GMC Sierra 1500 review

GMC needed to make the Sierra special to drive, to create the separation from the Silverado – and the competition. It has succeeded. The diesel engine mated to a 10-speed auto box is millpond smooth and church library quiet. You literally do not notice it in any way other than forward motion. Ninety-nine percent of NVH has been dialed out completely.

That goes for the rest of the cabin, too. No point isolating the engine and then getting deafened by wind and tyre noise. But neither of those is anything more than an occasional hushed whisper. So you really do sit in splendid near silence. Which makes driving the truck not just untaxing but positively relaxing, whether you are hauling a ton or more of load and trailer, or just doing some chores in just the truck.

When fitted with the AT4 off-road package, the calm remains even while traversing rough and uneven terrain. It’s so unruffled you can occasionally get launched out of your seat when you forget how fast you are going. That’s a driver problem, not the truck’s.