Eighty grand is a lot of dough. Enough to buy three Honda Civics, a cottage lot in Northern Ontario, a down payment on a triplex in Calgary. Or the money could go toward one of the most luxurious pickups on the market today the 2019 GMC Sierra Denali or 2019 Ford F-150 Limited. Ram, too, has an expensive truck, of course, one with a better interior than either the Ford or GM; but this test is between the two top guns of the Big Three, the Denali and the Limited.Ford steps into the ring at a disadvantage right from the start: Its F-150 is starting to show age after a complete refresh of the truck in 2015 when it went to an all-aluminum body, followed by a mild update for 2018, while GMCs top-line truck presents with an all-new design and parts. The Sierra Denali is definitely the shiny new toy here, and it looks the part with a Great Chrome Shark mouth grille, more blingy chrome bits all around, 22-inch wheels and a trick, MultiPro tailgate that expands on what a tailgate can do. The Ford suffers a little because it looks similar to so many other F-150s, the dandelion of the pickup truck world, demarcated only by equally big wheels, subtle metallic grille and only some Limited badging here and there.Under the hoods, these pickups could not have more different approaches to power: Ford has diverted a bunch of 3.5-litre high-output Raptor engines from the assembly line to enhance the appeal of the top-line Limited. As such, the Limiteds turbo V6 trumps the Sierra for pure grunt, delivering 450 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque funnelled through the same 10-speed automatic used in the Sierra. The Denali, on the other hand, uses a good ol fashioned V8. Its 6.2-litre returns 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. But heres the surprising part: Despite the Ford having more power and being about four-tenths of a second quicker to 96 km/h than the GM, according to Car and Driver, the Denali simply feels and sounds better overall. Oh sure, the Raptor V6 is quick, and it sounds throaty and meaty, but its just not as juicy as the V8. While both engines are smooth, even at wide-open-throttle, the Denalis 6.2 is chocolate cheesecake to Fords apple pie, delivering a richer experience. Thanks to the direct injection and Dynamic Fuel Management, which can shut down any number of cylinders to optimize power delivery and efficiency, the Denalis fuel economy was impressive, too, though it did fall short of the Ford overall. While a low of 10 L/100 km was registered on the highway in the Denali, our overall average was 13.1, while the Ford registers 12.6 overall but 11.2 highway close enough that neither of these trucks is more efficient than the other at the end of the day. That might not matter much anyway considering the cost of entry here. Both have automatic 4WD systems in addition to 2H, 4H and 4L.Where the Ford pulls ahead is in towing prowess, the F-150 able to haul up to 13,000 pounds with the proper package and set up, compared to the Sierras 9,300. Earning back some practicality in the face of outright muscle, the Sierra Denalis ProGrade trailering system and its comprehensive suite of trailering aides edges out those on the Ford, predictable given that the Sierra has newer technology.Both trucks have similar payloads close to 2,300 pounds and both ride very well, the quietness in each truck a testament to the amount of sound deadening and noise cancelling. Rough roads are, perhaps, somewhat better absorbed in the Denali, and its body exhibited less shake and shudder. The box of the Sierra is superior, too, having been widened roughly seven inches for a volume of 62.9 cubic feet on its 5-foot, 8-inch bed, compared to the 5-foot, 5-inch bed in Ford. The Denali bed can even be optioned in carbon fibre. But Ford has better LED cargo lighting because the bed lights are activated with a button inside the bed instead of a switch in the cab. As for tailgates, Fords fold-out step is okay, but the MultiPro twin gate is simply superior. The only hitch (pardon the pun) is the need to remove any ball hitch for the MultiPro before using it as a step, which would be a pain for those of us who leave hitches in regularly (and, no, its not against the law in most provinces to leave them in.) To prevent damage, the electronic tailgate will not drop the upper half if it detects a hitch in the receiver. GMs bumper steps are equally brilliant and can be used instead.GMs seat-mounted storage cubbies in the Denali are also useful, as are the storage bins under the rear seats, but Fords rear seats lift up to create a wide open area inside the cab, which can be useful for carrying big objects or, for contractors, lots of tools. Neither of these trucks is better, per se, in the back seat area, although the front seats in the Ford Limited clearly win for comfort and a massage function. One sit and youll be sold on these seats. Fords Limited also gets a massive, panoramic sunroof as opposed to a traditional sunroof in the
Origin: Pickup Comparison: 2019 Ford F-150 Limited vs. GMC Sierra Denali