PRICE : For 2014 GMC Sierra $26,075
The 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 ranks 3 out of 10 Full Size Pickup Trucks. This ranking is based on our analysis of published reviews and test drives of the GMC Sierra 1500, as well as reliability and safety data.
Reviewers say that while the redesigned 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 brings few innovations to the segment, its solid performance and high-quality interior make it one of the most refined trucks in the class.
The 2014 GMC Sierra is available with three engines, and reviewers say the base V6 offers ample power and should provide plenty of muscle for those who don't plan to do any heavy hauling or towing with their truck. Two more powerful engines are available, including a 5.3-liter V8 and a 6.2-liter V8. Test drivers say the 5.3-liter V8 makes impressive power, which helps the Sierra maintain speed when towing or hauling heavier loads.
A six-speed automatic transmission comes with all engines, and reviewers say it shifts smoothly. With the V6 engine and rear-wheel drive, the Sierra achieves a fuel economy estimate of 18/24 mpg city/highway, which is fairly good for the class. The Sierra 1500 earns praise for its comfortable ride, well-weighted steering and strong brakes. Additionally, a few test drivers call out the truck's small turning radius, which makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces.
Reviewers praise the Sierra's cabin for its high-quality construction and comfortable seats. Most critics say that it's easy to find a comfortable driving position. Test drivers say that the crew cab's back seat is very spacious. Reviewers appreciate that the Sierra’s optional infotainment system is user-friendly, and that up to five USB ports are available to help keep the Sierra’s passengers charged and connected. Like most full-size pickups, though, there are few other notable standard features, and the base trim comes with manual windows and mirrors and a basic AM/FM stereo with two USB ports. Available features include dual-zone automatic climate control, GMC's IntelliLink infotainment system, a six-speaker stereo system, an upgraded Bose stereo, navigation and satellite and HD Radio. There are also optional safety and driver assistance features such as front and rear parking sensors, forward collision alert, lane departure warning and GM's Safety Alert seat, which vibrates to notify the driver of potential hazards in the truck’s path.
EXTERIOR
GMC has placed updated mirrors that help reduce wind turbulence. Helping further curtail wind noise, GM installed triple-sealed inlaid doors, plus additional sealing around the grille, headlights and space between the cab and box. The rocker panels received ultra-high-strength steel segments that provide increased protection and the hood is now made from aluminum and helps reduce the truck’s weight by 17 pounds.
The 2014 Sierra also received new lightweight wheels paired with low-rolling-resistance tires in most applications.
INTERIOR
Premium materials, attention to detail and purposeful technology define GMC Sierra's all-new cabin. New soft-touch materials and available aluminum trim line an interior that's focused on usable and productive space.
"Truck owners want a well-crafted cabin, but also one that still feels like a truck," said Helen Emsley, Sierra interior design director. "They want a purposeful interior, not one that's flowing like you'd find in a car or crossover."
Sierra has an upright instrument panel designed for visibility and accessibility. Knobs and buttons are large, legible and within reach. All knobs are coated using a rubber-over-mold technology, so they're easy to grip even through gloves.
A new instrument cluster on all models features six gauges with an available centrally located, 4.2-inch color Driver Information Center with vehicle status information, a trip computer, and other information, like radio and navigation.
A second, high-mounted glove box with a flat floor joins the traditional box below. Each of GMC Sierra's doors has storage crafted to hold most beverage containers and other personal items. Along the center stack and center console are additional cupholders, discreet compartments large enough for most laptop computers, and connectivity options. Sierra is available with a 110-volt outlet, up to five USB ports, four 12-volt outlets and an SD card slot.
"Sierra sets a new standard for what's expected of a pickup truck interior," said DiSalle. "Our customers told us how they use their trucks and we listened. The combination of comfort, safety, space and technology is unprecedented in the segment."
Available IntelliLink connectivity uses an available high-definition, fully reconfigurable eight-inch color touchscreen with an intuitive layout and easy-to-read icons that control audio features, a Pandora app, Bluetooth phone features, and available navigation with all-new map displays. Many of the system's features can be controlled by voice command, allowing the driver to keep eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.
GMC Sierra's seats use dual-density foam designed to stay comfortable over long hours and continue to look great after years of use. Leather and cloth will be offered, and Sierra's new high-wear cloth is designed to last longer and resist staining. A spilled drink will bead on the fabric, not soak in. Heated seats are available with cloth seats and standard with leather.
SPECIFICATION
► Year : 2014
► Make:GMC
► Model:Sierra
► Weight: 5,395 pounds.
► Payload: 1,805 pounds.
► Engine:V6
► Displacement:4.3 L
► Transmission: Six-speed automatic with four-wheel drive.
► City/highway fuel consumption: 14/20 mpg.
► Price as tested: $56,330.
► Base price, including destination charge: $50,960.
COMFORT & QUALITY
The 2014 GMC Sierra isn't a completely new truck--GM itself calls it a heavy refresh. That's fine, since the Sierra's cabin and bed already had the space they needed to take on a slew of jobs.
The configurations change slightly, however. Regular Cabs still offer two front-hinged doors and beds either 6'6" or 8' long. Double Cabs all get the 6'6" bed, but the doors themselves are different. They're now hinged at the front, and don't require an open front door to gain access to the space behind the front seats. Crew Cabs come with four full-size, front-hinged doors and now, with a choice of either the 5’8” or 6’6” beds.
In terms of access, the longer doors on the Crew Cab make it easy to clamber in the back seats, especially since the Sierra's B-pillars have been moved forward. But now that the Double Cab gets front-hinged rear doors for the first time, it's almost as capable and accessible.
► Seats and storage
We've spent time in both five- and six-passenger Sierras, with bench and bucket seats, cloth and leather, and come away impressed with the much-elevated sense of quality. Soft-touch materials look more expensive and lay next to each other neatly--the aluminum trim on some Sierras is pitch-perfect--and the added gauges in the Sierra give it a more technical flourish than the more basic Silverado.
Getting a good driving position is easy. Tilt and telescope are engaged with separate levers, unusual but intentional to avoid contact with the driver. Power-adjustable pedals are an option. The Sierra's smaller sideview mirrors can be overcome with the available towing mirrors, but otherwise, outward visibility is good. The gauges and displays are clear, and controls and knobs are large and easy to grab for quick adjustments to fan speed and audio volume.
The Sierra's base cloth seats offer better support and comfort, we think, than the optional leather ones. The cloth is stain-resistant and woven for long life, and looks fine. It can even be heated. In our drive, the cloth seatbacks had better support across the seatback and a more comfortable bottom cushion, and it's possible ventilated seats are the reason. The leather seats come standard with heating, and ventilation is an option--and as we've found on many other vehicles, the packaging for vents flattens out the cushions. On the Sierra, you'll tilt the seats forward to strike a balance between proper support and contact with the headrests.
In-cabin storage is excellent. On Sierras with bench seats, there's some storage embedded in the middle seat section, along with a trio of cupholders. Five-seat Sierras have a wide center console with cupholders, a deep rectangular storage bin, a pair of smartphone ridges, and if you order it so, up to five USB ports and two types of power points so you can recharge almost anything--GoPros, camera batteries, even laptops. There's a dual glovebox, and enough molded-in bottle holders to erase the threat of dehydration.
We drove only Crew Cab models, though we've poked around other body styles on the auto show circuit. Our test truck had great rear-seat leg and head room, just as in front. But the rear seatbacks rest vertically against the bed wall, still, though the bottom cushion does flip up to create more lockable storage.
The Sierra's visible quality is backed up by audible improvements. The 6.2-liter V-8 will come with active noise cancellation to calm its four-cylinder noises, and the truck's doors are sealed three times over to prevent too much wind noise from intruding into the cabin.
► Bed time
Outside of the cabin, the Sierra adopts some extra features to make hauling and carrying more convenient. There's a new "CornerStep" built into the rear bumper of all trucks, and four cargo tiedowns that can fasten up to 500 pounds between them are included with each Sierra. There's an LED light mounted on the cab that points down into the bed, which itself has LED lighting tucked under its rim for better visibility.
Inside the bed, the Sierra has at least four feet of space between the wheel wells, and five feet between the bed walls. Notches are stamped into the bed for stacking the bed or otherwise fully loading it. A factory-installed, spray-in bedliner is available. Of all the new touches, our favorite is the damped tailgate: open or raise it, and the light touch is a welcome respite from the usual slam that greets truck owners.
PERFORMANCE & POWERTRAIN
Most GMC Sierra shoppers will lean to one of its new V-8s for stronger performance and better towing, but the completely reworked V-6 deserves more attention than ever. It's no longer a penalty piece for utility trucks and fleets: it's an honest alternative to the V-8 for drivers that are honest about how often they tow and haul.
Today's full-size trucks deliver the kinds of payload, acceleration, and towing that heavy-duty trucks did just a couple of decades ago. Recalibrating the powertrain needs of truck drivers was inevitable, and this year it happens in the Sierra. The rejiggered powertrain lineup has dropped some of the former stragglers, leaving behind a trio of powerplants that hit all the benchmarks of the class.
► Powertrains
The base engine is a 4.3-liter V-6, but don't hold any grudges with the past Vortec engines of the same name. This one's a natural fit for a lighter-duty full-size truck, anything not pressed to tow more than a few thousand pounds. Without the classic V-6 burr on full throttle, it could be mistaken for a small-displacement V-8, given the low-end torque. In all, it's rated at 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque, which we'd peg at a 0-60 mph time of about 8.0-8.5 seconds, with a smartly-geared six-speed automatic running shift plays. It's efficient--direct injection and cylinder deactivation are new--are said to boost fuel economy though EPA numbers haven't been released. And towing is up: the V-6 Sierra tows up to 7,200 pounds, a quarter-ton more than the F-150 V-6 and 700 pounds more than the best Ram V-6.
If you really do tow 5000 pounds or more on a regular basis, and don't mind a couple miles per gallon in gas-mileage penalties and a minimal $895 option price, GM's 5.3-liter V-8 is the next step on the Sierra ladder. It's a muscular powerplant, good for 355 hp and 383 pound-feet of torque, and is coupled to the same sweet six-speed automatic. In the optimum configuration, this team can tow up to 11,500 pounds, and best-case scenario, that rippling exhaust note is backed by a 23-mpg EPA highway rating, thanks again to cylinder deactivation and direct injection.
Later this year, the Sierra Denali sidles into the lineup, bringing with it an optional 6.2-liter V-8 that'll also be offered in the SLT model. The big eight sports 420 hp and 450 pound-feet of torque according to early estimates, which translates into unknown gas mileage but adds 500 pounds to the tow rating, for a class-leading 12,000-pound tow capacity, according to GMC.
All three engines connect to the same six-speed, with a choice of rear-wheel drive or shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive. The transmission has cruise-grade braking factored into its programming; it downshifts early to assist slowing a trailer. It also has a tow/haul mode and tap-shift controls on the shift lever for direct control, helpful when pulling a trailer and modulating power more directly to merge into traffic or to steam up grades. The transmission gives up a couple of gears to the eight-speed unit in some Rams, but it's not missed much; an eight-speed would net better highway economy, but this six-speed has ideally spaced gears and a mellow shift quality that's long been one of GM's points of pride.
► Ride and handling
All Sierras carry over a reworked version of the previous truck's strut front and leaf-spring rear suspension. The steering rack is new, and electric, and specially designed brakes with long-life rotors are new for 2014.
The combination nets the Sierra some large gains in responsiveness, minor ones in ride. Not quite as smooth and composed as an air-suspended Ram, the Sierra's more progressive springs front and back have become a little more absorbent, over what already was a fairly good ride. It's the steering that pays big dividends: it's quick and pretty crisp, as true to scale as the Ram's, not as overtly hefty as the F-150's. Monotube shocks come later this year on All-Terrain Sierras.
Electric steering enables more features that give the Sierra a stable, planted feel even with a few thousand extra pounds depending on it. We spent an afternoon learning some finer points of trailering with the 2014 Sierra, experimenting with Tow/Haul and tap-shifts, and engaging trailer-sway mode. We also fine-tuned the trailer-brake controller fitted on our test vehicle to accommodate a 4,500-pound Airstream and took to a short slalom and cornering course before hitting California's Highway 101. The Sierra took it all into stride, composed from highway entry to exit. The biggest issue we faced, other than narrowed lanes under construction, was a state limit on trailer speed of 55 mph--it felt stable at least 10 mph beyond that.
Later this year, the Sierra All-Terrain adds some undergear to this setup. It gets a Z71 off-road suspension, monotube Rancho shocks, recovery hooks, a transfer-case shield, hill descent control, an auto-locking rear differential, and special wheels and tires. It's a bundle that's also offered on the Denali. We'll bring you more on both of those editions later this year...
AERODYNAMICS
► Quieter, stronger, more aerodynamic
Quietness doesn't only come from factors within the cabin. The 2014 Sierra features new aerodynamic measures that benefit fuel efficiency and reduce wind noise. Updated mirrors that reduce wind turbulence, triple-sealed inlaid doors, as well as roof and tailgate design features all help air flow smoothly quietly over the GMC Sierra. Additional sealing around the grille, headlights and space between the cab and box are also designed to lower drag for the new trucks, along with new aerodynamic spats located in front of the rear wheels.
Updates to Sierra's body and chassis are designed to improve ride and handling, comfort and capability. The fully boxed frame uses high-strength steel and hydroforming to provide more strength and rigidity with less weight. New cab structures incorporate high-strength steel in the A-pillars, B-pillars, roof rails and rocker panels, while ultra-high-strength steel segments of the rocker panels provide added protection for shallow offset crashes.
GMC Sierra's hood is aluminum, saving approximately 17 pounds versus a comparable steel hood. At the rear, a roll-formed box is stronger, lighter and more durable than a traditional stamped steel box.
GMC Sierra uses aluminum for some suspension components for additional rigidity and weight saving, and new lightweight wheels are paired with low-rolling-resistance tires in most applications. The tires, along with new shear-style and redesigned hydraulic cab mounts, are designed to help reduce noise and vibration in the cabin.
"Pickups aren't just a tool for GMC owners - they're part of their everyday lives, and Sierra needs to be as useful on the way to the movies as it is on the way to a job site," said DiSalle. "The most important thing about the engineering behind this new truck is that it benefits owners in so many different ways."
CARGO
► Cargo box innovations
Sierra's rear bumper features standard corner steps that make climbing into the bed easy, regardless of whether the tailgate is up or down. The steps are paired with grips formed into the top of each bed side. Four movable upper tie downs are also standard. They can be placed in nine different locations and can bear a 500-pound (227 kg) load. Available LED cargo lights integrated beneath the bed rails will illuminate the bed when a tonneau cover is in place. The available EZ Lift and Lower tailgate uses an integrated torsion bar and damper to ease lifting and lowering...SEE ALL PHOTOS
FEATURES
With the arrival of the new Sierra, GMC has trimmed off the former WT model and added more standard features. The new lineup now includes the base Sierra, the SLE, SLT, the All-Terrain, and the coming Denali.
All Sierras now come with air conditioning; keyless entry; a locking tailgate; an AM/FM radio with a 4.2-inch color display; a rear step bumper; cloth seats; and the six-cylinder/six-speed automatic drivetrain, unless otherwise upgraded to a V-8. The 5.3-liter V-8 is an $895 option where the V-6 is standard, which is why GMC expects 75 percent of buyers will pay up for it.
Base prices start from $25,085 for the Sierra Regular Cab with rear-wheel drive, rise to $29,110 for the Double cab, and reach $33,210 for the Crew cab.
Most Sierras will be sold at the SLE trim level or above, which means power windows, locks, and mirrors will be included (though GMC hasn't released final features for each model), and likely, a CD player. For utility the Sierra will offer a 110-volt outlet in the cabin, alongside as many as four 12-volt outlets, five USB ports (swoon), and an SD card slot.
GMC’s IntelliLink connectivity system is an option on the 2014 Sierra. It combines Bluetooth connectivity, audio streaming, and voice commands with mobile app connectivity (Pandora, for example) and available navigation, all delivered through a larger, eight-inch reconfigurable touch screen. The system is essentially a version of Cadillac's CUE interface, without the haptic feedback. We think its graphic layer is cleaner and brighter than Ford's MyFord Touch system, and the configurability gives it some distinction over Ram's UConnect, but in our Sierra test drive we encountered a few instances where the navigation system couldn't refer to its own contact database. The Sierra also can be equipped with 3G onboard data as a dealer-installed accessory, with wireless connectivity for up to ten devices, as in the Silverado.
Leather seating will be available, with heating and ventilation for different seating positions, depending on the model. A sunroof and a Blu-Ray rear-seat DVD entertainment system will be stand-alone options on almost all versions. There's also a safety package with lane-departure warning and forward-collision alert systems, and a safety-alert seat that vibrates the cushions for haptic alerts.
For more entertainment, GMC will offer a Z71 off-road package. It comes with hill descent control, skid plates for the transfer case, and Rancho shocks. A trailering package includes connectors for lighting and an automatic locking rear differential. It also adds heavier-duty cooling, a beefier rear axle with a 3.73 ratio, stronger rear leaf springs, and a trailer-brake controller.
The Sierra All-Terrain package comes only in the four-door body styles, on either the SLE or SLT trim. It gets a painted grille and the Z71 off-road suspension, as well as an automatic locking rear differential for quicker reaction times. On the SLE it gets an ebony interior and front bucket seats; the SLT version has seats with carbon fiber-look trim.
Finally, the Sierra Denali returns as the plushest truck of all. The third such GMC truck in history, the Denali gets its own 20-inch chrome wheels and a chrome grill; body-color bumpers; aluminum trim on the dash; and LED daytime running lights. Among the functional upgrades are an eight-inch LCD display in the gauges that can be customized to show audio, phone, navigation, or other settings. Color Touch navigation and IntelliLink smartphone connectivity are standard, as are five USB ports, Bose audio, ventilated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, and a heated steering wheel. The Denali hasn't been priced yet.
ENGINE
The 2014 GMC Sierra will be offered with a choice of three engines: a 4.3-liter V-6, a 5.3-liter V-8 and a 6.2-liter V-8. All of them feature standard direct injection, continuously variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management, and they bear a new name of EcoTec3 — no more Vortec.
Don’t let the base-engine size fool you, as the archaic 4.3-liter Vortec engine appears to be museumed and the base engine is an all-new 6-banger that’ll likely rival the Ford and Dodge base engines well.
All three engines will be combined with a standard six-speed automatic transmission.
The 5.3-liter V-8 engine is a huge upgrade to the outgoing model. It pumps out 355 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 4,100 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm. Additionally, the 5.3-liter engine delivers class-leading fuel economy with its 16 mpg city, 23 mpg highway and 19 mpg combine ratings in rear-wheel drive. With four-wheel drive, the 5.3-liter is rated at 1 mpg less in highway mpg and combined mpg. Towing with the 5.3-liter V-8 also leads the class at 11,500 pounds.
DRIVETRAIN
The 2014 GMC Sierra 1500's new V6 provides ample thrust and is light-years ahead of the old V6, not only in terms of power and performance but also refinement. Another indication of this engine's all-around legitimacy is that it is available on nearly all trim levels and body style levels, rather than being relegated only to work truck variants, as was the case with the old V6.
As you would expect, the 5.3-liter V8 delivers solid thrust with good manners, though there's still a bit of vibration during hard acceleration. More seamless than ever, however, is the fuel-saving cylinder deactivation system, which swaps between V8 and V4 modes with complete transparency.
The six-speed automatic provides smooth and timely gearchanges in normal driving. But despite the pull of the Sierra's huskier new engines, we've noticed that there's still too big a gap between the transmission's gear ratios when towing. There are rumors of an upcoming eight-speed transmission -- it would be a welcome addition. That said, we've towed a trailer with an 8,600-pound load behind a Sierra equipped with the 5.3-liter V8 and the Max Trailering package, and there was plenty of reserve grunt.
Overall ride and handling dynamics are noticeably improved over those of the old truck. The 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 feels robust structurally, yet most versions are compliant and comfortable over broken pavement, though the stiffer ride on trucks with the Max Trailering package can grow tiresome. The 2014 Sierra is also very quiet, with road noise snuffed out and only a whisper of wind noise at freeway speeds. The GMC is also steady around turns, and its steering is well-weighted. Off road, the Sierra shudders less when bouncing around on rocky trails, exhibiting better composure than ever before.....SEE ALL PHOTOS
SAFETY
Standard safety features on the 2014 GMC Sierra include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control (with trailer sway control), front and rear seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. Also standard is OnStar, which includes services such as automatic crash notification, roadside assistance, remote door unlocking and stolen-vehicle assistance. All-new cab structures for the three configurations (standard, double and crew cabs) bring improved structural stiffness and crashworthiness to the 2014 model.
Options include a rearview camera, front and rear park assist and a suite of driver aids that includes a lane departure-warning system and a forward collision-alert system.
FUEL ECONOMY
The GMC Sierra's powertrains are shared with the 2014 Chevy Silverado, and posts identical fuel economy numbers.
Those EPA figures settle in at 16 miles per gallon city, 23 miles per gallon highway, or 19 mpg combined, for trucks with the V-8 and rear-wheel drive. With four-wheel drive, the V-8 and six-speed combination nets fuel economy of 16/22 mpg, or 18 mpg combined.
Those numbers represent a significant gain over the previous GM V-8 lineup, even though the automatic transmission hasn't gone to the eight-speeds now found on the Ram 1500. GMC says it's due to more efficient body construction (the trucks weigh about as much as an Audi A8) and the use of cylinder deactivation on both the V-8 and the V-6 engines. When driving loads are lighter, the truck shuts off four cylinders on the V-8, running it on the remaining cylinders until driving demands increase. The increases in vibration and noise are offset by more sealing and on the V-6, with a balance shaft. The big V-8 also gets active noise cancellation, we've heard.
Cylinder deactivation is applied to the V-6, even, but it's not across three cylinders, just two. Those V-6 powertrains are rated at 18/24 mpg or 20 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive, or 17/22 mpg or 19 mpg combined with four-wheel drive. Those numbers are close to the ones posted by the V-6 Ram 1500, even without the Ram's eight-speed automatic.
Both engines run on regular unleaded gasoline. No plans for diesel engines have been announced, and the former Chevy Silverado mild hybrid won't be making a comeback.
No gas-mileage figures have been released for the 6.2-liter V-8. We'll update this review as soon as figures are available.
VIDEO ( 2014 GMC SIERRA )
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