Skip to Content

Everything You Know About GMC Sierra 1500

2021 GMC Sierra 1500 has, throughout its life cycle, evolved into a capable and value-for-money offering from the General Motors stable of products.

The Sierra 1500 in its 2021 guise might not bring about a huge ton of changes but it is very much a heavy hitter in the light-duty pick-up segment.

Although the competition in the segment is cutthroat, to say the least, the Sierra manages to carve out an identity for itself due to some standout reasons, these reasons are mentioned below:

Everything You Know About GMC Sierra 1500

The Good!

Permutations and Combinations

The 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 is offered with a total of 5 engine options and 3 transmission options in its lineup which does mean that choosing the perfect one for you could be a rather hectic affair.

This is a definitive plus in our books though since the wide variety of powertrains options simply means that the Sierra can please almost any kind of pick-up buyer regardless of what they are looking for from their powertrains.

The base setup on the Sierra is a 4.3L naturally aspirated V6 pushing out 285 bhp and 305 pound-feet of torque that is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that is enough to get the job done for most people.

If you demand an upgrade, then the following engines might take your fancy:

  • 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 310 horsepower and 348 pound-feet of torque
  • 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder diesel with 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque
  • 5.3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque
  • 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque
  • The 5.3 L V8 can be had with either the 6 or the 8 Speed Automatic Transmission options while the 6.2 L V8 and the Duramax Turbodiesel get the more sought after 10 Speed Automatic. The Duramax Diesel offered in the Sierra is a highlight in our eyes since it offers great torque output which is a priority in a pick-up while also offering some above-average fuel economy numbers too.
  • The Fancy Tailgate
  • The Multi-Pro Tailgate that is offered in the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500, is one of its biggest highlights and does help to set it apart from the rest of its competition. The Multi-Pro Tailgate can be dubbed as the Swiss Army Knife of tailgates since the dual gate design of this tailgate gives it versatile opening options that help turn up the already practical nature of the Sierra to 11.  Some of its more useful configurations are as follows:
  • Primary Tailgate- Opens and closes like a normal damped tailgate.
  • Primary Gate Load Stop- The secondary gate design of the tailgate can be flipped up to serve as a load stop for the times when you load up long items such as motorcycles, plywood, etc.
  • Easy Access- The secondary gate can be lowered completely to provide easier access to the loading bay by 5”-7” to aid the process of easy loading.
  • Full-Width Step- The secondary gate can be flipped open to serve as a full-width step to provide easier entry into the load bay by simply climbing up the step.
  • Secondary Gate Load Stop- The secondary gate can be flipped up to aid as a load stop for high-rise items placed in the trunk without opening the primary gate.
  • Work Surface- The secondary gate can be flipped down to serve as a steady work surface out in the woods or at a job site.
  • Multi-Pro Sound System- An optional accessory that can be fitted in the Multi-Pro Tailgate is the Multi-Pro Sound System. The system that has been designed by Kicker helps pump out 100 watts of pure music that can be streamed via Bluetooth as well.

The Base Can Pull!

The towing capacity of a potential purchase is quite a big priority for many and sometimes people tend to splurge more for higher trims just for the added towing ability.

The Sierra comes out strong in this regard as it manages to offer 12,200 pounds of towing capacity with a hauling capacity of 2,240 pounds even in its base model.

This directly translates to the fact that most people wouldn’t have to upgrade to a 3/4th or One Ton Truck for their towing needs.

The Not So Good!

The above-mentioned features do make the Sierra better on certain fronts for many but there are a couple of not-so-great features of the 2021 Sierra that we would also like to bring to your notice.

Dull Interiors

When put in contrast to its rivals, although the Sierra does have a healthy set of creature comforts on offer, its interior fails to make a significant impact.

The Sierra for some reason has decided to stick with its more outdated feeling interior design and that does hamper the ownership experience more than one would expect.

It is tough to justify buying the Sierra over its competitors when the interiors are concerned which is a very heavy blow to GMC.

Poor Interior Space

The interior space utilization on the 2021 GMC Sierra is rather unoptimized.

The seats on offer tend to be too upright while legroom and shoulder room is at a premium.

For a pick-up of its size, we shouldn’t have to bother about the height of the passengers that shall ride in it, but the lack of interior space does make for an uncomfortable long ride for the taller occupants amongst us.

Iffy Ride Quality

One of the major letdowns of 2021 MY of the GMC Sierra 1500 has to be its ride quality which comes of at crashy at low speeds and a little all over the place in general.

What really hurts the GMC is the fact that the previous generation of the Sierra had much better ride quality than the outgoing model which has resulted in 2021 MY of the Sierra receive even more criticism.

Rivals like the RAM 1500 make Sierra’s ride look especially worse thus making it a tougher sell to most.

If we were to recommend the Sierra 1500 to the audience, we would do so for the people looking for a basic work truck that goes about doing the job extremely well but if luxury and comfort are what someone desires, then looking at rivals such as the RAM 1500 or the Ford F-150 makes a whole lot more sense!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.