still searching. I'm leaning toward purchasing a 2002 version of this same truck.

[ 01-28-2002: Message edited by: 26ZX Donzi ]

I recently bought a 1500HD and absolutely love it. It was a very tough decision between that and the 2500HD, but after a test ride, I was convinced that the 2500HD had too rough of a ride. They are pretty close to the same price, and I think that if you dirve them both, you will see and feel the difference. I use my truck for everyday transportation and only tow on the weekends.

The 1500HD DOES have the heavy 3/4 ton axles and driveline as well as the 3/4 ton brakes. It is essentially the same frame as a ext. cab 2500 (not 2500HD). Do yourself a huge favor and go talk to a GM dealer that actually knows his product. It tows my 25' Checkmate like there is nothing back there, it makes my old 1/2 ton Chevy feel like a S10.

The 2500HD is definately the right choice if you need a Diesel, or if you have a lot of tounge weight or haul a lot in the bed. I have several friends with them and they do love them too, but they have told me that they hate the rough ride for an every day truck.

26ZX. Have you tried a Avalanche 2500 Z77. Its about 6K less than the K3500 w/Duramax and Allison. I only mention that because of the better ride. We got one for my wife last weekend (1500 z66) and with 373's its great.
In fact i was so impressed I almost had her get the larger one, but, I've still got a 98K3500 GMC diesel thats large enough for my cat.........trust me......just give it a look at. (In fact, the local dealer has 5K off MSRP right now).

Bob

26zx,
Yes, the 1500HD does have the 3/4 ton axles. I was vague in my response in that it does not have the same axles as the 2500HD as hot dawg pointed out. The 1500HD front axle capacity is 4500 and rear is 6000. The 2500HD front axle is 4670 and rear is 6084. Just wanted to clarify.

I am sold on the ride of the 1500HD as the wheelbase is long and ride is comfortable. I had a 2000 1/2 GMC Extended cab 4X4 Z71 and the new truck rides just as nice. I agree with hi-perf2000 and get the leather. The wife loves the heated seats and it truly is much more comfy than cloth!!!!

Sorry for the mis-info and thanks for pointing out my "flaws" hot dawg!

I’ve had a 2500 Avalanche for a month now and it’s a great truck. (And no, it does not share any body panels with the family truckster.) It’s got the 8.1L and 3.73 gears which make it good for 10,100# towing. Lots of interior room because it’s essentially a ¾ ton Suburban from the front to the back seat. If you need a vehicle more for the towing and carrying people and less for true open bed pick-up utility, it’s a great compromise. You get a 5’3” bed that’s dry and locked that can convert to 8’1” if you need it to, and still be locked and dry. Plus, for me it still will fit in my garage, where a crew cab wouldn’t. I’m getting 10-11 MPG in the city, and got 14 on a recent trip. Best part about that is that we had 455 miles on the trip odometer when I put gas into it the next day and had 5 gallons to spare. I have yet to tow with it, so I can’t help you there. Check one out.

26 zx donzi call me, im the sales mgr for one of the largest gm dealers in the mid atlantic. I will give you any technical info you want. 1-800-464-4268 *844 Brett Dean

I drove a 2000 2500 With 6.0 70000 miles and was in dealership one time to get rip fixed in seat cover. Now have a 2500HD with Duramax, love it and the 20 mpg. :)

26donzi,
Don't worry about not being able to plug the desiel in. I live in MI and know people that never plug them in (late model trucks) it just takes a little while to warm them up ,plus they are very noisey.

Once you go desiel you won't go back ! :D