Table of Contents
With a maximum tow rating of 36,000 pounds for the 3500HD diesel dually, or 22,500 pounds with the 2500HD, the revised 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 helps the 2024 Sierra HD earn a point here. But the heavy-duty handling costs it a point. It’s a 5.
GMC boasts a best-in-class tow rating for 2500HD crew cab models at 21,900 pounds, when equipped with the long bed and rear-wheel drive with a fifth wheel/gooseneck hitch.
Is the GMC Sierra 2500HD 4WD?
Rear-wheel drive is standard and the basis for the tow capacities mentioned above. Optional four-wheel drive costs about $3,000 more, but it’s standard on all AT4 and Denali trims. The new AT4X trim due later in 2023 comes with a 1.5-inch suspension lift, Multimatic’s DSSV spool-valve dampers, distinct control arms and steering knuckles, an aluminum front skid plate and larger transfer case skid plate, a rear e-locker, and 18-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory Mud-Terrain tires. This serious off-roader will need some space on the trail given its prodigious size.
How fast is the GMC Sierra 2500HD?
The base 6.6-liter V-8 returns unchanged for 2024, making 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque. But this year GMC ditched the 6-speed automatic and swapped in the Allison 10-speed automatic used in the diesel model. The extra gears should make for smaller steps and smoother shifts, and GMC says each gear optimizes torque to the wheels. We’ll update this review after we test the gas V-8.
The revised 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 features a new turbocharger that delivers more low-end torque, and boosts output from 445 hp and 910 lb-ft to 470 hp and 975 lb-ft. From behind the wheel, the turbo provides a welcome surge just below 2,000 rpm, and the turbo whir overtakes the muted diesel thrum that’s heard when the windows are down.
Put the windows up and the higher-grade cabins become ensconced in quiet, which is pleasantly unusual in a vehicle this size. Anywhere else but off the line, it accelerates quickly enough to execute passing moves that might not normally be considered in other heavy-duty trucks.
The high seating position and broad front sight lines give the Sierra 2500HD a king of the road vibe, but it’s an unfriendly commuter beyond rural environs. It’s stiff, and with the rear leaf springs unladen it bounces around humps on bumps and other road acne. With a 2500HD diesel crew cab weight of nearly 7,400 pounds, it can be a lot of load to handle.
The electronic steering assist on all but Pro and SLE grades simplifies parking in a sense, but docking this barge in even a Costco-sized parking spot means the head or tail will stick out about four feet from where the yellow lines end. Suburban or exurban drivers should think twice before navigating it into port; a Sierra 1500 is plenty capable and not nearly as cumbersome.
How well does the 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD tow?
With a trailer lashed behind the Sierra HD, nothing seemingly deters momentum, certainly not 5,000 pounds of fiberglass fishing boat, and the truck brushes off heavy loads with ease. The extra weight of a trailer actually smoothes out the somewhat jittery ride; the rear suspension settles as if it was just made to be hauling heavy loads. The available tow camera package has seven cameras that stitch together 14 different viewing angles, making it easier than ever to hook up, back up, and tow a trailer without another set of eyes.
