2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD Review

GMC Sierra 2500HD AT4 Crew Cab Pickup Exterior

GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali Crew Cab Pickup Shown

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The Sierra 2500HD is a seriously capable heavy-duty truck. The large cabin fits passengers and cargo without issue. Hauling and towing capacities are strong, just as you'd expect from a truck in this class. The available MultiPro tailgate also makes loading items into the bed easy. But a few things are holding the Sierra back, such as poor ride quality, below-average visibility, and in-cabin tech that doesn't match up with the tech in segment leaders.

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2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD Review

byChristian Wardlaw^{Correspondent
Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at Edmunds and was the first editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.}

Pros

Powerful diesel engine option
Impressive towing camera system and other available in-cabin tech
Variety of available models, including off-road-focused AT4

Cons

Lags behind primary competitors for maximum towing and payload capacity
Uninspired interior design
Can get pricey with options

What's new

New driver aids for towing debut
Expanded availability of safety, off-roading and utility features
Additional option packages for SLT, AT4 and Denali trim levels
Part of the fourth Sierra 2500HD generation introduced for 2020

Overview

One year after a complete redesign that brought more right angles than an architectural firm and more chrome than Chicago's bean-shaped Cloud Gate, the Sierra 2500HD heads into 2021 with a handful of additional improvements. These are mostly related to technology. For instance, the Sierra's available trailer camera system is more capable than last year's setup and can provide more camera views to help make towing even easier. There's also new wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, so you no longer have to use a USB cord to connect your phone to use these systems.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD 2dr Regular Cab LB (6.6L 8cyl 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of N/A undefined in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

Not EPA tested

$257/mo

Avg. Large Truck

Calculate my fuel costs

On the whole, the Sierra 2500HD is a capable truck. The cab is roomy and comfortable, the bed is deep and useful (especially with the available MultiPro tailgate), and GMC provides helpful built-in steps to access the cargo area. But the Sierra's towing and hauling capabilities are a little lower than those of the rival Ford F-250 and Ram 2500, and its cabin is nothing special either. Read our Expert Rating below to get our full review of the Sierra 2500HD's high points and low points.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Average

7.5

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

8.0/10

How does the Sierra 2500HD drive? The Sierra 2500's optional 6.6-liter diesel V8 is an excellent engine, and the 10-speed automatic it's paired to is top-notch. That V8 and its 910 lb-ft of torque propelled our 8,300-pound test truck from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.3 seconds — one of the quicker times in the 2500-series segment. We're less pleased with the brakes. The overly soft and long feel of the brake pedal action can diminish your confidence in the truck's abilities should you need to stop quickly.

Steering and handling are unremarkable. The steering is vague but well weighted. And despite its size, the Sierra tracks well through corners. In-town drivability and off-road capability are similarly average for the class. Keep the Sierra 2500 on bigger roads and you'll enjoy it just fine.

Comfort

7.0/10

How comfortable is the Sierra 2500HD? Without any cargo in the bed, the Sierra 2500 has a bouncy ride, especially on the highway where road imperfections are common. The front seats help boost the Sierra's score with their comfortable and supportive padding. Lumbar support is excellent too. Things should be just fine on a long road trip over relatively smooth roads.

The Sierra's climate control system works quickly and is operated by easy-to-use control knobs placed conveniently on the dashboard. Road and wind noise is about average for the heavy-duty segment, but there is a pretty notable ruckus from the diesel up front, especially at idle. You'll definitely never forget that you got the diesel V8.

Interior

7.5/10

How’s the interior? The Sierra 2500 is a big truck with a big interior. Headroom and legroom are abundant in the crew-cab configuration. Getting in and out will take some climbing, but the truck's available side steps help with that. The Silverado 2500HD's interior is essentially the same design as in the previous-generation truck. The design, layout and switchgear are utterly familiar and a bit underwhelming. But to GMC's credit, it's all easy to use and well labeled.

Poor outward visibility drags down the Sierra's score a bit because of the small rearview mirror, big roof pillars and giant hood that's hard to see over. Luckily, the driving position is relatively high and gives a commanding view forward for most drivers.

Technology

7.0/10

How’s the tech? Our Denali test truck came with the Bose premium sound system and the 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. The audio and picture quality lived up to class standards, but there's no competing with the Ram 2500's massive center screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are standard with the 2500, and our smartphones connected quickly during our test.

One weak spot is that the factory voice controls don't understand natural language, and they even have trouble with prescribed commands. Siri and Google Voice will paper over this weakness if you use them, though. We like that a full suite of advanced driver safety aids is standard, but the forward collision warning and blind-spot monitoring systems seemed too oversensitive in our testing.

Towing and Storage

8.5/10

How are the towing and storage? The Sierra 2500 gets top marks in the cargo and utility segment thanks to an abundance of big in-bed tie-downs, the trick six-position MultiPro tailgate, smartly placed bed sidesteps, robust hauling capability, and plenty of cargo space inside the cabin. The rear seats flip up easily to accommodate larger items, and cupholders abound throughout the cabin. In-cabin small-item storage could be better optimized, but there's still a decent amount.

Maximum fifth-wheel gooseneck towing capacity for the GMC is respectable for the class, but the topped-out rating for conventional towing is a few thousand pounds behind key rivals. But the Sierra makes towing easy with standard extendable tow mirrors, a remarkable 15-view towing-camera system, and a tire pressure monitoring system for a trailer's tires.

Fuel Economy

7.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA doesn't require fuel economy testing for heavy-duty pickups, so the Sierra 2500 doesn't have a published fuel consumption number. That said, our diesel-powered test truck returned respectable numbers during its time with us. On long highway journeys, it averaged around 17-18 mpg, which is good for the segment.

Value

7.0/10

Is the Sierra 2500HD a good value? It's built well, and our test truck didn't have any glaring flaws in construction inside or out. But the Sierra, especially in Denali trim, can get pretty expensive, and it still uses a lot of the Chevrolet Silverado's middle-of-the-road cabin materials. For a truck that can easily crest $80,000, we'd like things to be a bit higher-quality.

The ownership experience is about average for the class. The Sierra offers an average warranty for the class, with three years/36,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper and five years/60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.

Wildcard

7.5/10

Like many of its rivals, the Sierra 2500's personality comes mostly from its sheer size. Up front, the tall and imposing grille gives it a certain curb appeal. And from inside the cabin, the high driving position makes you feel like you're on top of the world. There's a certain amount of fun to be had in a rig like the Sierra Denali.

Which Sierra 2500HD does Edmunds recommend?

GMC offers the Sierra 2500HD in a wide range of configurations, and picking one can come down to what you need your truck for. The regular cab gives you the truck's maximum capabilities, but the crew cab isn't far behind. Among the trims, check out the SLT. It offers the broadest variety of drivetrain and equipment levels, allowing you to tailor a truck to specific preferences.

2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD models

The Sierra 2500HD is a heavy-duty full-size pickup truck. It's available as a regular cab, double cab (a four-door crew cab but with a smaller rear seating area) and full crew cab. If you're buying a Sierra 2500HD for work, you're likely to want the Sierra or SLE versions of this truck. The SLT serves as the broadest structural beam over the Sierra 2500HD's collection of trim levels. If you want a specialized off-road-tuned or luxury model, the AT4 and Denali stand ready to serve, each equipped with standard four-wheel drive.

Each comes standard with a 6.6-liter gasoline V8 engine (401 horsepower, 464 lb-ft of torque) hooked to a six-speed automatic transmission. A 6.6-liter diesel V8 engine (445 hp, 910 lb-ft) dubbed the Duramax is optional and uses a 10-speed automatic.

Sierra
This base trim starts you off with:

17-inch steel wheels
Manually adjustable trailering mirrors
Cargo bed step points
Locking tailgate and spare tire carrier
40/20/40-split front bench seat
Vinyl seats and floor coverings
Manual windows and door locks
Trailering hitch
7-inch touchscreen infotainment display
Simultaneous Bluetooth pairing for two devices
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration

SLE
Adds more convenience features, such as:

17-inch alloy wheels
Upgraded exterior trim
Power trailering mirrors
MultiPro tailgate (six configurations)
Integrated brake trailer controller (allows adjustment of a trailer's brakes from the cab)
Cloth seats and carpeted floors
Front underseat storage
Cruise control
Power door locks and windows
Remote keyless entry
4.2-inch color driver information display
Satellite radio
Connected services including a Wi-Fi hotspot

SLT
More luxurious than the SLE, the SLT has:

18-inch alloy wheels
All-terrain tires
LED headlights
Power-folding and -extending trailering mirrors
Cargo bed lighting
120-volt power outlet in cargo bed
Keyless access with push-button engine start
Remote engine start
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Leather seats
Power-adjustable driver's seat
Heated front seats
Heated steering wheel
8-inch touchscreen infotainment system display
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
High-definition backup camera with Hitch View angle

AT4
Provides more off-road attitude and capability with:

Standard four-wheel drive
Hill descent control
Off-road suspension tuning
Underbody skid plates
Body-colored bumpers
Spray-in bedliner
Front bucket seats with center console
Ventilated front seats
Heated rear outboard seats

Denali
Tops the Sierra 2500HD lineup and adds on:

20-inch alloy wheels
Automatic high-beam headlights
Chrome exterior trim
Power-sliding rear window
Side steps to ease cab entry and exit
Premium leather seats
Upgraded driver information display
Navigation system
Bose premium sound system
Wireless smartphone charging
Bed-view camera

The Denali trim also includes the following safety systems, many of which are available as options on other versions of the Sierra 2500HD:

Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Sierra 2500HD and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)

Many of the standard features on the upper trim levels are available on the lower trims as options. Other major options, depending on on the trim level, include:

Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line onto the windshield)
Trailering camera system (can display multiple trailer-based camera views on the touchscreen to aid with towing)
Digital rearview mirror (allows you to see out the back even with a fully loaded cargo area)
X31 off-road package (upgraded suspension, skid plates, hill decent control)

Also Consider

Build Your 2024 Sierra HD

At a Glance:

6 Colors
2 Trims
6 Packages
$42,000starting MSRP

Build & PriceGMC.com

*The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price excludes destination freight charge, tax, title, license, dealer fees, and optional equipment. Dealer sets final price. Click here to see all GMC vehicles’ destination freight charges.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

3/5Above Average

#10 out of 19 among Fullsize Trucks

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the GMC Sierra 2500HD from 2008-2022.}

$840/yr

vs. $752/yr
for Average Fullsize Truck

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

0.67x/yr

vs. 0.98x/yr
for Average Fullsize Truck

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

22.3%

vs. 19.9%
for Average Fullsize Truck

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD.

5 (74%)

4 (8%)

3 (4%)

2 (10%)

1 (4%)

4.4

23 reviews

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Most helpful consumer reviews

Love the looks, love the power, love the economy

Rick B., 03/18/2021

2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD AT4 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (6.6L 8cyl 6A)

I purchased a 2020 Sierra 2500HD AT4 (Duramax) in November of 2020. This thing is a BEAST and a joy to drive. I've put almost 131K miles on it thus far and have not had a single issue. IMHO, the interior is better than a Ford but trails behind the Dodge. However, just because it seems less capable with technology isn't necessarily true. I have physical switches for many things that …

Awesome ridding truck

Jimmy Rawlings, 02/09/2021

2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD AT4 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (6.6L 8cyl 6A)

If you want to go from a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton for towing your larger than 30’ travel trailer, this is an excellent choice. The new 6.6 gas motor will give you convenience towing any bumper pull trailer. If pulling the heavier 5th wheel trailers you probably want to go with the diesel. This truck with the gas motor rides really nice towing and empty. Don’t expect 1/2 ton gas mileage. I’m …

2500 DENALI

sv, 09/29/2020

2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (6.6L 8cyl 6A)

I just traded my 18 GMC 1500 oh what a difference in ride and payload i love it wish i bought the Diesel

2020 GMC Denali 2500hd

Mark, 05/12/2020

2020 GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (6.6L 8cyl 6A)

Duramax with Allison 10speed super smooth and quick! Great fuel efficiency also !

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD, so we've included reviews for other years of the Sierra 2500HD since its last redesign.

See all 23 reviews of the GMC Sierra 2500HD

Write a vehicle review

2021 Sierra 2500HD Highlights

Type:

Crew Cab

Trim:

Base

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$40,300
Engine Type	Gas
Seating	6 seats
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Max Towing Capacity	18,500 lbs.
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the Sierra 2500HD models:

Automatic Emergency Braking: Applies hard braking in the case of a potential front collision or enhances braking initiated by the driver.
Side Blind Zone Alert: Provides alerts on the side mirror when the system detects a moving vehicle in a potential blind spot.
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: Alerts you to cross traffic on either side when you're backing out of a parking space or driveway.

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2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD Review

2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD 2dr Regular Cab LB (6.6L 8cyl 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of N/A undefined in Ohio.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Towing and Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Sierra 2500HD does Edmunds recommend?

2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD models

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Most helpful consumer reviews

Love the looks, love the power, love the economy

Awesome ridding truck

2500 DENALI

2020 GMC Denali 2500hd

2021 Sierra 2500HD Highlights

Safety

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Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 GMC Sierra 2500HD 2dr Regular Cab LB (6.6L 8cyl 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of N/A undefined in Ohio.}