2023 GMC Sierra 1500 vs 2022 Toyota Tacoma

Other small trucks have come and gone—and come back again—but the Toyota Tacoma has been the cornerstone of the segment for decades now. Though it has grown in size through the years, it has remained one of the best options if you’re in the market for a smaller alternative to full-size pickups. It’s a great option for a commuter who goes on the occasional camping, kayaking, or mountain biking adventure. The bed is good for picking up supplies to tackle a weekend project.

But the midsize Tacoma has increased competition. In the past decade, the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Ford Ranger have returned. The Nissan Frontier recently received a long-overdue overhaul. And there’s even a new crop of compact pickups, including the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick. So is the Tacoma still the big dog among small trucks?

Take a step back and think about a full-size truck from the early 2000s. The nicest creature comforts included leather upholstery, an upgraded stereo, and, if you were lucky, heated seats. Today, nearly every luxury-car feature has found its way into high-end pickups. We’ve blown past heated leather seats; you can now get features like massaging seats in a full-size truck. The same brinksmanship that applies to pickup-truck capability now also applies to the luxury trims.

This is very evident in the 2023 GMC Sierra 1500. The Denali trim is what kicked off the idea of a “lux truck,” and it has been joined by the Ford F-150 Limited and Ram 1500 Limited. Those competitors deliver a higher grade of refinement than the Denali was providing. But upping the ante is a constant state in the truck market, and GMC now offers a Denali Ultimate trim that includes nearly every single option and package. So is the Denali Ultimate the new standard of luxury among full-size trucks?