Am I a Truck Convert?
I am not a truck person by any stretch of the imagination. But after driving this 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X around for a week, I could definitely see myself becoming one.
Before we dive in, there are two things you should know about my week with this bad boy right off the bat:
- I am way too small to drive this truck.
- I loved it.
Let’s get down to it. The base price on this Duramax diesel version of the Sierra was $79,200, but with options and the destination fee, it topped out at $88,585. That’s a number that feels out of reach for most, but let’s dream for a moment, shall we?
Related: The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X: For the Country Girl In Us All
Outsizing the Rest of the World
The first thing you notice about the GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X is its sheer size. Even though it’s not a heavy-duty pickup, it looks, feels, and acts like one. Sitting up in the cockpit, I mean crew cab, I felt like I was on top of the world. Everything else shrinks from that vantage point. I passed a Honda Pilot that suddenly looked more like a Mini.
The downside was that the lanes also felt narrower. It was actually kind of hard for me to tell if I was centered in my lane at times. Fortunately, one of its standard features is the safety seat alert, which vibrates on either the right or left side, letting you know you’ve departed from your lane. Once I figured out it wasn’t my iPhone that was buzzing, I thought that was pretty cool.
Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy the Flight – I Mean, Drive.
Speaking of pilots, my son is currently in flight school, which means I am learning a lot of airplane lingo. He recently taught me about the difference between a glass cockpit and one with “old-school steam gauges.” A glass cockpit is full of screens that are constantly relaying important information. Likewise, the GMC definitely has a glass cockpit feel to it.
The 13.4-inch touchscreen houses both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get navigation, climate controls, and satellite radio, just to name a few. The head-up display indicates your speed, the current speed limit, and the following distance behind the car in front
of you.
Related: 2025 GMC Terrain First Look
GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X is Big on the Inside, Too.
The interior is spacious, to say the least, with a big center storage console that will hold almost anything you can think of, including a decently sized handbag. Heated leather front and rear seats, plus ventilated front seats add a nice dose of luxuriousness.
Being that winter still seems to have a tight grip here in Utah, I enjoyed gripping the heated steering wheel. It eats snow for breakfast. Speaking of winter, I drove through a pretty decent mountain snowstorm on Easter Sunday, and it was like the pickup almost yawned. The weather was absolutely no challenge for this behemoth, which has every drive mode you could
imagine.
It Drives Like a Truck Because That’s What it IS.
But how does it handle? First of all, at 5’6” I would have liked another inch or two in seat height adjustment because I could not see past the massive nose of this truck. Parking lots are a challenge. I looked for spots where I could pull through so that I wouldn’t have to back out. I took advantage of the cameras to help me make sure I was within the lines. So that’s the thing about this truck, right? It’s designed for someone much larger, but comes equipped with all the
aids to help someone smaller like myself and a lot of other women, manage it.
I felt the acceleration was quite decent. It’s powered by a 3.0-liter Duramax diesel engine that generates 305 horsepower and a whopping 495 lb-ft of torque. The accelerator responds nicely to a little pressure, so I definitely did not need the full length of the on-ramp to get up to highway speeds. In fact, there were times when I realized I could let off the gas a little. It’s a truck, and it behaves like one.
While the GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X rides a little rough compared to the smaller cars I usually drive, it is definitely not abusive. In fact, I can see it being really great on a long road trip. You’ve got a lot of space to spread out in, and the cabin is comfortable and quiet.
It can do the heavy lifting. If you’ve got stuff to tow, this truck can tow 8,800 pounds, plus carry a payload of 1,380 pounds. It gets about 19 miles per gallon, but I think I averaged a little better than that. The first night I drove it, I took about a 100-mile round trip in it and the gas needle didn’t budge.
Off-roading? We’ve Got You Covered.
This GMC Sierra 1500 AT4X – which is GMC’s adventure trim – came with the AEV package. AEV stands for American Expedition Vehicles, a well-known brand in the off-roading world. The package adds on nearly $7,400 in options, like skid plates, front and rear differentials, and some cosmetic upgrades. But unless you’re an enthusiast who is out rock crawling on the weekends, I’d imagine you could get by without some of these things, thought the skid plates are a must if you think you might ever go off road. They protect things that might leak from damange and sieze the engine.
Party on, Wayne!
One feature I appreciated was the GMC Multipro Tailgate. It opens up and creates a step ladder of sorts for getting into the truck bed. Additionally, it comes equipped with a Kicker audio system for some added fun.
Partying, I Mean – Parting – Thoughts:
So, am I a truck convert? In our test model, I was impressed. Nothing was left out. However, with a starting price of about $49K, a lot of these features are included. For about $59K I could choose the Turbomax 4-cylinder turbo that generates 310 HP and 430 lb.-ft. of torque, not as much as the Duramax, but not far off. For about $2K more in the AT4 model I could go all in with the V8 and drive away with 420 HP, though I think I’d save myself a little money and go without the AEV package.
Either way, I liked all the little things that made it easier to drive. And that made it easier to be a truck girl. I ended my week by going to see Tim McGraw in concert, who opened his show with the song, “Truck Yeah.” I was feeling it.
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