LML Underimpressed

Fingers

Village Idiot
Vendor/Sponsor
Apr 1, 2008
1,718
96
48
White Oak, PA
I spent the day today test driving the 2011 GM pickup selections at a couple. I drove a SLE and SLT from GMC and an LTZ from Chevy. I have to say I am unimpressed with those that I drove. I was really hoping for more.

Pros:
The ride is improved over previous years. Maybe it was just that new truck feel.

The engine is quite, especially at speed. Even cold idle was nice.

Painfully clean exhaust, even under heavy pedal. (this is important if we expect to see diesels offered in small trucks in the future)

They are finally offer decent size tires on these trucks!

Cup holders in the right places.


Cons:

The interiors were boring. For the $$, I thought there would be more character. These harkened back to days of the utilitarian work truck of old. Which is good if you want a strictly work truck. I was hoping for more of a Texas Cadillac this time.

I was hoping to drive one with the Nav, but I no longer had the hunger to carry on after the 3'rd test drive. Bluetooth is good an the sound was acceptable to me. I should have brought a CD.

Either my truck is a beast, or these were dogs. I was really hoping for more power.

I found the dial to switch from 2WD to 4WD easy to over control on a bumpy road. Thankfully, it will not even try to go to 4 LOW unless you are in Neutral and going slower than I was. I switch modes a lot, so that mattered to me.

Bed sides seemed very high to me. Probably been that way for the last few model years, but I guess I never looked that closely. This is not a good thing if you actually use the bed of the truck.

There is an LTZ the Chevy dealer had just taken receipt of when I got there and was not prepped yet. He says it is loaded, with nav and all. Looked nice. Maybe I will stop by and kick the tires tomorrow.
 

TrailerproPop

"Social Security"
Apr 30, 2008
81
0
0
N.E. Ohio
Come on Jon, you drive a modded truck, (built engine I believe?) and then compare it to a stock truck probably with near zero miles? You would like the new one once you put some miles on it. :hug:
 

S Phinney

Active member
Aug 15, 2008
4,008
18
28
Quncy, Fl
I would have to agree with Jon on this one. I drove one with high expectations and it maybe compared to a stock truck but when you drive around a highly modified one it seems a little sick.
 

Mike L.

Got Sheep?
Staff member
Vendor/Sponsor
Aug 12, 2006
15,681
233
63
Fullerton CA
I spent the day today test driving the 2011 GM pickup selections at a couple. I drove a SLE and SLT from GMC and an LTZ from Chevy. I have to say I am unimpressed with those that I drove. I was really hoping for more.

Pros:
The ride is improved over previous years. Maybe it was just that new truck feel.

The engine is quite, especially at speed. Even cold idle was nice.

Painfully clean exhaust, even under heavy pedal. (this is important if we expect to see diesels offered in small trucks in the future)

They are finally offer decent size tires on these trucks!

Cup holders in the right places.


Cons:

The interiors were boring. For the $$, I thought there would be more character. These harkened back to days of the utilitarian work truck of old. Which is good if you want a strictly work truck. I was hoping for more of a Texas Cadillac this time.

I was hoping to drive one with the Nav, but I no longer had the hunger to carry on after the 3'rd test drive. Bluetooth is good an the sound was acceptable to me. I should have brought a CD.

Either my truck is a beast, or these were dogs. I was really hoping for more power.

I found the dial to switch from 2WD to 4WD easy to over control on a bumpy road. Thankfully, it will not even try to go to 4 LOW unless you are in Neutral and going slower than I was. I switch modes a lot, so that mattered to me.

Bed sides seemed very high to me. Probably been that way for the last few model years, but I guess I never looked that closely. This is not a good thing if you actually use the bed of the truck.

There is an LTZ the Chevy dealer had just taken receipt of when I got there and was not prepped yet. He says it is loaded, with nav and all. Looked nice. Maybe I will stop by and kick the tires tomorrow.
You are such killjoy Jon.:rofl:
I bet you watch porn featuring 80 year old fat women dancing in the nude.:baby:
The chances of us getting what we realy want is getting less and less and less. Learn to love it my friend.:D
I love my truck. True, my '04 would have blown it away, but it never had the tq my new one has. My old truck never handled like this one. It was never as tight as this one. And I look hansomer than shit driving it.;):roflmao::cool:
 

DmaxHawk

Ranch with my Salad
Oct 28, 2008
699
0
16
the 575
You are such killjoy Jon.:rofl:
I bet you watch porn featuring 80 year old fat women dancing in the nude.:baby:
The chances of us getting what we realy want is getting less and less and less. Learn to love it my friend.:D
I love my truck. True, my '04 would have blown it away, but it never had the tq my new one has. My old truck never handled like this one. It was never as tight as this one. And I look hansomer than shit driving it.;):roflmao::cool:

Pics or it didn't happen!:happy2::rofl:
 

Fingers

Village Idiot
Vendor/Sponsor
Apr 1, 2008
1,718
96
48
White Oak, PA
Well, I did take a Sawzall to my '04 30 days after buying it new. Tranny 2 months later. Finger Stick from there and so on and so forth. But I bought it knowing I was going to play with it out of the box.

The motor I can deal with. :D Just expected more out of the box.

Spiffing up the interior is not my strong suit and is probably where the disappointment is focused. (those that have seen my truck's cab know what I mean) I wanted a nice deluxe cab.

Just not feeling it. Not a single wow after the test rides.
 

Mike L.

Got Sheep?
Staff member
Vendor/Sponsor
Aug 12, 2006
15,681
233
63
Fullerton CA
Well, I did take a Sawzall to my '04 30 days after buying it new. Tranny 2 months later. Finger Stick from there and so on and so forth. But I bought it knowing I was going to play with it out of the box.

The motor I can deal with. :D Just expected more out of the box.

Spiffing up the interior is not my strong suit and is probably where the disappointment is focused. (those that have seen my truck's cab know what I mean) I wanted a nice deluxe cab.

Just not feeling it. Not a single wow after the test rides.

I am easily impressed I guess.:woott:
 

Big Block 88

Multiple choice muscle
Nov 3, 2008
4,665
0
36
38
Kansas when I am home
I was very impressed with the 11 I drove CCLB dually LT leather no nav, ran amazing the way it pulls from a dead stop is awsome. The trans seemed sloppy to me but it could be due to lack of miles??? I did do a boosted launch and it was pretty impressive tell the TC kicked on and shut me down, I couldn't figure out how to disarm it. My 03 tow rig is ready to be retired from highway hauling, the miles have stacked up and the breakage is becoming to much to keep it runnin. I would say by fall the LB7 will be replaced by an LML I was hoping to replace my LBZ also but it has to sell first so I can save some $$$$
 

TeaBagger2006

Im a Garrett Nut Swinger
May 11, 2008
3,123
15
38
Bis ND
I drove a Denali dmax and I liked the brakes on it and the front end but thought the navigation unit looked like crap. It was too quiet for me.the heated cooled seats are nice. I'm still very (seriously) happy with my lbz but when the day comes to get a new dmax it will most definetldy be a Denali
 

jrkrace

Member
May 4, 2008
269
1
18
Connecticut
I can see where Fingers is coming from....I have a 2007 Denali for the wife and he's basically right. The interior can use a bit of work for a 59K sticker. The interior is a lot smaller than my LBZ as well. Door panels and console is all textured plastic and cheesy looking. Heck even my 02 HD had some nicer textured door panels. The headroom in these trucks are also pretty pathetic. With a sunroof, my head rubs up against the headliner.

I know these trucks rock mechanically and I was considering one myself, but the interior kind of turns me off. IMO, compared to a new Dodge, the interior is second rate...

"Underimpressed" is the perfect word....
 

whytry

New member
Oct 11, 2010
282
0
0
I would not go back to my 02 for nothing... just towed a sled trailer 6500 lbs yea not a super load but had four guys in the truck all of us own differemt diesels could not even tell there was a trailer back there held 75 mph up 7-8 % grades and never touched the brakes down the other side once again not a super load but the most comfortable towing machine i have ever drivin. Yea my 02 would towed up the same mountain just fine but we would have had to wait to the top to have a conversation.. due to the roar of the lb7... and as far as the interier wow you think its cheesy not me I think the ltz is awesome classy as hell. the truck is so stable the truck has control over the trailer not the trailer over the truck most likely due to the increased leaf spring size and boxed frame. Just my rendition of my truck
 

JD Dave

In way over my head
May 19, 2008
2,388
0
0
Caledon, Ontario
I have a completly stock 02 SLT and when I get out of it into my Denali it's like going to heaven. The 02 is a good truck but it doesn't compare. I don't drive the Denali much so everytime I get in it I'm a happy camper. I do agree the box sides are high but I can't stand people dragging stuff over the side of my box anyways.
 

s3gulit

Teh Farmer
Dec 6, 2008
173
0
0
Illinois
The biggest thing GM is doing is making their trucks kind of impractical for an average American.

#1. The bedsides are to damn high, its not just you. Im not sure who they have testing the trucks but im 6'3 and find it hard to reach over the bedsides sometimes. our 08 2500HD is ridiculous as a work truck, and unless its loaded down in season, we're always using the hitch to step on the bumper to get over the tailgate to grab shit.

#2. Interior space, seriously GM has the most CRAMPED cabs in all of the truck industry. Again, i'm 6'3 and have no room. Seat is all the way back in our 08 xcab and my knees still hit the glovebox. Our '10 reg cab is even worse. I have more leg room in my 06 LBZ than i do in the newer trucks. I blame a large portion of this on the 4.5' wide dash GM is using now, as it occupies tons of valuable room. Drive a FORD (seriously) and compare, oh wait you can't because the ford trucks i have been in could fit shaq without any modifications. our local coop runs ford trucks and i have a good 1.5' of leg room left before hitting the dash.

GM is trying way to hard to make their trucks please the suburbanites rather than make it a comfortable long haul/working mans truck.