2016 GMC Sierra: Fresh Car Review
Fresh Car Review
Car Comparison
The two thousand sixteen GMC Sierra is a full-size pickup that comes in a broad range of flavors, from jobsite workhorse to high-dollar luxury hauler. All fresh for 2014, the Sierra boasts an intimidating list of configurations thanks to a broad range of engine choices, trim levels and cab or bed lengths.
So what’s it like? Well, for one thing, the styling is remarkably similar to the outgoing Sierra model, which lasted from two thousand seven to 2013. Don’t be fooled, however: The Sierra is totally fresh on the inwards, under the skin and under the spandex hood. It offers three fresh engines, a redesigned interior and fresh features that range from a more compliant suspension to improved technology. Drivers who use the pickup for requiring work purposes shouldn’t fear the updates, as the latest Sierra is still just as capable as it’s ever been.
What’s Fresh for 2016?
The two thousand sixteen Sierra receives a mild freshening that includes a slightly updated front fascia, along with fresh technology features such as wireless smartphone charging, automatic high rafters, lane-keep assist and a remote-locking tailgate.
What We Like
Class-leading interior; vastly improved steering and treating; technology tops rival pickups
What We Don’t
Styling is a little too similar to the outgoing truck
How Much?
Fuel Economy
The two thousand sixteen GMC Sierra offers three engines: a Four.3-liter V6 that makes two hundred eighty five horsepower and three hundred five lb-ft of torque, a Five.3-liter V8 that makes three hundred fifty five hp and three hundred eighty three lb-ft and a 6.2-liter V8 that makes four hundred twenty hp and four hundred sixty lb-ft. All Sierra models include a standard 6-speed automatic, however GM has hinted that an 8-speed might debut midyear for V8 power plants.
Not remarkably, fuel economy is best with the Four.3-liter V6. That engine comes back eighteen miles per gallon in the city and twenty four mpg on the highway with 2-wheel drive or seventeen mpg city/22 mpg hwy with 4-wheel drive.
Pick the Five.3-liter V8, and you’ll find fuel economy doesn’t drop as much as you might think. The Environmental Protection Agency rates that engine at sixteen mpg city/23 mpg hwy with 2-wheel drive or sixteen mpg city/22 mpg hwy with 4-wheel drive. Topping the range is the mighty 6.2-liter, which comebacks fifteen mpg city/21 mpg hwy with 2-wheel drive or fourteen mpg city/20 mpg hwy with 4-wheel drive.
Standard Features & Options
Like all full-size pickups (and its Silverado sibling), the Sierra comes with a broad array of choices ranging from bed sizes to cab preference, drivetrain, engine and trim level. We’ve simplified things and organized the truck’s features by trim level, but choosing the right Sierra for you will likely involve more than simply picking a trim.
Pick a base-level Sierra ($28,500), and you’re stuck, as you might expect, with the basics. That means power locks, cruise control, air conditioning and an AM/FM stereo but no ordinary conveniences such as keyless entry or power windows. With that said, base-level Sierra models do include a USB port and an auxiliary jack.
Next up is the SLE ($35,200), which adds all the base model’s missing luxuries, such as keyless entry, power windows, SiriusXM radio, a CD player and a few more goodies. Such items include GMC’s IntelliLink infotainment system, a backup camera and LED lighting in the bed.
Next up is the Sierra SLT ($42,600), which is only suggested as a dual cab or team cab pickup. The SLT offers a long list of standard features, including leather upholstery, dual power front seats, heated mirrors and a locking rear differential. SLT models also come standard with the Sierra’s Five.3-liter V8, while base and SLE models suggested it as an option.
Topping the Sierra lineup is the Denali ($51,600), which only comes in team cab form and includes the pickup’s 6.2-liter V8 engine as standard equipment. Denali models include a long list of standard features, from chrome accents and leather seats to a heated steering wheel and an upscale Bose surround sound system.
As for options, the Sierra has several. Extras include a power sunroof, a navigation system, cooled seats, power adjustable pedals and 4-wheel drive. Additionally, drivers can add safety features like forward-collision alert and a lane-departure warning system. Fresh for two thousand sixteen are a wireless cellphone-charging system, automatic high bars and lane-keep assist.
Safety
All GMC Sierra pickups include dual-front airbags, front-side airbags, side-curtain airbags, daytime running lights and a tire-pressure monitor. Options include a lane-departure warning system, a forward-collision alert system, lane-keep assist, automatic high slats and GM’s OnStar system, which can call for help if there’s an accident.
In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing, the GMC Sierra and its twin, the Chevrolet Silverado, earned a ideal 5-star overall crash-test score, thereby becoming the very first full-size trucks to do so.
Behind the Wheel
There’s absolutely no doubt the Sierra rails and treats better than the old model. That’s largely due to the fresh fully boxed framework, which clearly makes the truck feel more rigid and stable than the old version. It also helps towing, as do the fully integrated trailer brakes. We couldn’t live without the tow/haul mode, which takes the guesswork out of by hand operating the automatic transmission when you’d rather be focusing on things such as guiding the pickup securely up a hill.
We were further struck with the Sierra’s interior. One major plus is the center-mounted 8-inch LCD screen, which is placed flawlessly so you don’t have to take your eyes far off the road to use it. The same is true of the LCD screen mounted in the gauge cluster. It’s far better than the Sierra’s former pixelated display. We loved the yam-sized sunroof, tho’ wind noise got a little noisy.
We also loved the Sierra’s gadgets. Compared to just a few brief years ago, it’s hard to believe a truck now has USB ports, navigation, in-vehicle apps, wireless cellphone charging and a center-mounted touchscreen. The only gadget we didn’t love was the voice-control system, which we had trouble using for both navigation and audio functions.
Other Cars to Consider
2016 Chevrolet Silverado — It may seem visible, but you’ll most likely want to check out the Silverado if you’re also interested in the Sierra. These two trucks are mechanical twins, and you might find that the Chevy offers a better deal than the GMC, or vice versa.
2016 Ford F-150 — The all-new Ford F-150 provides close competition to the Sierra and Silverado, boasting excellent fuel economy, high-strength towing and payload capacities and a strongly modernized interior.
2016 RAM 1500 — The RAM one thousand five hundred offers available air suspension and famous HEMI V8 power. There’s still no other light-duty pickup with an available diesel engine.
Used Toyota Tundra — The Tundra is refined and muscular, suggesting a strong rival to the Sierra. However, the Tundra still can’t trump the Sierra’s broad range of bed, cab and engine configurations.
Autotrader’s Advice
You can’t go wrong with any two thousand sixteen Sierra — assuming you pick the truck that works for your lifestyle — so we don’t suggest the base-level Sierra if you’re the kind of driver who loves gadgets, and we don’t suggest the Denali if you’re going to visit dirty jobsites or rutted country roads. Our fantasy Sierra is most likely a Sierra SLT or a well-equipped Sierra SLE, tho’ we certainly wouldn’t turn down the Sierra Denali if we had the cash.
2016 GMC Sierra: Fresh Car Review
2016 GMC Sierra: Fresh Car Review
Fresh Car Review
Car Comparison
The two thousand sixteen GMC Sierra is a full-size pickup that comes in a broad range of flavors, from jobsite workhorse to high-dollar luxury hauler. All fresh for 2014, the Sierra boasts an intimidating list of configurations thanks to a broad range of engine choices, trim levels and cab or bed lengths.
So what’s it like? Well, for one thing, the styling is remarkably similar to the outgoing Sierra model, which lasted from two thousand seven to 2013. Don’t be fooled, however: The Sierra is totally fresh on the inwards, under the skin and under the spandex hood. It offers three fresh engines, a redesigned interior and fresh features that range from a more compliant suspension to improved technology. Drivers who use the pickup for requiring work purposes shouldn’t fear the updates, as the latest Sierra is still just as capable as it’s ever been.
What’s Fresh for 2016?
The two thousand sixteen Sierra receives a mild freshening that includes a slightly updated front fascia, along with fresh technology features such as wireless smartphone charging, automatic high planks, lane-keep assist and a remote-locking tailgate.
What We Like
Class-leading interior; vastly improved steering and treating; technology tops rival pickups
What We Don’t
Styling is a little too similar to the outgoing truck
How Much?
Fuel Economy
The two thousand sixteen GMC Sierra offers three engines: a Four.3-liter V6 that makes two hundred eighty five horsepower and three hundred five lb-ft of torque, a Five.3-liter V8 that makes three hundred fifty five hp and three hundred eighty three lb-ft and a 6.2-liter V8 that makes four hundred twenty hp and four hundred sixty lb-ft. All Sierra models include a standard 6-speed automatic, however GM has hinted that an 8-speed might debut midyear for V8 power plants.
Not remarkably, fuel economy is best with the Four.3-liter V6. That engine comes back eighteen miles per gallon in the city and twenty four mpg on the highway with 2-wheel drive or seventeen mpg city/22 mpg hwy with 4-wheel drive.
Pick the Five.3-liter V8, and you’ll find fuel economy doesn’t drop as much as you might think. The Environmental Protection Agency rates that engine at sixteen mpg city/23 mpg hwy with 2-wheel drive or sixteen mpg city/22 mpg hwy with 4-wheel drive. Topping the range is the mighty 6.2-liter, which comebacks fifteen mpg city/21 mpg hwy with 2-wheel drive or fourteen mpg city/20 mpg hwy with 4-wheel drive.
Standard Features & Options
Like all full-size pickups (and its Silverado sibling), the Sierra comes with a broad array of choices ranging from bed sizes to cab preference, drivetrain, engine and trim level. We’ve simplified things and organized the truck’s features by trim level, but choosing the right Sierra for you will likely involve more than simply picking a trim.
Pick a base-level Sierra ($28,500), and you’re stuck, as you might expect, with the basics. That means power locks, cruise control, air conditioning and an AM/FM stereo but no elementary conveniences such as keyless entry or power windows. With that said, base-level Sierra models do include a USB port and an auxiliary jack.
Next up is the SLE ($35,200), which adds all the base model’s missing luxuries, such as keyless entry, power windows, SiriusXM radio, a CD player and a few more goodies. Such items include GMC’s IntelliLink infotainment system, a backup camera and LED lighting in the bed.
Next up is the Sierra SLT ($42,600), which is only suggested as a dual cab or team cab pickup. The SLT offers a long list of standard features, including leather upholstery, dual power front seats, heated mirrors and a locking rear differential. SLT models also come standard with the Sierra’s Five.3-liter V8, while base and SLE models suggested it as an option.
Topping the Sierra lineup is the Denali ($51,600), which only comes in team cab form and includes the pickup’s 6.2-liter V8 engine as standard equipment. Denali models include a long list of standard features, from chrome accents and leather seats to a heated steering wheel and an upscale Bose surround sound system.
As for options, the Sierra has several. Extras include a power sunroof, a navigation system, cooled seats, power adjustable pedals and 4-wheel drive. Additionally, drivers can add safety features like forward-collision alert and a lane-departure warning system. Fresh for two thousand sixteen are a wireless cellphone-charging system, automatic high slats and lane-keep assist.
Safety
All GMC Sierra pickups include dual-front airbags, front-side airbags, side-curtain airbags, daytime running lights and a tire-pressure monitor. Options include a lane-departure warning system, a forward-collision alert system, lane-keep assist, automatic high slats and GM’s OnStar system, which can call for help if there’s an accident.
In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing, the GMC Sierra and its twin, the Chevrolet Silverado, earned a ideal 5-star overall crash-test score, thereby becoming the very first full-size trucks to do so.
Behind the Wheel
There’s absolutely no doubt the Sierra rails and treats better than the old model. That’s largely due to the fresh fully boxed framework, which clearly makes the truck feel more rigid and stable than the old version. It also helps towing, as do the fully integrated trailer brakes. We couldn’t live without the tow/haul mode, which takes the guesswork out of by hand operating the automatic transmission when you’d rather be focusing on things such as guiding the pickup securely up a hill.
We were further amazed with the Sierra’s interior. One major plus is the center-mounted 8-inch LCD screen, which is placed flawlessly so you don’t have to take your eyes far off the road to use it. The same is true of the LCD screen mounted in the gauge cluster. It’s far better than the Sierra’s former pixelated display. We loved the fat sunroof, tho’ wind noise got a little noisy.
We also loved the Sierra’s gadgets. Compared to just a few brief years ago, it’s hard to believe a truck now has USB ports, navigation, in-vehicle apps, wireless cellphone charging and a center-mounted touchscreen. The only gadget we didn’t love was the voice-control system, which we had trouble using for both navigation and audio functions.
Other Cars to Consider
2016 Chevrolet Silverado — It may seem demonstrable, but you’ll very likely want to check out the Silverado if you’re also interested in the Sierra. These two trucks are mechanical twins, and you might find that the Chevy offers a better deal than the GMC, or vice versa.
2016 Ford F-150 — The all-new Ford F-150 provides close competition to the Sierra and Silverado, boasting excellent fuel economy, high-strength towing and payload capacities and a powerfully modernized interior.
2016 RAM 1500 — The RAM one thousand five hundred offers available air suspension and famous HEMI V8 power. There’s still no other light-duty pickup with an available diesel engine.
Used Toyota Tundra — The Tundra is refined and muscular, suggesting a strong rival to the Sierra. However, the Tundra still can’t trump the Sierra’s broad range of bed, cab and engine configurations.
Autotrader’s Advice
You can’t go wrong with any two thousand sixteen Sierra — assuming you pick the truck that works for your lifestyle — so we don’t suggest the base-level Sierra if you’re the kind of driver who likes gadgets, and we don’t suggest the Denali if you’re going to visit dirty jobsites or rutted country roads. Our fantasy Sierra is most likely a Sierra SLT or a well-equipped Sierra SLE, tho’ we certainly wouldn’t turn down the Sierra Denali if we had the cash.