Instrumented Test
TESTED
You don’t need to be an automotive expert to realize that the pickup trucks from GMC and Chevrolet share more than just a parent company. In fact, the GMC Sierra 1500 SLT Z71 crew cab tested here and its Chevrolet Silverado 1500 corporate sibling are so similar, plotting their shared DNA in a Venn diagram would reveal an almost-perfect circle. Despite this, both trucks maintain a fiercely loyal and disparate customer base, and although they’ve never proactively promoted the perception, it’s a scenario that GM and its dealer body are happy to let play out on its own. The way we see it, GMC hits all the same marks as Chevy, but with a little extra panache.
Déjà Vu
Let’s get the obvious bits out of the way first: The grille, the front bumper, and the hood are unique to the Sierra, as are the projector-beam headlamps and the lower fascia. SLT models such as our test truck also get a row of LEDs below the lamps. A touch of chrome bling along the base of the side windows and some black trim on the fender flares are also GMC-only features.
The interior walks the same path, adding small touches such as genuine aluminum trim and veneer bits to differentiate it from the Chevy. Although not exclusive to the Sierra, the giant center console is a must-have in this segment, and we had no problem filling it up with such random detritus of modern life as cups, phones, and paperwork. The seats are wide enough to wear a La-Z-Boy tag. The two trucks also share aluminum hoods, a weight-saving feature made obvious when the Sierra’s engine lid began undulating under the air pressure of the industrial blow dryers in our local carwash.
Buy the Numbers
For 2014, the GMC Sierra 1500 hierarchy of trim levels stacks up like this: base, SLE, SLT, and Denali. Our SLT-trimmed test truck arrived with an ample level of standard equipment (heated mirrors, the 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V-8, a 110-volt interior outlet, a tilting-and-telescoping steering wheel, remote start, and a trailering package), as well as a treasure trove of options. The $400 SLT Preferred package brought a heated steering wheel and power-sliding rear window, and the $845 Driver Alert package added lane-departure warning, park assist, and collision alert. Adding a power sunroof cost $945, and the Off-Road package (complete with “Z71” badging) cost $430. The ludicrously titled SLT Crew Cab Value package (chrome steps, Bose audio, 20-inch aluminum wheels) added a whopping $2195 to the bottom line. And a $230 set of Goodyear Wrangler SR-A tires and $200 trailer-brake control rounded out the list. All in, we were staring down a total of $50,185, including a $1000 discount GMC throws in for ordering the aforementioned SLT Crew Cab Value package.
Equipped with GM’s EcoTec3 5.3-liter V-8, a six-speed automatic, and a 3.08:1 rear axle, our Sierra nailed a 7.3-second 0-to-60 time, 0.6 second slower than our recently tested Chevy Silverado 1500 4x4 crew cab with the same engine and transmission but with the optional 3.42 rear axle. The gap tightened in the quarter-mile, the Sierra clocking 15.7 seconds to the Silverado’s 15.3. Weighing 5650 pounds, our Sierra tipped the scales a negligible 45 pounds heavier than the Silverado.
