Higher quality parts in Sierra?

AZRenegade · April 13, 2016

I was told many years ago by and individual in the business that Chevrolet orders it's trucks from GMC based on their specifications and design. There are definitely specification differences between the two brands, some obvious and some not so obvious. The salesman in question wasn't absolutely correct in the details he presented but his point wasn't totally off base. I'll leave it at that.

DanY · April 13, 2016

One of my program managers years ago was a diehard Ford fan. At the time he had an F250 with

the monster 400+ cu in V8. That is until he loaned it to his boss's kids and they t-boned someone

and destroyed it.

He had a couple of truck jokes:

Dodge, too poor to own a truck and too proud to push a wheelbarrow.

The difference between a GMC and a Chevy ........ lock washers.

15 Z71 · April 13, 2016

This is my first GMC, always had a Chevy truck. Took me a little while to get use to it.(looks that is) I was dead set on a Silverado until I stopped by a GMC dealer, and they got me in a Sierra sle. It had more options then the Silverado for same price. So that's how I ended up with a GMC. But all in all same truck.

redwngr · April 13, 2016

Looks are different. Trim is different.

Everything underneath that makes them a truck is the same.

Some little things that are 'optional' on a chev, turn out to be standard on the equivalent trim level on a gmc.

Things like the lights under the bed rails.

Packaging and pricing of Z71 and associated goodies are different between the two.

Some car platforms are 'tooled' for annual volumes of 80,000 /year or less.

Pickups have volumes 10 or 12 times that level. Gives a lot of room for packaging, styling, option and pricing variations.

Despite marketing hype and personal preferences for the styling, at the end of the day the Sierra and Silverado are different trims of the same vehicle design.

TxTruckMan · April 13, 2016

Sierra has rear wheel well liners too. I don't think those come in the Chevy.

I don't think the parts are any better quality, it's just that the Sierra comes with more options/standard features - and also a slightly higher MSRP.

ewbldavis · April 13, 2016

Red nailed it.

Besides some design ques, sheetmetal stamping, and trim/option differences these are identical trucks.

The inner fender liners for the rear wheels (the carpet looking things) I expect would be an option on the Chevy as well. If you need them, you can certainly buy aftermarket or GMC liners and they will fit.

Also, depending on trim and options, when I built the trucks online, the GMC and Silverado ended up same price with same options. For me, it was looks. My buddy sells GMC, but same dealer chain sells Chevy so I could have chosen (Shamless plug for Marhofer Auto Group )

15 Z71 · April 13, 2016

Red nailed it.

Besides some design ques, sheetmetal stamping, and trim/option differences these are identical trucks.

The inner fender liners for the rear wheels (the carpet looking things) I expect would be an option on the Chevy as well. If you need them, you can certainly buy aftermarket or GMC liners and they will fit.

Also, depending on trim and options, when I built the trucks online, the GMC and Silverado ended up same price with same options. For me, it was looks. My buddy sells GMC, but same dealer chain sells Chevy so I could have chosen (Shamless plug for Marhofer Auto Group )

lol..that's where I bought my truck.

Thomcat · April 13, 2016

You are right about everything here except for your last sentence - the Sierra looks better!

Some guys like blondes and some prefer brunettes!

Daryl Z71 · April 13, 2016

Some guys like blondes and some prefer brunettes!

I'll take either one. [emoji1]

Georgia1911 · April 13, 2016

Sierra has rear wheel well liners too. I don't think those come in the Chevy.

I don't think the parts are any better quality, it's just that the Sierra comes with more options/standard features - and also a slightly higher MSRP.

My Chevy has them. In 2015 and '16, LT DCs and CCs and above trims get wheelhouse liners (B1J).

jbradyr · April 13, 2016

I had a 2014 Silverado Crew Cab LT Texas Edition for about 2.5 years and just traded it in for a GMC Sierra SLE Z71 4x4. Maybe it is just me, but I can tell a nice difference between the two. I had issues with my drivers seat, shaking at highway speeds, I did not like the "plastic" looking dash, and the interior seemed to be coming apart right before my eyes. So far, I love my Sierra. The leather with heat is nice and the "stitched" dash also. Most of it is just probably in my head, and my opinion and you know what they say about that...lol

muddkatt · April 13, 2016

I'll take either one. [emoji1]

Wrong answer! I want one of each.....

TxTruckMan · April 13, 2016

Wrong answer! I want one of each.....

Giggity!

14REDSIERRA · April 14, 2016

Looks are different. Trim is different.

Everything underneath that makes them a truck is the same.

Some little things that are 'optional' on a chev, turn out to be standard on the equivalent trim level on a gmc.

Things like the lights under the bed rails.

Packaging and pricing of Z71 and associated goodies are different between the two.

Some car platforms are 'tooled' for annual volumes of 80,000 /year or less.

Pickups have volumes 10 or 12 times that level. Gives a lot of room for packaging, styling, option and pricing variations.

Despite marketing hype and personal preferences for the styling, at the end of the day the Sierra and Silverado are different trims of the same vehicle design.

Exactly!

I used to work in the GM plant in Oshawa both in the truck plant and paint shop. Like Red said their basically the same truck just depends on how deep your pockets are with options you want. Same bolts and clips in either truck.

As for the paint certain colours do have their problems due to difficulty painting. This even stems back prior to robots painting.