2009 GMC Sierra

Once we did the math, we found that the 18.9 mpg average listed was really 19.2 mpg! Subsequent fill-ups after more city driving and stop-and-go traffic did cause the average to drop into the mid 18s, but our 5.3L was able to run in 4-cylinder mode at highway speeds over 70 mph to keep the highway average up. City mileage was right on what the EPA suggests, at 16 mpg.

We picked the 2007 Silverado as our Truck of the Year when it was released, and we were sorry to see it go when it was time to return it. Two years later and we haven't forgotten why we thought the GMT-900 trucks were the best. Even considering that the competition has had two years to narrow their sights on the Silverado and its GMC Sierra stablemate, the duo from GM can still hold their own. Despite the GMC's significantly lower price tag, it still did well in our competition, and represented what you, our reader, would likely drive off the lot. It's too bad we couldn't get our hands on another Crew Cab, or better yet, a Denali, to match the price point and size of the competition. Before we get anyone complaining that our extended cab tester was at a disadvantage this year, we're confident that even if we had used a comparably equipped Crew Cab model with all the bells and whistles, the winner of this year's tests would have been the same.

Pros:
* Good combo of power and fuel economy
* Comfortable seating position
* Great steering feel

Cons:
* Six-speed transmissions not standard across the board
* Dual-zone climate control display
* Can't get top powertrains in any cab/ bed configuration