2024 GMC Sierra 1500

When talking about the GMC Sierra 1500, it’s inevitable that the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 will be mentioned. They’re essentially the same truck with virtually identical specifications. The usual GMC approach, however, is to start out a little more upscale than its Chevy equivalent and carry that through as the trim levels rise. Either way, they’re both big sellers and even if they don’t have class-leading towing or payload figures, they’re perfectly able to do most things that people want a full-size truck to do.

The all-electric Sierra EV electric truck is reviewed separately.

The turbocharged diesel engine gains more power and becomes standard in the AT4X off-roader model. The 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine is now known as the TurboMax and has a warranty lasting up to 100,000 miles. An active exhaust system is offered with the SLT, AT4, and Denali versions. And a couple of new wheel designs are joined by two fresh paint colors.

The Sierra’s stablemate is the Chevy Silverado 1500, starting at around $38.7K. The main competition comes from the Ford F-150 from about $35K and the Ram 1500, from $38K or so. The Toyota Tundra starts in the $40K region, with the Nissan Titan kicking off in the mid-40s.

Before buying a new Sierra 1500 truck, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. The strongest resale values of the class belong to the Tundra; the Sierra 1500’s values are more mid-pack or a little above.

The Sierra 1500 has a turbo 4-cylinder base engine making 310 horsepower. This is a decent choice and enables strong payload numbers (see Payload and Towing below).

Truck people love a V8, though. The 355-horsepower 5.3-liter version is the most popular engine in the Sierra 1500, followed by the 420-horsepower 6.2-liter unit, which is only available in tandem with 4-wheel drive.

We also love the available Duramax turbodiesel 6-cylinder. The diesel is more efficient and tows more than the V8s, and you don’t have to be a diesel guy (or gal) to appreciate the 495-lb-ft torque rating and the thrust that comes with it.

Our consumer reviews often mention how comfortable the ride quality is. We agree. We’ve found it great for long trips, while the adaptive suspension of the Denali model improves both shock absorption and body control. In its usual guise, though, the Sierra 1500 can feel cumbersome in town and be tricky to park.

Anyone looking to get as far away from town as possible should check out the AT4 or the even more off-road-focused AT4X. This latter model gains the turbodiesel engine as standard this year.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of full-size trucks, including the GMC Sierra 1500.

Payload and Towing

Although the 5.3-liter V8 actually has less torque than the 2.7-liter four (383 lb-ft, as opposed to 430 lb-ft), it still provides a broad range of abilities, able to take the heaviest payload of 2,240 pounds (the 2.7 can handle the same). Yet it can also tow an impressive 11,200 pounds.

The top-towing Sierra 1500 variant, though, is powered by the upgraded-for-2024 diesel engine, turbocharged to develop a meaty 495 lb-ft of torque and pull 13,200 pounds. The 6.2-liter V8 (with 460 lb-ft of torque) enables towing of 13,000 pounds, the same as the diesel when it’s linked to the 4-wheel-drive system.

These figures are close enough to the Chevy Silverado 1500 to make either one a great choice. The Ford F-150, however, can carry a payload of 3,325 pounds or tow up to 14,000 pounds.

Fuel Economy

The 2.7 turbo engine achieves 20 combined mpg (19 city, 22 highway) with rear-wheel drive (RWD) or 19 combined mpg (18 city, 20 highway) with 4-wheel drive (4WD). Despite the use of a turbocharger, regular fuel is still OK.

The 5.3-liter V8 runs to 18 combined mpg (16 city, 21 highway) with RWD, or 17 combined mpg (16 city, 20 highway) with 4WD.

Premium gasoline is required for the 6.2-liter V8, which is estimated to return 17 combined mpg (15 city, 19 highway; AWD). The AT4X is slightly thirstier.

The 3.0-liter turbodiesel manages 26 combined mpg (24 city, 29 highway) with RWD, or 24 combined mpg (22 city, 27 highway) with 4WD.

These fuel economy figures are similar to the competition. The diesel engine is thriftier than its Ram counterpart; Toyota, Nissan, and Ford don’t even have a diesel option. The F-150 is available with a hybrid drivetrain, however, as is the Tundra in i-Force Max form.

Although GMC trucks are meant to be a little more upmarket than their Chevrolet counterparts, trim levels in the 2024 Sierra 1500 still run the usual pickup gamut from rudimentary to ritzy. Up at the Denali end, the materials are plush and the cabins are hushed.

Depending on how many passengers are coming along for the ride, the 2024 Sierra 1500 has a range of rear legroom going from none to 35.2 inches in the Double cab, or an expansive 43.4 inches in the Crew — which is among the best in the class.

Cab choices are Regular, Double, or Crew. Bed lengths are standard (80 inches) or short (70 inches). The overall look can vary according to the trim. For example, an AT4X will have a higher ride height because of its specialized suspension. And the Denali has a more ornate grille than the lower trims. In general, though, we think the Sierra 1500 absolutely looks the part.

A couple of new alloy wheel designs become available this year, as well as Downpour Metallic (a dark blue) and Thunderstorm Gray paint colors.

GMC Pro Safety
This standard array of safety equipment includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, and lane-keeping assistance.

MultiPro tailgate
In our opinion, definitely worth selecting from the options list. This clever feature can act as a bed step, an extended gate, or a workbench.

Four-wheel drive
The majority of Sierra 1500 buyers tend to choose 4-wheel drive. It’s a strong setup with high and low gearing, a transfer case, and a terrain mode for snow, sand, etc.

13.4-inch infotainment touchscreen
Fitted in the one-up-from-base SEL trim, this decent-sized display (oriented horizontally) controls a user-friendly system that includes wireless phone integration, plus Google built-in — with access to apps like Google Maps and Google Play.

Carbon fiber bed
The Sierra 1500 offers this unusual feature, which has an impressive cargo volume of 63.9 cubic feet. The CarbonPro bed is also resistant to dents, scratches, and rust.

Super Cruise
Available in the Denali and Denali Ultimate models, this is a hands-free and feet-free partial self-driving feature that works on specific roads (over 400,000 miles of them in North America, though) to take the slog out of long freeway stretches.

One change for 2024 is that the base engine is now called TurboMax. This is a turbocharged (obviously) 2.7-liter 4-cylinder unit making 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. It connects to an 8-speed automatic transmission. A 10-speed automatic transmission is used for the rest of the range.

In another change, the turbocharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder diesel engine gains more muscle compared with 2023, now developing 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque, the most torque of the entire lineup. Between these two engines is a pair of V8s, a 5.3-liter and a 6.2-liter. All engines are available with a default rear-wheel-drive setup or a 4-wheel drive system (standard with the 6.2-liter).

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

GMC’s usual new-vehicle warranty is three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are usually covered for five years or 60,000 miles, with roadside assistance included. This is all quite typical for the class. This year, however, GMC has extended the powertrain warranty for the base 2.7-liter engine to five years or 100,000 miles, the same as the turbodiesel. The first scheduled service is free, regardless of engine.

Safety Ratings

As a Crew Cab model, the GMC Sierra 1500 gave an adequate performance in crash tests carried out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) with scores of Good in the main categories, except for a Marginal in the front passenger-side small overlap impact. It hasn’t been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the closely related Chevy Silverado 1500 earned a maximum 5-Star overall score.