2011 GMC Sierra 1500 Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 GMC Sierra overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Sierra, and includes GMC Sierra safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Few changes accompany the GMC Sierra as it enters the 2011 model year. All models include the most up-to-date OnStar 9.0 system, can be sprayed in Gray Green Metallic paint, and feature a quieter highway ride.

Buyers who want a basic pickup should focus their attention on the 2011 GMC Sierra Work Truck. You’ll know you’ve spotted one on the dealer’s lot if you see a lack of chrome and an abundance of gray trim, not to mention a set of plain ol’ steel wheels. Peer inside and vinyl upholstery and flooring will likely be glaring back at you. When the salesperson comes over and offers to unlock the truck, that’s when you’ll notice that he’s literally unlocking the door; power door locks and keyless entry are included only on the Crew Cab version. Once inside, make sure to enjoy the few basic luxuries, including the radio and air conditioning. The newest version of OnStar is also onboard, with six months of complimentary enrollment in the Directions and Connections plan, emergency response services, stolen vehicle tracking, turn-by-turn navigation, roadside assistance, and hands-free calling.

The Sierra SL, available in Extended or Crew Cab guise only, is next in line, and offers a few more standard features like cloth seats, carpeting, a single-disc CD player, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power heated side mirrors, power windows, cruise control, and dark tinted rear window glass.

A broader variety of amenities await the buyer who zeroes in on the 2011 Sierra SLE. GMC has decked out this pickup with SL trim plus a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a compass, an outside temperature indicator, satellite radio, and more. A more fuel-efficient variant of the Sierra based on the SLE, the XFE (Extra Fuel Economy), has been fitted with low rolling resistance tires, a tonneau cover, a deeper front air dam and a lowered suspension to improve aerodynamics, and uses additional aluminum components to reduce overall weight.

Those changes provide a marginal increase in efficiency, but bigger gains can be had by selecting the Sierra Hybrid. In addition to fuel-saving upgrades including an electronic steering system, this version of GMC’s light-duty pickup is equipped with hands-free Bluetooth connectivity, automatic climate control and more.

Though less efficient, the SLT moves the creature comfort needle forward with leather-clad seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a Bose audio system with a USB port and auxiliary input jack, remote engine starting, and shiny chrome alloy wheels.

That leads us to the king of the GMC light-duty truck universe, the Sierra Denali. This Crew Cab pickup earns top billing with its own upgraded leather, a unique set of 20-inch alloy wheels, an interior decorated with wood and leather trim, rear parking sensors, electrically adjusted pedals, heavy-duty towing capability, an exclusive all-wheel-drive system, and other features.

Peer under the hood of a 2011 GMC Sierra and you’re guaranteed to see one of five engines, and if it’s a Work Truck without any options, it’ll be a 4.3-liter V6. This tried-and-true six-cylinder has long been the lineup’s entry-level powerplant, putting out the same 195 horses and 260 pound-feet it did years ago. The antiquated four-speed automatic transmission is also still in service. Together, these two components create a powertrain that earns EPA ratings of 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway unless you get four-wheel drive, in which case ratings drop to 14 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.

That same automatic tranny is mated to the smallest of the Sierra’s available eight-cylinder engines, a 4.8-liter V8 that’s good for 302 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque. As one might expect, efficiency takes a hit compared to the V6, losing one mile-per-gallon in the city and on the highway with 2WD and dropping to a dismal 13 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway with 4WD.

The most versatile of the Sierra’s engines is the 5.3-liter V8, which is offered in gasoline-only and E85 (a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent regular gas) versions with aluminum or cast-iron blocks. You’ll find it under the hood of an XFE model, where it returns up to 22 mpg on the highway. In its traditional gas-engine form, the 5.3 generates 315 horsepower and 335 pound-feet of torque, all while averaging 15 mpg around town and 21 mpg on the highway. The E85 (flex-fuel) examples bump output up to 326 and 348, respectively, but fuel economy measures only 11 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway.

There’s no denying the 5.3-liter engine’s might, yet it doesn’t really compare to the Sierra Denali’s 6.2-liter V8 with its 400 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of luxury pickup-moving torque. Make that an all-wheel-drive luxury pickup, one that sucks up petrol at the rate of one gallon every 12 miles in the city and 18 on the highway.

Drivers who need a truck but find that level of consumption a bit disconcerting should take a look at the 2011 GMC Sierra Hybrid. At its core is a 6.0-liter V8 joined to a two-mode electric assist motor, a four-speed automatic transmission, a 300-watt nickel-metal hydride battery pack and regenerative brakes. Engineers have fitted the pickup with a bed cover and low rolling resistance tires for good measure. The end result is a Sierra Crew Cab, available as a rear-drive or four-by-four, that boasts 332 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque, can travel up to 30 mph on electric power, and scores EPA ratings of 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

New testing and scoring methods have been adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this year, potentially resulting in lower marks for vehicles that have done well in years past. The 2011 GMC Sierra is one model that’s made it through with very good scores, albeit not perfect. Overall, the truck earned four out of five possible stars. That rating was based on a 4-Star rating for front impact protection and rollover resistance, and a 5-Star rating for side impact protection. There have been no changes related to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) testing, meaning the Sierra has been awarded a top-notch Good rating for front-impact protection, an Acceptable rating for side-impact protection, and an Acceptable rating for rear-impact injury prevention.

Reliability looks to be holding steady with Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates predicting average dependability from the 2011 Sierra.

The 2011 GMC Sierra has been and continues to be an impressive all around pickup with its multiple powertrain options, attractive styling, and capability that’s not best-in-class but is more than enough for the average Joe. However, Ford is banging on the Sierra’s door with, among other things, an F-150 packing a 365-horsepower V6 capable of averaging 22 mpg, a 360-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 that matches the fuel economy of the Sierra’s 315-horsepower 5.3-liter V8, and an extra four inches of rear leg room in the increasingly popular crew cab body style.

Four years after a major redesign, the time has come for the GMC Sierra to up its game, and that will require more than an updated version of OnStar and a new color.

By Thom Blackett