Overview & Reviews

The pickup truck has long been a mainstay of American byways and highways, and GMC has been there from day one. Originally used and respected by farmers, construction workers and small-business owners, GMC's hauler was a basic workhorse known for its reliability and longevity. More recent times have seen GMC's full-size truck adopt the name Sierra. And thanks to a variety of body styles, powertrains and trim levels, the Sierra is as adept at serving as the weekday family car as it is at transporting home-improvement supplies or towing a boat on the weekends.

Older versions of the GMC Sierra 1500 pickup have been praised for their strong work ethic, but soundly criticized for their bland, cheap cabins. With the newer generations, however, fit and finish is notably better. Of course, there are other choices in the full-size pickup truck market, but the Sierra 1500 remains a solid pick no matter what the intended use.

Current GMC Sierra 1500
Redesigned for 2014, the latest GMC Sierra 1500 is both trimmer and stronger than before. The V6-powered regular cab truck, for example, is about 250 pounds lighter this year while the engine lineup, particularly the V6, benefits from higher output and efficiency. Other changes for the new Sierra 1500 include revised suspension tuning for a smoother ride, forward-hinged rear doors on extended cab models and newly available safety features.

This full-size pickup is offered in regular cab, extended (double) cab and crew cab body styles with various bed lengths. Trim levels consist of base, well-equipped SLE, luxurious SLT and off-road-oriented Z71, and there is a choice of either two- or four-wheel drive.

All but the SLT come standard with a 4.3-liter V6 that makes 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque, enough muscle to tow up to 7,200 pounds. The 5.3-liter V8 (standard on the SLT and optional on other Sierras) makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. Both engines come matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The new V6 is vastly superior to the old V6, not only in terms of power and performance but also refinement. Of course, the 5.3-liter V8 delivers strong acceleration as long as you're not shy about laying onto the gas pedal when needed -- it has a rather lazy response otherwise. The six-speed automatic provides smooth and timely shifts and the Sierra 1500's towing performance is commendable.

Overall ride and handling dynamics are solid, as the GMC Sierra 1500 feels robust structurally, yet compliant and comfortable over broken pavement. Models fitted with the Max Trailering package, however, have a noticeably stiffer ride that can grow tiresome. The newest Sierra is also very quiet, even at higher freeway speeds. On serpentine roads, the GMC goes around turns in a confident manner and its steering is well-weighted. Off road, the Sierra similarly feels composed.

Used GMC Sierra 1500 Models
The previous-generation GMC Sierra 1500 was produced from 2007 through 2013. There were three body styles (regular, extended and crew cabs), and trim levels ranged from no-frills "Work Truck" to ultra-plush Denali.

Powertrain choices through these years encompassed everything from an anemic 4.3-liter 195-hp V6 to a muscular 6.2-liter V8 with 403 hp. Most Sierras, however, were fitted with either a 295-hp 4.8-liter V8 or a 315-hp 5.3-liter V8. A four-speed automatic was initially standard across the board except on the Denali's 6.2-liter V8, which came with a six-speed unit. Eventually, the six-speed was fitted to the 5.3-liter V8 as well. Either rear- or four-wheel drive could be specified.

Calling cards of this GMC Sierra 1500 include strong performance, a refined and quiet ride (even with the heavy-duty towing package) and a comfortable, sensible cabin. The Denali was certainly plush, though it still didn't have the same space or high-end ambience of its Ford and Ram top-of-the-line rivals. Other potential downsides included minor ergonomic missteps and the hesitant downshifts of the four-speed automatic transmission. We had no such gripe with the excellent six-speed automatic, however, thanks to its smooth and on-point performance.

Potential buyers should be aware of the significant changes made throughout the years. For 2009, the Denali's 6.2-liter, 403-hp V8 with its excellent six-speed automatic became optional on select other trims. That year also saw the debut of Bluetooth, a back-up camera option that didn't require the optional navigation system, and the "XFE" (extra fuel economy) package for the crew cab. The following year, 2010, saw the 5.3-liter V8 get the six-speed transmission and variable valve timing, which both improved fuel economy slightly. The 6.0-liter V8 (367 hp and 375 lb-ft) that had been offered since 2007 was dropped that year while side curtain airbags, front seat side airbags and stability control all became standard across the board. Lastly, USB connectivity (standard on Denali) became optional on the SLE and SLT. For 2012, the navigation system was updated (now hard-drive-based) and trailer sway control joined the safety features list.

Before this was the popular 1999-2006 generation of the Sierra. Underneath the conservatively handsome styling, a family of new V8s debuted, ranging in size from 4.8 to 6.0 liters. They offered output ranging from 255 hp with the smallest 4.8-liter, to 345 hp from the high-output 6.0-liter V8 in the Sierra Denali. A base V6 was also available, but as expected, most Sierras came fitted with one of the V8s. A unique four-wheel-steering option (called QuadraSteer), debuted about midway through this generation and cut the truck's turning circle down significantly to 37.4 feet -- around 10 feet less than a typical full-size pickup – making U-turns and maneuvering in tight spots much easier . Unfortunately, QuadraSteer was discontinued for 2006 due to a low take rate, as buyers were put off by the high cost of this option.

Consumers more interested in function than flash should be happy with a half-ton Sierra from this era. The truck offered plenty of performance and work capacity, but was hampered by a dated cabin design fraught with cheap materials and below-average fit and finish.

The previous generation of GMC Sierra 1500 pickups ran from 1988-'98. Standard cab and extended cab body styles were offered, as was a crew cab, though the latter was actually from the previous 1981-'87 generation. Although six-cylinder and diesel V8s were offered, chances are strong that most GMC trucks from these years will have either a 5.0- or 5.7-liter V8 mated to a four-speed automatic. In keeping with tradition, one could choose either rear-wheel drive (indicated by a "C", e.g. "C1500") or four-wheel drive (indicated by a "K"). Trim levels for these C/K1500 trucks include the bare-bones Special, base SL, midlevel SLE and top-line SLT. Strengths of these trucks include powerful, durable powertrains, while weaknesses center on sketchy build quality and subpar materials within the cabin.

For more information on older GMC pickups, go to our GMC Sierra 1500 history page.

User Reviews:

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  Denali crew cab 5.3l 4x4 - 2016 GMC Sierra 1500
  By Cannonbill - December 8 - 12:22 pm

  I have had the truck for a month, I am up near 2000 miles. I live in North NJ and appreciate the ride of the truck with the garbage roads we have. Up in North Jersey, the terrain is all hills, almost nothing flat. In local driving, I have been averaging about 17 mpg, not bad considering the terrain and the size of the vehicle. We took the truck to the outer banks for a week, 520 miles each way, on this trip I averaged 22 mpg, fully loaded, 2 adults, 2 kids, a dog, and truck bed full of beach gear, clothes, food, grill supplies, etc, etc. this trip brought the lifetime fuel economy for the truck up to 20mpg. pretty impressive. I will admit, I monitor my driving and kept it in v4 mode as much as possible, it worked. I am impressed. While in the outer banks I saw one period of driving, the first 100 miles leaving for the way home where I averaged 25.7 mpg, slow steady state, traffic free flat land, 55mph cruising. Amazing. The trip was 11 hours each way, factoring in stops for bathroom and food. Not a single complaint, everyone was comfortable beyond compare. The connectivity was loved by the kids, as was the ability to have all the electronics charged. While the dog would have preferred a yard, even he had room to move and get comfortable. Moving up from a Subaru Legacy, this was an obvious upgrade, what is surprising is that a vehicle this size is actually more efficient than a car that weighed 2000lbs less, and had a 2.5 liter 4cyl turbo engine. Finally, the GMC dealer experience has gone upscale and every dealing I had with them, beginning to end, has been easy. No quality based issues with the truck yet, and hopefully none on the horizon. There is a steep learning curve with the technology of the truck and the personalization available, but a good long trip like that helps to sort it all out and learn what the options are.

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  2000 GMC Sierra Z71 - 2000 GMC Sierra 1500
  By Brad - November 20 - 10:13 pm

  Overall, I love the truck. It fires up every morning. I have had it for almost four years. I drive 30,000 miles a year with my job and it holds up great. The biggest repair I had to make was to have the intake manifold gaskets replaced a few years ago. The Gen III LS-based engines are notorious for that. I get about 15-17MPG no matter what kind of driving I do. Piddly things are starting to fail like lights on the radio & HVAC, lumbar support, and the console lid, but mechanically, its as Professional Grade as ever! Someday Ill trade it in on a new Sierra/Silverado, but right now it does what I need it to do.

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  Better than I expected - 2004 GMC Sierra 1500
  By H. Gleeksman - November 20 - 7:10 am

  It has turned out to be a better vehicle than I expected. Very decent ride quality. Plenty of get up and go consiering it has the small V-8 engine. My biggest complaint is the lousy turning radius- takes much too much space to get in and out of parking spaces or to make a U turn. Nice fit and finish. It is holding up very well. Am not generally a GM fan, but this is a very nice vehicle.

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  Reliable Work/Hunt Truck, Fun to Drive - 1999 GMC Sierra 1500
  By 270winrem700 - November 12 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has held up extremely well. There were a few minor problems (rear window cracked twice and had to be replaced with aftermarket product - but dealer took care of it.... also there was a rattle in the steering column, which the dealer fixed once, but then fixed a second time on a recall with no further problems). Aside from these two items, everything else has been exceptionally good.

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  Gmc crew cab - 2005 GMC Sierra 1500
  By Bill - November 11 - 1:46 am

  Mileage has been above what I expected for a vehicle of this size. Very comfortable on the road. Handles very well on trips and the 5300 has plenty of reserve power

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  Big Man Review - 2001 GMC Sierra 1500
  By craig_allen - November 3 - 10:00 am

  We bought this truck new. Im over 300 lbs. We are 2 adults, retired with one vehicle to drive. Therefore confort, reliability, etc all have to be in the top of the scale. We have pulled fith wheel Travel trailer with this truck around SE USA wirh no problems. I expect we were close to 13K going down the road. Always performed like a champ. Only minor service things; 1) Daylight lamps had to be replaced. 2) OEM Tires replaced before 40K miles with Michlien LTX. 3)Drivers seat frame broke, replaced under extended warranty. I did have reservation about pulling TT, but there has never been a problem associated with this. PS Note having been a one TRUCK famil

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  127,000 miles and still going strong! - 1999 GMC Sierra 1500
  By WJBJR - October 25 - 10:00 am

  99 Sierra SLT Ex. cab. Just hit 127k. Extremely reliable. No issues. Slight engine tapping for 30 seconds when cold. Does not burn oil. Have mainitained very well. Orig. trans mission that shows very little wear when the filter is replaced. Very quite, comfortable, fun to drive while still delivering decent mileage 15/19. This is my 2nd GMC truck. My 1991 was sold for 50% of what I paid for it with 160000 miles. It was also very reliable. My father drove my 99 Sierra a couple of times and sold his 1990 FORD truck and purchased a new 2000 GMC Sierra Z71. He loves it. (so does mom).

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  Love my Seirra - 2001 GMC Sierra 1500
  By my1sttruck - October 20 - 10:00 am

  My Seirra has never let me down yet. With 63,000 miles on it in just two years its still running great and I love the way it handles.

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  Love my truck - 2005 GMC Sierra 1500
  By Wingman - October 15 - 2:23 am

  I switched from a Ford F150 to my GMC, and I love the GMC. I do wish the bed was longer.

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  GREAT TRUCK - 2004 GMC Sierra 1500
  By ikeguy29 - September 18 - 8:13 am

  I drove this truck across the country, no problems and i had a trailer in pull. Maine to Washington. Very comfy and with a few add ons, the gas mileage for me is low 20s high way. 5.3L. Good truck, Recommend.