2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD vs 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD
The GMC Sierra 3500HD wins clearly, 94.5 to 87.3, on safety.
2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
The 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is a pickup truck; vehicles over 8,500 lb GVWR are not certified for fuel economy by the EPA, so this page is built from NHT…
2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD
The 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD is a pickup truck; vehicles over 8,500 lb GVWR are not certified for fuel economy by the EPA, so this page is built from NHTSA's reca…
2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD
Clear winThe GMC Sierra 3500HD wins clearly, 94.5 to 87.3, on safety.
| Category · weight | 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HDoverall 94.5 | 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HDoverall 87.3 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricenot compared | Specs not available | Specs not available | |||||||||||||||
| Fuel & rangenot compared | No data | No data | |||||||||||||||
| Safetyw 4 | 91.8 | 80.9 | |||||||||||||||
NHTSA 5-Star rating, WhichTrim Safety Signal (open recalls by severity), owner complaints, standard driver-assist features (from the press kit, or from what the manufacturer filed with NHTSA where there is none). Open park-outside / do-not-drive advisories cost 25 points. | |||||||||||||||||
| Space & cargonot compared | Specs not available | Specs not available | |||||||||||||||
| Performancenot compared | Specs not available | Specs not available | |||||||||||||||
| Tech & comfortnot compared | Specs not available | Specs not available | |||||||||||||||
| Warrantyw 2 | 100 | 100 | |||||||||||||||
Basic and powertrain coverage in years and miles. | |||||||||||||||||
| Overall | 94.5 | 87.3 | |||||||||||||||
Safety-only comparison · 2 of 7 categories compared · specs not available for GMC Sierra 3500HD
GMC Sierra 3500HD: safety only (EPA and NHTSA record; specs not available) · Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD: base trim WT 2WD. Pick a trim in the tool to compare any other trim.
Where the gap is
the biggest differences, from the scorecard's own numbersWhere the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD wins
- It has drawn fewer owner complaints (5 against 12 filed with NHTSA).
Where the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD answers
- It has the cleaner recall record (Safety Signal 94 against 89).
What they share
- A 3-year basic warranty.
- 36,000-mile basic coverage.
- A 5-year powertrain warranty.
Ranked by how far apart the two score on each measure, so a price gap and a horsepower gap are compared on the same scale. Every figure is on this page.
Specifications side by side
33 specs · manufacturer press kits| Spec | GMC Sierra 3500HD | Chevrolet Silverado 2500HDWT 2WD |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Basics | ||
| Aspiration | — | naturally aspirated |
| Cylinder count | — | 8 |
| Engine displacement | — | 6,600 cc |
| Engine type (full description) | — | 6.6L V-8 gasoline or E85 FlexFuel |
| Fuel injection system | — | gdi mpi |
| Valve configuration | — | Overhead-valve, two valves per cylinder, variable valve timing |
| Engine Output | ||
| Horsepower | — | 401 hp |
| Torque | — | 464 lb-ft |
| Transmission | ||
| Final drive ratio | — | 3.73 (gas), 3.42 (diesel) |
| Transmission speeds | — | 10 |
| Transmission type | — | automatic |
| Dimensions Exterior | ||
| Ground clearance | — | 10.2 in |
| Overall height | — | 79.9 in |
| Overall length | — | 236 in |
| Overall width | — | 81.8 in |
| Wheelbase | — | 142 in |
| Headroom | ||
| Front headroom | — | 43.1 in |
| Legroom | ||
| Front legroom | — | 44.5 in |
| Weights | ||
| Curb weight (maximum) | — | 7,511 lbs |
| Curb weight (minimum) | — | 6,267 lbs |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | — | 11,000 lbs |
| Suspension | ||
| Front suspension type | — | Short long arms independent front suspension with torsion bars |
| Rear suspension type | — | Semi-elliptic three-stage multi-leaf springs |
| Steering | ||
| Steering type | — | Hydraulic power-assisted recirculating ball |
| Brakes | ||
| Front brake diameter | — | 355 mm |
| Front brake type | — | ventilated disc |
| Rear brake diameter | — | 360 mm |
| Rear brake type | — | solid disc |
| Wheels | ||
| Wheel diameter | — | 17 in |
| Wheel material | — | steel |
| Tires | ||
| Tire size | — | LT265/70R17 |
| Fuel System | ||
| Fuel tank capacity | — | 36 gal |
| Shoulder Room | ||
| Front shoulder room | — | 66.1 in |
Green marks the better value where the direction is unambiguous (more room, more power, lower price). Blank rows are specs the press kit does not publish.
Equipment, feature by feature
10 features · differences first, then sharedSafety4 differ · 4 listed
| Feature | GMC Sierra 3500HD | Chevrolet Silverado 2500HDWT 2WD |
|---|---|---|
| Front and Rear Park Assist | — | opt |
| Hydraulic power-assisted Hydroboost brake booster, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and Stabilitrak electronic stability assist | — | std |
| Stabilitrak electronic stability assist | — | std |
| Stabilitrak electronic stability assist (TCS) | — | std |
Powertrain3 differ · 3 listed
| Feature | GMC Sierra 3500HD | Chevrolet Silverado 2500HDWT 2WD |
|---|---|---|
| 6.6L V-8 gasoline or E85 FlexFuel engine (401 hp / 464 lb-ft) | — | std |
| Allison 10L1000 10-speed automatic transmission | — | std |
| Duramax 6.6L V-8 Turbo-Diesel engine (470 hp / 975 lb-ft) | — | opt |
Chassis2 differ · 2 listed
| Feature | GMC Sierra 3500HD | Chevrolet Silverado 2500HDWT 2WD |
|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic power-assisted recirculating ball steering | — | std |
| Short long arms independent front suspension with torsion bars | — | std |
Cargo1 differ · 1 listed
| Feature | GMC Sierra 3500HD | Chevrolet Silverado 2500HDWT 2WD |
|---|---|---|
| Max Towing Package (3500-series leaf springs and shocks on 2500) | — | opt |
Highlighted rows are where the two differ. Wording is the manufacturer's own.
Safety record
NHTSA recalls, complaints, NCAPGMC Sierra 3500HD
Top recalls
- high Fuel System, Gasoline 26V129000 · 11,807 vehicles
- minor Equipment 26V114000 · 5,861 vehicles
Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
Top recalls
- minor Equipment 26V114000 · 5,861 vehicles
- minor Equipment 25V815000 · 3,408 vehicles
Ownership
EPA, manufacturer warranty| GMC Sierra 3500HD | Chevrolet Silverado 2500HDWT 2WD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | — (base trim) |
| Price range across trims | — | — 10 trims |
| Powertrains | — | GAS |
| EPA configuration compared | — | — |
| Combined mpg / MPGe | — | — |
| EPA annual fuel cost | — | — |
| EV range | — | — |
| Basic warranty | 3 yr / 36,000 mi (make terms) | 3 yr / 36,000 mi (make terms) |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 yr / 60,000 mi (make terms) | 5 yr / 60,000 mi (make terms) |
| Roadside assistance | 5 yr | 5 yr |
Common questions
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich is better, the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD or the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
The GMC Sierra 3500HD wins clearly, 94.5 to 87.3, on safety. On WhichTrim's default weights the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD scores 94.5 and the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 87.3. The weights are yours to change — move what you care about and the verdict recalculates on the page.
Which has the better safety record, the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD or the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD: no NHTSA rating yet, grade B, 2 recalls. 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD: no NHTSA rating yet, grade A, 2 recalls. Crash ratings come from NHTSA's own tests; the grade is WhichTrim's read of the recall record, and the two can disagree.
What are the biggest differences between the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD and the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
Where the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD wins: it has drawn fewer owner complaints (5 against 12 filed with NHTSA). Where the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD answers: it has the cleaner recall record (Safety Signal 94 against 89). What they share: a 3-year basic warranty, 36,000-mile basic coverage, and a 5-year powertrain warranty.