So I have to admit...I ordered an F-350 but after the pickuptrucks.com review I was starting to wonder if I should look at the GM's again. Especially since I absolutely love my 09 Yukon XL. Well last week my local GMC dealer got a Duramax 2500 SLT CrewCab in so I had to go take it out.
Walking around the GMC I can say that I LOVE the lines of the truck. (GMC ONLY. The hood on the Chevy is FUGLY!!) In a nutshell the GM looks a lot more "sporty" than the Ford. Especially with the new cab lights and 20" polished aluminum wheels. I REALLY liked those!
The leather interior was pretty much the same as my Yukon so no surprises there. Comfort wasn't bad. However, when I drove the truck I felt the side of the seats pinched my lower back a little. I also noticed that there was a lot of engine noise at cruise compared to the Ford. Seriously the Ford is so quiet most of the time you can't tell you are in a diesel.
Anyway, the first place I drove the new Duramax to was the Ford dealer. I backed it in right next to an '11 F-250 to do some comparisons. Obviously the Ford has a larger appearance. It definitely looks more than 300 lbs heavier to me. I laid down between the trucks and look at the guts. I was VERY impressed with how much nicer and beefier the Sierra's drive shaft was. Definitely a nice set up. I did notice however, that the GM has A LOT of exposed wiring running along the outside of the frame. Also the DEF tank is below the bottom of the frame!!!! I didn't care for that a whole lot. Another thing that was glaring with the trucks sitting side by side was how much nicer the mirrors are. Not only were the GM's smaller, but the don't offer the power extension (not a big deal to me to be honest) NOR do they offer power folding. That IS a big deal to me cause I like to run through the car wash once in a while.
The next thing I compared was the interior. (Lariat vs SLT leather) This one was not even close. Being 6' 2" 240 lbs the Ford just fits me better. The front seats don't pinch my sides in the Ford like they do in the GM. The seats are also MUCH plusher were as the Sierra was pretty firm. Much firmer than my Yukon which surprised me.
Another huge factor for me was the back seat. With the driver seat in a comfortable position for me I jumped in the back. With the Ford I had about 3 inches from my knees to the back of the seat in contrast to the GM where my knees touched. I also was able to put my feet around 4-6 inches further forward which gave me a much more comfortable back seat in the F-250.
After looking over everything I could think to compare I took the Sierra back to the dealer and returned to drive the Ford again. The differences were glaring to me. The GM was MUCH louder while driving. You ALWAYS knew you had a diesel while the Ford was almost silent unless you were getting on it. I do like the sound of a diesel but I can see where the constant drone could be fatiguing on a long drive in comparison.
The next thing I noticed was the ride quality on the Ford was MUCH better and less harsh than the GMC. I noticed a lot more shudder and bed bounce on the GMC than the Ford. The Ford was carlike in comparison.
Well after it was all said and done I was very pleased that I was able to confirm my original decision to order the Ford!! In a nut shell I liked the exterior of the GMC a LITTLE better than the Ford but I liked the interior of the Ford A HECK OF A LOT better than the GM.
Some side notes between the GM and the Ford:
GM - Navigation doesn't show fuel prices or whether the gas stations in the database even have diesel. NOT GOOD in the middle of no where!
GM - Navigation doesn't offer Travelink so NO RADAR. Which for me will be nice so I can navigate around lake effect snow bands.
GM - Navigation will not get latest fuel prices nor tell you if a gas station has diesel.
GM - Doesn't offer any type of LCD productivity screen. Once you see it on the Ford you WANT IT!!
GM - Only way to get heated AND cooled seats is to get the Denali. Then you have to suffer through all that god awful plastic wood.
GM - Cab is MUCH smaller and tight feeling.
GM - TINY backseat in the crewcab for adults.
Ford - Limited leather color choices. I REALLY like the color of the Titanium leather seats in the Sierra. Ford offers a similar color in some models, just not the Super Duty. They call is Stone I believe. I would have liked to have had that option.
Sorry for being so long winded. Just thought I would write a layman's comparison.
