Overall rating

The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited is not the all-new Sierra that debuted this year. Instead, the Sierra 1500 Limited is the last of the outgoing Sierra generation. Yes, it's the old truck, and it's sold alongside the new one.

It may seem strange, but this practice is fairly established among certain manufacturers. The upside for shoppers is price — the Sierra 1500 Limited is less costly than the all-new Sierra. And because the new Sierra is not a hugely different truck, the Sierra 1500 Limited actually represents a significant value.

The biggest catch is that the Sierra 1500 Limited is, well, limited to just one cab and bed configuration (double cab and standard bed) with one engine and transmission combination. Furthermore, it's offered in just two trim levels, and both are at the bottom of the range. It's available with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, though.

If a double cab suits your needs and you're not too picky about needing a long list of creature comforts, the Sierra 1500 Limited is a fine way to save some coin.

GMC Sierra 1500 Limited models

The 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Limited is available only as a double cab with a standard bed, with or without four-wheel drive. There are just two trim levels: base and SLE. All Sierra 1500 Limited pickups are powered by a 5.3-liter V8 (355 horsepower, 383 pound-feet of torque) and are equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission.MatoCar Latest GMC Sierra 1500 Limited NewsFirst Look: GMC Electric Sierra Teased, Shares Platform with Hummer EV

Base Sierra 1500 Limiteds are bare-bones vehicles. Standard equipment is sparse, and options are minimal. For instance, consider that floor mats are optional. However, the base trim does include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, a trailer hitch and 2-inch receiver, four-pin and seven-pin connectors, and an automatic locking rear differential. Standard equipment also includes a 7-inch touchscreen, USB ports, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and a six-speaker audio system. Option packages are limited to the Sierra Convenience package and Elevation Edition, though other stand-alone options are available.

SLE trim adds a variety of basic comforts such as LED bed lighting, floor mats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio controls, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and an 8-inch touchscreen. It also adds aluminum wheels in place of the base steel wheels, switches the mirrors and door handles from black to the body color, and upsizes the instrument cluster display to a 4.2-inch color unit in place of the base 3.5-inch monochromatic one. On 4WD trucks, the transfer case is of the automatic variety on SLE trim, instead of the manual floor-mounted shifter-equipped transfer case in base trim Sierra Limiteds.

What's more, SLE trim grants access to a range of option packages such as the SLE Value package, the cosmetic Black Pack and an off-road-oriented Suspension package.

Trim tested

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The comments in this review are based on our full tests of the GMC Sierra Denali (6.2L V8 | 8-speed automatic | 4WD) and the related Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab Short Bed (6.2L V8 | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 5-foot-8-inch bed).

NOTE: Since these tests were conducted in 2017, the GMC Sierra 1500 has become the GMC Sierra 1500 Limited, which entails a narrower powertrain choice and limited configurations. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's GMC Sierra 1500 Limited, however.

GMC Sierra 1500 Limited 2019 Review