2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD Review: Heavy-Duty Heavy-Hitter
Few segments are as fiercely competitive in the USA as full-size pickup trucks, with automakers constantly trying to one-up one another in terms of engine outputs and trailering figures with every update. The 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD has done just that by pumping the power of its 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel up to 470 horsepower and 975 lb-ft of torque, which gives its Crew Cab configuration a best-in-class towing capacity of 21,900 pounds when compared to rivals like the Ram 2500 and Ford F-250 Super Duty, though it doesn't lead the pack for overall max towing. However, GMC has also turned up the dial in terms of quality and features, so it may be a matter of losing the battle to win the war. We'll have to see if consumers agree.
New for 2024
Revised for 2024, the new GMC 2500HD pickup truck is a lot better than the outgoing model. For starters, it has access to a lot more power than before thanks to a retuned 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine that makes 470 horsepower and 975 lb-ft of torque. This allows the truck to reach a higher maximum towing capacity. For the cheaper models, the six-speed automatic transmission mated to the base gas engine has been replaced with a ten-speed auto. Other widespread changes include a revised front bumper and fascia and new grille designs and finishes. There is also animated lighting when approaching or starting the car, or when using the turn signals. Standard safety features have been expanded with emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, a following distance indicator, and IntelliBeam auto high beams. There are new available trailering technologies and an optional 13.4-inch diagonal touchscreen. Lastly, a new trim has been added to the very top of the lineup: The Denali Ultimate has the boldest design and the most upscale interior that includes Alpine Umber full-grain leather with open-pore Paldoa wood trim.
2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD Price: Which One to Buy
With multiple cab and cargo bed configurations, not to mention a range of powertrains, the price of the 2024 GMC 2500HD can vary significantly as you move up the seven trim levels. The cheapest variant of the Pro has the Regular Cab and Long Bed, the base gas V8 and 2WD, selling for $45,400 MSRP. The same setup in SLE guise will cost you $50,200. Changing to the double cab and crew cab will make the starting MSRP $47,300/$49,100 on the Pro and $52,300/$54,100 on the SLE. The base SLT starts at $61,500. The long bed costs more and adding 4WD to either ups the price by $2,800. Equipping the diesel engine is an expensive $9,490 charge.
All other trims have 4WD as standard, so the AT4 trim costs $70,100 for base engine, while the Denali starts at $74,200, and the AT4X at $82,800. Equipping the diesel engine is an expensive $9,490 charge across the range. The new range-topper is the Denali Ultimate, which gets the Duramax diesel engine as standard and sells for a whopping $92,900 in its cheapest configuration. These prices do not include the $1,995 destination charge.
It is always hard to recommend a specific truck model as they are so different from one another, and the right one for a buyer is entirely dependent on their needs. If all you want is the maximum payload and towing capacity, the entry-level Pro is all you need once you slot in the most powerful diesel engine. However, if that's all you want, then there are rivals that surpass the Sierra 2500HD, so we'd probably opt for something like the Denali to get the most out of the more premium options available to the truck. We think the SLT is the bare minimum, though, as it allows you to equip the larger cabs so you can get the best parts of a work truck and family truck.
Pro | SLT | Denali Ultimate |
---|---|---|
Entry Level | Sweet Spot | Most Luxurious |
$ 45400 | $ 61500 | $ 92900 |
6.6-liter V8 gas engine (401 hp and 464 lb-ft) | Includes the features of the SLE, plus: | Includes the features of the Denali, plus: |
17-inch silver-painted steel wheels | 18-inch alloy wheels | Standard 6.6L V8 turbo-diesel (470 hp/975 lb-ft) |
Cloth or vinyl upholstery | LED fog lights | 20-inch ultra-bright machined alloys |
Single-zone climate control | Heated ten-way power front seats | Adaptive cruise control |
Seven-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto | Dual-zone automatic climate control | Head-up display |
Remote start | 12-speaker Bose premium sound system |
Interior and Features
Though the base models are minimally equipped, the Sierra 2500HD gets access to many high-end luxuries and comforts in Denali form.
The interior of the GMC has always been one of its finer points, and this year's updates have unlocked even greater potential at the upper levels. The entry-level trims use hardy materials and get only essential features, but as you move up to more premium entrants, the truck maintains its utilitarian style. A touchscreen operates most of the features, with a few physical buttons lower down on the dashboard, but there is no central console or gear shifter. The console is only added once you move up to the upper trims and trade in the front-row bench for bucket seats. The drive mode dials are to the left of the steering wheel, along with some other driver essentials. This lack of superfluous clutter helps to maximize interior space.
Space
With the Regular Cab, there are three seating positions in a single row; upgrading the Double Cab adds a second row and increases the maximum occupancy to six. Upper trims get front bucket seats, though, dropping the passenger count to five. There is plenty of head- and legroom up front, and even the back seats are extremely spacious. The Crew Cab adds even more rear legroom than the double cab. Though they start off as manually adjustable, the front seats gain additional features like power adjustment, heating, and ventilation. In any setup, the driver gets a commanding view of the road, and overall visibility is quite good. Larger cabs create blind spots, but driver aids help to overcome these.
Cargo
Trucks are highly configurable, allowing you to stow massive amounts of cargo in the bed. There are two on offer, with the Regular Bed maxing out at 69.5 cubic feet, while the Long Bed supplies 83.5 cu-ft. With the right equipment, you can tie down even more stuff, but the maximum cargo space is limited by payload capacity.
Small-item storage around the cabin is adequate if not exceptional. Models with a central console get a few bins and a pair of cupholders, while those with a bench in the front have to fold down the middle seat to access said cupholders. There is also a glove compartment, and each of the doors has a decent pocket.
GMC Sierra 2500HD | Ram 2500 | Ford F-250 Super Duty | |
---|---|---|---|
Seating | 2-6 Seater | 2-6 Seater | 2-6 Seater |
Headroom | 43.03 - in. front 39.9 - 40.12 in. rear | 39.8 - 40.9 in. front 39.8 - 40.3 in. rear | 40.8 in. front 40.3 in. rear |
Legroom | 44.53 in. front 35.24 - 43.4 in .rear | 40.9 in. front 40.2 - 43.1 in. rear | 43.9 in. front 33.5-43.6 inch rear |
Cargo Volume | 69.5-83.5 ft³ | 57.5-74.7 ft³ | 65.4-78.5 ft³ |
Bed Size | 6'9" Standard bed 8-foot Long bed | 6'4" Standard bed 8-foot Long bed | 6.75-foot Standard bed 8-foot Long bed |
Materials and Colors
The Sierra 2500HD starts out quite hardy and plain, with just cloth upholstery and plenty of hard plastics on display. You can opt for even more durable vinyl if you like, but your only choice of colors is Jet Black, at least in the Pro. The SLE won't allow you to select vinyl, but it does add Dark Walnut/Slate to the palette. Perforated leather is added once you upgrade to the SLT, but it retains the same interior colors. The AT4 keeps the same material but opts for a more off-road-focused palette that includes Jet Black/Kalahari. More premium perforated leather is the standard for the Denali, in either Jet Black or Atmosphere/Brownstone. The final two trims upgrade again to full grain leather, in Obisidian Rush for the AT4X and Alpine Umber for the Denali Ultimate. The Denali trims also get upscale wood accents like open-pore Paldoa wood for the Denali Ultimate.
Features and Infotainment
As with most pickup trucks, the GMC Sierra 2500HD starts off with the bare minimum features, including manually adjustable front seats, manual air conditioning, remote keyless, a small 3.5-inch driver-info display, and a seven-inch touchscreen for the infotainment. This grants access to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth, played back through a six-speaker setup (only two speakers for the Regular Cab). Moving up to the SLE gets you cruise control, a slightly larger 12.3-inch driver-information display, a 13.4-inch touchscreen with SiriusXM and Wi-Fi capability, while ten-way power heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, remote start are added to the SLT. This setup also gets you HD Radio and wireless smartphone pairing. Once you reach the AT4, more premium features become standard, like front-seat ventilation, rear-seat heating, a center console, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a seven-speaker Bose sound system. For the Denali, a high-tech head-up display becomes standard, while the new Denali Ultimate boasts a 12-speaker Bose sound system. A power sunroof is available from the regular Denali up.
Pro | SLT | Denali Ultimate | |
---|---|---|---|
Manual air conditioning | S | N/A | N/A |
Power-adjustable front seats | N/A | S | S |
Remote start | N/A | S | S |
13.4-inch touchscreen | N/A | S | S |
12-speaker Bose sound system | N/A | O | S |
Performance
Though not quick or particularly fast, the Sierra 2500HD has steady acceleration and competitive towing capacities.
Two V8 engines are available for the GMC Sierra 2500HD, both displacing 6.6 liters. The base unit uses gasoline to make 401 horsepower and 464 lb-ft of torque, while the available Duramax turbo-diesel develops a far more impressive 470 hp and 975 lb-ft. Both engines are mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission and power can be sent to your choice of a rear- or four-wheel drivetrain, though upper trims only get the latter.
For a work truck like the GMC Sierra 2500HD, 0-60 mph times aren't too important, but it takes between seven and eight seconds to get there. As for top speed, the truck can reach around 100 to 110 mph. More important is trailering capabilities, for which the GMC can reach 21,900 pounds with a Crew Cab or 22,500 lbs with a Regular Cab, so long as the turbo-diesel is in play.
Large pickups like this aren't made for fun driving, although they can be quite enjoyable when off-roading. After all, this is what the AT4 and AT4X were made for. They have loads of ground clearance and include specially tuned suspension and transfer cases. However, most of the lineup is relatively comfortable on the road, but the steering can feel floaty and inaccurate.
Fuel Efficiency
There aren't any official mpg figures for the GMC Sierra 2500HD, but real-world reports seem to indicate that the truck won't get better than 15 mpg with mixed driving, even using the more efficient diesel engine. This explains why you get a tank with a massive 38-gallon fuel capacity. This should allow the pickup to travel for up to 500 miles with the diesel engine. However, the Regular Cab with a diesel engine only gets a 28-gallon tank, so it will need to make pitstops more frequently.
6.6L V8 Gas 6-Speed Automatic RWD | 6.6L V8 Turbo-diesel 6-Speed Automatic RWD | |
---|---|---|
Power | 401 hp | 401 hp |
Top speed | 100 mph | 100 mph |
MPG | 11.5 mpg | 14.5 mpg |
0-60 | 7-8 seconds | 7-8 seconds |
Towing Capacity | 18,500 lbs | 22,500 lbs |
Safety
Lacking any official safety rating, the GMC Sierra relies on its sturdy construction and a good list of standard features to settle any uneasy minds.
Despite their popularity, most heavy-duty trucks are not crash-tested, so you won't find an official safety review of the GMC Sierra 2500HD. That being said, you'd be hard-pressed to find a car that could leave a dent in this sturdy beast. To use it as a reference point, the regular Sierra 1500 work truck has a five-star rating from the NHTSA and gets a score of Good in all categories except small overlap front: passenger side. The bigger 2500HD should be just as sturdy.
For standard safety features, the Sierra 2500HD comes with the basics only, comprising six airbags, an HD rearview camera, electronic stability control, forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking with front pedestrian braking, and lane departure. This suite is only upgraded again when you reach the AT4, which gets front and rear park assist, rear cross-traffic alert, trailer-side blindspot assist, and a bed view camera. It also comes equipped with a safety alert seat. The Denali then concludes things with an HD surround-view camera.
Pro | SLT | Denali Ultimate | |
---|---|---|---|
Forward collision warning | S | S | S |
Automatic emergency braking | S | S | S |
Lane departure warning | S | S | S |
Rear cross-traffic alert | O | O | S |
HD surround-view camera | N/A | O | S |
Reliability
Though there is no official reliability score for the GMC Sierra 2500HD, the truck has had a pretty clean track record. Last year saw no recalls, while the 2024 model has only one hiccup, which is that the steering gear shaft may fracture. A recall was issued to correct this problem. For 2024, the GMC Sierra 2500HD's warranty covers bumper-to-bumper problems for three years/36,000 miles, while the powertrain gets five years/60,000 miles of coverage. Seeing as it is more durable, the diesel engine has an extended 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Warranty
Basic | Drivetrain | Rust-Through | Corrosion | Roadside Assistance | Drivetrain Note | Roadside Assistance Note | Maintenance Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 Years / 36,000 Miles | 5 Years / 60,000 Miles | 6 Years / 100,000 Miles | 3 Years / 36,000 Miles | 5 Years / 60,000 Miles | 3.0L & 6.0L Duramax® Turbo-Diesel engines, and certain commercial, government, and qualified fleet vehicles: 5 years/100,000 miles | 3.0L & 6.0L Duramax® Turbo-Diesel engines, and certain commercial, government, and qualified fleet vehicles: 5 years/100,000 miles | First Visit: 12 Months/12,000 Miles |
Design
The Sierra 2500HD has always been a bold and aggressively styled vehicle. This is entirely par for the course in this segment, though, so to help it stand out, GMC has given it a stylish update for 2024. These changes include new front bumper and grille designs for a more up-to-date front fascia. The finishing accents have also been revised. That large grille we mentioned takes up almost the entire front of the truck, and while it is normally divided by three horizontal bars, the Denali trims sport a unique grille with six horizontal bars. Astride the grille are surprisingly toned-down LED headlights with signature daytime running lights. As standard, the Sierra rides on 17-inch steel wheels, which are upgraded to alloys on the SLE. These continue to grow as you move up the trims until you reach 20-inch rims on the Denali. Also, the SLE, AT4, and Denali all boast new wheel designs this year.
Verdict: Is The 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD A Good Truck?
There is a lot to like about the 2024 Sierra 2500HD. It is attractive to look at, has a choice of two powerful engines, multiple body configurations that allow for a utilitarian or more family-focused approach, and the option for a very upscale interior. Unfortunately, the fact remains that there are better choices on the market, especially in the USA, where these types of cars are in high demand. For starters, the Chevy Silverado can do the same amount of work on a stricter budget, and the Ford F-250 blows it out of the water in terms of maximum towing or hauling capacities. Lastly, if you want a premium pickup, the Ram 2500 offers a more holistic approach to luxury. GMC has stepped up its game a bit, but the updates to the interior are minor at best. We admire the ride comfort, and the longer list of driver-assistance features is welcome. Nevertheless, the Sierra 2500HD has not done enough to sway our opinion, especially when you consider how much GMC expects you to pay for one.