The difference between the related Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 full-size pickup trucks can be as stark or as familiar as members of the same family: it depends on how you look at them. 

They share four engine options, three cab sizes, three bed lengths, a platform, and many of the same features. Brothers from the same mother. Their personalities differ, but not as significantly as in years past. The Chevy Silverado casts a wider net with nine trim levels, ranging from the basic work truck to the luxury-like High Country trim. The GMC Sierra matriculated through finishing school and typically sports more refined interiors, adopts new tech first, and comes with posh comfort features such as massaging seats.

It’s not quite workhorse versus show horse due to the multitude of configurations offered in either GM truck. But the difference comes down to look and feel more than any science. Read on to determine which is better for your needs. And wants.   

Sierra vs. Silverado trims and prices

• Silverado LT crew cab with short bed costs about $55,000

• A similarly equipped Sierra 1500 Elevation costs $58,000

• GMC crew cab, standard box comes with 4WD standard 

2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate

How much is a GMC Sierra?

The GMC Sierra Pro with a regular cab and 6-foot-6 standard bed costs just under $40,000. A long 8-foot-2 bed adds $200, while an extended cab costs $3,200 more. A crew cab version with a small 5-foot-10 bed costs $45,000. A crew cab with the standard bed costs $48,000, which is nearly $10,000 more than the base model. Things can get expensive quickly. That’s before we’ve priced the engines. 

The basic Pro has power windows and locks, 17-inch steel wheels, 40/20/40-split flip-up front seats, 60/40-split rear seats, two USB ports, and a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The manual seats are covered in vinyl. The Silverado WT is identical for about $1,000 less. 

The Sierra goes upmarket much quicker than the Silverado, due to its SLE, Elevation, SLT, Denali, AT4, Denali Ultimate, and AT4X trims. The AT4 models come with standard four-wheel drive and off-road upgrades, but the SLE crew cab strikes us as the best value at $55,000. It has a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 13.4-inch touchscreen with Google built-in operating system with a wireless smartphone connection, cruise control, air conditioning, heated front seats covered in cloth, a 10-way power driver seat, a heated steering wheel, a wi-fi hotspot, a satellite radio trial, and GM’s 6-way adjustable tailgate.

As if the $68,000 Denali did not have enough cachet, GMC offers a Denali Ultimate to nearly top the lineup at $83,000. It comes standard with the brutest of engines, a 6.2-liter V-8, plus four-wheel drive, the crew cab, and GM’s finest creature comforts. It has 22-inch wheels, a tailgate audio system, a head-up display, a Bose 12-speaker audio system, power running boards, a sunroof, adaptive dampers, leather upholstery, 16-way power front seats with massagers and cooling, heated outboard rear seats, adaptive cruise control, wireless smartphone charging, and a power-sliding rear window. 

How much is a Silverado 1500?

The Silverado parses trims and features a bit more finely, but the WT regular cab with the 6-foot-6 bed costs about $38,000. The pricing differences for the long bed, extended cab, and crew cab are the same as for the Sierra, and the standard features on the WT are the same as on the Sierra Pro. The Silverado’s trims get more granular and hard to decipher, in Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, and High Country trims. It doesn’t climb as high as the Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate, with the Silverado High Country topping out at about $80,000 with four-wheel drive and any powertrain. 

The Silverado lacks key elements of the Sierra, including the 6-way power tailgate that’s an upcharge on any Silverado model. Adaptive cruise control and GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driving system are optional even on the High Country, as is a head-up display, and there’s no massaging seats. Clearly, GMC offers more bling.  

The Silverado LT strikes the best value at about $55,000 for a crew cab and short bed. It has the same instrument cluster and touchscreen as the Sierra, which are arguably the most intuitive and have the cleanest arrangement in the full-size truck segment, and it comes with a 10-way power driver seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, satellite radio trial, a wi-fi hotspot, remote start, four USB ports, and two 120-volt outlets.

Both models have off-road grades that top the lineup in price and capability, with the Sierra AT4X cresting at $84,000 and the Silverado ZR2 Bison at $82,000. 

In general, the Sierra comes better equipped with prices that aren’t too far off from the Silverado. 

Advantage: GMC Sierra 1500. 

 

GMC Sierra vs. Silverado performance, payload, and towing

• The Sierra AT4X comes standard with the turbodiesel

• The 6.2-liter V-8 only comes with four-wheel drive 

• The Silverado V-8 and turbodiesel tow up to 13,300 pounds, more than Sierra

Electric versions are coming for both of these trucks, but for now GM fits them with a choice of four engines: an impressive 2.7-liter turbo-4 that turns either pickup into a friendly daily driver; a 3.0-liter turbodiesel that tops the efficiency charts and suits owners who log a lot of highway miles towing a load; a workhorse 5.3-liter V-8 that generates less torque than the turbo-4; and a range-topping 6.2-liter V-8 that’s big and brash and befitting a classic pickup truck. All but the turbo-4 pair with a seamless 10-speed automatic with overdrive gears. The 10-speed is quick enough to be unnoticeable with a light throttle, but when mashing the pedal it’ll let you wring out revs as needed for uphill climbs and passing moves. 

Engine specs

• 2.7-liter turbo-4 makes 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque

• 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6 makes 305 hp and 495 lb-ft 

• 5.3-liter V-8 rated at 355 hp and 383 lb-ft

• 6.2-liter V-8 rates at 420 hp and 460 lb-ft

Both the Sierra and Silverado come with rear-wheel drive, but full-time four-wheel drive with a 2-speed transfer case is available on most models and standard with the 6.2-liter V-8 on the Sierra AT4, AT4X, and Denali Ultimate, as well as the Silverado Custom Trail Boss, LT Trail Boss, and ZR2. It’s an expensive but popular upgrade otherwise, costing between $3,000-$4,600 more depending on the trim. 

The Trail Boss and AT4 models are the off-road intenders with a 2.0-inch factory lift, an off-road suspension with Rancho monotube shocks, a locking rear diff, and skid plates, but the AT4X and ZR2 take it to the next level with front and rear electronic locking differentials, front winches, variable spool-valve dampers, and 18-inch mud terrain Goodyear Wranglers. The ZR2 does it better by our book, because it has more skid plates and knobbier tires that can accommodate 35-inch tires. 

 

How much can it tow?

• 2.7-liter turbo-4 tows up to 9,500 pounds with RWD, 9,300 pounds with 4WD

• 5.3-liter V-8 tows 11,200/11,000 pounds 

• 6.2-liter V-8 crew cab short bed tows 13,300 pounds 4WD only (Sierra 13,000 pounds)

• 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6 extended cab tows 13,300/13,000 pounds (Sierra 13,200 pounds)

Both trucks use an independent front suspension and a traditional leaf-spring rear suspension that absorbs bumps fine no matter the wheel size but also leads to bounding when unladen. The GM bros don’t offer as comfy a ride as the coil springs in the rear of the Ram 1500 or the Ford F-150’s available adaptive dampers. The Ram can also be had with a four-corner air suspension. One advantage of the Sierra is its direct electric-assist power-steering system.

What is the payload?

• 2.7-liter turbo-4 has a payload of 2,260 pounds with RWD or 2,140 pounds with 4WD

• 5.3-liter V-8 has a payload of 2,180 or 2,110 pounds 

• 6.2-liter V-8 crew cab short bed has a payload of 1,980 pounds 

• 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6 has a payload of 1,970 or 1,960 pounds 

Performance advantage: It’s a draw, but the Silverado ZR2 has the off-road edge. 

 

Silverado vs. Sierra fuel economy

• 2.7-liter turbo-4 RWD gets 19 mpg city, 22 highway, and 20 combined, or 18/20/19 mpg with 4WD

• 5.3-liter V-8 RWD Silverado gets 17/21/19 mpg; Sierra gets 16/20/18 mpg with RWD; both get 16/20/17 mpg with 4WD 

• 6.2-liter V-8 with 4WD: Silverado rates at 16/20/17 mpg; Sierra gets 15/19/17 mpg; off-road models perform worse

• 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6 gets 24/29/26 with RWD or 22/27/24 with 4WD

The slight variations in mpg between the Sierra and Silverado come from more content in the Sierra and a heavier curb weight, ranging between 30 to 200 pounds or more. GM tries to combat fuel economy regulations with transmissions with a whole lotta gears and V-8 cylinder deactivation that shuts down up to six cylinders while cruising to conserve fuel. But fuel economy pales in comparison to hybrid powertrains in the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra, and comes up short of the Ram’s mild-hybrid system. 

The turbo-4 saves just 1 mpg over the V-8s, which might add up over time. The 24-gallon tank on extended and crew cab models (28.3 gallons with the regular cab) isn’t as large as rivals, which means more stops at the pump.

The turbodiesel is the towing and efficiency champ, and the nominal upcharge for that engine is much less of a turnoff than the high cost of diesel at the pump. It might be worth it for those who log mostly highway miles. 

Advantage: Silverado 1500, barely. 

Sierra vs. Silverado 1500 cabs, cargo space, and bed sizes

GM’s large and deep beds boast smart features such as 12 adjustable tie-downs, LED bed lighting, a 120-volt power outlet, a 6-way power-adjustable tailgate standard on most Sierra models and available on Silverado, and corner bumper steps that make getting into the bed easier than in the F-150 and Ram 1500. The beds stretch a bit longer too, and offer up to 89.1 cubic feet of storage in the long box. 

The regular cabs come with the standard box or available long box; extended cab models only come with the standard box; crew cab models come with the short box or available standard box. The beds might be the biggest competitive advantage for both the Sierra and the Silverado, but the crew cab is huge too.  

With 43.4 inches of rear legroom and plenty of head, shoulder, knees and toes, knees and toes room, the size of the Sierra and Silverado crew cabs is one of the reasons pickups double as family haulers these days.  

Both trucks use their big space wisely, with big and deep center console bins, wide and deep door pockets, center console trays, double glove compartments, rear underseat storage, and tons of space. 

Advantage: Draw.

Silverado 1500 vs. Sierra 1500 styling

• Silverado and Sierra brothers distinguish themselves on style

• Sierra’s interior outshines the Silverado’s, but not by as much as in the past

The big, blocky look of both trucks can be dressed up in a multitude of ways based on trim, wheel sizes ranging from 17-22 inches, grille options, and cab and bed combos. We’ll limit our observations to the most popular crew cab models. These cinder blocks on wheels have vertical ends and hoods that stand chest high. 

Chevy toned down the locomotive front of the Silverado so it looks less like the imposing Silverado HD. Daytime running lights cinch the various grilles like staples, acting like ends of a bridge for the bars that carry the bowtie across the middle. Those staples squish the headlights and make for a somewhat odd lower recess for intakes and fog lights. 

The biggest difference between the two comes in profile, with the Sierra opting for boxed wheel arches versus the Silverado’s rounded wheel arches. It looks right on the square ends and blocky proportions of the GMC, which also has a variety of broad grilles. They’re bookended by daytime running lights that taper like a sport coat in more fitting fashion than the corset cinching the Silverado. The Sierra gets better looking with the Denali and higher trims, with chrome accents that look as at home on the truck as they do on a Harley. 

The cabins of both stretch from basic to luxurious, but the Silverado skews more plastic while the Sierra aspires for a bit more. GMC Denali trims earn their reputations with rich leather and wood trim, but Chevy’s High Country dresses up real nice too, at a Denali discount. 

Advantage: Sierra. 

Silverado vs. Sierra Ram safety

• Crew cabs get five stars from the NHTSA

• Both the IIHS and the NHTSA dinged front crash protection

• Both have automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, and automatic high beams. 

Both trucks come with good standard driver-assist tech, crew cabs earn a five-star rating from the NHTSA, and both have the advantage of being larger than most other passenger vehicles on roadways. The NHTSA and the IIHS faulted both for frontal crash protection, however, and the NHTSA gave it four stars for rollover risk, which is a common rating for pickups. Regular cabs earned four stars overall from the NHTSA. 

Both models come with a range of options, from blind-spot monitors to a sophisticated system offering up to 15 camera views to help trailering and off-roading alike, as well as to enable GM’s ace Super Cruise hands-free driving system. Available on top Silverado High Country and Sierra Denali trims, Super Cruise enables hands-free driving on more than 400,000 miles of mapped divided highways in the U.S. and Canada. It’s the most advanced hands-free highway driving system on the market, and can be a nice relief for truck owners logging lots of highway miles, with or without a trailer.

Advantage: Draw.

Which is better: GMC Sierra or Chevy Silverado?

The Sierra outpoints the Silverado in the most subjective category, style, earning a TCC Rating of 6.2 out of 10 versus the Silverado’s TCC Rating of 6.0 out of 10. But trim by trim, feature by feature it also costs more the nicer it gets. The practical can always win out over the indulgent, but the Sierra Denali has earned its reputation for a reason. 

Winner: The Sierra, but it’ll cost you.