So I have to admit...I ordered an F-350 but after the pickuptrucks.com review I was starting to wonder if I should look at the GM's. Especially since I absolutely love my 09 Yukon XL. Well last week my local GMC dealer got a Duramax 2500 SLT CrewCab in so I had to go take it out.

Walking around the GMC I can say that I LOVE the lines of the truck. (GMC ONLY. The hood on the Chevy is FUGLY!!) In a nutshell the GM looks a lot more "sporty" than the Ford. Especially with the new cab lights and 20" polished aluminum wheels. I REALLY liked those!

The leather interior was pretty much the same as my Yukon so no surprises there. Comfort wasn't bad. However, when I drove the truck I felt the side of the seats pinched my lower back a little. I also noticed that there was a lot of engine noise at cruise.

Anyway, the first place I drove the new Duramax to was the Ford dealer. I backed it in right next to an '11 F-250 to do some comparisons. Obviously the Ford has a larger appearance. It definitely looks more than 300 lbs heavier to me. I laid down between the trucks and look at the guts. I was VERY impressed with how much nicer and beefier the Sierra's drive shaft was. Definitely a nice set up. I did notice however, that the GM has A LOT of exposed wiring running along the outside of the frame. I didn't care for that a whole lot. Another thing that was glaring with the trucks sitting side by side was how much nicer the mirrors are. Not only were the GM's smaller, but the don't offer the power extension (not a big deal to me to be honest) NOR do they offer power folding. That IS a big deal to me cause I like to run through the car wash once in a while.

The next thing I compared was the interior. (Lariat vs SLT leather) This one was not even close. Being 6' 2" 240 lbs the Ford just fits me better. The front seats don't pinch my sides in the Ford like they do in the GM. The seats are also MUCH plusher were as the Sierra was pretty firm. Much firmer than my Yukon which surprised me.

Another hug factor for me was the back seat. With the driver seat in a comfortable position for me I jumped in the back. With the Ford I had about 3 inches from my knees to the back of the seat in contrast to the GM where my knees touched. I also was able to put my feet around 4-6 inches further forward which gave me a much more comfortable back seat in the F-250.

After looking over everything I could think to compare I took the Sierra back to the dealer and returned to drive the Ford again. The differences were glaring to me. The GM was MUCH louder while driving. You ALWAYS knew you had a diesel while the Ford was almost silent unless you were getting on it. I do like the sound of a diesel but I can see where the constant drone could be fatiguing on a long drive in comparison.

The next thing I noticed was the ride quality on the Ford was MUCH better and less harsh than the GMC. I noticed a lot more shudder and bed bounce on the GMC than the Ford. The Ford was carlike in comparison.

Well after it was all said and done I was very pleased that I was able to confirm my original decision to order the Ford!! In a nut shell I liked the exterior of the GMC a LITTLE better than the Ford but I liked the interior of the Ford A HECK OF A LOT better than the GM.

Some side notes between the GM and the Ford:

GM - Navigation doesn't show fuel prices or whether the gas stations in the database even have diesel. NOT GOOD in the middle of no where!

GM - Navigation doesn't offer Travelink so NO RADAR. Which for me will be nice so I can navigate around lake effect snow bands.

GM - Navigation will not get latest fuel prices nor tell you if a gas station has diesel.

GM - Doesn't offer any type of LCD productivity screen. Once you see it on the Ford you WANT IT!!

GM - Only way to get heated AND cooled seats is to get the Denali. Then you have to suffer through all that god awful plastic wood.

GM - Cab is MUCH smaller and tight feeling.

GM - TINY backseat in the crewcab for adults.

Ford - Limited leather color choices. I REALLY like the color of the Titanium leather seats in the Sierra. Ford offers a similar color in some models, just not the Super Duty. They call is Stone I believe. I would have liked to have had that option.

Sorry for being so long winded. Just thought I would write a layman's comparison.

 

Congrats - one thing I can tell you is the lumbar IS cooled - I haven't tried the heat yet.

I love A/C in the seats - it is awesome to be cool.

 

Even BETTER news!!!!!

 

1st three side notes are about the Nav systems?

last note on seats.. you say Ford offers the color, but you couldn't choose it? or offers it on OTHER For vehicles, just not SD?

but great write up, very helpful to some I am sure..

Sam

 

Sorry I will clarify that. Yes the first couple are about about the NAV system. The 3rd one is the LCD screen on the dash of the Lariats and some XLT's. As for the color. Ford offers Stone in other vehicles. But not the Super Duty.

 

Thanks for the comparison. I didn't have the juevos to park a test-drive chevy next to the Ford but I did drive and compare them separately. I agree with your observations but the game was never very close. I just couldn't find much that I liked about the Chev in comparison to the Ford.

 

did you also notice the DEF tank on the Chevy is sitting right beside the passenger side door and actualy hangs lower then the already stupid low frame rail ???

i think i've seen passenger cars with more ground clearance then the GMC/Chevy HDs...

that tank is just waiting to get ruptured or stabbed by rocks/branchs or worse yet squashed in a side impact accident..

 

That was the biggest concern of mine about the GMC. There is A LOT of exposed parts under that truck.

 

Just in response to your comment on the mirrors. I have always thought the Ford mirrors were the BEST mirrors in the class in looks and function and now that they are all power they are unbeatable. GM tried their best to knock them off but to me they look like cheap aftermarket add on's compared to Ford's. Just look at the arms that attach the mirror body to the truck and that tells the tale! I actually like the looks of the mirrors on the 7.3's and 6.0's (with the rounded corners) a little better but the full power features of the new ones take the cake. Great write up!!!

 

Great write up!

I looked at the GMC trucks the dealer had on the lot at the time I decided. When you figure that you're going to be looking at and riding in the interior of a vehicle a lot more than you're going to be looking at the exterior, you want one that makes you and your booty happy. As far as looks, the GMC/Chevy interior is "boring" as compared to the Ford and the new Dodge for that matter. (The Dodge is pretty snazzy) Too much linear textured plastic on the GMC.

To me, the 2011 SD seats are a lot more comfortable than my 2008. They seemed to hug me better on the demo ride without feeling like there was a lump in the lower portion of the seat back or pinching me like the OP stated about the GMC.

I think Chevy just lost another year of sales because they came out with a great new Duramax engine and shoe horned the DEF system in and didn't update the already dated interior. I think Dodge will get a boost in sales because of their new look and outstanding interior. Overall, the Ford took it away for me.

 

I'm surprised to hear that the comparison of the undercarriage did not raise statements of engineering differences.

Back in the summer of '07 I looked underneath all the trucks.

On the Ford:
Front Suspension, tie rods, axle, brakes/brake lines, coil springs, control arms were all significantly larger/heavier looking components than everybody else.

Rear Suspension, pretty much the same, larger and heavier gauge steel on all the parts.

So I guess Chevy has beefed up their chassis?

 

Also did you notice the DEF tank how low it sits behind the right fron wheel? Doesnt even have a skid plate on it.

 

Buddy, you do have stones...I imagine the Ford dealer thought it was funny but what did the GM guy say. I enjoyed the comparison, reps given