2024 GMC Sierra 1500 vs 2023 Toyota Tundra

The 2023 Toyota Tundra commanded attention with its imposing design. Its massive grille, complemented by a robust grille surround, immediately made it stand out. The chrome-painted grille surround even evoked a rugged Sam Elliot mustache, targeting the Texan market perfectly. Toyota employed an intricate design philosophy with interlocking elements across the grille, headlights, and taillights, which came together to present a cohesive and sturdy appearance, suggesting durability and solidity.

Despite its grandiose exterior, the Tundra was not just about brute force. Slim, high-mounted headlights and a character line down the side helped elongate its profile visually. The rear featured a three-dimensional stamped design, enhancing its overall aesthetics. Introduced in 2023, the SX Package added a sleek touch to the SR5 trim with dark gray metallic 18-inch wheels, body-colored trim pieces, and the removal of door badging, contributing to a cleaner, more streamlined look.

Available in seven distinct trim levels from the basic SR to the luxurious Capstone, the Tundra's versatility shone through. The TRD Pro variant, tested in Solar Octane, came with distinct clearance lamps and a bold "TOYOTA" stamp on the grille, reinforcing its off-road capability. The interior boasted expansive seats and ample room, particularly in trims above SR and SR5, which featured an impressive 14-inch touchscreen. While the exterior invoked mixed reactions due to its gargantuan dimensions and characteristic grille, the interior excelled in offering space and comfort.

In contrast, the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 maintained its bold, assertive styling originating from its 2019 redesign, with minimal changes heading into 2024. Its tall, flat hood and broad grille distinguished it from the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, though this came at the cost of parking convenience. The Denali Ultimate model, tested with the front-view camera, mitigated these visibility issues with a 360-degree camera system.

The Sierra 1500 Pro featured basic aesthetics with a black grille and painted 17-inch wheels geared towards commercial fleets. Higher trims, like Denali and Denali Ultimate, flaunted large chrome grilles and 22-inch wheels, accentuated by power running boards for easier access. Despite this, off-road models such as AT4 and AT4X did not stand out visually as much.

Inside, the Sierra's blocky design felt dated, with unremarkable materials in the Denali Ultimate trim. The wood trim resembled something from the 1980s, not the premium feel expected from a modern pickup. Nevertheless, it packed ample creature comforts, including a heated steering wheel, heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats, heated rear seats, a power sunroof, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

By 2021, the outdated second-generation Toyota Tundra necessitated a substantial upgrade. The 2023 model presented two V6 engine choices. The standard 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 delivered 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid version, known as the i-FORCE MAX, offered a tremendous 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque and came standard on the TRD Pro and Capstone trims.

The 10-speed automatic transmission provided smooth and responsive shifts, with a seamless power delivery devoid of abrupt changes. The Tundra's new multi-link rear suspension significantly improved ride comfort, reducing the bounce and jolt experienced on rough terrains. The TRD Pro trim excelled off-road with a 1.1-inch lift, 2.5-inch Fox shocks, BBS 18-inch wheels, and 33-inch tires, combined with a suite of terrains managing tech. However, its large size sometimes limited its off-road maneuverability despite the multi-terrain monitor aiding significantly.

Towing and payload capacities saw marked improvements with the Tundra capable of towing up to 12,000 pounds and carrying a payload of up to 1,940 pounds, although it still fell short compared to some competitors like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, and Ram 1500 in terms of absolute maximum capacities.

The 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 offered versatility with various powertrains. The 2.7-liter TurboMax four-cylinder engine produced 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Two V8 options included a 5.3-liter V8 generating 355 hp and 383 lb-ft and a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft, both equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission and Dynamic Fuel Management for better efficiency.

The standout 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel engine provided 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque, making it ideal for towing with smooth and linear power delivery. The Denali Ultimate trim's comfort and quiet interior debunked some rough stereotypes associated with diesel engines, while still offering the prowess expected from a full-size truck's chassis, even if it's not a luxury vehicle affinity.

The Sierra 1500's off-road trims like the AT4 and AT4X featured competent off-road equipment, with AT4X AEV Edition showcasing stamped steel bumpers and 33-inch tires for improved off-road capability, though it lagged slightly behind its competitors like the Ford F-150 Raptor.

Toyota designed the 2023 Tundra with practicality in mind. Forward-thinking technology paired with intuitive physical controls kept the truck user-friendly. Below the touchscreen, essential controls for volume, climate, and driving functions were prominently placed for easy access. The gear selector remained a robust lever, not following the trend of rotary shifters seen in competitors.

Storage solutions were plentiful, with a smartly designed center console bin that featured a top-mounted sliding door for easy access without disrupting armrest use. Rear seat space was generous, accommodating tall and wide adults comfortably. Rear seats folded up to reveal additional storage. The Tundra's cargo bed options included a 6.5-foot or 8.1-foot bed for double-cab and a 5.5-foot or 6.5-foot bed for CrewMax, except the TRD Pro and Capstone, which only offered the 5.5-foot bed.

The 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 offered diverse cab and bed configurations, including a two-door regular cab with a standard or long bed, a double cab with a standard bed, and a crew cab paired with a short or standard bed. Compared to competitors, GM trucks boasted higher cargo-box volumes and more front headroom and legroom, although rear seat comfort in the crew cab lacked, particularly for long journeys.

Payload and towing capacities of the Sierra varied with engine choice. The maximum towing capacity reached 13,200 pounds for diesel trucks with RWD, slightly outperforming the Chevy Silverado 1500, and topping the Toyota Tundra and Ram 1500. However, the Sierra’s maximum payload of 2,240 pounds fell short compared to some of its rivals.

The 2023 Toyota Tundra featured an impressive technological upgrade. The basic trims came with an 8-inch touchscreen, but the 14-inch touchscreen available from the SR5 trim upwards stole the show. It ran new software with quick response times and sharp graphics—a significant improvement over previous Tundra models. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across all trims, although the wireless phone charger appeared only from the Limited trim onwards. Higher trims also benefited from a 12-speaker audio system, while lower trims made do with fewer speakers. A 12.3-inch digital instrument panel added another layer of advanced tech to the Tundra, posing a stark contrast with the older generation models.

The 2024 GMC Sierra 1500's infotainment system began with the basic Pro model offering a 7-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. From the SLE trim and above, it featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a larger 13.4-inch touchscreen. The touchscreen, integrated with Google Built-In features, allowed for a seamless Google app experience, supplemented by full Apple CarPlay integration for non-Android users. Large icons and intuitive layout ensured a user-friendly interface, with analog controls for key functions like volume, climate, and seat heaters.

The 2023 Toyota Tundra featured Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 (TSS 2.5), which included automatic emergency braking, road-sign detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and lane-tracing assist. All Tundras came with a sway warning system, beneficial for frequent towing. However, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were not standard across all trims. The Tundra CrewMax models earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ in 2022.

In comparison, the 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 showed mixed safety results. The IIHS awarded "Good" scores in several tests but rated the passenger-side small overlap front test as "Marginal" and the updated side crash test as "Acceptable." The NHTSA rated it five stars overall and for side-crash protection, but four stars in rollover and frontal crash testing. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, and a rear-seat reminder. Advanced features like adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring were available options. Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free driving system, was an impressive addition to higher trims like Denali, enhancing driving confidence.