ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $47,045
AS TESTED PRICE: $53,200
DRIVETRAIN: 6.2-liter V8; 4WD, eight-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 420 hp @ 5,600 rpm, 460 lb-ft @ 4,100 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 5,518 lb
FUEL ECONOMY: 15/21/17 mpg(EPA City/Hwy/Combined)
OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY: 15.7 mpg
GMC’S SIERRA IS A SLIGHTLY NICER CHEVY SILVERADO
PHOTO BY GMC
Given that the Sierra is a Chevrolet Silverado with perhaps some bushing changes and maybe a touch more sound insulation, it should come as no surprise that this Sierra SLT drives exactly like our long-term Silverado LTZ. I don’t mean it drives “a lot like,” I mean if you blindfolded GM engineers and put them in the driver’s seat of both, $10 says they couldn’t tell the difference between the two.
Mind you, that’s not a bad thing -- the Sierra is a smooth, refined pickup truck with interior equipment befitting a luxury sedan. Handling-wise, it’s easy to drive considering its massive girth, though even the uprated 6.2-liter V8 feels sluggish moving off the line; the numbers would indicate otherwise, and if you really stomp the pedal the Sierra roars to life, so I think it’s a more a matter of accelerator pedal travel than any lack of output.
Still, though, I come back to wondering why this thing exists -- why GMC exists, for that matter; wouldn’t the 15,000 Sierra buyers in February have opted for an identical Silverado if the GMC wasn’t an option? If they had, that would have put Chevy on top of Ford in the pickup wars, and you can bet a press release touting that fact would have landed in every journalists’ inbox in the country.
Anyway, if you want to buy a Chevrolet pickup but you have an issue with the Chevrolet brand, get a Sierra and pretend it’s not a Chevrolet. That’s Professional Grade denial, but hey, if it sells trucks...
PHOTO BY GMC
I’ve been in and out of these trucks a lot lately. Our long-term Silverado, a Silverado High Country, this thing and then back to the long-term Silverado -- all equipped with the 6.2-liter. Like Andy, I’ve been hard-pressed to figure out what the differences are between Chevy and GMC pickups beyond a different grille and badges.
At least with the Colorado/Canyon, you get substantial exterior styling differences; the former looks like a crossover with a bed on the back, while the latter looks like a four-fifths scale Sierra. Both the Silverado and the Sierra are, to my eyes, equally butch, even if the Sierra tends to get a bit more bling standard.
PHOTO BY GMC
Finally, though, I think I’ve discovered the big differentiator between the GMC truck and the Chevy version: Metal trim. Real metal trim! You’ll notice that the steering wheel, vent surrounds and center console surrounds appear to be stamped out of genuine metal, nicely brushed and gloriously cold to the touch, on the Sierra. Not so on the Silverado, which, even in high-dollar High Country guise, has to make do with mostly painted plastic.
And that’s about it, folks. I really wish I could tell you more, but if you want to know how well these things ride, just read one of our other reviews of nearly identical trucks. If you really want that metal trim, I guess the GMC is your ticket. But the more time I spend in these pickups, the less I understand about what philosophically separates Chevy and GMC. All the niceties that you’re supposed to get on a GMC can be had on a nearly identical Chevy for about the same amount (except that trim!).
But, hey, we know that GM wouldn’t be doing any of this if it didn’t make them money, right?
PHOTO BY GMC
Why does GMC exist? Well, they sell a ton of Denali models. It really is scary how many of those they move. And keep in mind GMC isn't peddling compacts or small sedans, but crossovers, large SUVs and big trucks with fat profit margins.
I’m not going to say that it isn’t awfully difficult to pick out the performance differences between this GMC Sierra and our long-term Chevrolet Silverado. Our 2014 Chevy has the 6.2-liter V8, but has a six-speed transmission instead of the eight-speed that the GMC features, which is good for a 1 mpg increase in the EPA rating for both the city and highway fuel economy cycles. There’s plenty of grunt to get the truck moving on down the road when you boot it, but transmission still does hunt for gears when slowing down and then getting back on the throttle before coming to a complete stop.
PHOTO BY GMC
It rides well for a truck and handles large bumps ably. Not as well as the Ram 1500, but well enough. Steering is light to make easy work of maneuvering around parking lots and brake muscle is stout proven by the panic stop I had to perform when traffic came to a sudden halt on the expressway.
A fancier grille, specific exterior trim, addition interior niceties like the real metal trim and other small touches may not seem like much, but GM moves enough GMCs to make its existence warranted. Yes, this Sierra is just a nicer Chevy Silverado, which apparently people do want. I don’t see a problem with that, especially if it’s helping the bottom line.
PHOTO BY GMC
Options: 6.2-liter V8 engine, eight-speed automatic transmission ($2,495); SLT crew cab value package including 6-inch chrome assist steps, Bose audio system, 20-inch polished aluminum wheels ($2,095); driver alert package including front and rear park assist, lane departure warning, forward collision alert, safety alert seat ($845); heated & cooled seats driver & front passenger ($650); audio system including 8-inch diagonal color touchscreen, navigation ($495); SLT preferred package including heated steering wheel, power sliding rear window ($400); front full feature leather-appointed bucket seats, center console, floor w/ USB ports ($375); SLT crew cab value package discount (-$1,000); all-season tires discount (-$200)
PHOTO BY GMC
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