Overview:
This 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 Extended Cab was great to drive. Standard or regular cabs must surely be on their way out because there is nowhere to put your golf clubs. I’ve owned two pickup trucks before extended cabs were available. The first was a 1946 Chevy and the other a 1955 Ford.
And no, I didn’t buy them new. But they were both great vehicles and at the time the love of my life. Young people have weird priorities don’t they? When you’ve owned regular cab pickups you appreciate even more the convenience of an extended cab. Pickups, like almost everything else, just continue to improve every year in every way. You can finally put the kidney belt in storage. Those old “rock and roll” trucks are now in mothballs, except for the ones restored by older guys in rod clubs. They know that old feeling and usually replace the suspension with new stuff. Today’s trucks are almost embarrassingly comfortable for macho guys.
If you look hard enough you’ll find something wrong about everything. But the complaint I saw in this 1999 model is the third door. I know I should appreciate having a third door, but I feel that putting it on the driver side would have been better. I have a keen sense of the obvious and when you look around you find most cars and trucks only have one person in them most of the time. So it stands to reason that the driver will use the third door most of the time. Anyway, if you have the family along it might be better to help the little ones up on your side. Well GM, what am I missing here? Probably nothing, because consumers must have complained too. They added a fourth door for 2000 as an option.
At the end of the day, however, that wouldn’t stop me from buying a 3-door 1999. If you’re like me you like to take advantage of the great deals for end of a model year shoppers. In any case I stopped complaining about the third door when I mashed down on the throttle and felt that old feeling. Raw power. Perhaps it’s the most noticeable impression this truck will leave you with. The Vortec 5300 5.3-liter V8 engine is really impressive.
Historically the GMC brand name goes back 90 years and it’s not surprising that Sierra has been GMC’s bestseller by a two-to-one margin. If you wondered where the “beef” is, you won’t have to look any further than the GMC truck. I like the Dodge Ram and several of my friends and family opted to buy the Ram. Even though I consider them close and tough competitors I lean to GM products because I feel they stand up better, longer. I doubt it would surprise anyone that GM expects that men will purchase 90 percent of their trucks. Women simply have far less use for a truck.
The Competition:
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 $15,355 – $32,050, Dodge Ram 1500 $14,895 – $23,850, Ford F-150 $15,285 – $30,710, Toyota Tundra $14,995 – $27,830.
Good News:
Solid feel, car like comfort, handles great, stops on a dime and you get 5 cents change, GM quality, powerful, outstanding fit and finish, quiet.
Bad News:
Typical poor mileage from a big V8, large size is tough to maneuver, stiff suspension that makes it a truck also gives bumpy ride on cement roads, and third door should be on driver side.
Standard Equipment:
5.3 liter 285-horsepower Vortec V8 engine, 4-speed automatic trans, 4-wheel drive, dual airbags with shut off switch for passenger side, daytime running lights, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes (ABS), tinted glass, engine hour meter, driver message center, theft-deterrent system, cloth split-bench seat, carpeting, AM/FM stereo, Front frame-mounted recovery hooks, Power steering, wiring harness for towing and third rear access door.
Gas Stats:
15 City and 18 Highway MPG.
Pricing:
MSRP $27,230
