2013 GMC Sierra 2500HD

For the 2013 model year, the Sierra 2500HD comes in three main trim levels: Work Truck, SLE and SLT and Denali. The Work Truck is mostly for folks that plan to only use the Sierra for work and need something that they won’t mid getting extremely dirty and adding a few dents and dings to. The SLE trim level acts more like the base level for the daily driver, adding in things like cloth interior, a CD player and other basic amenities. The SLT trim level adds in a little extra hauling power with its trailering kit and some extra luxury features, creating a well-rounded pickup. The Denali trim turns this pickup truck into a luxury vehicle that can haul a massive trailer behind it with features like perforated leather, rearview camera and color-keyed steering wheel. All three trim levels come standard with a 6.0-liter V-8 engine that creates 360 horsepower and 380 foot-pounds of torque and transmits the power through a six-speed automatic transmission. Each trim level comes standard in a rear-wheel-drive configuration, but four-wheel drive is an available option. Every Sierra 2500HD can tow up to 13,000 pounds with a ball hitch setup, and it can tow between 13,700 and 17,800 pounds with a fifth-wheel setup.

Competition in the full-size truck realm is plentiful, but the heavy-duty truck realm is rather limited. First up is the GMC’s arch rival, the 2013 Ford F-250 Super Duty, which has a standard 6.2-liter V-8 engine with 385 horsepower and 405 foot-pounds of torque, 14,000-pound towing capacity, 16,800-pound fifth-wheel capacity, and vinyl seating and flooring. Next up is the 2012 Ram 2500, which comes standard with a 15,500 maximum towing capacity, a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 with 383 horsepower and 400 foot-pounds of torque, and vinyl seating. Next up is the 2013 Nissan Titan, which comes standard with a 5.6-liter V-8 engine with 317 horsepower and 385 foot-pounds of torque, a 7,400-pound towing capacity, and cloth seating. Lastly is the 2013 Toyota Tundra, which comes standard with a 4.0-liter, six-cylinder engine with 270 horsepower and 278 foot-pounds of torque, 4,500-pound towing capacity, and premium cloth seating.

The heavy-duty pickup truck realm may be limited, but the competition is fierce, as they are all competing for that small niche customer that needs loads of towing but also may require some comfort to go along with the muscle.