Overview & Reviews

GMC is a division of General Motors that focuses on producing SUVs, trucks and vans. Though GMC's vehicles are mechanically similar to related Chevrolet products, they are typically differentiated by unique features, trim levels and minor styling tweaks. The automaker's full-size pickups and SUVs are the most compelling offerings in its lineup; in many cases, its products in these categories are class-leading.

The marque's roots lie in the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, a truck manufacturer that was founded by Max Grabowski in 1902. The outfit was purchased by General Motors in 1909 with the intention of having it serve as a division dedicated to building tough and capable trucks. The brand came to be known as GMC Truck; early models include the T16 and T20. Most of the manufacturer's trucks were very utilitarian in nature and functioned as dump trucks, fire trucks and military vehicles. GMC Truck's 3/4-ton Model 16 saw duty in World War I, serving mostly as a battlefield ambulance.

Sales continued to climb in the 1920s. After switching to a six-cylinder Buick-built motor, GMC Truck's 1- and 2-ton trucks earned the distinction of being the fastest in their classes. By the '30s, the line had grown to include everything from half-ton pickups to 10-ton trucks and buses. New models included the popular 1936 Suburban, which was essentially a truck-based station wagon that paired a truck's utility with a car's creature comforts.

World War II was a time of expansion for GMC Truck, thanks to its acquisition of Yellow Truck & Coach. Once again, the automaker's vehicles were tapped for wartime duty. New models like the Jimmy and the DUKW (nicknamed the Duck) were widely used by American troops.

Postwar, GMC Truck models became more consumer-oriented, and many were revamped to offer styling that more closely resembled passenger cars. The 1950s and '60s witnessed an upswing in sales, thanks to the popularity of recreational vehicles like GMC-based motor homes and pickup campers. The Jimmy name was revived and assigned to the brand's first ever sport-utility vehicle in 1970. That decade and the next saw a continued rise in the brand's popularity. The early '90s saw the brief appearance of the Syclone and Typhoon. The former was a small street pickup that burned up the asphalt with its turbocharged V6 and all-wheel drive. The latter was essentially a two-door SUV based on the same platform. Either one of these oddball speedsters could rip through a quarter-mile in around 14 seconds flat, making them among the quickest vehicles ever offered by General Motors. Also, by this time, GMC Truck had trimmed its moniker; the brand is now known simply as GMC.

In the past few decades, GM has consolidated its products and GMC's trucks have become less individualistic as a result. Today, most of GMC's vehicles are virtually identical to those sold by Chevrolet. The main differences lie in minor features and design tweaks that give GMC's offerings a more upscale image.

User Reviews:

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  the worst truck ever made - 2002 GMC Sierra 3500
  By pdiddy - April 7 - 10:00 am

  just doesnt stack up to the ford at all

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  Dont Waste Your Money - 2009 GMC Sierra 1500
  By Fred - March 22 - 2:06 am

  Cab is too Skinny. Accelerator and brake pedal are too close together. Seats are too Skinny foam too soft compresss and hurts to sit on, after @ 3k-4k miles. Cab entrance is too low I Bumped my head getting in I am 6ft tall. Too Much Sun Glare windshield hard to clean on inside. Brake Noise. Wind Noise. Stump Clunk, not fixable by GM Techs Fuel tank sloshes @ 3/4 to full tank. I can feel a thump from fuel sloshing. Cabin area is much smaller than Ford or Dodge. Seats are very uncomfortable after driving for awhile. Tires spin on wet pavement 500 lb in bed pulling loaded trailer. No lamp under hood hard to add washer fluid or check oil after dark. TPI do not give correct reading

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  Nothing but problems - 2010 GMC Terrain
  By Ursula Sexton - February 6 - 12:11 am

  Do not purchase any GMC product. The quality of their autos is poor. Customer service is even worse. I have been lied too and put off by company concerning complaints and issues. Not a reputable company at all.

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  Junk - 1997 GMC Jimmy
  By jp1 - December 7 - 4:19 pm

  This is by far the worst car I have ever had. When it starts, and you never know if it will, it sounds like a flock of birds going down the road. It makes weird noises in the dashboard, along with popping noises from the windshield. On wet pavement or snow and ice it is completely unmaneuverable and unsafe. Brakes are undersized and inefficient for the vehicle. It is terrible for wasting gas. I had a 78 Oldsmobile 88 that got better mileage. The door locks freeze up completely at 29 degrees F. Oil cooler hoses can go without warning, frying the engine within a matter of minutes. The CD player and sunroof work, so you can listen to music while the snow comes falling in. Id rather walk.

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  Disappointed - 2002 GMC Sierra 3500
  By JK1 - October 13 - 10:00 am

  i really really really wish I had bought an F-350....

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  2007 Yukon SLT-2 4a - 2007 GMC Yukon
  By SLT-2 4A PACKAGE - September 3 - 3:23 pm

  Only a week old, I searched up and down the Florida coast for this great truck. Gray with light leather int with every option available. So far, she is my dream truck and a sure head turner sporting the 20in polished wheels and very hot looking exterior. This baby has enough toys to keep anyone happy on a long trip or just sitting in the garage :) GM has come to the plate on this truck ! I love my new GMC Yukon

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  Junk, plain and simple, AVOID THEM. - 2002 GMC Envoy
  By Citizen Z - September 2 - 9:11 pm

  This is a classic "throw away" vehicle, it is not built to last longer than the factory warranty period. When it does have a failure it is always Major and cost a fortune to fix. With 150,000 it needs a new engine, the VVT solenoid and sprocket have both been replaced, the oil pressure sending unit has been replaced (it still will not hold oil pressure at idle), the oil pan seal (silicon, no gasket) is a $500 repair, the valve cover gasket is a $400 repair, front wheel bearings fail every 50,000 miles and are a $500 job, the transmission slams into gear after coasting for a bit which makes me suspect that it is failing too. It averages 8-13 miles per gallon, which is beyond a gas guzzler. The check engine light is always on for something different(not a "loose gas cap") and the cruise control will not work if the check engine light is on. It rattles, creaks, pops, squeaks, and has major major wind noise. Fix one thing, and something else fails within a couple of weeks.

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  Bad Transmission - 2008 GMC Sierra 1500
  By junkgmcsierra - September 2 - 6:40 am

  GMC will not stand behind there Trucks. My 2013 Sierra has ahard banging type clunk noise when shifting to 3rd gear sometime it feels like the powertrain is going to break. After several attemts to have it resolved including a test drive from a GM rep i have been told this is normal condition. GM bulletin # 01-07-30-042G. This truck has less than 9k miles on it.

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  Engine trouble in GMC Cannon - 2005 GMC Canyon
  By tccagle - April 10 - 8:53 pm

  I bought a new 2005 GMC Cannon to use as a work truck. I bought a very basic model without any extras. I have been so disappointed. Within the last year I have had the truck in the shop over 10 times. They have never found out the problem wiht the engine. I have been through several meeting and I am happy to say that GMC is repurchasing my truck. I have missed so many days from work taking care if this matter, but it is finally over.

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  Hey GM Designers Quit taking stupid pills - 2009 GMC Sierra 1500
  By takeabreak - December 13 - 8:23 am

  GMC = Government Motors Crap! WHere do I start, Fuel economy sucks, 2 mps less than rated, been checked out no mechanical reasons, not driver error I drive conservatively. Vehicles, people and objects disappear behind the review mirror because of the lowered roof line, I cannot clean the windshield because of the sloped design. Your seats suck, around a 1,000 miles the foam starting softer and I now feel like I am sinking in the seat, very uncomfortable, no left ffo rest, so I am sliding around when braking. Noisey peace of crap, stop klunks, bumps and thumps, hard downshifts.