Compact CUV’s are car-based light duty unit with front wheel drive and a 4 or 6 cylinder engine. The Terrain drives like a car but has a very flexible and configurable interior. The seating position is elevated for excellent visibility yet entry and exit is very comfortable. For many people, it’s the perfect vehicle.
The Terrain has some unique features. It and its Chevrolet Equinox cousin have an outstanding fuel economy rating of 32 miles per gallon on the highway. This is 15% to 25% better than any other vehicles in the class. That mechanical magic is possible because of a modern direct injection 2.4 liter 4 cylinder Ecotec engine and a 6 speed automatic transmission. The vehicle has plenty of power yet sips fuel very sparingly. The Terrain is also offered with a 3.0 liter V6 with greater towing capacity and all-wheel drive if needed.
The styling of the Terrain is bold and angular. The shape allows for a spacious interior. The second row of seats has class-leading space and there is about a foot of fore-aft slide adjustment. These seats also recline for comfort and fold flat for maximum cargo area.
Upscale features are also offered on the Terrain. Items like sunroof, navigation, dual DVD screens on the seat backs of the front 2 seats allowing 2 different DVD’s to be played at the same time are very nice. Leather seating, modern connectivity and an upscale audio system increase the owner satisfaction of the vehicle.
Standard features include a rear backup camera, a programmable liftgate which lets you control how far it opens so you don’t bang in on the ceiling of the garage, USB connections for all your audio devices, Bluetooth and a 5 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
Safety peace of mind comes from standard 4 wheel ABS disc brakes with hill hold control, stability and traction control, front, side and side curtain airbags, plus OnStar which helps you in the event of a collision.
The Terrain is a real joy to drive. Its car-like handling made driving, whether around town or on the freeway, a pleasure. Visibility is absolutely superb and entry and exit were very easy. The Terrain is quiet, comfortable and responsive. The navigation system works very well and the audio connectivity is also very good. It’s an excellent all around performer that fits many people’s busy modern life.
By Kelly Foss
MyCarData
GMC announced today that the new 2011 GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups have increased towing and payload ratings through ongoing development and testing, making them the most capable and powerful heavy-duty pickups in the segment. The ratings have been increased to 21,700 pounds of towing and 6,635 pounds of payload.
“When developing the Sierra HD our focus has consistently been to deliver customers the most capable heavy-duty trucks in the market, along with premium features and styling that distinguish GMC amongst the competition,” said Rick Spina, GM Full-size Truck global vehicle line executive. “Our first set of capability tests confirmed that the team had exceeded the payload and towing targets by a significant margin. Ongoing testing demonstrated a clear opportunity to increase the true capabilities of these trucks.”
The GMC Sierra HD engineering team was able to achieve the increase in towing capacity to 21,700 by putting the Sierra HD through a wide variety of tests over various terrains, grades and weather conditions. Extensive design and lab analysis, climatic wind tunnel testing, and actual on-road extreme ride and handling testing methods were all used to confirm stable handling and performance of the powertrain, drivetrain and brake components at maximum gross combined weight rating (GCWR). The GCWR is increased to 29,200 pounds.
To achieve the increased payload capacity, engineers used higher strength steel for the cargo box sills. The team conducted a significant amount of testing where maximum payloads tested the stronger cargo box and rear axle components. The maximum payload rating has been increased to 6,635 pounds.
“We encourage consumers to test drive the Sierra HD against the competition,” said Spina. “Based on our test results, we are confident our HDs will prove to be the best choice for real-world towing and hauling needs.”
For the first time ever, GMC will be offering the exclusive Denali line in our heavy-duty pickups with the Sierra Denali 2500 and 3500 HDs. The Denali version is distinguished by its iconic four-bar, chrome grille with round air inlets, along with body-color bumpers, chrome door handles, chrome accents and and 17- (Dually), 18- and 20-inch polished forged aluminum wheels.
The GMC Sierra HD is the segment leader in diesel horsepower and torque (397hp, 765
lb-ft), conventional towing (17,000 lbs.), 5th-wheel towing (21,700 lbs.), payload (6,635 lbs.) and maximum GCWR (29,100 lbs.). Production for the Sierra HD begins next week at Flint Assembly in Flint, MI and customers can expect to start seeing the heavy-duty trucks on dealer lots shortly thereafter.Source - GMC
MyCarData
This carlike do-all represents a new direction for General Motor's tough-truck brand. The Terrain is the second vehicle in the GMC stable to emphasize passenger comfort and fuel economy over towing capacity and payload. With the success of the full-size Acadia crossover, GMC has proven that it can do suburb-friendly trucks just as well as it can do working vehicles. The all-new Terrain offers similar dynamics in a smaller package.
Compact crossovers tend to be thought of as less durable vehicles; to combat this perception, the Terrain goes out of its way to look like a member of the GMC family. Big, square fender flares and a massive three-element GMC grille that cuts into the bumper give the Terrain a flat face and a burly look. The greenhouse is tall and surrounded by brightwork, and a choice of seventeen- or eighteen-inch wheels is offered. From the rear, the Terrain takes cues from the Acadia in the form of wrapped rear glass and beltline-level taillamps. It's a relatively simple design that gives the Terrain a purposeful, tool-like look without the cartoonish aspect of a Hummer or Jeep Compass.
The interior is angular and resembles that of GMC’s futuristic concept vehicles thanks to a “floating” center stack accented by amber LED lights and indirect ambient lighting. The high roof and a tall seating position prevent the view out from being claustrophobic, like in other brick-shaped vehicles, and seating front and rear is comfortable. Still, how do you say “Professional Grade” when the destination is the mall? With standard equipment and convenience features, of course. The Terrain has a long list, including a rear-vision camera that displays in the rearview mirror, Bluetooth phone connectivity, OnStar, XM satellite radio and a “MultiFlex” sliding rear seat that slides eight inches fore and aft to improve cargo-hauling capability or rear-seat legroom, depending on need. An oversized glove box and laptop-sized console provide ample room for stowing small necessaries. Other available equipment includes a remote start, USB-capable sound system for MP3 players, a navigation system with a seven-inch touch screen and a rear-seat entertainment system with dual screens. Underneath the skin, the Terrain is the first production vehicle to benefit from GM’s Active Noise Cancellation technology, which uses microphones to detect certain types of road noise and counteracts them with subtle sound waves, providing a quiet ride at all speeds. Considering my tester's sub-$25,000 sticker price, the equipment offered was impressive.
Under the hood, the Terrain features a choice of four- or six-cylinder power. Both engines feature fuel-saving direct-injection fuel systems and variable valve timing. A new 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine is in the base model, with 182 horsepower. The four-cylinder, which is also a member of GM’s Ecotec family of engines, offers a switchable “ECO” mode that lowers the torque converter’s lockup speed to improve fuel economy. With the ECO mode engaged, the Terrain can get up to 32 mpg on the freeway according to GMC; in both modes, the frugal four-cylinder offers adequate power. The engine's kind of whiny under power, like many large fours are, and acceleration is modest, but the Terrain gets the job done. I never found myself wishing for more power; this is a suburb-prowling do-all, after all, not a drag racer. For a more work-oriented Terrain, go for the optional 3.0 liter dual overhead cam V6, which gives up some mileage but will tow up to 3500 pounds thanks to the 264-horsepower engine. Six-speed automatic transmissions are standard across the board, and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive is available.
A four-wheel independent suspension and unibody construction provide a carlike ride. The Terrain goes and stops nicely, and it's easy to pilot in spite of the boxy body. Road manners are excellent, and though it feels more like a car than a truck most of the time, the Terrain's not afraid to climb over curbs or bounce down rough roads when necessary, either. GM's StabiliTrak stability control and a tire pressure monitoring system are standard equipment.
It's easy to dismiss the Terrain as another five-passenger crossover from GM that's too closely related to the Chevrolet Equinox and Cadillac SRX. In fact, GMC's done a great job of giving this vehicle its own personality and strengths, and accusations of badge-engineering are probably somewhat misguided. Platform sharing does offer the benefit of economies of scale, however: Terrain pricing starts at just $24,250 for a two-wheel drive, four-cylinder model like the one I drove.
All specs are for the 2010 GMC Terrain.
Length: 185.3 in.
Width: 72.8 in.
Height: 66.3 in.
Wheelbase: 112.5 in.
Curb weight: 3798 lb.
Cargo space: 31.6 cu.ft. (seats up); 63.9 cu.ft. (seats folded)
Base price: $24,250
Price as tested: $24,995
Engine: 2.4 liter DOHC sixteen-valve four-cylinder
Drivetrain: six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 182 @ 6700
Torque: 172 @ 4900
Fuel capacity: 18.8 gal.
Est. mileage: 22/32
By Chris Jackson
MyCarData
General Motors has a long heritage in providing heavy-duty trucks in the United States and has been building trucks since 1902. Heavy Duty trucks are purchased because they have to have them, not just because they want one. It becomes “the most expensive item in their toolbox”, to quote one of the GM engineers.
The 2011 model GMC Sierra is a major step in redesign, although most folks can’t easily see it. Almost all the changes from last year’s model to the new 2011 are underneath. The chassis is 99% all new. There is a new independent front suspension. There are new rear leaf springs that are 3 inches wide and 20% larger. There is a fully boxed steel frame.
GMC has added a lot of premium interior to their full-size, half-ton Sierra the past few years and designated it as a Sierra Denali. For the first time, the Heavy Duty Sierra trucks now can be outfitted in the interior with the Denali designation as well. This adds a lot of those comfort features that make the ride much more enjoyable. One of the GM folks referred to it as “marrying the most capable truck with the most premium interior.”
The Duramax 6.6 liter diesel engine was upgraded slightly, at least enough to boost the horsepower to 397 hp. That’s just enough to give GM bragging rights over Ford’s 2011 6.7 liter and Dodge Ram’s 2010 Cummins 6.7 liter. The durability of the Duramax engine is paramount and although it has a 100,000 warranty, the Duramax engineers developed it to go at least 200,000 miles. The glow plug cycle time has been reduced. Most of us remember when you slipped behind the wheel of a large diesel truck, the engine key was switched on, and then you had to wait. The GMC Sierra Heavy Duty diesel has a glow plug wait time of less than 3 seconds. This year’s engine has also been tweaked enough to gain 11% better fuel economy.
The Ride & Drive allowed me and the other journalists to take the new heavy-duty trucks over some challenging roads that included Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. These were the Allegheny Mountains. We drove 2500’s, 3500’s, dump trucks, trucks with heavy payloads, and trucks pulling large trailers. The new 2011 model GMC trucks never blinked.
A few upgraded features were nice to try out. There is a new Smart Exhaust braking system. This is not necessarily a new feature, but it has been integrated into the cruise control. That means if you are going down a very steep hill with a heavy loaded trailer pushing you from behind, you don’t have to ride the brake to keep the truck from accelerating. The cruise control integration with the Smart Exhaust will hold the truck to the desired speed. The other feature we tried out was the Trailer Sway Control. If you are towing an over-sized trailer or an over-loaded trailer, this trailer sway control helps the driver maintain stability.
Finally, the entire cab of these new GMC heavy-duty trucks are enabled with Wi-Fi up to a 150-foot radius around the truck. GMC Wi-Fi is provided by Autonet Mobile and it turns the truck into a mobile hotspot. That allows multiple users with secure internet access inside and out. This not only provides full access for contractors to function at a jobsite, but also allows family members on a trip to utilize their laptops for accessing Facebook, Twitter, email, and other social networking sites while traveling down the highway.
The new Heavy Duty GMC Sierra trucks are great. You may not be able to see much difference on a sales lot, but that new chassis underneath does its job and does it well. The ride is smooth. The cabin is quiet. The truck handles well in whatever configuration or model level. It provides the driver with all the capability and confidence needed and a maximum of control while driving. Visit a GMC dealership and check out the new 2011 GMC Sierra and Sierra Denali heavy-duty pickups yourself.
By Alan Gell - MyCarData
The same might be true for the 2010 GMC Terrain.
Blunt chrome grille, squared off muscular fender flares and a truck-like stance all grace this compact front-wheel-drive crossover, a sure design compliment to the GM “Professional Grade” division best known for its pickups. But GMC now has a compact crossover based on the well-received Chevy Equinox, as well as a mid-size Acadia crossover, so where’s the truck? Only in the pugnacious looks, my friends. But that’s not bad at all … maybe the Terrain wants to gain some ground on its competition by looking a bit bad-***.
Let’s see if it acts that way.
*Terrain topography – If the Chevy Equinox is yet another solidly handsome GM product, the GMC Terrain isn’t far behind, even if it tries a bit too hard to look like a truck. The afore-mentioned boxy three-tiered black honeycomb grill is framed in chrome, as are the fog lights under the stacked square headlight arrays. There’s a hint of a smile in the lower air intake under the grill, and an air dam under the edgy face. The flat hood gets a bit of eye delight with an indented reverse power dome, while the boxy flares frame six-spoke alloy wheels wearing Michelin P235/55R18-inch rubber. Sharing only the windshield with the more streamlined Equinox, the Terrain’s lower door sill wears black plastic with some design spears, while chrome door handles add some jewelry to the Quicksilver Metallic paint job. In back, a wrap-around style to the side and rear windows thanks to glossy black D-pillars, while a chrome accent visually connects the wrap-around taillights over a step bumper. I don’t think it’s as clean as the Chevy version, but it has an athletic presence thanks to those squared-off edges, although I saw so many on our Southern roads that no one gave ours a second look. And I loved one detail – a tiny “GMC” detail in the taillight’s design band.
*Terrain tenancy – There’s a bit more of the Chevy Equinox design in here, mostly the V-shaped center stack, gauge design and even the center console. Again, that’s not bad at all, because it’s another one of the great layouts GM has put inside its more recent vehicles. The driver gets a tilt/telescope steering wheel with rubberized thumbwheels for cruise set and audio mode select/station select, plus voice command for the Bluetooth hands-free phone, on a leather-wrapped wheel with silver accents on the four spokes. Like the Cadillac CTS, there’s contrasting red stitching on the gauge package hood and black over gray door panels, with more on the black cloth seats with unique silver-patterned inserts that add some grip to the heated front buckets. Those seats, including the driver’s 8-way power bucket, offer good support and comfort as well. The gauges are white with red needles on the 140-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach, split by a red-lit LCD trip computer with the turn-by-turn OnStar navigation system. Only nit-pick – glare off the steering column top onto the gauge faces at high noon, as well as a bright reflection off the chrome button on the center stack pop-up door, which hides a storage compartment. The whole center stack is framed in silver, with red accent lighting around it.
A big audio/climate control display sits atop a very nice Pioneer AM-FM-XM Satellite audio system with 36 preset stations, plus a 10-gig hard drive that let me download an entire CD in a few minutes while listening to it. The “chin” of the center stack is a powerful a/c system that worked just fine on the 97-degree days we drove through, the power door lock and (nice idea) rear child lock buttons buried in there, all of them illuminated in red at night. A big padded storage nook under that also holds the CD/DVD slot and a 12-volt power outlet. There’s a red LED in the dual cup holders in the center console, while the two-tone padded center armrest lights to reveal a huge, lap top computer-size storage area with a 12-volt power outlet and USB iPod plug. And there are other tech goodies on board, like a one-touch-down power windows, remote vehicle start of the key fob, and a rear-view video screen integrated into the rear-view mirror, that regains all its shiny side when it’s off.
Rear seat entry is easy through big doors, and once there, good head and leg room for two, with twin flip-up DVD screens with audio/video inputs so one child can watch a movie and the other can play a video game. The screens are bright and detailed, the audio superb, and parent-controllable from up front as well as by remote, with wireless headphones. The rear seats slide fore/aft almost eight inches to expand the rear cargo area, which has some rear wheel well intrusion. They recline a bit, or flip and fold 60/40 to expand to 31.6 cubic feet of storage, with another power outlets and tie-down hooks as well. The rear hatch opens high enough so no one hits a head while loading. The glove box is OK, with a plasticky door, and there is a mini-map pocket and a bigger one in the front doors. All power windows are one-touch down, and a power tailgate is available.
*Terrain in traffic – Like the Equinox, the base Terrain engine is a 2.4-liter Ecotec in-line four-cylinder engine with 182-hp, variable valve timing and direct injection. With 172 lb. ft. of torque at 4,900-rpm, our boxy 6,500-mile-old GMC took 9.8 seconds getting to 60-mph with a bit of livable engine “I’m working” noise. That’s OK, just fine for most duties, while passing power was decent for a four. But liberal use of the right pedal in my city’s busy traffic meant we averaged only about 24-mpg, while GMC says we could see a segment-best EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of 32 mpg. We did run most of our drive with the “eco” mode button tapped, which lowers the torque converter lockup speed of the six-speed automatic transmission to save fuel. You can manually shift via a shifter-mounted rocker switch. If you need a bit more oomph, a 3-liter, 264-hp V-6 is optional, E85 capable in the 2011 model. Active noise cancellation seems to soften the engine noise a bit.
There’s a long 112.5-inch wheelbase with independent front and rear suspension, leaving us with a comfortable, well-controlled ride with no rattles. Bumps were handled well, although I felt them in the back seat a bit more. Tossed into our skidpad, there’s a bit of body roll as StabiliTrak works at reining in understeer, but it’s done progressively. With stability and traction control, it handled turns well with some expected understeer and a bit of lean, agile enough –it’s got a comfortable handling limit, and it gets you there without drama. The electric power steering had decent feel, if not as sharp as a RAV4 or VW Tiguan. The disc brakes had great pedal feel, ABS kicking in gently as needed, with minimal fade after repeated use. For safety, dual front air bags; head curtain side air bags and pelvic/thorax seat-mounted side air bags.
*Terrain tithe – Our Terrain started at $25,950 with lots of standard content like keyless entry, rear-view camera and OnStar navigation for a year, then added heated front seats/remote start for $440; rear TV/remote control/wireless headsets for $$1,295; $785 moonroof; and 18-inch alloys for $250, for a combined $29,475. A new Suzuki Vitara Limited V-6 four-wheel-drive model we tested with some goodies was $27,653. A loaded all-wheel-drive Honda CR-V is about $29,000, a RAV4 about the same, a Ford Escape Hybrid $29,000-$33,000, and a VW Tiguan $23,000-$30,000. And yes, a Chevrolet Equinox comparatively equipped was about $29,000. The GMC comes with a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and is made in Ingersoll, Ontario.
*Bottom line – the GMC Terrain’s shape, content and roominess grew on me, as did its comfort. It’s a capable, macho-looking family trucklet that has better road manners than some of its compact truck-based competition, but still drives like a capable car.
2011 GMC Terrain
Vehicle type - 5-passenger mid-size SUV
Base price - $25,950 ($29,475 as tested)
Engine type – cast aluminum DOHC, 16-valve in-line four
Displacement – 2.4-liter
Horsepower (net) – 182 @ 6,700 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 172 @ 4,900 rpm
Transmission – 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase – 112.5 inches
Overall length – 185.3 inches
Overall width – 72.8 inches
Height – 66.3 inches
Front headroom – 40.9 inches
Front legroom – 41.2 inches
Rear headroom – 39.2 inches
Rear legroom – 39.9 inches
Cargo capacity – 31.6 cu.ft./63.9 w/2nd row folded
Curb weight – 3,798 lbs.
Towing capacity – up to 1,500 lbs.
Fuel capacity 23 gallons
Mileage rating – 22-mpg city/32-mpg highway
Last word – Bruiser décor, crossover manners and all-round nice
By Dan Scanlan - MyCarData
“The GMC Denali models have come to stand for luxury and exclusivity, and that’s just what customer will get in the new Acadia Denali,” said Lisa Hutchinson, GMC product marketing director. “The decision to develop an Acadia Denali was made quickly within the new GM in response to customer and dealer demand for a Denali version ever since launch and success of the Acadia.”
Acadia adopts the usual Denali fare like a honeycomb grille, 20” chrome alloy wheels, and monochrome body treatment. Inset foglamps, dual chrome exhaust tips, and satin silver trim on the bumpers and door handles give the Acadia Denali an elegant appearance.
Inside, the luxury crossover rivals Cadillac’s Escalade for luxury. A leather-wrapped steering wheel, mahogany wood inserts, woodgrain on the instrument panel, and chrome lighted door sills show an attention to detail. Perforated heated/cooled leather seats, matching leather door trim, and enhanced lighting in the footwells coddles passengers. A heads-up display gives drivers the information they need right in front of their faces. Tri-zone automatic climate control, navigation, Bluetooth phone connectivity, available rear-seat DVD entertainment, XM Satellite Radio, and rearview camera finish off a packed cabin.
GMC first launched the Denali package on the Yukon, which became the basis of the first-generation Escalade. Until Cadillac launches a full-size crossover of its own, the Acadia Denali is the closest you can get. Even with increasing competition, Acadia has everything discriminating customers want in their full-size crossovers. Adding a Denali model takes it to a much higher class of competitor like the Mercedes GL, Audi Q7, and Lincoln MKT.
By Casey Williams - MyCarData
“The GMC Denali models have come to stand for luxury and exclusivity, and that’s just what customer will get in the new Acadia Denali,” said Lisa Hutchinson, GMC product marketing director. “The decision to develop an Acadia Denali was made quickly within the new GM in response to customer and dealer demand for a Denali version ever since launch and success of the Acadia.”
Acadia adopts the usual Denali fare like a honeycomb grille, 20” chrome alloy wheels, and monochrome body treatment. Inset foglamps, dual chrome exhaust tips, and satin silver trim on the bumpers and door handles give the Acadia Denali an elegant appearance.
Inside, the luxury crossover rivals Cadillac’s Escalade for luxury. A leather-wrapped steering wheel, mahogany wood inserts, woodgrain on the instrument panel, and chrome lighted door sills show an attention to detail. Perforated heated/cooled leather seats, matching leather door trim, and enhanced lighting in the footwells coddles passengers. A heads-up display gives drivers the information they need right in front of their faces. Tri-zone automatic climate control, navigation, Bluetooth phone connectivity, available rear-seat DVD entertainment, XM Satellite Radio, and rearview camera finish off a packed cabin.
GMC first launched the Denali package on the Yukon, which became the basis of the first-generation Escalade. Until Cadillac launches a full-size crossover of its own, the Acadia Denali is the closest you can get. Even with increasing competition, Acadia has everything discriminating customers want in their full-size crossovers. Adding a Denali model takes it to a much higher class of competitor like the Mercedes GL, Audi Q7, and Lincoln MKT.
By Casey Williams - MyCarData
Its up-level accommodations, stump-pulling power and over-all quality notwithstanding, reviewing the 2011 GMC Sierra 2500HD pickup -- or any full-size pickup for that matter -- is a writing assignment undertaken with a degree of dread. As with its traditional competitors, purchasing the Sierra 2500HD requires sifting through a myriad of choices. Offered in multiple configurations, it is available with two V8s, three cab types, rear-wheel or four-wheel drive, and up to four trim levels. Edmunds.com lists a base price for 29 separate variations. Distilling all of this into 850 words is a headache-inducing endeavor capable of pushing Gandhi to sucker punch an orphan. To simplify the process, this review will concentrate on the top-of-the-line $46,680 Sierra Denali 2500 that GMC provided for my test drive.
A heavy-duty version of GMC's Sierra 1500 pickup, the 2500HD is designed to tow and haul larger loads than its 1500 sibling. If your heart skipped a beat at the price tag of my test Sierra 2500, there are more affordable versions.
If all you require is a basic work truck, the regular-cab 2500 Work Truck equipped with little more than air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel and four-speaker audio system, is priced at $28,960. Other versions are spread along the price spectrum between it and the Denali. Taking the step to the next trim level, SLE, boosts the price by just $3,600 and adds an array of popular amenities, such as full power accessories, carpet, cloth rather than vinyl seats, CD player, keyless entry and cruise control.
In addition to the re-engineered front suspension and an all-new boxed frame found on all 2011 GMC heavy-duty models, my test truck derived its go from a new optional $7,195 Duramax 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8 engine. It replaced the standard 360-horsepower 6-liter V8. While the 397 horsepower the turbodiesel generates is impressive, it's the whopping 765 pound-feet of peak torque that will make your heart pound and your ears ring. That's more than twice the torque of the 6-liter V8. Towing limits for 2500HDs are 13,000 pounds with a hitch and as much as 17,200 pounds in a fifth-wheel setup.
Delivering engine output to the wheels is a six-speed automatic transmission. My test GMC had the optional $1,200 Allison six-speed automatic with manual-shift mode. Thanks to the 2500HD's Orsen Wells-like weight rating, it escapes EPA mpg testing. But don't expect a Valentine's Day card from the Society of Tree Huggers if you drive one of these battle ships.
The fully boxed frame increased bending stiffness by 92 percent. This adds to both towing capacity and durability. The solid live axle rear suspension uses multi-leaf springs. The front independent suspension is new. Its short-long arm/torsion bar setup has a 25-percent greater front axle weight rating. What this means is that all 4WD models can be equipped with a snow plow with the proper setup package.
On the highway the ride is smooth and hassle free. Bumpy surfaces, though, will send some tremors through the cabin. This is a vehicle engineered for the wide-open spaces. Like other big trucks, if you don't have to have a vehicle this size for pulling a trailer or hauling cargo, the tradeoff of maneuverability around town for the image of driving a colossus probably isn't worth it. Parking in most city lots and garages requires D-Day-level planning. It is 20 feet long and has a turning radius of 50.5 feet compared to, say, the 39-foot turning radius of GMC's Canyon pickup.
Ventilated disc brakes with antilock slow all four wheels. Traction control, stability control, electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency braking assist are all standard. The only airbags included in the base price are the driver and front-seat passenger frontal airbags. Extended cab and crew cab models have side-curtain and seat-mounted side airbags available as an option for $395.
Denali is GMC's high-end luxury trim. This year marks its first appearance in the 2500HD lineup. Its exclusivity extends to its configuration. Only available as a 4WD short-bed crew cab, the Denali trim builds on SLE and SLT standard equipment, which includes OnStar, remote starting, leather front seats, an automatic locking rear differential, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated outboard mirrors, redundant steering-wheel-mounted controls for the upgraded Bose-infused six-speaker audio system and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Listed among the Denali-specific standard equipment are power-adjustable pedals, rear-parking sensors, the EZ-Lift and locking tailgate, and more chrome exterior accents. My test 2500HD also had the $2,250 touchscreen navigation system, and $450 rear backup-camera system.
Generally the cabin is roomy and intelligently arranged. The controls are intuitive and well placed. Arguably capable of swallowing a small child, the front center console is large. Getting into the cabin is a bit of an alley-oop, but once inside, the seats are nicely cushioned and supportive.
In terms of utility, the Sierra 2500HD is about as good as it gets. It is capable and comfortable. And if you want to pull your fifth wheel into the trailer park in style and luxury, the 2500 Denali is the way to do it. It is, however, a beast. Negotiating narrow downtown streets or trying to pull into a slot in a parking garage could stroke out drivers of lesser fortitude.
By Russ Heaps - MyCarData
