The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Great Google built-in
- Luxurious upmarket interior design
- Good towing ability
- Smooth engines
Dislikes
- Generally low mpg
- Diesel is too costly
- Outward vision a struggle
- Costs more than the Chevy version
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2025 GMC Sierra is work- or play-ready, albeit with an eyebrow-raising price tag.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500? What does it compare to?
The 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 is a highly capable full-size pickup truck offered in a wide variety of trim levels, body styles, and engine options. It’s a near match for the less-expensive Chevy Silverado 1500, and it compares well with the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, and Ram 1500.
Is the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 a good truck?
The 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 does truck things quite well, and it’s comfortable, quiet, and well-appointed—albeit for a price. It’s a 6.2 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500?
The Sierra carries over into 2025 with no notable changes.
It’s offered in with regular, extended- and crew-cab bodies. Some configurations are available with multiple bed sizes, too, though the crew cab and short bed are the most popular pair. The Sierra is handsome but rather imposing due to its huge, shield-like grille and occasionally overdone exterior details like the angular wheel openings and abundance of chrome trim on higher-end trim levels.
It’s downright divine inside, so long as you stick with a trim level above the cheapest model with its little 8.0-inch touchscreen. Base versions of the Sierra 1500 are perfectly adequate inside, but the high-end dash with its 13.4-inch touchscreen is worth seeking out if you can budget accordingly. It’s downright carlike inside, and it’s fitted with terrific Google built-in software.
GMC offers four engine options beginning with a 310-hp 2.7-liter turbo-4. The optional 5.3-liter V-8 is only slightly thirstier, but it has the edge when it comes to towing. If you really need to haul, opt for either the ultra-smooth, ultra-thirsty 6.2-liter V-8 or the costly but capable 3.0-liter turbodiesel.
Four-wheel-drive versions can be quite capable in AT4X trim, though even the AT4 has a slightly higher stance, skid plates, and all the basic goodies most occasional off-roaders will ever need.
No Sierra rides with the precision of the Toyota Tundra or Ram 1500, though the Sierra is a competent tow vehicle capable of pulling up to 13,000 pounds in the right configuration.
Fuel economy isn’t particularly good in most configurations, even though diesels can eke out mid-20-mpg figures. Don’t look for a hybrid here, though. The Sierra EV is covered in a separate review.
The Sierra is comfy inside, too, with good stretch-out space in crew-cab form.
The cabin can be properly luxurious in its top Denali Ultimate trim, though at $80,000-plus, that's expected. Other versions are nicely equipped and well-finished but hardly bargains.
The Sierra 1500 has generally good crash-test scores, and all models come with the expected automatic emergency braking and active lane control. Adaptive cruise control is available, but road warriors should consider springing for parent company General Motors’ impressive hands-off tech called Super Cruise.
How much does the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 cost?
You can find a GMC Sierra 1500 in work-oriented Pro guise for around $40,000, but anyone looking to use one of these trucks as a family vehicle will want to spend for the SLE or Elevation in crew-cab form, both of which can easily top $60,000 with a few options. Those trims unlock such niceties as the Google-based infotainment system, heated front seats, and leather upholstery.
Where is the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 made?
The GMC Sierra 1500 is sourced from plants in Michigan, Indiana, and Mexico.
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Styling
The GMC Sierra 1500 looks good dirty or parked up front by the valet.
Is the GMC Sierra 1500 a good-looking truck?
The 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 is somewhat more subtle than its rivals, including its Chevy Silverado sibling. The Sierra is a 7 here thanks to a decent exterior and a good-looking cabin in most trim levels.
The Sierra’s front end is tall and blocky, starting with its huge grille that heads down toward the front bumper and then stretches across most of the front fascia. C-shape headlights sneak back into the chunky fenders, which have a somewhat contrived angular wheel arch effect.
GMC does a good job of differentiating between trim levels, though Denali versions can have a little too much brightwork for us. Add alloy wheels stretching as large as 22 inches and, frankly, there’s just too much going on.
Basic Sierra Pro trucks have a simple cabin with an 8.0-inch touchscreen that would be adequate in most vehicles but looks tiny here. Any other trim has a 13.4-inch touchscreen that is wonderfully integrated above easy-to-see climate controls and various toggle switches. It’s like an enlarged version of a sedan’s cabin, and it works great.
Top-end Denali Ultimate models are downright dressy inside with real wood trim and better leather than other versions. If you’re going to go all-in on a luxo-truck, they’re worth the spend. Otherwise, we’d stick with an Elevation and add leather since you get 98% of the dressiness for 75% of the price of a regular Denali.
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Performance
The 2025 GMC Sierra offers loads of load-lugging capability.
The GMC Sierra lineup has good power and towing capability, but it’s difficult to drive in urban settings and its ride is unsettled compared to top rivals. It’s a 5 here.
Is the GMC Sierra 1500 4WD?
It can be. GMC sells most versions of the Sierra with rear-wheel drive, though AT4 and AT4X models live up to their moniker with standard four-wheel drive. Those trucks have a higher ride height, skid plates, locking rear differentials, and chunkier tires. The AT4X goes farther with spool-valve dampers that soak up hard rock hits, plus a steel front bumper that can accommodate a winch.
How fast is the GMC Sierra 1500?
Even the base 2.7-liter turbo-4 is strong thanks to its 310-hp, 430 lb-ft of torque rating. It can lug up to 9,500 pounds when properly equipped. Its 8-speed automatic transmission behaves quite well. If you plan to tow often, though, consider stepping up to the 5.3-liter V-8. It’s rated to tow up to 11,200 pounds, and it does so with confidence thanks to its 355 hp. The V-8 uses a 10-speed automatic transmission that has more ratios but can fumble its way through them at lower speeds.
The slickest, but also far thirstiest, option here is the 6.2-liter V-8. It puts out a hefty 420 hp and 465 lb-ft, and it can tow as much as 13,000 pounds. It’s not rated to tow as much as the available 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6, though. That engine has 305 hp but, more importantly, 495 lb-ft of torque. It’s the towing champ, even if it’s expensive and a bit louder than the V-8.
The Sierra has a good but not great ride. It soaks up big bumps quite well, though the unladen bed can jump around more here than in competitors like the Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra that have coil springs.
The Sierra’s steering responds quickly, with terrific on-center steering stability. However, the truck's sheer heft, length, and width make it anything but nimble. Instead, it makes a great highway mile-eater.
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Comfort & Quality
The 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 is massive and quite cushy inside.
Work your way through the GMC Sierra 1500 lineup and you’ll find that it can be outfitted like a full-on luxury truck. It scores an 8 here thanks to its useful bed, its stretch-out space in popular crew-cab form, and its comfy front seats. Regular- and extended-cab models would rate a 7 if evaluated separately, but most buyers opt for crew cabs.
The supportive front seats can be had as either two buckets separated by a console or two buckets with an awkward middle seat that folds into a large armrest. Opt for the console. Rear-seat riders have very little space in extended cabs, while crew cabs have so much room that GMC might as well rebrand them as Premium Economy. (Why there’s not a middle-length version with a slightly bigger bed leaves us scratching our heads.)
Out back, cab selection generally determines whether you’ll get a 5-foot-8, 6-foot-6, or 8-foot bed. No matter the bed, you’ll find tie-downs and not much else to start. Higher-end models add LED lighting, bumper steps, an adjustable tailgate that works as a stepladder or a workplace (but not both concurrently) as well as various power outlets. GMC also offers a durable carbon-fiber bed that won’t rust and is said to be highly resistant to dents.
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Safety
The 2025 GMC Sierra has a strong safety record by full-size truck standards.
How safe is the GMC Sierra 1500?
It’s likely a safe choice, especially if you add a few key safety and driver-assistance options. We rate the 2025 Sierra 1500 at 8 out of 10 thanks to its five-star rating from the NHTSA in 2024, its standard crash-avoidance tech, and its good set of safety options.
The IIHS gave the Sierra 1500 crew cab a mixed review in 2024, including a “Marginal” score in the small overlap front test. Such a blemish isn’t all that unusual for a full-size truck, unfortunately.
All Sierra 1500 trucks have automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitors, automatic high-beams, and a particularly sharp rearview camera. You can add a surround-view camera system and parking sensors, plus adaptive cruise control. GMC wants a lot for its Super Cruise system that allows for limited stretches of true hands-off, eyes-on driving, though the tech may be invaluable to drivers who spend a lot of time eating up miles.
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Features
The 2025 GMC is no bargain, but it can be outfitted like a genuine luxury truck.
You’ll need to pull out your wallet—and maybe that of the person sitting across the showroom from you—if you want a well-equipped GMC Sierra 1500. These are costly trucks, easily exceeding an equivalent Chevrolet. Still, they net an 8 here thanks to numerous configurations, an exceptional infotainment system in most trims, and the clutch factor of GM’s Super Cruise tech.
The range starts at around $40,000 for the base Pro trim with rear-wheel drive and a single-cab configuration. That truck is really for commercial users, though even they will appreciate its 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and power features. By the time you’ve added four-wheel drive and a crew cab, as many users are likely to do, you’ll be on the hook for at least $50,000.
Which GMC Sierra 1500 should I buy?
Stick with the Sierra Elevation. You’ll still need north of $60,000 for a crew-cab four-by-four, but you’ll get the bigger touchscreen with terrific Google built-In tech, heated seats, a 6-way tailgate, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat.
Even then, GMC will tempt you into parting with more moolah by dangling off-road packages, leather trim, upgraded audio, and bucket front seats. It’s not hard to spend your way into a $75,000 Elevation.
How much is a fully loaded GMC Sierra 1500?
GMC asks around $85,000 for a Sierra Denali Ultimate, which still offers a few extras. It’s outfitted with nice leather, real wood, massaging and cooling front seats, a head-up display, Bose audio, and plenty of brightwork. If there were a Range Rover pickup, it’d probably look a lot like this.
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Fuel Economy
The 2025 GMC Sierra has some relatively frugal options, but there’s no hybrid here.
Is the GMC Sierra 1500 good on gas?
It doesn’t have to be terrible, but this lineup lacks a hybrid. It scores a 1 here since the V-8 that powers more Sierra 1500s than any other engine is estimated to deliver no higher than 18 mpg combined in EPA testing.
Rear-drive trucks are the thriftiest at as high as 16 mpg city, 21 highway, 18 combined, while four-wheel-drive versions can be rated at up to 15/20/17 mpg. The base 4-cylinder isn’t too much better, but rear-drive models can rate as high as 20 mpg combined. You’re not likely to notice a big difference in real-world driving, though.
The turbodiesel is another story, even if the cost of its fuel (not to mention the initial diesel buy-in) will likely take a long time to overcome. Four-wheel-drive trucks rate as high as 24 mpg combined, while the rear-drive diesel checks in it an impressive 25 mpg combined.
The available 6.2-liter V-8 is another story, with estimates as low as 15 mpg combined.
Note that we’ve based our score here on 2024 model-year figures.
