Save big bucks on deluxe trucks: deals abound on the GMC Sierra

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The experts at Driving.ca regularly combine manufacturers’ incentives from Unhaggle.com with resale value, dependability, and overall ratings to find you the best deal for your money in new cars.

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Today, we look at one truck in particular, the 2020 GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 4×4. Check out the hot deal below.

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Save big bucks on deluxe trucks: deals abound on the GMC Sierra Back to video

2020 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Crew Cab 4×4 Short Box

Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $48,918
Manufacturer Incentive: $5,750
Unhaggle Savings: $2,500
Total Savings: $8,250
Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,030
Total Before Tax: $41,978

Scoring a great deal on a new pickup ranks up there with finding a cold beer in your fridge or snagging the biggest salmon of the season. This particular truck combines a reasonably well equipped trim, four-wheel drive, and a popular cab/bed configuration.

New last year, the 2020 Sierra brings a yaffle of value to the table, especially in SLE trim. The brand’s 2.7L turbocharged engine is standard kit here, making 310 horsepower and 348 lb.-ft. of torque.

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Its four-wheel-drive system is dandy, incorporating triple modes for the transfer case including a 4WD Auto mode that automatically metes out power based on road conditions. This is a handy feature for customers trading out of a mainstream crossover or SUV. All this is connected to an 8-speed transmission, not the neato 10-speed found elsewhere in the range.

Inside, a cabin that will be comfortingly familiar to longtime GM truck owners features an 8-inch touchscreen that handles infotainment duties along with Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth audio streaming for two connected devices (no more pairing and unpairing phones when you tire of your spouse’s playlist). The leather-wrapped steering wheel adjusts for rake to keep the driver comfy, while the single-zone air conditioning pipes cold air to back-seat urchins via vents in the rear. A traditional split bench seat occupies the front row.

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In other words, it’s a well-equipped truck that you won’t be afraid to use. Your author pressed a Sierra SLE into daily duty for two years and never once felt bad about loading its bed with gravel or hooking several thousand pounds to its hitching system.

Speaking of, this particular spec can tow 6,600 lbs with a conventional hitch and has a maximum payload rating of 2,030 lbs. Keep in mind that the tongue weight of your trailer, generally 10 per cent of its total weight, count towards your total payload number. No fewer than a dozen cargo tie-downs are ready for duty in the 5.5-ft short box.

It’ll take a knowledgeable eye to discern you’re rolling in an SLE, since this trim includes natty bright-silver-painted aluminum wheels and LEDs in the head- and taillamps. GMC has ladled on the chrome, covering both bumpers, window surrounds, and front grille with the stuff. Hey, if you can’t vanquish your enemies, blind ’em with brightwork, right? Side mirrors are heated and the tailgate is damped for easy one-handed operation.

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If you want our advice, and you likely do since you’re reading this post, pass on most of the available option packages save for the $450 Trailering Package. This will endow the truck with a factory hitch, 4- and 7-pin trailer electrical connections, and an automatic locking rear differential. The latter is a good bonus and will provide extra traction when you forgot to put the Sierra in four-wheel-drive before hauling your boat up the slipway.

The 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Crew Cab 4×4 Short Box arrives with a massive $8,250 combined Unhaggle discount, leaving a sticker of $41,978. This price includes freight and PDI along with other mandatory government fees. It does not include sales tax.