Sometimes only a full-size pickup will do

It's a sad/happy time of year for me. Why? Here in Michigan it's definitely getting to be fall, weather wise. The air is wonderfully crisp and cool, the leaves are changing and everybody has a pumpkin or three on the front porch. I do love October, so why sad? Because it's the time of year when we go to our cottage to close 'er up for winter, which means taking the boats out of the water (sniff—summer fun is over). It also means I need a full-size pickup. I've used Silverados, Rams, various Ford Fs—this year I check in with a 2013 GMC Sierra Denali 1500 AWD Crew Cab.

The GMC wore an as-tested $53,694 sticker, had underhood a 6.2-liter V8 churning out 403 hp with 417 lb-ft of torque and was mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The options included a nav system, satellite radio (a must), sunroof, and a trailer-brake controller (another must). Denali trim means a big chrome grille and lots of leather inside.

The GMC handled everything we could throw it, and then some. We tugged a 23 foot bowrider out of the creek, and I couldn't even tell the boat was back there.

I expected all that. What consistently surprises me when I drive the latest full-size pickups from GM, Ford or Dodge is not so much how hard they work but how well they drive: There's more than enough power, but for the most part they are not brutes. Rather, they are smooth and steady; no matter the condition of the paved or dirt roads beneath, the steering is true, the brakes strong. Body control for a heavy vehicle is impressive—the GMC weighed 5377 pounds. There are luxury vehicles that don't ride this well on the freeway.

So these full-sizers from GM (and Ford and Dodge, too) can be used for everything: They seat five, have tons of cargo capacity, lots of towing, good driving manners—they do it all.

I bring this all up because the question is, if these trucks are so good for chores or whatever you need, how will GM make the new Sierra/Silverado lineup any better?

It's no secret there are new full-size GM pickups coming sometime next year to battle the excellent Ram and Ford F series. How to improve them? Here's some unasked-for advice: Make the back seat a little roomier and the seats themselves more comfortable, stuff a couple more storage bins inside—especially in the back—for tools and the like, and use softer-touch materials on the dash and other places.

By all means, keep the ride smoothness, the good brake feel and the precise steering.

As for the GMC's price, $53K ain't cheap. On the other hand, someone at a gas station said to me “that's a beautiful truck, how much is it?” I said I didn't know, hadn't seen the sticker, but guessed it would probably be around $60K. I was $7k high. Maybe it's a bargain.

By Wes Raynal