Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2014 Ford F-150 VS 2014 GMC Sierra Near Phoenix, AZ

Both the F‑150 and the Sierra have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available four-wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Ford F‑150 is safer than the GMC Sierra:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The F‑150’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Sierra’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 74 percent more Ford dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the F‑150’s warranty.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the F‑150 have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engines in the Sierra.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the F‑150 has a standard 750-amp battery. The Sierra’s standard 730-amp battery and largest (V8 Crew Cab/Double Cab) 720 amp battery aren’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2013 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 13th in reliability. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is ranked 17th.

The F‑150 has more powerful engines than the Sierra:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford F‑150 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Sierra with the 6.2 V8 engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The F‑150’s optional fuel tank has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sierra Long Bed’s standard fuel tank (36 vs. 34 gallons).

The F‑150 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sierra doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the F‑150’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Sierra:

The F‑150 stops much shorter than the Sierra:

For better traction, the F‑150 Raptor’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sierra (315/70R17 vs. 285/45R22).

The Ford F‑150’s wheels have 7 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The GMC Sierra only has 6 wheel lugs per wheel.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the F‑150’s wheelbase is longer than on the Sierra:

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the F‑150 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Sierra.

The F‑150 5.5 ft. bed Limited SuperCrew 4x4 handles at .77 G’s, while the Sierra 1500 Standard Box SLE Regular Cab 4x4 pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the F‑150 5.5 ft. bed SVT Raptor SuperCab has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sierra 1500 Double Cab (9.5 vs. 8.9 inches), allowing the F‑150 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The F‑150 SuperCab has 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom and 5.2 inches more rear hip room than the Sierra Double Cab.

The F‑150 SuperCrew has 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and 4.3 inches more rear hip room than the Sierra Crew Cab.

The F‑150 SuperCrew 5.5 ft. bed has a much larger cargo box than the Sierra Short Bed (55.4 vs. 53.4 cubic feet). The F‑150 6.5 ft. bed has a much larger cargo box than the Sierra Standard Bed (65.5 vs. 61 cubic feet). The F‑150 8.0 ft. bed has a much larger cargo box than the Sierra Regular Cab Long Bed (81.3 vs. 76.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over bed design makes loading and unloading the F‑150 easier. The F‑150 Regular Cab’s bed lift-over height is 34.1 inches, while the Sierra Regular Cab’s liftover is 36.3 inches. The F‑150 SuperCab’s bed lift-over height is 33.8 inches, while the Sierra Double Cab’s liftover is 34.8 inches. The F‑150 SuperCrew’s bed lift-over height is 33.1 inches, while the Sierra Crew Cab’s liftover is 34.9 inches.

The Ford F‑150 has a standard tailgate assist feature, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. Tailgate assist is only available on the GMC Sierra SLE/SLT/Denali.

The F‑150’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Sierra’s optional power windows’ front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the F‑150’s standard exterior keypad (not available on F‑150 XL/STX). The Sierra doesn’t offer an exterior keypad entry system, and its extra cost OnStar ® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The F‑150 Platinum/Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Sierra’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Both the F‑150 and the Sierra offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the F‑150 Crew Cab offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Sierra doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the F‑150 first among large pickups in owner reported satisfaction in 2014. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Sierra was rated second.

The Ford F-Series outsold the GMC Sierra by over four to one during 2013.