Sierra, Silverado 2500 are the real urban cowboys

BY JEFF TAYLOR For Sun-Times Media February 22, 2012 3:47PM

Sierra HD

GMC 2012 SIERRA 2500 HD &
CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500 CREW CAB

ENGINE: 397-horsepower 6.6-liter V-8 turbo diesel

TRANSMISSION: Allison six-speed automatic

DRIVETRAIN: four-wheel drive

FUEL ECONOMY: not available

BASE PRICE: $45,115 (Silverado), $49,780 (Sierra)

AS TESTED: $63,389 (Silverado), $63,909 (Sierra)

WEBSITE: chevrolet.com, gmc.com

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The “crew” part is great for the kids, as they have two full-size doors to scramble through, plenty of headroom and enough rear legroom to bring along a friend or two. The standard 6-foot bed is perfect for stowing winter fun gear or bikes, go-carts and the like in the warmer months. If I need to tow a boat or trailer to a favorite fishing/camping spot it’s no problem with the monster 765 pound-feet of torque from the diesel V-8, as it permits 16,700 pounds of tug power with fifth-wheel hitch.

All of those are great reasons to enjoy the current version of GMC’s luxury and Chevrolet’s work/family hauler. However, I like the Sierra and Silverado HDs (along with competitive models from Ford and Ram) because they just feel so cool to drive. Not from a sporty handling perspective but because you sit up high, you have a rumbling diesel V-8 at your command and four-wheel drive, and these beauties are big — real big. Try an overall docking length of 20 feet, but the excellent steering makes maneuvering them a breeze.

I know these rigs are completely impractical for daily commuting and are overkill unless you need the space, power and cargo room, but there is something to be said for enjoying your time behind the wheel.

Under the square-jawed and muscular sheet metal, revised last year, resides a big 6.6-liter Duramax clean turbo diesel V-8 ($7,200 option) with 397 horsepower. Backing that stout engine is an Allison six-speed automatic transmission with hill start assist, locking rear differential, heavy-duty trailering equipment and 3.73 rear axle ratio — sturdy stuff.

Both test trucks came ladled with chrome bumpers, grilles, trim and bright optional 20-inch polished aluminum wheels. I liked the roof marker lights and chrome assist cab steps.

If you need to “work” your Sierra/Silverado HD you’ll appreciate substantial improvements like a stronger, fully boxed frame, a beefed-up suspension, increased towing capacity and larger standard wheels. The new independent front suspension offers up to 25 percent greater front axle weight rating; it has a 6,000-pound front gross axle weight rating so a plow can be used (next winter) on all 4WD cab configurations with optional snow plow package.

A notable new standard feature on Duramax trucks is a “smart” exhaust brake feature that provides greater control and reduces brake pad wear. This driver-selectable feature uses the turbine control of the variable geometry turbocharger and the compression of the engine to generate back pressure, slowing the vehicle without applying the brakes. The feature is integrated with the cruise control and varies the braking to account for the grade and vehicle load.

The ride is a nice balance between comfort on rough roads and enough chassis stiffness to handle big loads.

I liked the interior of the Sierra Denali, but the Silverado LTZ was not quite as plush and both are a notch below the Ram 2500 (segment best) for comfort and build. My test trucks were loaded to the tailgate with power everything, including rear slider windows, adjustable pedals, sunroofs, heated/cooled leather seats and powerful Bose audio systems.

About the only thing I didn’t like about the Sierra/Silverado was the roughly $160 it takes to fill the 36-gallon diesel fuel tank. This rig also will run B20 biodiesel.

So, while I don’t live “home on the range,” I still really like the Sierra/Silverado HD crew cabs and their impressive reputations as heavy haulers. If you need a bit more power, cargo or towing numbers, other trucks like the Ford F-250 and Ram 2500 edge out the GM twins in certain categories. However, none of these trucks are slouches and all are stout, good-looking macho machines.

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