This probably won't surprise anyone, but we have a number of racers, track-day junkies, and vintage-car owners on staff, so tow vehicles are highly prized around our office. While there are many fine trucks suited to such tasks, Chevrolet's Silverado won our most recent pickup truck comparison test, making it our top choice in the segment. But we're slightly vain, so naturally we settled upon that rig's better-dressed sibling, the GMC Sierra. Here's how we'd spec it:
MODEL:
GMC Sierra 1500 6.2L 4×4 Denali (base price: $54,555)
As much fun as it is to picture trucks the way country singers sing about them—tobacco-stained, trusty, with a buxom corn-fed cowgirl hangin' from the tailgate—we're a bunch of ninnies who like heated seats and backup cameras. We do enjoy beer, though. And cowgirls. Anyway, when it comes to GMCs, springing for the zooty Denali trim is a must.
Not only does it bring a host of equipment that's optional on lesser Sierras—a full leather interior, a seven-speaker Bose audio system, heated and cooled seats, a heated steering wheel, real aluminum interior trim, and more—it also is the only way to order GM's powerful 6.2-liter V-8. The 420-hp V-8 motivates the Crew-Cab-only Denali to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, and that makes its $1995 cost worth it to us. Because we live in Michigan, which is located near the south pole of the ice planet Hoth, we opted for four-wheel drive, and we stuck with the still-useful short bed to keep overall length under 20 feet.
OPTIONS:
Onyx Black ($0)
6.2-liter V-8 engine ($1995)
Off-Road Suspension package ($605)
Integrated trailer-brake controller ($230)
Mobile WiFi Connectivity package ($595)
Borla cat-back exhaust system ($1249, dealer-installed)
Spray-on bed liner ($475)
All-weather floor mats ($160)
Every extra on our Sierra Denali serves a purpose. The integrated brake controller will come in handy for towing, the spray-on bed liner is cheap protection against guaranteed abuse, and the all-weather floor mats should help keep the interior tidy during our horrible winters. The Z71 Off-Road Suspension package's beefier shocks, skid plates, hill descent control, and uprated bump stops are a must for our moonscape-like roads, while the mobile WiFi package will help keep kids occupied in the back seat. We typically don't go for dealer-installed accessories, but hearing the 6.2 roaring through a Borla exhaust system is too tempting to pass up.
Finally, when it comes to color, nothing goes better with the Denali's chrome cheese-grater grille, side steps, and wheels than Onyx Black. It's like wearing a high-class, farm-grade tuxedo, and selecting the Jet Black interior scheme carries the vibe inside.
- 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 6.2L 4×4 Tested: Moving Mountains Quickly and Stylishly
- 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 5.3L 4×4 Crew Cab Tested: Nuance in Truckville
- GMC Sierra 1500 Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
Despite our options-sheet binge, our perfect GMC Sierra 1500 Denali rings in at a reasonable—in the ever-escalating world of full-size pickup prices—$57,869. Now, if only our race cars were anywhere near as nice.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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