Chevrolet’s Ad:

Ford F-150 Real Life Video:

by John Suit

Source: GM, YouTube

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After buying a home earlier this year, it became apparent that while my wife’s Mazda Mazda6 can haul some things, it wasn’t suiting our needs quite right for bigger home projects, including landscaping and hauling firewood.  With that in mind, I went shopping for a pickup truck.  While a mid-sized pickup would suit our new needs, the fuel economy penalty is negligible when the smaller truck is equipped with a V6.  This limited the search to the Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, RAM 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, and Ford F-150.  The Titan didn’t have all the creature comforts I was looking for and the Tundra was in limited supply after the devastation in Japan earlier this year (so I couldn’t find one optioned out the way I liked).  That left the American truck makers, and while the Chevrolet Silverado is very similar to its twin, the GMC Sierra, I prefer the looks of the Sierra, so that dropped the potential truck pool to just three.

During my research, I drove several trucks from GMC and Ford, as well as a RAM 1500.  The RAM simply wasn’t quiet enough, even though it had the best ride of the three.  Now down to two, I borrowed a 2011 GMC Sierra from my friends at King Buick GMC and drove it for a few days.  It was a great experience, and gave me a taste of what my commuting life would be like behind the wheel of a full-size pickup truck.  The Sierra was sized just right, and fit into normal parking spaces.  It was missing the Bose stereo (which I listened to in another Sierra) and moonroof, two things I had put on my “must have” option list.

As a refresher, take a look at the review I wrote on the 2011 Ford F-150.

For this comparison, I used my experiences behind the wheel of each truck, and as usual, I’ve found something to like in each category about both trucks.  Let’s see how they stacked up:

Exterior: GMC Sierra

Yes, the new F-150 is a handsome truck, but the designers at GM really nailed the Sierra’s look.  It’s rugged, but refined, while the Ford more closely resembles a Tonka truck.  The dimensions of each truck just aren’t drastically different from each other, so this is a very subjective quality.  The big difference, though, is truck height.  Although Ford has stuck to a flat load floor, GM’s engineers gave their truck an actual transmission hump down the center of the cab’s floor.  This lowers the overall truck height by a few inches, making it easier to get in and out of.  The offset is that a flat load floor can be used to haul weather-sensitive objects such as big-screen TVs.

Interior: Ford F-150

This one is close.  While the faux light wood trim in the F-150 Lariat first turned me off, it has since grown on me, and has become a nice contrast to the black plastic and leather found elsewhere in the cab.  Meanwhile, the wood trim on the Sierra SLT is simply classy  The SLE trim level is completely different, missing the wood trim but still quite functional and more like a work truck.  Whereas GM’s designers have opted for an interior that looks more at home in a Tahoe or Suburban, Ford’s people have made the Expedition more like a truck on the inside.  With the 4.2″ LCD in the instrument cluster of the F-150, as well as SYNC and a better navigation system, the F-150 winds this part of the comparison.

Capacity/Capability: F-150

I probably won’t ever max out my F-150, in either hauling or towing.  That being said, Ford’s optional tailgate step and box side steps are a phenomenal addition to any full-size truck.  The tailgate step makes it really easy to get up into the truck bed, and the box side steps mean that anything that slid forward is easily retrieved.  On a side note, they’re probably my wife’s favorite feature – she loves showing off how easy it is for her to get up and into the bed, even though she’s only 5’3″ tall.  As a counterpoint, if you’re tall enough or don’t need to get into the bed that often, either truck will do.  The steps just give the F-150 the edge.  If you’re not going to tax either payload or towing capacity, you won’t miss out by picking the Sierra, so it becomes more of a personal preference.

Power Train: F-150

No big surprise here; the Sierra last had a redesign for the 2007 model year, and hasn’t seen any drivetrain improvements since then except the introduction of a 6-speed automatic.  The powertrain options in the GMC Sierra are more than adequate though, and the cylinder deactivation is a neat trick for saving fuel.  The current-generation F-150, however, was new for 2009, although it greatly resembles the 2004-2008 model, and is running on a similar platform.  The big news for the F-150 is the complete revamp of the engine lineup for 2011.  From a new base V6 to two new V8s, as well as the EcoBoost, the F-150 has this round wrapped up.  When comparing the trucks based on engine size, the 5.0-liter V8 from Ford is down on fuel economy by 1mpg in both city and highway driving (in 4×4 guise), but is up on power – 360/380 horsepower/torque compared to 315/335 hp/tq in the Sierra’s 5.3-liter V8.  If you opt for the EcoBoost V6 in the F-150, however, you match the Sierra’s fuel economy numbers for its 5.3-liter V8 in the city, but gain 1 mpg in highway driving, all the while besting its power, hauling and towing capabilities.  The EcoBoost engine in the F-150 is rated at 365 horsepower and 420 ft-lbs of torque.

Chassis/Suspension: F-150

In an interesting turn of events, my research shows that while the F-150 has a fully-boxed frame (read: stronger, more rigid), its bigger brothers, the F-250 and F-350, have C-channel-based underpinnings.  On the GM side of the fence, their Sierra 1500 has C-channels, while the Sierra 2500 and 3500 have fully-boxed frames.  Either way, the chassis and suspension on the F-150 are a notch above the Sierra’s, so they have a similar ride, but the Ford has more composed handling.  Neither truck could be confused with their grandfathers from the late 1990s.

Creature Comforts: F-150

SYNC is an awesome voice-activated system, and it’s tied into one of the easiest-to-use infotainment systems I’ve used.  The aforementioned 4.2″ LCD screen in the instrument cluster is also a big winner over the old, pixelated dashboard readouts.  The sound deadening on the Sierra was pretty good, but Ford’s engineers added an extra layer, and it’s whisper quiet in the F-150, even at 70mph (I read 73dB at 70mph on a decibel meter app on my iPhone, 75dB in the Sierra).  The F-150 wins by a good margin here.  I liked the radio in the Sierra because it allows for AM, FM and XM to be combined in one 6-preset block.  The optional Bose stereo sounds nice as well.

Overall Winner: 2011 Ford F-150

While Chevrolet’s Silverado Heavy Duty (HD) took the honors of Motor Trend’s Truck Of The Year (TOTY) for 2011, it’s no surprise why Ford’s F-150 has regained the crown for 2012.  The new engines have bumped the F-150′s capability to surpass that of GMC’s Sierra, and more importantly for a lot of owners, fuel economy too.  The GMC Sierra is a very attractive package though, with well thought out interior bits and a keen eye for the details.  With a refresh looming for 2013 or 2014 for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, I expect to be revisiting this subject in short order.

by John Suit

Thanks to Steve Francisco of King Buick GMC for the use of multiple 2011 GMC Sierras for this comparison and the review.

Related posts:

1. Review: 2011 GMC Sierra SLE
2. Review: 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost Lariat
3. Ford announces 2011 HD-Edition F-150 with 6.2-liter V8

The Mustang team began by tweaking the front and rear ends of its already popular sheet metal.  The front end resembles the 2011 Shelby GT500, with a more shark-nosed appearance, hood bulge, and trapezoidal upper and lower grilles.  GT models, equipped with the 5.0-liter V8 keep the grille-mounted driving lights, while V6-equipped models will have to do without.  That V8, by the way, get’s a bump of 8 horsepower from the 2012 model, to an even 420, 6 shy of the Camaro SS’s output.

Out back, the taillamps have been revised, with a classic surround, evoking Mustangs from the late 1960′s and early 1970′s.  Also cribbed from classic Mustangs is the blackout panel between the taillights.  Back up front, HID headlamps are surrounded by LED lighting touches, which are both functional and tasteful in appearance.

Along the new Mustang’s sides, not much has changed except for a new lineup of wheels which are displayed in the gallery below.  A neat trick is the new Mustang’s mirror-mounted puddle lamps, which display the icon running pony logo on the ground when the doors are unlocked.

Inside, the 2013 Mustang isn’t immune from the proliferation of Ford’s latest in infotainment and driver information displays.  The touch screen navigation with SYNC is still there, having made its debut in the 2010 Mustang, but now it’s been joined by an optional 4.2″ LCD screen between the speedometer and tachometer in the instrument cluster.  The LCD displays instantaneous MPG readouts, distance-to-empty, as well as trip odometers and a new functionality set Ford calls Track Apps.  Track Apps include G-forces during cornering, acceleration and braking times.  It will also display temperature readouts for the air intake and cylinder heads, as well as air-to-fuel ratio.  An updated steering wheel includes an OK button flanked by four directional buttons to scroll through the readouts on the LCD screen.

While the engines are carryover from 2012 models (save the bump in horsepower for the V8), Ford has finally equipped automatic Mustangs with a manual mode they call SelectShift.  A toggle button on the gear shift lever allows drivers to select their own gear, a feature that’s been a glaring omission from order sheets for several years.

The 2013 Mustang, with its relatively minor changes, presents a more aggressive look combined with 21st-century technology.  Hopefully for Ford, these changes are enough to boost its sales compared to Chevrolet’s Camaro, which has outsold the Mustang so far this year.

by John Suit

Source: Ford

Show Press Release

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While the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will have 580 horsepower and 556 ft-lbs of torque from its supercharged 6.2-liter V8, the new GT500 will feature a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 putting out a whopping 650 horsepower and 600 ft-lbs of torque.  That’s alot of power to put to the ground, so a revised suspension and stickier tires were called for.  Pulling that duty will be optional electronically-adjustable Bilstein shocks and Goodyear Eagle® F1 SuperCar G: 2 tires, respectively.  A button on the dash is used to select between Normal and Sport suspension modes, the former for street use, the latter for track use.

The rest of the drivetrain needed to be modified as well, from the gearing in the transmission to the Torsen limited-slip differential.  Extra cooling was added to keep engine temperatures down, including a larger fan, fan shroud and intercooler components for the supercharger.  Speaking of the supercharger, it’s a newly-designed 2.3-liter unit from TVS, specifically created for the engine in the 2013 GT500.  Helping get the GT500 up to speed is a new Launch Control system, which takes into account tire temperature, road surface and other variables to help drivers get the most performance out of their cars.  Bringing the GT500 back down from speed is an optional Brembo brake package, including larger front and rear rotors, more aggressive pads, and six-piston calipers up front.

Outside, a new aerodynamics package is good for 200 mph, says Ford.  All these changes will lead to a fast car, both in straight lines and in the twisties, good news for automotive enthusiasts.  Ford has yet to announce when the 2013 Shelby GT500 will go on sale, but I’d bet we’ll see it in showrooms sometime in Spring 2012.  Check out the gallery in the mean time for a preview.

by John Suit

Source: Ford

Show Press Release

Related posts:

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2. LA Auto Show 2011: The 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302
3. Road & Track pits Shelby GT500 versus CTS-V Coupe!

For several decades, Ford, Dodge and GM have been battling, all trying to one-up each other on the toughness and power of their trucks.  Ford has it’s F-Series trucks, Dodge (now RAM) has its 1500s, and GM has its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.  With each generation, the manufacturers build in more payload and towing capacity, more powerful engines, more creature comforts and more refinement.  The latter two on that list might seem nonsensical, but since more people are (or were, pre-economic fallout) buying trucks for recreation instead of for work, the makers wanted to capitalize on that, with expensive options and enough trim levels to give you a headache.

In that evolutionary vein, the progression from a truck I used to own to the subject of this review is astounding.  I had a 1997 Chevrolet K1500, but today’s trucks simply blow the old ones out of the water.  More power, more capability and better fuel economy are just the starters.  Enough waxing nostalgic though, let’s see what the 2011 GMC Sierra SLE is all about!

While GM’s latest truck platform was introduced in 2006 as a 2007 model, making it the oldest of the three major truck platforms, it’s aged gracefully.  Its platform, code-named GMT900, is built solidly, with handsome sheet metal and a well-designed interior.

For just under $41,000, you get the Sierra SLE Crew Cab, with a 5.5′ bed, the Power Tech package, Convenience Package, and the Chrome Essentials package.  The Power Tech package is centered around the 5.3-liter V8 and heavy-duty towing equipment, while the Convenience Package adds remote start and dual-zone automatic climate control, among other niceties.  The Chrome Essentials gives you chrome bumpers, mirror caps and wheels, which went very well with the Stealth Gray metallic paint on my tester.

With a base price of just over $35,000 for the SLE trim level and almost $5,000 in options, plus $995 destination, the total MSRP was $40,795.  As it sat, my tester represented a good mix of options, with a good dose of useful features but nothing frivolous – a truck suited to both work and play.  If I were buying a Sierra, the biggest extras I’d tack on would be the Bose stereo and moonroof.

Truck exteriors have evolved since the mid-1990′s, from boxy to round, and now back to squared off, blocky designs.  While the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra share a lot of body panels, the Sierra seems to somehow have a more refined and cohesive look to it.  The raked windshield and rounded-off fender flares hide some of the bulk of the truck, and the head-turns I got while driving it in the DC Metro area confirmed its attractiveness.

Moving into the cab, the driver’s seating position is commanding, with all of the controls close at hand.  Climate controls are smartly disconnected from the audio system, unlike a lot of vehicles I’ve been in recently.  The steering wheel controls are sized right for bare or gloved hands, and even weeks after driving the Sierra, I’m still talking about the steering wheel-mounted audio controls.  They are in such a perfect position that when your right elbow is resting on the center console as you drive, the tips of your fingers can reach up and adjust the audio settings without having to move at all!  I give GM a thumbs-up for this design, as the audio controls are second only to the turn signal stalk in my frequency-of-use.

GM also gets an attaboy for allowing presets to mix bands.  You get 36 presets, in blocks of six, but instead of the usual band-centric preset blocks, you can have one block of six presets with stations on AM, FM and XM.  If you only have a couple of favorite stations from each band, you no longer have to scroll through your preset blocks to get to a specific station – just mix it in with your other favorites.

Now for the not-so-good news.  While GM offers Bluetooth technology in the Sierra, it’s a bit kludgy in use.  Pairing my iPhone with the Sierra wasn’t too difficult, once I’d watched a video on it, but trying to make phone calls was distracting, to say the least.  Incoming calls, on the other hand, were easy to answer, and callers said the audio quality was very clear.

Looking around the cab of the truck, the surfaces were plastic, as expected, but instead of a cheap or low-rent feeling, the Sierra uses some very nice materials.  A lot of automakers are using continuously less-expensive plastics in their newer vehicles, but GM opted to go the other way.  It’s a very nice touch, and makes it easier to swallow the $40k-plus you’ll be asked to spend on a well-equipped truck these days.

The seats in the Sierra are quite comfortable, with plenty of cushion.  At 5’8″, I found it easy to find a good seating position in the six-way adjustable leather seats.  If the SLE’s seats don’t fit you, there are 10-way adjustable seats found in other option packages and trim levels.  For passengers, since my tester was a crew cab, the back seat had plenty of room – at least as much as the front seats, if not more.  The only issue with the Sierra’s back seat is the transmission tunnel, which intrudes into the center of the rear area.  This prevents the truck from having a completely flat load floor, which GM most likely did to keep the overall height of the truck down.  While this helps with ingress and egress, I’d rather be able to keep larger items protected from the elements.

Once on the road, you’ll find a fairly-well composed ride, albeit with hints of wiggle and tire slap when traversing less-than-perfect road surfaces.  Aside from this one hickup, the Sierra drove well.  Steering feel is commendable for such a large vehicle, as are the brakes on the Sierra.

This leaves the acceleration from the 5.3-liter V8 found in the Power Tech package.  While adequate, the engine left me wanting for more power.   The EPA certified the GMC Sierra at 15 city and 20 highway when equipped with the aforementioned V8, which is the mid-range engine in the Sierra lineup.  The transmission and throttle programming GM used to gain those good-for-a-truck fuel economy numbers meant that keeping up with traffic was just fine, but anything resembling a hurry took a deep stab at the gas pedal to be completed.  In addition to computer programming, GM’s 5.3-liter V8 has a cylinder deactivation feature called “MDS,” which is GM-speak for Multiple Displacement System.  In layman’s terms, the V8 runs on only four cylinders, effectively running as a four-cylinder engine.  This happens when only light gas pedal pressure is used, meaning a leisurely pace or flat highways are about the only circumstances where you’ll see the feature’s effect on your MPGs.  The information display in the instrument cluster has an instantaneous MPG readout, which also displays the number of cylinders the V8 is using – useful for efficiency-conscious drivers.

In all, the GMC Sierra provides a lot of utility for those willing to trade a little bit of ride comfort and fuel economy.  If you’re going to be hauling stuff more than people, opt for an extended cab with a 6.5′ bed.  While the 6.5′ bed can be had with the crew cab, it makes for an even longer truck, which can be hard to fit into regularly-sized parking spots.  On the other hand, if people and comfort are your priorities, with infrequent hauling or towing required, get the crew cab SLT model, which more closely resembles the currently-available family sedans on the market, and includes a fair amount of luxury features as well.  Either way, you’ll be a happy truck driver.  Trucks have come a long way in the last ten to fifteen years, adding creature comforts, ride and handling Americans are used to seeing in the mid-sized sedan segment.  From base work trucks to luxotrucks, the Sierra provides a trim and package level for just about anyone in the market for a new truck.

Competitors: Acura TL, Acura TSX, BMW 3-Series, Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Azera, Hyundai Sonata, Infiniti G37 Sedan, Mazda Mazda6, Saab 9-3, Subaru Legacy, Volkswagen Passat, Volvo S60

As-Tested:
Year: 2011
Make: GMC
Model: Sierra SLE

EPA Fuel Mileage: 15/20 City/Highway

Base Price: $35,955

Options:

$2,820: Power Tech Package (discounted to $1,500; includes 5.3-liter V8, Bluetooth, 6-way driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, max trailering, etc.)
$1,450: Chrome Essentials Package (includes 18″ chrome wheels, polished exhaust tip, chrome mirror caps, chrome door handles)

Total: $38,725

Destination: $995

As-Tested Price: $39,720

by John Suit

Thanks to Steve Fransisco of King Buick GMC for providing the test vehicle.

Related posts:

1. Comparison Test: 2011 GMC Sierra vs Ford F-150
2. Review: 2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost Lariat
3. Review: 2010 Ford F-150

Month-to-month, the big winners were Dodge, Ford, Honda, Nissan, RAM and Toyota.  Year-to-year, all of GM’s brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC), as well as Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, RAM and Toyota had significant increases.  While that may not mean a lot, it shows that cars built in North America are selling at a much better pace than those built in Europe and Asia.  There may be a lot of reasons for this, but I suspect the main one is pricing.  The economy still hasn’t regained a lot of its strength, so buyers are wary of spending much over $40,000, which is where a lot of BMW and Mercedes-Benz products land.  Accords, Altimas, Camrys, Fusions and Sonatas are the bulk of sales for their respective companies, and with gas prices on the rise again, look for smaller cars to win out in the next few months.

Meanwhile, the surprise was RAM, which sold over 20,000 vehicles in February, a feat I doubt it will best if gas prices stay high.

On the negative side of things, Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes, Porsche, Saab and Suzuki had less sales in February than they did the previous month.  While Suzuki is nowhere near a luxury marque, the rest shows just how soft the luxury market is right now.  BMW had a minuscule 500-car increase in sales from January to February, which hardly counts during a month which saw 20-30% increases in month-to-month sales for some of its competitors.

With 1.8-million vehicles already sold this year in America, I’m going to stick with my 12.5-13 million new-car sales prediction.  The actual number of sales may be helped or hurt by rising gas prices, as more truck owners may want to make a trade in order to gain fuel economy.

by John Suit

Related posts:

1. January 2011 Sales Figures and Analysis
2. Sales Figures: September, 2010
3. Sales Figures: October, 2010