Overview
| 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 |
VS |
2019 Chevy Silverado |
| 310 to 420 hp |
Horsepower |
285 to 420 hp |
| 7,600 to 12,200 lbs |
Towing Capacity |
7,900 to 12,200 lbs |
| 348 to 460 lb-ft |
Torque |
305 to 460 lb-ft |
| 1,650 to 2,250 lbs. |
Payload |
1,745 to 2,250 lbs. |
When shopping for a new full sized pickup truck, prospective buyers are invariably drawn to both the GMC Sierra 1500 and the Chevy Silverado. They are both leaders in the class, and with very good reason. Both have long traditions of setting high standards for pickup truck users. Both have loyal fan bases who have committed to the brands for years. Most importantly, though, both trucks are nearly identical. With both of these trucks coming from the General Motors family, you have to ask yourself “who will win in a 2019 GMC Sierra vs 2019 Chevy Silverado battle?” Well, let’s find out.
Mechanically, these trucks both come from the minds of General Motors engineers and share the same engine DNA. You could call them cousins. As for the 2019 model year, both offer the same line of engines under the hood, all built for performance at varying levels of need and required power. So, the difference is going to come in other places, such as trim levels, price, standard and optional features, and other such things truck buyers look for when shopping for a new vehicle.
We will go over these engines, including the new inline four cylinder turbo, and see what makes them so appealing. We will also take a look at General Motors’ new Dynamic Fuel Management system and how it affects said engines. We will take a brief look at trim levels and how they line up across from each other. Finally, we will take a look at the newly redesigned truck bed, how these two full sized trucks have set themselves ahead of the competition there, and one major design difference that may cast the deciding vote between the two. After you’ve read through and are ready to see these beauties in person, we invite you to come on over to Carl Black GMC Chevrolet in Roswell and take a look for yourself.
Engines
Both the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2019 Chevy Silverado have the same available engines, starting with the 4.3 liter V6 base level trim engine. This engine can get up to 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque. That is more than adequate for a basic work truck, as far as towing and hauling most loads. However, if you are in need of a little more power, both trucks have plenty more to offer.
General Motors’ newest engine option, available on both the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2019 Chevy Silverado, is a new inline four cylinder turbo engine. This engine is paired with an eight speed transmission and can get 310 horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque. So, if your towing and hauling needs are a little bit greater than that of what the base model engine has to offer, maybe this new engine is just what you are looking for.
Next up for both of these trucks is a 5.3 liter V8 engine. This particular engine has been a mainstay for both GMC and Chevy vehicles for a while now. It will continue to offer top of the line performance, getting up to 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. That is enough engine muscle to haul 2,200 pounds and tow up to 11,600 pounds. That is getting into some pretty heavy duty lifting.
If you are looking for even more muscle, both the 2019 GMC Sierra nad the 2019 Chevy Silverado offer a 6.2 liter V8 engine that gets an incredible 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. These figures increase this engine’s hauling capacity up to 12,000 pounds. However, because this engine is only available on certain higher trim levels, it slightly lessens the hauling capacity by about a hundred pounds. Either way, it is more than enough to tow plenty of adult toys to the beach, lake, woods, or wherever you might need to take your new 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 or 2019 Chevy Silverado for the weekend.
Also new this year is a 3.0 liter V6 diesel engine for both lines. This is a much more fuel conscious alternative to gasoline, as diesel engines get far superior fuel economy. Most specifications on this engine are being withheld so far, but speculations on fuel economy place this engine at around 30 miles per gallon highway.
As you can see, both the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2019 Chevy Silverado have every conceivable need for a pickup truck driver in mind when designing this year’s engine options. There is a base model engine, which is perfectly suited for the average work site. There are also lots of other options, for those that need a little more strength for work and play.
Trim Levels
Both the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2019 Chevy Silverado come with multiple trim levels for you to customize your brand new pickup truck. The Sierra 1500 offers six trim levels, while the Silverado has eight. Each brings something unique to the table, and each offers something a little more than the trim level beneath it.
The most notable of these trims are the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, the Sierra 1500 Denali, the 2019 Chevy Silverado LTZ and the Silverado High Country. While the lower trim levels certainly offer more than their fare share of quality appointments, these four trim levels really showcase the finest in automotive technology and engineering that GMC and Chevy have to offer.
The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 is GMC’s version of the Silverado Trail Boss trim. Like the Trail Boss, the AT4 comes with a standard 2” lift. It is better suited for the outdoorsman who likes to go off-road. However, Chevy’s 6.2 liter V8 engine can be optional on the AT4. The Trail Boss maxes out with the 5.3 liter V8. If you are looking for a little more power to get you through rough off-road sites, the AT4 with the bigger engine may be a better option than the mostly comparable Trail Boss.
The 2019 Chevy Silverado LTZ is the next to highest rim level on the Silverado. It comes standard with the 5.3 liter V8, but can also be equipped with the 6.2 liter V8. This edition features extensive chrome on the exterior trim and leather upholstery on the inside. This level of the Silverado is where you really start to see a lot of the finer interior and exterior appointments.
The highest trim level of the 2019 Chevy Silverado, however, is the High Country. It can have either the 5.3 liter V8 or the 6.2 liter V8, but comes with bronze touches on the outside instead of just chrome. It also features just about every safety and infotainment perk you can think of on the interior.
The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali has basically become a model line on its own. Much like Chevy transitioned the “Silverado” line from a trim level to its own nameplate in 1998, GMC will probably do the same with the “Denali” name sooner or later, given its immense popularity. This trim level is the highest level of GMC trucks and features all the appointments you might need, from safety and towing to infotainment.
These are just four of the fourteen trim levels offered between these two impressive pickup truck models. If you want to see all fourteen, Carl Black GMC Chevy has that covered, as well.
Truck Bed
As all truck buyers and drivers know, the truck bed is an integral part of a pickup truck. After all, that is the defining feature. Truck beds allow for hauling large items that cars and SUVs simply don’t allow. And, for many pickup truck drivers, the size and weight capacity of a truck bed is really what sells one truck over another. General Motors just took a commanding lead in that race with introductions in both the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and 2019 Chevy Silverado.
Both lines increased the width of the bed by seven inches, which in turn increased the total cargo area by as much as 89 cubic feet in the long box trucks. That is head and shoulders above the cargo area offered by similar trucks from Ford and RAM. The DuraBed technology offered by General Motors has also strengthened the bed in both the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2019 Chevy Silverado by using an ingenious mix of steel and aluminum.
Although both GMC and Chevy took a large jump ahead in the pickup truck race with these new truck beds, GMC has gone yet another step further. They are the first truck maker in the industry to offer what they are calling the “MultiPro Tailgate”. Essentially, this is a tailgate-within-a-tailgate. There is a smaller opening near the top that can fold down and allow certain longer items more space, while leaving the lain tailgate in the upright position. Additionally, both the mini-tailgate and the regular tailgate can be operated by the simple push of a button. If you are looking for more variability with your tailgate, the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 has a winner.
