2018 GMC Sierra 1500

The 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck comes in three cab styles and three bed lengths. The cab styles include Regular Cab, Double Cab, and Crew Cab while the bed length includes standard bed (6'7"), short bed (5'9"), and extended bed (8'). For this review, we will talk about the Regular Cab available in two bed lengths standard and extended. The Sierra 1500 Regular Cab is available in only two trims base and SLE with the base trim starting at $29,000 and the SLE trim starting at $35,700. Both the trims in their standard form are equipped with a 4.3-Liter V6 engine while a 5.3-Liter V8 engine is available as an option on both the trims.

The standard features available on the respective trims are covered in the tables while GMC also offers a bunch of optional packages to better equip your truck. For the base trim, you have a Sierra Convenience package that adds LED cargo box lighting, a remote locking tailgate, a 110-volt AC outlet, remote keyless entry, and heated power mirrors. While the base trim with the Elevation edition includes all the above and adds LED foglights, OnStar communications, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and body-color exterior trims.

The SLE trim also gets a couple of packages like the SLE Convenience package that adds a rear window defogger, rear parking sensors, power-adjustable pedals, and a sliding rear window. Going for the Preferred package gets you dual-zone automatic climate control, remote start, power-adjustable driver's seat, etc. While adding the SLE Value package includes all the above with rear locking differential and trailering equipment. That said, standalone options include wireless smartphone charging, leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, etc.

We Recommend:

We suggest picking the SLE trim and adding the SLE Value package as the base trim not only is barebones but also misses out a lot on the optional package and features list. The SLE trim is priced at under seven grand premium over the base trim but adds a couple of nifty features like the bigger and better infotainment screen, a damped tailgate, and also offers other useful features in the form of packages thus making it the perfect fit for most buyers. 

The most efficient GMC Sierra 1500 is the one equipped with the base 4.3-Liter V6 rated at 18/24/20 mpg for city/highway/combined respectively. That said, the much more capable 5.3-Liter V8 is only marginally thirstier with city mpg rating dropping to 16 mpg and highway rating dropping to 23 mpg thanks to the cylinder cutoff system that shuts off a couple of cylinders under light loads. While dropping a 4WD on the base engine sees a gas mileage of 17 mpg and 22 mpg in the city and on the highway respectively. The same 4WD when opted with the V8 engine sees a marginal 1 mpg drop on the highway.

The Ford F-150 due to its lighter curb weight is not only quicker but also fuel-efficient compared to the other pickups. The F-150 beats the Sierra 1500's gas mileage by 1 mpg in the city and on the highway each and by 2 mpg under mixed driving conditions. Although the Sierra 1500 offers 3 gallons bigger fuel tank compared to the F-150 thus exceeding its range even with lesser gas mileage.

"The 2018 GMC Sierra can be loaded up to full-on \Cowboy Cadillac\ level... for a price "- Carconnection

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab Seating and Comfort

The 2018 Sierra 1500 has one of the best interiors among full-size trucks - even in base trim. While it costs a bit more compared to the similar Silverado 1500, it does boast a better fit and finish levels with high-quality materials between the two. There is plenty of in-cabin storage to stow away small items and the massive center console can accommodate your laptop easily when not seating the third passenger.

The GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab can seat up to 3-passengers with the front bench seats. The front seats are exceptionally roomy with huge 45.3-inch legroom and offer good support even for a tall frame. However, the driving position is weirdly off-center which is further pronounced with the not-so-user-friendly column shifter.

In this comparison, hands-down the Sierra 1500 and the Silverado 1500 offer the best-in-class cabin space which can easily accommodate three adults. Except for a slightly more shoulder room offered on the F-150, the legroom and headroom of the Sierra 1500 are second to none.

Interior Features:

• Air conditioning
• Power door lock and windows
• Tilt-only steering wheel
• Available Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Available power-adjustable front seats
• Available sliding rear window

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab Infotainment System

While the base 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 gets the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment and Bluetooth, all higher trims get the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability. That said, the GMC Intellilink infotainment interface is intuitive, the icons are on a smaller side thus making it a bit difficult to use.

As stated above, moving up to the SLE trim gets you an 8-inch touchscreen which has an overall better experience than the base unit. A six-speaker sound system is standard on both the trims while OnStar communication is optional on the base trim and wireless smartphone charging is optional on the SLE trim. 

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab Cargo Capacity

The 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab comes in two bed sizes Standard (6'7") and Extended (8'). If you are shopping for a work truck that needs to haul plenty of items in the bed, the extended bed will suffice your needs. While the standard bed measures 78.87-inches in length, 64.6-inches wide, and 21.23-inches in height thus offering 61 cubic feet of total cargo volume.

The cargo volume offered on the Ford F-150 is the highest. Although compared to the Sierra 1500's cargo volume it is just 1.3 cubic feet more. 

"We dub GMC' s latest styling experiment "contemporary macho." Like previous GMC trucks, this full-size pickup features blocky styling highlighted by swollen fender flares and a grille that would do a semi-truck proud." - Kelley Blue Book

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab Dimension and Weight

The exterior looks of the 2018 Sierra 1500 remain unchanged for this year. This means the Sierra 1500 retains its typical full-size pick-up truck looks which are- huge, bulky, and with a massive grille dominating the front fascia. All Sierra comes with standard LED accent lights - a pleasantry for spending a little more than the similar Silverado 1500. Higher trim also gets damped tailgate eliminating the dreaded tailgate slam.

However, the now common passive entry with push-button start is not on offer in the GMC Sierra - it looks like GMC intends to give you some old-school experience - at least while entering your truck. Even with the shortest body configuration, the Sierra is a lengthy beast thus maneuvering such a large vehicle through a tight spot may overwhelm you. As the Sierra 1500 measure 205.6-inches in length and is 80-inches in width. 

Dimension wise the F-150 sits longer in length and stands taller in height than the Sierra 1500. Also, the F-150 has a massive 122.4-inches of wheelbase which is 3.4-inches more than what you get in the Sierra 1500. While to round it off the F-150 offers a class-leading 8.8-inches of ground clearance a full 0.6-inches more than what you get in the Sierra.

Exterior Features:

• 17-inch steel wheels
• Locking tailgate
• Rearview Camera
• Automatic xenon headlights
• Available 17-inch alloy wheels
• Available damped tailgate

The 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab hasn't been extensively crash-tested yet compared to the same model's Crew Cab and other body styles. Between the IIHS and NHTSA, only the latter has crash-tested the Regular Cab version and gave it a perfect score of five stars in the overall safety ratings. The Sierra 1500 Regular Cab also managed a perfect score in the front and side crash test while in the rollover mitigation test it got four out of five stars.

Safety Features:

• Rearview Camera
• Available forward-collision warning w/ low-speed automatic emergency braking
• Available lane departure warning

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Vs 2018 Ford F-150 

The 2018 F-150 is the best-selling pickup and for good reasons - it combines excellent fuel economy with punchy performance. It comes with a feature-loaded cabin and packs spacious, supportive and comfortable seats.

However, Sierra's towing capacity is much higher than the F-150's s and it does offer better cabin space between the two. Thus the latter two seals the deal in favor of Sierra for serious pickup truck buyers.

2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Vs 2018 Ram 1500

The Ram 1500 has a significantly lower towing and hauling capacity than the GMC Sierra and other full-size pickups. However, overlook that and you will be amazed by its soothing ride quality when equipped with optional air suspension.

The RAM 1500 isn't as fuel-efficient or has a spacious cabin as the Sierra 1500 but the overall build quality and the fit and finish level keep the RAM 1500 ahead of it. Thus for the better cabin and ride quality we would choose the RAM over the GMC.

If you want the capability of a modern full-size pickup truck but with a classier styling, the 2018 GMC Sierra will impress you. Starting with the exterior that's sleeker looking than any other pick-up in the market, the classy feeling continues all the way to the tastefully built and assembled interiors. The transmission of the Sierra is equally impressive but the experience behind the wheel is hampered by the quirky off-center driving position. The Sierra has an edge over the rivals with better cabin space and overall cabin quality. Thus the Sierra is worth the premium over the rivals. That being said, those who can't forgo supple ride quality will find more solace in the RAM 1500 instead of the Sierra.