2019 Ford F-150 vs 2020 GMC Sierra 1500

The notion of "luxury trucks" might seem a little weird if you haven’t bought a new truck in 20 years, but anyone who's been in the market lately should be more than familiar with the idea. Not only that, they should be more than accustomed to the sticker shock associated with these high-end, luxury pickups.

Some old-school types will scoff at how trucks have gotten soft or too expensive (or both), but good automakers build the cars and trucks people want, and shoppers have been snatching luxury trucks as fast as they can be built and shipped. These "soft" trucks offer a template for seemingly dozens of purposes. They can tow, haul, carry people and goods, play road-trip family car, and even be the ride for a night on the town.

The Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ram 1500 all got redesigned for 2019, while the F-150 was last updated in 2018, following a full redesign for 2015. There are a few modest feature updates for 2019 as well, but will that be enough when the F-150’s main competition is all-new for the same model year?

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It’s no surprise that trucks have improved and evolved over the years. After all, think about an average sedan from the early 1980s compared with a modern 2020 vehicle. Yet because pickup trucks are largely confined to a common shape, many shoppers are still surprised to see how nice they have become. This is especially true if your memory of trucks includes a vinyl bench seat.

Modern trucks heavily incorporate utility-minded innovations. Cargo-management tools, side steps, and bed steps make for a more useful vehicle. Under the hood, turbocharging has made V6 and even 4-cylinder engines usable, delivering the power of the larger engines they aim to supplant. And finally, cabins have become nicer and more comfortable than previously imagined for a pickup.

This evolution speaks to how trucks get used as family vehicles that can also do work. There are the work trucks, but there are also trucks like the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500, which has many of the creature comforts of SUVs and crossovers. It says “I want a truck, but I could probably be used as a minivan.”

But somewhere in the middle sits Sierra's AT4 trim. It’s comfortable, sure, but it’s also capable. Does that make it a good fit for both the worksite and the daily commute?