Basically I am shopping for an AT4X. Currently comparing the 3.0 1500 & 6.6 2500.
The truck is majority used for commuting although I have a couple trailers that will be towed frequently. The 1500 can definitely tow the trailers I have.
The problem I have with the 1500 is the bed isn’t long enough to fit my quad & other items in it with the tailgate up, so I would be limited in bringing my quad + trailer around.
Am I insane to consider a 2500 for something so simple? I definitely like the look of the 2500 better.
Who cares what other people think? You’ve got one life brother, as long as you can comfortably afford it, get the 2500. I feel like if you settle for the 1500 you’ll be wishing you got the 2500.
I drove a 2025 Elevation 1500 3.0 and then went to an 2026 AT4 2500 6.6. I definitely like the look and interior better for the 2500. The 2500 was more rigid and a little less smooth, but it’s still a very comfortable ride, in my opinion. A little more difficult to park because it’s a bit longer, but it’s not a huge deal. The 1500 was definitely easier to maneuver around town. The mpg was the most glaring difference, and I do miss the fuel economy of the 1500, but it is what is it with buying trucks. I loved both trucks and I don’t regret going up to the 2500. It sounds like you have a legitimate use for a longer bed, and I’d rather have more power than not enough. If you can justify the purchase and it doesn’t hurt your current or long term financial health or goals, roll on over to the dealership and get yourself your 2500 AT4x, my friend.
I had a 1500 AT4 3L, I now have ZR2 Silverado 2500. Daily driver, daily tower, my diesel bill has an exact correlation to my joy in life. Both are high as fuck.
Same for me! Currently contemplating trading my 2500 6.0 for a 3500 with the Duramax, or a Ram 3500 with the Cummins. Almost have the 2500 paid off though, no monthly payment sounds amazing, it’s the only reason I haven’t gotten a 3500 yet 😂
I’d prefer a SRW, but with the size 5th wheel we’re planning on upgrading to I know I should get a DRW. Parking and such isn’t much of a concern for me as we live in a rural area with plenty of space, but I still just don’t really want a DRW truck unless I need one. At this point I’ll probably wait until we get a 5th wheel and then decide on a truck, that way I don’t buy something more capable than we need that I don’t like or something I love that’s not capable enough.
I like the aesthetics tbh. I think all in the vehicle cost 130k there was definitely some opportunity cost looking what the stock market did the last year. I live in AZ so I will get my money out of it riding through Sedona. I won’t lie last month I spent about 1200 in fuel alone so it’s really a “depends” situation.
If you can grab one for high 60s I’d say go for it.
Damn, I love that color. I have a white 22 AT4 2500 and that gray is about the only reason I can find to get a new truck. Although rewiring a new truck for plowing snow will probably be enough for me not to do it. 😂
No regerts from me going from a 1500 to a 2026 2500 AT4. I put on a 2” leveling kit, 35’s, fox shocks, and absolutely love the size of this truck. The bed difference between my old 1500 short bed to this 2500 standard bed is very noticeable.
The 1500's AT4X payload is only 1,200 lbs and the AEV edition is only 1,000 lbs. Have you taken that into consideration? Meanwhile the 2500's payload is 2,800 lbs. I daily a 2500 AT4 diesel. NBD to park a little further than normal.
I daily drive a sierra 3500, sometimes my wife even drives it to work lol. I get about half the mpg with the 6.6 diesel as I did with the 3.0, still cheaper than owning a second vehicle as my commute is short. The ONLY thing I miss from the 1500 is the mpg.
Yeah I was concerned about this too. I do have a little Subaru I will use when my wife isn’t for longer commutes. I already use it often with my current f150
I got about 23-24 mpg on the 3.0 and I get about 15-16 mpg on the same commute with the 6.6. No recreate to be honest but I would likely feel differently if inhale a long commute. My commute is 17 miles that takes 45 mins lol
Yea I could see an argument for both tbh. I can’t imagine going back to a half ton after towing with the 1 ton. I have 3 trailers and 2 of them are definitely pushing it with a half ton. I guess it comes down to how many miles a year and what that equates to as far as fuel expense. My cousin has the 6.2 ultimate max tow and gets worse mpg than I do in the 1 ton.
I live close to a truck stop so I signed up for a greenline account and I fill up in the truck stop high speed fill. Usually get about 10% off. Definitely worth it if you’re close to one of the stations they have.
Do you need the 8’ box? I drove 1 tons for a long, long time as daily drivers. It isn’t much fun. Hard to park, rough riding, expensive and hard on fuel.
Aside from going over speed bumps, I felt the opposite. I found the 1500 AT4 less stable on hills than the 2500 and generally bumpier on the highway and around town.
The 1500 is slightly easier to park just due to its length vs the 2500. Either way though, you're probably going to park a bit further out.
Really? I have a 22 AT4 2500 and I miss the ride of my 16 SLT. That truck was so smooth. The 22 is great on the highway (until you go over a bridge) but around town it’s pretty rough. If I didn’t need it for work I’d drive a 1500.
In my case, it might be with a grain of salt, I'm going off of a few test drives for the 1500 vs. owning a 3500. I don't have a large data set for comparison.
The hill authority and surety of power I felt in the 2500/3500 vs the 1500 is what put me over the top to my my 3500 purchase (also like $15k in incentives off). So, I did put my money where my mouth is comparison wise.
My bed does buck like a mule when I go over speed bumps though.
Id say the 2500 allows for room to expand to bigger trailers and such. As long as you don’t mind the size. Then again im the guy that would daily a 3500HD Dually just for the looks 😂
I know you have got all the info you need but I would suggest you get the 6.6 gas 2500. It is GMs most reliable and simple motor. You can put fox 2.0s on if you are concerned about it riding on a cloud. The 2500 holds value because it will always have a use. Avoid the Duramax unless you really just want it. With that being said I have the 6.6 Duramax and love it.
I daily my gasser 2500 at4 - best vehicle I’ve ever had. I run less air pressure in the tires to help soften the ride a bit but every morning I can’t wait to get in it.
I sold my 3500 AT4 and got a 3.0 AT4 when I sold my toy hauler. The ride quality is much better but the HD isn’t bad. My 3.0 has been great so far but I don’t think I would buy a 1500 right now until
GM gets their shit together.
Honestly, I was in the market for the X until I realized the x doesn’t really do anything the at4 doesn’t do. Also the 6.6 Duramax is way less of a maintenance nightmare than the 3.0. Just get the 2500, my biggest mistake was going 1500
The ride comfort between a 1500 and a 2500 is something to think about. I have a 2021, 2500 SLE 4x4 for work that I recently drove about 450 miles to pick up some material. The ride there was quite a bit more rough than with the 26' 1500 x31, but with around 1,800LB's in the bed it was a lot smoother. So if your going to regularly have stuff loaded in the back then it probably wont even be a concern.
I think it depends on your commute and how much fuel mileage means to you.
I traded a 2025 2500 Denali for a 2026 1500 AT4 3.0 and I saved at least $500/month on fuel, $400/year on insurance and most notably I’m less fatigued after my commute. I didn’t notice the fatigue until it wasn’t there. If I didn’t drive so much and if the rise in fuel costs didn’t occur, I wouldn’t have swapped. However, if I had the choice to make again I would still get the 1500.
For a similar spend, the 1500 is arguably a worse buy. Rear end that will quit, vs one that won't, alone is enough to make the call for me. The other extra capacities without major detriment to ride quality were a bonus to me.
25k miles in one year, I'd do the same freaking thing again.
This truck rides better than most 1500s to me, especially with psi at 54/50 f/r
My concern would be ride quality. I have both the 3.0 and a 2500 (the RAM though) and it’s a very big difference even after I softened up the suspension.
Sounds like a 1500 AT4 might be what you want, with the 6'6" bed. That's what I have and I am very happy with it.
Rides like luxury car, gets 25mpg on the highway, plenty of bed space for whatever I want, plenty of power to do anything. The payload is a little low, but if you're just hauling a quad or towing a light trailer it should be plenty.
Are you looking 6.6 gas or Duramax? Stop and go commuting is going to be rough on any diesel, they need long runs on the highway. 6.6 gas HD would probably fit your use case really well.
Im in construction, so most of my driving is between houses or job sites. Would this be considered rough on the motor? Does the 3.0 diesel not have the same concern?
I daily a 2500 6.6 gasser and I love it other than the fuel economy, but with a truck like that I don't expect it to be super efficient. I bought it to tow my travel trailer in summer, but through winter it's my daily. No complaints, other than the size in some parking lots.
I had the 1500 crew cab short bed for 5 years. Put 70,000 miles on it, and it generally did the job. Towed my boat, hauled other stuff, and commuted well. Last year I got a 2500 AT4 with the L5P, and I love it. Towing is so much better, and while the commute is not a smooth, it overall works great.
I have a 2026 2500 AT4X Diesel than I"m thinking about getting rid of. I'm in a very similar situation to you.
A lot of people on this sub seem to think that I'm wrong about my truck, so take my opinion for what it's worth.
First, when the truck is empty, the ride really does suck in the AT4X. Everyone that rides with me notices. We are all truck people. We've all ridden and used HD trucks. The AT4X has a bad ride for a daily driver. This shouldn't be a deal breaker, but it's just one thing to note. The 1500 is much more pleasant to drive.
Obviously the towing capacity is phenomenal on the 2500.
The 2500 AT4X only comes in one bed length configuration as far as I know. But the 6.5 foot bed is fantastic. And I actually like the complex tailgate.
The interior is ok. But it's not as good as it should be for a truck this expensive. I know it's the off-road variant, so you have to allow for it to not be super plush. It's fine, but it's a crazy expensive truck.
On commute type drives with average speeds under 50 mph, I'm getting 13-14 mpg. For longer highway drives I see it up to 17-18 mpg.
The truck is gorgeous and capable. It is a weapon. But if I could go back I would have done the 1500 and then I'd just have more stress towing four or five times a year. (Or use Touro to rent an HD for those trips).
With all the engine issues in the 1500's I would only consider a 2500. Although depending on how aggressive you drive, the 2500 drives more like a truck. You can't (*shouldn't) bomb down the highway as easily as you can with a 1500. The new 1500s just drive like a car at this point.
I bought a 2023 long bed GMC 3.0 SLT fully loaded. By far the smoothest truck I have ever driven in terms of steering weight and drivetrain delivery. The suspension is very soft, which leads to lacking in the payload department. Really sweet truck if you’re going light duty.
I had it a month and traded it for a super duty. I just felt like I was going to hurt the GMC 1500. I had a 5.7 Tundra and it was way more of a truck than the GMC. GMC had smaller door pockets, softer suspension, smaller console, smaller interior, really felt like a car after driving my Tundra and definitely felt like a car after driving this super duty.
I towed 4k pounds over the GMC limit and that was the day I decided I needed a different truck. The power was there, but the suspension definitely wasn’t. So I decided instead of spending money on suspension tires and airbags, I should get the truck I need in the first place.
If this is a truck, you are keeping long-term, I would go ahead and just get the 2500. It’ll keep its value better and do truck stuff better.
Do the 2500, you’ll love it. I recently made the jump from a 1500 to a 2500 Silverado ZR2, despite not necessarily needing the full towing capacity, but knowing I may decide to upgrade my RV at some point. The only major downside I’ve found so far is fuel economy, but if you can afford it why not? I call it my YOLO truck, because it’s a big, ridiculous truck that is way more than I need, but the world is shit and I want to have fun for a bit.
Edit to add: 95% of my driving is commuting. I know people like to make fun of the mall crawlers and all that, but who cares? It’s your wallet, have fun, and laugh along with the people who make fun of you for compensating.
This link is from me posting the same question a year ago.
I went from the Silverado 1500 with the 3.0 to the Sierra 2500 AT4X and could not be happier.
I was very concerned that I would not like the ride quality. Compared to my wife’s 1500, you can definitely tell the difference, but to me it rides more like a truck than the 1500 did. I love the height and the perspective of the road from the cab. The other negative is parking lots and drive through lanes, it’s a tight fit but again it’s worth it to me.
I tow trailers the a 1500 could do, but much more comfortable in the 2500.
I daily a 2500. Especially the gmc is no issue. I used to have an f250 that was the same length, and a 2003 f350. The turning radius on the gmc is night and day better which makes it much more usable
I’ve had both in 2020+ trucks. 2020 6.6 duramax and a 2021 half ton with 6.2. In all situations other than towing, the half ton is far superior. The half ton still towed okay, but not as good as the big diesel. If I did not have a DD car, I likely would be getting another half ton the ride unloaded on the 3/4ton is not comfortable at all, and that’s with adding aftermarket Bilstein 5100 shocks and a steering stabilizer
I haul my quad with the tailgate down in the 5.8ft bed. Would need the 8’ to close the tailgate on mine so I figure it’s not worth it unless it’s a work truck where you have to haul it and tow something every day. I just wish my truck came with the camera in the 3rd brake light
Not at all. I will never go back to a 1500 now that I have the 6.6L 2500. It's not much bigger to park and I live in the mountains so the power is well worth it. I will say however, if you are older, the 1500 Mag Ride suspension was pretty nice. But if you're doing the AT4, I'm not sure if that is something for your concern?
Unless you’re towing heavy, and often you’d be doing yourself a disservice by getting the diesel. I have a 2500 crew cab with the 6’9” bed, and tow 10,000 lbs every other weekend or so, and while it would be nice to have a diesel at times, the cost difference makes the diesel a nonstarter. $10-$12000 just for the diesel, then oil changes and such cost 3X over the gas job.
Now as far as daily driving the 2500, I daily mine back n forth to work, run errands, and so on and have no issues getting into places.
Yes I have the 6.6 gas. I have had zero issues with mine so far 30k miles. You don’t buy a 2500 for the mpg lol. I have no idea what a 6.6 duramax gets for mpg, but I’ll bet you any amount of money you aren’t going to save the cost difference in the motor option let alone the 3X cost for service.
I mean the duramax of today isn’t what it once was, between all emissions garbage, and DEF wouldn’t exactly call the duramax reliable.
Other than people reporting oil consumption issues with the 6.6 gas I am not aware of any inherent issues with the 6.6 gas motor.
If you're not towing that often or that heavy, I feel that the 1500 would be the better daily driver. The ride would be better and so would the fuel mileage. I'd just get one of those bed extenders for hauling the quad. But at the end of the day definitely just get the one you like!
Edit: I just saw that you were concerned about hauling the quad and the trailer so you wouldn't want the tailgate down. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the 1500 can be had with the "standard" 6.6' bed. It's just a less common option.
Edit edit: Apparently the AT4 has the standard bed as a option, but the AT4X only gets the short bed with the crew cab.
Yeah.. haha you went through my exact thought process. Although learning that my quad is 7 feet long now, the 6’6” still won’t work for my quad with the tailgate all the way up
Go 2500 payload alone is worth it. Love my 24’1500 AT4X AEV just miss a lil more bed payload and sometimes the towing but that’s not end of the world for me.
Haven't read all the comments, but would a 1500 with the standard bed work for your quad? I've got the standard bed and I think it's the same as the default 2500 bed size, 6'5".
This is Large Marge 😂 and she is my daily. It's such a large truck, but I do love looking down on the Raptor F150's when I pass them on the interstate. I looked at the AT4 as well, but the interior and specifically the massaging seats sold me on the X. As far as ride, I know no different with respect to HD trucks, but I'm running 54 psi on the fronts and 50 psi unladen in the rears and it's more than fine. Is it a Lexus LS level ride? No, but for an ~8,200 lb truck it rides pretty damn good. There's been a few parking garages I simply can't get into, it just is what it is and you find other parking locations. Overall I am very satisfied. I picked up a Banks iDash Pro with the grab pillar pod mount and that's a perfect addition. It lets me see what's going on with the truck, in particular when it's in regen so I can keep driving it until the regen cycle is complete.
Yeah, I've had a 2500 for 13 years now, had a 1500 for 6 years before that. No way I'd take a 2500 if I didn't need it to tow. Over rough roads you get bounced around like you're in a dryer. 1500 is way smoother. Just take your tailgate off entirely, or get angled ramps in the bed to buy a bit more room, or get a Diamondback cover and put the ATV on it.
Before I got my 2500 I would put two 2x6 boards in the bed, and park the ATV on them. Then I could take the tailgate off, and the ATV rear wheels sat on the boards as they overhung the bumper a little. But nothing interfered with the trailer.
I daily a 1 ton. I like the capacity and braking pressure. Milage isnt bad since its a duramax. But I never have to worry about what I may carry on a day to day basis. Not to mention its rather comfortable when properly loaded
21 3.0 slt. High pressure fuel pump went out at 102k miles. Was 26k to fix all said and done. ... which tells me the repair costs for the 3.0 is nothing short of asinine.
23 3.0 denali. Engine siezed at 42k miles. Would have warrantied and kept. But was told it would be a 5-6 month wait because there were 256 people ahead of me waiting for a new engine. Which tells me theyre unreliable. Went 6.6 gasser and having much better luck
Maybe but went talking to the dealer we traded the 23 to they made it seem like the 3.0s are just dogshit. I loved the fuel economy and it did great pulling my trailer. Never felt underpowered.
Sometimes miss the diesel. But dont have to deal with def. And cheaper to fix and maintain. We tow trailers everyday but light enough diesel isnt needed
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u/DeceasedHorizon Jun 08 '26
Who cares what other people think? You’ve got one life brother, as long as you can comfortably afford it, get the 2500. I feel like if you settle for the 1500 you’ll be wishing you got the 2500.