I'm willing to have the sunroof to get the superior ride. The multimatics are night and day different to the regular AT4 shocks on normal roads. That said, maybe not all AT4X are made the same, as I know PineBaron completely disagrees that the multis are any better. But in my experiences driving 2 different AT4X, it is so much smoother than a standard AT4 2500. The other huge upgrade is the seats on the AT4X. So those 2 upgrades are well worth having a sunroof and the ridiculous tailgate audio for me. I also think the black bumpers, especially on Volcanic, elevate the look of the truck big time.
My dealer has now sweetened my numbers even more. So I am re-tempted. It is getting close to Rivard numbers now, with an over value on my trade and without the extra dealer fees. But the money is not the issue for me, it is being bugged by the gear shifter.
Truck inventory of every flavor is accumulating on dealer lots. The prices are ridiculous, and many people finance trucks, so the high interest rates have compounded the sales challenge. People also WAY overpaid for everything when COVID limited supply, so many are upside down in their trades. The combination of these influences and concerns about the stability of the economy has suppressed sales, so inventory is stacking up. (It has
crushed sales in the RV industry.)
I’m old enough to remember several cycles like this. When we’re in a period of supply not meeting demand prices soar and trucks are hard to find, but all we have to do is wait, as the manufacturers will
always exceed demand within a few years. When that happens we always see increasingly aggressive incentives in the form of rebates, subsidized finance rates, and “customer cash”. More of all of the above is on the way. (When GM/Ford/Stellantis throw another $5K per truck at the dealer, your offfer can improve on both the trade side and the new side of the deal.)
If seat design and ergonomics are important to you I strongly recommend test driving a Ford Tremor. Lower the tire pressure to 50 psi. Tremors come with the HO Powerstroke, which is fully 20% more torque than the Duramax. The ride is rougher than the AT4X when both are driven empty with max air pressure in the tires, but the new Tremors will run 37” tires without any lift on +12 offset wheels, and running those tires at 45 psi produces a better ride than my AT4X. When carrying heavy loads with tires aired up on both trucks the ride is very similar. The superior seats of the Ford make a big difference. The GMC turning radius is tighter. The GMC sunroof is less irritating (for me), as Ford sticks you with a whole-roof sunroof. If you enjoy adding accessory lighting, radios, suspension, etc, there are many more options with Ford, and the Fords still come with 12 volt outlets, 120 power, and upfitter switches with fused hot-leads inside the cab and under the hood (although, in keeping with the rule of changing things they had right, they have made the latter much harder to access.) The Tremors also have nearly twice the payload of my AT4X AEV.
As always, every choice involves a trade of some kind. They’re both great trucks. Both have stupid, irritating, features. For me, the list of stupid irritations on the Ford is shorter, but the 2025 Fords are more irritating than the 2024s. (For example, for 2025 you have to get the fugly Platinum grill in order to get leather, as it’s no longer available with the Lariat Ultimate trim.) I don’t know if that’s true of the GMCs, but all three manufactures favor making changes with every model year: it doesn’t seem to matter if the change they’re making is an improvement, so I’m always anxious about what comes next.
