Faults:

I have owned this vehicle for 31 months. As a retired, but very active person, this vehicle is primarily used as a light duty truck i.e. light construction and farming.

I have been relatively pleased with its performance... until the last few months.

In March 2004, the pinion gear was replaced under warranty at approximately 43,000 km.

In early April, 2004, I became stuck in snow. After engaging the 4 x 4, a friend noticed that the front tires weren't rotating. Returning to the dealer, I was informed that the transfer case was "toast". A cause could not be found. Metal and oil were both sent to a GM lab for analysis, but to no avail. This would not be covered by warranty, to my surprise! After a detailed discussion with the Regional Service Manager, it was decided that this would be covered by warranty. Consequently, I must now have this checked by the dealer with each oil change, at no charge I might add.

Within a week of this, the universal joint was replaced by warranty.

Would I buy another Chev/GM half-ton truck? Am I optimistic or scared about the next few months/years while possibly owning this truck? I'll have to think long and hard before arriving at a decision.

General Comments:

This vehicle handles well, both in-town and on long distance drives. The front bucket seats are great, but passengers are not comfortable in the rear seats. A good all-season vehicle for the variable weather in Ontario.

Bill Adams

1-705-887-2779

Faults:

The passenger side door lock did not work when it rolled off the lot, but it was fixed the same day by the dealer. The CD player has also stopped working; well it cannot fast forward several tracks witout freaking out and spitting the disk out as "err".

I also broke it in an exterme off road situation that I am still sure no truck could have escaped from alive. The right manifold cracked.

Nothing else to date.

General Comments:

I love this truck! I have been good to it and it has been great to me.

It is hugely powerful and a blast to drive. Who wouldn't like a truck that chirps over-sized tires off the line? The V8 sounds and feels fantastic! At this point I believe that there is no better engine that the Chevy small block. A look under the hood reveals a spaciously laid out Vortec engine that is very easy to maintain. Nothing gets me fired up like a clean spacious engine bay, and this is the best. My only complaint comes with the territory: fuel economy kills me. I have a very small commute and drive mostly in the city, and I put $50 bucks in it a week. 25,500 miles in 17 months.

The interior is plush. It doesn't belong in a truck. I have the LS which is not even the top of the line trim level and I feel like I am being spoiled. Keep in mind that I am only 21 and am easily impressed since my first car was a total piece. All of the climate and stereo controls are well placed and logical. The seats are beyond comfortable and the wheel and gages are perfect. If you get the bucket seats you get a cassete player which is great because I can hook up my iPod to the truck stereo. You also get a BIG center console which I use all the time. I have the extended cab version, not the four door, and there is tons of room in the back seat. I frequently fit adults in the back with no complaints (Maybe because they know that if they complain about my truck they'll be riding in the bed). The cabin is remarkably quiet, but doesn't let you forget that there is a big ol' V8 under there.

The automatic transmission is smooth for the most part... It shifts abruptly under hard acceleration, but remembering just how much weight it is pulling it's not outrageous. Sometimes, rarely, but sometimes the trany will hesitate. From a dead stop the engine will rev and and then all of a sudden grab. It's not bad, but it is curious. I drive it over a local mountain range here locally (Santa Cruz Mountains) and it handles the windy steep conditions with great ease. I find that the "tow/haul" mode is perfect for this, it gets the RPM up where the engine produces more torque. In fact one of my favorite things to do is blow by sport compact cars up and over the mountains while pretending like it's no big deal and watch them sneer as I pass.

The suspension is great in all aspects. My truck is equipped with the Z71 Off Road package, giving it larger bore shocks and a limited slip diff in the rear, and a very slight lift. It is ideal for off road conditions that are anything short of tank trails. I have taken I through some pretty rough stuff and except for the afore mentioned problem it has come throuth like a champ. It's pavement performance is also fantastic considering that it is a truck with big tires, and a light rear end. I often come around a right turn merging onto the expressway hitting 50 and merging flawlessly.

I am very pleased overall with the pickup. I think that it is the best half ton pickup on the market today (if I didn't I wouldn't have bought it). The engine is great and the cabin is beautiful. I hope to own it for at least a couple hundred thousand miles. If you could bare to get through my long winded praising of this truck I hope you found it helpful. Keep in mind I'm just a kid with a truck I shouldn't have been able to afford and would probably give everything a good review. But I really love my Chevy. Here is my personal email address, if anybody has any questions please let me know. (sigmapolitian@hotmail.com)