Is the 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali Ultimate a Good Pickup Truck? 5 Pros, 3 Cons

The ongoing pickup truck wars continue to bring new and updated models with ever-increasing capability, luxury and (unfortunately) cost. The 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 continue this trend, with freshened styling and welcome mechanical and technological improvements that make it more competitive in a hotly contested segment.

Related: 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali Ultimate Review: Bigger, Better, Even More Expensive

GMC’s latest offering also gets a slightly longer name, with the Ultimate suffix now denoting a stand-alone top trim rather than being an option package as it was previously. Other changes include a new digital dash, a power increase for the available diesel engine, various trim tweaks inside and out, and additional tech features that include wizardry to help with trailering.

Cars.com Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman spent a week with the updated GMC Sierra 2500 to see how it measures up in the competitive world of heavy-duty pickups. Tap the link above for his expert review; for a quicker rundown, read on for five things we like about the 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali Ultimate and three things we don’t.

Things We Like

1. Impressive Cabin

GMC took itself seriously with the Ultimate trim, swathing the cabin in soft leather with real wood and metal accents in an effort to quiet complaints that interior materials quality trailed that of its domestic competitors. The effort has been largely successful, with design details like high-quality stitching contributing to an overall richer look and feel to the cabin. There’s also plenty of room for up to six occupants, and backseat occupants are treated to just as much luxury as those up front.

2. More Grunt

Engine choices include the standard carryover 401-horsepower, 6.6-liter gasoline V-8 that produces 464 pounds-feet of torque and the 6.6-liter turbo-diesel V-8 that most Sierra 2500 buyers opt for. For 2024, the latter gets a slight power increase to 470 hp and a notable 975 pounds-feet of torque. It’s also been reconfigured to deliver 25% more torque at low speeds for easier towing.

3. Tech Upgrades

The Denali Ultimate’s tech upgrades include a new dashboard incorporating a giant 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and 13.4-inch center touchscreen. There’s also a giant full color 15-inch head-up display projected on the windshield ahead of the driver. All are vivid, quick to respond and easy to configure and use, making the cabin the most high-tech and modern we’ve seen in a pickup truck to date.

4. Refined Workhorse

For all of its towing and hauling capability, the Sierra 2500 is remarkably civilized to drive, especially in the Denali Ultimate trim. The suspension delivers a composed and comfortable ride even with no payload, and the cabin is largely free of road, wind or engine noise. The overall feel is more like driving a refined luxury vehicle than a workhorse pickup.

5. Improved Towing

The refresh increases the Sierra 2500’s towing capacity to as much as 22,500 pounds. Additionally, the clever Transparent Trailer function that uses cameras to make a trailer “disappear” in the center screen view has also been updated and now works with gooseneck and fifth-wheel trailers in addition to a conventional trailer.

More From Cars.com:

• 2024 GMC Sierra HD AT4X AEV Edition: Too Big to Trail?
• 2024 GMC Sierra HD Up Close: Fixing What Needed Fixing
• GMC Brings AT4X Off-Road Trim to Sierra HD Lineup
• Pickup Truck Buying Guide: How Much Truck Do You Need?
• 2024 GMC Sierra HD: New Tech, New Interior, Same Mission

Things We Don’t Like

1. Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Despite its capability, the Sierra HD is a lot of truck for daily-driver duty. It’s huge, which can make maneuvering and parking a chore even with a 360-degree camera system and other electronic aids. The high hood and relatively squat windshield only add to the challenge, and buyers would be advised to pay attention to parking garage height limit warnings. While the same can be said of any competing pickup, the big GMC’s size is worth considering before bringing one home.

2. New Operating System

The Sierra 2500’s refresh includes GM’s new Google-based multimedia operating system, which relies on a data connection to use voice controls and other features. It also adds Amazon Alexa functionality along with other apps, while retaining wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The system works well enough — as long as you have a data connection. If you’re anywhere with a weak or nonexistent signal, things like voice commands can get buggy or not work at all.

3. Fuel Economy and Price

Nobody buys a heavy-duty pickup truck to serve as an inexpensive commuter vehicle, but it’s worth mentioning that our test vehicle returned an unimpressive average of 16 mpg combined. That was with nothing in the bed and a lot of time spent cruising on the highway. It’s also expensive, with an as-tested price of $94,835 including destination (the Sierra 2500’s base trim offers similar capability for about $46,000). To be fair, however, both figures are in line with competing heavy-duty pickups.

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