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2018 GMC Sierra Denali 1500 Drivers' Notes | Chrome cowboy

No matter how much automakers want to charge for trucks, it seems there will be a market. Ford, Ram and GM all have trucks that can push well over $60,000, something that would sound unbelievable even 10 years ago. That brings us to the 2018 GMC Sierra Denali, GM's top dog in the pseudo-lux truck segment. It's packed with tons of goodies and features, but it's starting to feel a little long in the tooth. Still, GM trucks are some of the best selling vehicles in America, so it seems customers don't mind the age. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I've said it before, but I'm not a big truck guy. Give me a Colorado or Tacoma over any of the full-sized behemoths rolling off assembly lines today. Still, I do enjoy taking one home on occasion, especially one as comfortable and well appointed as this Sierra Denali. There's leather and wood and contrasted stitching throughout. The problem is that it's all a veneer over what's becoming an extremely dated truck, though a new one is on the horizon. There's one big thing that truly bothers me about this truck: no keyless entry or ignition. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem doing things the old-fashioned way, but when literally every other competitor at this price has keyless as standard equipment, the fact that GMC (and Chevy for that matter) still require you to pull out a fob and stick a key into an ignition is really glaring. It has to have something to do with the platform, as GM makes plenty of vehicles that don't require a key. One thing that doesn't feel dated is the ride and performance. This truck is equipped with GM's Magnetic Ride Control, and it works wonders for the Sierra's comfort. It would be even better if it wasn't wearing some gaudy 22-inch wheels, but it's still better than a lot of trucks out there. The powertrain, too, is a nice bright spot. The eight-speed automatic is smooth and never feels lost in the hunt for better fuel economy. The 6.2-liter V8 feels strong, and power comes on smooth and easy. Ford's EcoBoosts may win on fuel economy, but there's nothing like a big, burly V8. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: Despite the massive amounts of guilt I feel every time I put my foot to the accelerator, big trucks — something of which I used to steer well clear — are beginning to warm up on me. That being said, others have made more of an impression on me than this Sierra.

2016 GMC Terrain Denali Quick Spin

Here's a bewildering statistic – General Motors sold over 347,000 GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox crossovers in 2014, making the Theta platform twins the best selling vehicles in their segment. GM sold more Equinox/Terrain crossovers than Honda did CR-Vs, Ford did Escapes, and Toyota did RAV4s. After a week behind the wheel of the 2016 Terrain Denali, we can't fathom why GMC's entry, which accounts for nearly a full third of GM's annual small CUV sales, has been so popular. An inefficient engine, cheap interior plastics, uncomfortable seats, a shortage of technology, and a high price left us questioning why anyone would order this Denali over a Titanium-trim Ford Escape, a Jeep Cherokee Limited, or a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport with the Unlimited Package. Driving Notes While looks are subjective, we'd posit that GMC didn't go far enough with its 2016 mid-cycle refresh. New accents on the front bumper, a tweaked grille surround, and LED running lights round out the changes up front, while the rear gets a slightly different bumper. GMC claims there's a new hood, although we challenge you to pick out the differences – here are the official galleries for the 2013 and 2016, if you'd like to try. GMC missed a tremendous opportunity here. New headlights, some restyled taillights, and tweaked mirrors would have given the impression of a more significant refresh. As it stands, these changes don't add up to much. GMC also claims it made changes in the cabin, adding a "revised instrument panel center stack." Aside from the missing CD slot, which has been replaced with an oddly shaped and not terribly useful shelf, it's hard to spot much of a difference. The Terrain Denali's cabin materials feel cheap. You'll be spending at least $35,000 to park one of these in your driveway, but aside from the leather-and-faux-wood steering wheel, no material feels worthy of that price tag inside. The lower dash plastics are hard and scratchy, the center stack feels hollow and creaks when pressed on, and the too-small shade over the seven-inch display feels flimsy. The upper dash is covered in a cheap-feeling, leather-like material that looks unchanged from when the Terrain Denali debuted back in model year 2013. These materials don't make sense in a vehicle that, as tested, exceeded $41,000. The most egregious thing about the refreshed Terrain is the lack of content.

2022 GMC Hummer Edition 1 weighs 9,063 pounds

From the beginning, the Hummer line of vehicles has been synonymous with the phrase, "absolute unit." The M998 Humvee turned to civilian use as the Hummer H1 came with a curb weight of 7,560 pounds depending on configuration. The much more urbane Hummer H2 didn't sacrifice much of those gains, putting about 6,615 on the scales. Let us not forget that the behemoth gravitational pull and square-jawed mass were what every Hummer buyer wanted. So, starting with the brand values and customer demand, and adding the fact that electric vehicles are substantially heavier than their ICE counterparts, no one should be surprised that the 2022 GMC Hummer Edition 1 weighs 9,063 pounds. That's just one of the substantial figures GMC included in a self-certification filing submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the document rooted out by Car and Driver. Last year GMC told us the Hummer would weigh 9,046 pounds, which proves again the Freshman 15 (or 16) is unavoidable.  Loaded up with humans and their accessories, the truck's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) comes in at 10,550 pounds. It takes a few other big numbers to keep that kind of tonnage on the go. The Ultium battery weighs 2,923 pounds. With a 617-amp-hour capacity at 400 volts, total capacity comes in at 246.8 kWh, specific energy at 158 Wh/kg. Usable capacity is about 85% less, at 212.7 kWh. For the time being, these numbers put every other pack in a production vehicle in the shade. That gargantuan chemical plant in the Hummer's floor powers a 329-mile range the same way a giant fuel tanks feed a truck that gets 8 miles to the gallon. The miles per gallon equivalent figures GMC submitted to the EPA are 51 MPGe city, 43 MPGe highway, 47 MPGe combined. Motor Trend questioned whether GM applied the correction factor used for window sticker numbers; if not, the standard 0.7 correction drops the MPGe specs to 36 city, 30 highway, and 33 combined. However, trucks with a GVWR beyond 8,500 pounds don't need to display fuel economy figures on their window stickers, so don't expect to see any such details on dealer lots. For comparison, the Rivian R1T Launch Edition weighs about 7,000 pounds, and fits a 128.9 kWh battery good for an estimated 314 miles estimated at 70 MPGe.