Chevrolet Vs GMC Pickups: What's The Difference?

Navigating all the various trims and packages that differentiate Chevy and GMC pickup trucks requires just about a PhD in spreadsheets. The Canyon, for example, includes Elevation, Denali, AT4, and AT4X trims with the optional AEV Edition available on the latter, while starting at a base price almost $10,000 higher than the cheapest Colorado sibling. Then the Sierra and Silverado include a similar run, that then requires understanding the step up from Light Duty (1500) pickups to Heavy Duty (2500) trucks.

GMC's longstanding slogan "We are professional grade" might only muddy the water further, because beneath the skin, the trucks all use the same running gear across both brands without any serious mechanical upgrades to justify gaps in pricing. So, what's the difference? A recent drive program dubbed the "AT4Xpedition" provided a perfect window into how General Motors positions Chevrolet and GMC within an evolving — and lucrative — pickup truck landscape.

Walking up to a Sierra, the styling revisions versus the Silverado immediately stand out. On the GMC, smoother lines and cleaner panels all around do seem to suggest a more professional purpose than the angular, almost aggressive design of the Silverado. Nostril-style hood air intakes integrate more cleanly with the large, square hood, than the Silverado's (often contrasting colored) larger central hood scoop. 

The Canyon and Colorado switch that simplified style around, though, as the Colorado's front-end design arguably integrates more thoroughly with the rest of the truck.

Climbing into the cockpit of either a GMC or Chevrolet makes a huge difference. At the AT4Xpedition, Canyons featured the bright white Obsidian Rush leather treatment—but the Sierras in LD and HD used a more subdued color palette. But other than upholstery, different materials for the GMCs improved the tactility of touch surfaces, even if the design largely carries over between the two companies. 

Note the Bose sound system, which helps Canyon and Sierra in their quest to create a more "premium" environment for driver and passengers alike.

Every single time a driver fires up the Sierra requires using perhaps the single biggest concession to that "We are professional grade" slogan: the GMC LD and HD trucks have quite possibly the largest start-stop push button ever installed on a production vehicle. Almost hilariously big, the massive metal plate embedded in an otherwise tidy dash suggests that gloved hands alone should drive this big truck.

Of course, for trucks that live out long service lives, seats make all the difference in the world. And here GMC sits (pun fully intended) a full rung up higher than Chevrolet, especially on the Canyon AT4X that receives ventilated air-conditioning seats without requiring the AEV Edition package—Chevrolet only installs ventilation on the Bison, meanwhile. 

The pros and cons of cooled rear ends can get divisive among automotive aficionados, but fans agree that ventilated seats on a hot day might just be the automotive industry's greatest accomplishment in comfort terms over the last few decades (not to mention improvements in cooling efficiency that can help with EV range).

The AT4X and AEV Edition pickups from GMC also invite their driver and front passenger to experience quite possibly the best massaging car seats on the entire planet, with a host of different rolling and vibrating functions that can approach levels of intensity the NHTSA might want to take a look at with regards to driver distraction. No exaggeration, the roller balls will knead out knots created by heavy lifting and long road trips alike—but do add some of the pounds that contribute to the Sierra's slightly bloated curb weights versus the similarly specced Silverado.

The Sierras and Silverados, as well as the Canyons and Colorados, use the same drivetrains and suspension right down to the same tires—other than one major mechanical difference. On the Canyon AT4X AEV Edition, GMC decided to switch the Colorado ZR2 Bison's set of Multimatic hydraulic jounce control bumpers to an option. Instead, Canyon buyers get an Aux button on the dash that controls an electrical outlet in the truck bed. This detail fits into the techy luxuriousness that GMC banks on, but for desert runners, those stellar jouncers smooth out the hardest impacts noticeably and elevate the Bison to another level almost in line with Ford's most hardcore Raptor pickups. 

Just how much of a price gap will emerge between the Colorado and Canyon's highest off-roading trims based on that difference remains a mystery, however, since both presumably still need to slot in below the Raptors. Only time will tell whether pricing, features, and design will help or hinder GMC and Chevy in their quest to build four variegated pickup truck lineups on the same platforms. 

For now, though, the clear differences make for a solid range of choices that potential buyers may well learn to appreciate while shopping both online and at dealerships. Just get that research done in advance, because a spreadsheet on a small smartphone screen likely won't do the trick in a high-pressure sales situation.