Nice Drives: 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited AT4

By Issac Bouchard

In the pantheon of pickups, the order of excellence and number of sales has been shaken up over the past few years. Ford still rules in sales, and its mild hybrid Powerboost setup is genius for most uses. Ram meanwhile has come from mid-pack to second place in numbers sold at times—and now has excelled in JD Power rankings. Meanwhile GMC has quietly bolstered its lineup until it has the greatest group of engines available. The Sierra 1500 represents a great blend of attributes: accurate, incisive steering, a very nice blend of ride and handling and a fast, intuitive infotainment system. Its folding MultiPro tailgate was the first to market, and is genuinely useful, being able to fold down into a bed step, serve as a platform for tailgating parties—replete with powered Kicker speakers—or just allow one to reach deeper into the optional CarbonPro composite bed. At some point this year, GMC will replace the cheap and cheerless old interior that blighted the Sierra with one that has much higher quality materials and whose infotainment screen grows from 8 inches to up to 13.4.

The Sierra engine lineup consists of a 2.7-liter, turbocharged four cylinder whose 310hp and 420lb-ft of torque beat everyone else’s base engines, V8s in 355hp, 5.3L and 420hp, 6.2L flavors, and the best diesel available in a half-ton pickup; only the latter two are available in the AT4. The inline diesel six has almost no turbo lag, massive midrange grunt, and 460lb-ft of twist, which allow it to easily pull the kind of loads that the Ram’s V6 diesel can struggle with—all while getting fuel economy in the 20s. The tranny is smooth and smart and doesn’t hunt through its ten gear ratios, as the Ford can. Now that the Max Trailering package can be combined with the diesel, tow rating is up to 13,200 pounds. GMC’s AT4 trim level seems to hit a sweet spot too, with toughened up looks and enhanced off-road ability that doesn’t detract from the Sierra’s on pavement prowess. A great truck that soon will have a great interior, the GMC Sierra AT4 strikes almost the perfect balance of ability and desirability in the half-ton segment.

EPA Ratings: 20/23/21mpg
0-60mph: 7.5sec (est)
Price as tested: $65,155
Here is what GMC has to say.

4.5 Stars

Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard owns Denver-based Bespoke Autos ([email protected]; 303-475-1462). Read more of his automotive writing, reviews and recommendations on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com.

---

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.