10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: GMC Sierra 1500 Edges Out Acura TLX Type S
Pickup trucks have leveled up in luxury so much in recent years that Cars.com named the Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn/Limited its 2020 Luxury Car of the Year. GMC trucks were lagging behind in the luxury realm at that time — but no more, thanks in particular to the arrival of the 2022 Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate and AT4X, two new tippity-top trim levels launching early next year. GMC also isn’t lagging on Cars.com’s weekly countdown of most popular news articles, with the Sierra’s top two trims finding their way up to our top two.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Rivian R1T Passes Toyota Tundra, Follows Ford Maverick
Cars.com reviewer Aaron Bragman got up close with both the Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate and AT4X, and can attest that pickup shoppers who don’t want to sacrifice capability for comfort are in for a truck treat. The Denali Ultimate combines everything on the options list then adds unique 22-inch wheels and an upgraded interior — and the result is competitive with not only the Ram 1500 but past pickups bearing a Cadillac badge.
“The leather looks and feels good, the stitching is all appropriately straight, the complimentary colors and real wood textures … elevate the truck to compete against the best from Ram,” Bragman states.
The AT4X, meanwhile, retains most of the luxurious interior appointments while optimizing the exterior and suspension for a place beyond the pavement, where Denali Ultimate drivers dare not tread.
Truck shoppers who are OK with only having the option of the top-level engine (a 6.2-liter V-8) and feel prepared for what is sure to be a top-level price tag can get Bragman’s full impressions of the 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate and AT4X by following the link below to Cars.com’s No. 2 news story of the week.
Drafting the Sierra 1500 in the home stretch but crossing the finish line just behind this week is Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek’s comprehensive critique of the 2021 Acura TLX Type S. Bruzek lauds the performance version of the luxury Acura sedan for its technologically enhanced driving thrills and — despite infotainment annoyances and somewhat muted acceleration relative to its Genesis G70 3.3T competitor — still preferred it to the G70 for its specified purpose.
“The Type S comes across as more of a dedicated performance car than the G70 3.3T even though it doesn’t feel as outright quick,” Bruzek writes. “The way the TLX Type S handles, steers and manages power through its transmission and AWD is completely seamless. The multimedia control system is a pain to use versus the touchscreens you’ll find elsewhere in the class — have fun using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto without a touchscreen — but the Type S is so robust in other areas, I was less put off by that here than I was in the regular TLX.”
Follow the link below to the No. 3 article on this week’s countdown for Bruzek’s full take on the 2021 Acura TLX Type S.
Rounding out the week’s top five are Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder’s quick-spin review of the all-new-for-2022 Rivian R1T electric pickup truck at No. 1; a preview of the 2023 Toyota bZ4X all-electric SUV at No. 4; and a report on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s stringent new side-impact collision evaluation in which just 1 out of 20 small SUVs (the 2021 Mazda CX-5) received a rating of good at No. 5.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Land Rover Range Rover, Toyota Corolla Cross and Lexus IS, so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:
1. 2022 Rivian R1T Quick Spin: The First Very Real Electric Pickup
2. 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate, AT4X: Up Close
3. 2021 Acura TLX Type S Review: A Sensory Joy
4. 2023 Toyota bZ4X: Toyota’s First All-Electric Vehicle Officially Revealed
5. IIHS Toughens Up Crash Tests; Many SUVs Fail
6. Redesigned 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Adds Third Row, Starts at $105,350
7. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for October 2021?
8. Is the 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross a Good SUV? Here Are 6 Things We Like and 4 We Don’t
9. 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance Quick Spin: Louder, But Better?
10. 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Updated With Even More Luxurious Trims
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
