2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Road Test and Review

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Modern full-size pickups are a blend of capable work truck and high-riding limousine. And the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 exemplifies this dynamic. 

The GMC brand serves two roles. To cite its slogan, GMC is General Motors’ “professional grade” brand that serves commercial customers. Yet many GMCs are also slightly more upscale versions of equivalent Chevrolet models. 

For this review, we just spent a week testing the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate with a class-exclusive diesel engine. This $86,790 truck is what you get when the “ordinary” Denali – a pioneering luxury pickup – isn’t fancy enough. But the Sierra 1500 lineup also includes a host of other models designed for either simple work, family-friendly comfort, or off-road capability. Keep reading as we discuss the Sierra’s pros and cons to see if it’s the best half-ton pickup for you.  

Wide Range of Models

While we tested the top-of-the-line Denali Ultimate, not every GMC Sierra is priced or equipped like a Mercedes-Benz with a bed. The base Pro model starts at just $38,300 (plus a mandatory, and uncommonly high, destination charge of $2,795). This money buys you a two-door truck with a three-passenger bench seat, a two-speaker stereo, steel wheels, and a choice of cloth or vinyl upholstery. And it’s about the same price as the equivalent Chevrolet Silverado 1500, which is a GMC Sierra with a different front end, dashboard, and dealership. 

The Sierra is also available as a Double Cab – an extended cab with a modest backseat and forward-opening doors – and a crew cab with four full-size doors and acres of rear legroom. Most folks buying the Sierra for everyday use are getting a crew cab. Upgrading past the spartan Pro to the next-up SLE, adding four-wheel drive, and getting a crew cab means the price starts at $54,600 plus the destination charge.

The SLT is a stronger deal – for $58,200 plus destination, it adds leather upholstery and upgrades the base turbocharged four-cylinder engine to a V8. (The V8 costs extra on the SLE, and we’ll talk more about the Sierra’s four available engines later on.) Other trim levels include the Elevation (an upgraded SLE model with more options); the rugged AT4 ($67,000) and the even more capable AT4X ($79,600); the standard Denali ($66,100); and our Denali Ultimate test vehicle. 

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Handsome Face

The current-generation Sierra 1500 has been on sale since 2019. But to us, it has aged well. It has cleaner details than its Silverado cousin, whose headlights and taillights squiggle this way and that. A large high grille sits between the Sierra’s crisply sculpted headlights, which echo its shape by curving on the outsides. Each of the eight trim levels has its own unique grille, in either the pattern, coloring, or both. And around the back, the taillights are clean and simple. And their straight lines look more purposeful to us than some competitors’ rounded rear lights. 

A fully redesigned 2027 Sierra 1500 is expected within the next year. We don’t expect a big change visually. Note that GMC also sells a Sierra EV – a fully electric pickup with a similar headlight design to the Sierra 1500 but no mechanical similarity. 

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Buttons, Knobs, and Screens

The 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 has a big 13.4-inch touchscreen on the dashboard, paired with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. (The base Pro has a much smaller 7-inch touchscreen.) Even technophobes shouldn’t feel too troubled, though, since even the big screen is paired with many physical buttons and knobs. The screen is wide but not very tall; that's not ideal for a GPS map, but it helps the screen slot smoothly into the dashboard rather than sticking out from it. Next year’s Sierra will have an even bigger screen, but it’s expected to keep the buttons and knobs, too. The Sierra uses Google-based software, including Google Maps; you can also use your phone’s apps via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. 

The current Sierra interior dates to 2022, when GMC introduced the current horizontally spread dashboard design and upgraded the materials. The Denali Ultimate like our test vehicle has ultra-rich leather with big, sturdy stitching, along with open-pore wood patterned with intricate topographical lines. A brittle-feeling turn-signal stalk detracts a bit from the high-end effect. 

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Spacious and Comfortable

The Sierra 1500 has a spacious, comfortable interior. The seats are big and well-shaped, and all but the base Pro include a 10-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. Ventilated front seats and even a massage function are available. The crew cab like our test vehicle also has a huge backseat with room for three adults to sit side by side while also stretching out their legs. And heated rear seats are included on upper trim levels. 

Cabin storage is also generous. The center console is large, and you can flip up the rear seat cushion to turn that area into a secure, dry cargo hold. Available cubbies hide within the rear seatbacks, too. 

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Rides and Handles Well for a Truck

As we mentioned, the Sierra 1500 has a wide range of models aimed at either work, luxury, or off-roading. And each model’s suspension is optimized for the purpose. The Denali and Denali Ultimate have adaptive suspensions that continuously adjust in response to road conditions. The AT4 has a more rugged off-road-ready suspension than base Sierras and a 2-inch lift, and the AT4X has specialized dampers plus front and rear locking differentials. Surprisingly enough, in our experience, you can expect the AT4X to ride more smoothly than the max-luxury Denali Ultimate – it has 18-inch wheels with thick sidewalls, which glide over bumps more smoothly than our test truck’s jumbo 22-inchers. 

Overall, the Sierra 1500 rides and handles well for a pickup, as long as you keep your expectations reasonable. This is a big, heavy-duty vehicle, so it won’t drive like a car. But GM has put a lot of effort into making it comfortable and quiet, especially when you’re not trying to maneuver it in tight spaces or hustle it around a corner. 

The Sierra 1500 is also available with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free highway driving aid. It can handle accelerating, braking, steering, and even lane changes while you keep your hands in your lap on more than 400,000 miles of pre-mapped North American roads. The system will cut off if you don’t keep your eyes on the road or the truck has trouble seeing lane markings. 

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Choose Your Engine

Just as the Sierra 1500 has a choice of suspensions, it also comes with a choice of engines. And they make an even bigger difference to how the truck drives. 

The base engine is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder turbo, which makes a respectable 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft. But most folks will prefer the traditional 5.3-liter V8, which makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. A mightier 6.2-liter V8 has 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. It’s quick, but it’s not flat-out insane like a Ram 1500.  

Our favorite Sierra 1500 engine is the 3.0-liter Duramax, an inline six-cylinder turbodiesel. It has 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. And despite its mighty torque, it gets the best gas mileage of any pickup except for electric models and the front-wheel-drive-based compact Ford Maverick: In EPA testing, the Sierra 1500 Duramax gets 23 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 22 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined with four-wheel drive. Our 4WD Duramax-powered test truck met that estimate during a week of mixed driving. It never dropped below 20 mpg even when puttering around running errands, outstanding for a big truck. Besides the Sierra’s Silverado cousin, no other half-ton pickup has a diesel engine option anymore. 

The Sierra’s other engines aren’t efficiency leaders. The four-cylinder gets 18 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined with two-wheel drive and 1 mpg less with 4WD. The 2WD 5.3-liter V8 gets about 18 mpg combined, and 4WD drops to 17 mpg. And the 6.2-liter V8 manages just 16 mpg combined – and on pricey premium fuel at that. The Sierra’s off-road trims use even more gas. 

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Towing and Hauling Capability

The 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 can tow more than 13,000 pounds in the right configuration – with the rear-wheel-drive diesel taking the lead and the four-wheel-drive 6.2-liter right behind it. Even the base four-cylinder can tow up to 9,400 pounds, while the 5.3-liter V8 can handle 11,200 pounds (both varying by body style). Our truck has the available Transparent Trailer View system, which uses a camera to eliminate the blind spot from whatever you’re towing.

The Sierra 1500 has three bed lengths – an 8-foot bed on the regular cab, a 6-foot-6-inch bed available on any Sierra body style, and a 5-foot-8-inch bed that’s exclusive to the crew cab. Our test truck has the latter. It also includes the available Multi-Flex tailgate, which has multiple sections that can either move out of the way or flip up to handle or contain longer items. 

You can fill that bed and cab with up to 2,230 pounds of payload, depending on the Sierra 1500 version you get. Our test truck can hold 1,800 pounds. That’s not enough to win the numbers war among half-ton pickups, but it’s still a lot of capability. And if maximizing payload or towing is a priority, we’d encourage you to check your preferred configuration of a rival truck against the Sierra that interests you. The GMC may come out ahead in that specific case that matters to you.  

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Sierra 1500 vs. the Competition

Even in likely its final year on the market, the 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 stacks up well to the competition in most ways. It’s comfortable, capable, and packed with technology – from Super Cruise, the Invisible Trailer, and other advanced driver aids to luxury amenities like massaging seats and a 12-speaker stereo. 

It shows its age in two main ways: It tends to come up short of the competition for power and fuel economy (except in the class-exclusive diesel), and it doesn’t perform as well in crash tests. If those are priorities, you might start your truck search with the competing Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Toyota Tundra. 

Among the three competitors, the Ford has the broadest model range and the most clever “tricks,” such as a center console that turns into a computer surface; the ability to use the truck as an electricity generator; and a knob that helps you painlessly reverse a trailer. The Ram has the smoothest ride and the most horsepower. And the Toyota tends to have the most features for the money. But the Sierra has its own broad range, the capable yet economical diesel engine, the leading hands-free driving system, and generally well-rounded competence. 

Remember, too, that most of the Sierra 1500’s strengths and weaknesses are available in the nearly identical Chevrolet Silverado 1500 as well. If you’re not attached to a given style or dealership, shop around for both vehicles to find the right truck at the right price for you. 

2026 Ram 1500 Laramie Hemi ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

The 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 holds its own in the full-size half-ton pickup class. If you’re drawn to anything about it – whether that’s the style, the diesel engine, Super Cruise, or anything else – we don’t have a deal-breaking flaw to highlight. 

The Sierra’s gas engines are unremarkable, and as we mentioned, it trails newer trucks in crash testing. But even as GMC puts the finishing touches on its replacement, the 2026 Sierra remains a solid half-ton truck. 

2026 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate ・ Photo by Brady Holt