With its 2013 Sierra engine offerings, GMC has settled for a pickup truck with decidedly middle-of-the-road performance. It won’t break the bank, but the 1500 definitely won’t impress drivers with power, performance, or gas mileage either.
Key Points
- The 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 comes with four different engines: the 4.3L V6, 4.8L flex-fuel V8, 5.3L flex-fuel V8, and the 6.2L V8.
- Middling gas mileage can make for a truck that’s more expensive to drive.
- Engines come mated with either four or six-speed automatic transmissions.
- Poor horsepower and torque make you wonder why GMC included the 4.3L V6 engine on the Sierra 1500.
2013 Sierra’s Base 4.3L V6 is Underwhelming for a Vehicle Intended to Do Work
The 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck’s base models come with a 4.3L V6. The engine puts out 195 hp at 260 lb.-ft. of torque. According to My Car Specs, the 2013 Sierra crew cab 4WD WT does 0-60 mph in 7.6 seconds. The pickup covers the quarter-mile at 14 seconds. This makes you wonder if the truck can rapidly accelerate when necessary.
Additionally, the 2013 model’s 4.3L V6’s torque is lower than class competitors. Some consumers say the 4.3L V6 may be able to power the truck itself. But when it has a heavy payload, the engine struggles. Most working applications of the truck are rendered ineffective by the experience. It also makes it a hard pass if you’re looking for a workhorse in your pickup.
The 4.3L V6 engine also struggles with gas mileage. It promises 15/20 city/highway in 2WD. In 4WD, it offers 14/18 city/highway.
So, even with the six-cylinder engine’s decrease in power and size, drivers won’t be saving on gas. At least not when compared to GMC’s larger engines in the 2013 lineup. This is due to mating the 4.3L V6 to a four-speed transmission. But that tranny is more at home on a mid-century Harley than a 2013 pickup truck.
The Wheelhouse of the 2013 Sierra is in its Well-rounded, Flex-fuel V8 Engines
Though it may seem counterintuitive, GMC’s V8s for 2013 are the way to go if you’re looking to save at the pump. Both the 4.8L and 5.3L V8s are flex-fuel vehicles, running on either E85 ethanol or regular unleaded gasoline. Active Fuel Management technology even allows these trucks to run on a mixture of the two.
The 4.8L V8 will net drivers a slight downgrade from the V6 at 14/19 mpg city/highway; drivers can also use cheaper E85 fuel and get 10/14 city/highway. GMC’s four-speed transmission mated to the 4.8L really drags fuel economy down.
The major benefits of the 4.8L are the boosts in horsepower and torque, up to 302 hp and 305 lb.-ft. of torque, both marked improvements over the V6 that let the 2013 Sierra breathe a little bit. With this engine drivers won’t have to worry about acceleration or towing capacity—the 4.8L V8 can tow over 10,000 pounds.
GMC really shines with its 5.3L flex-fuel V8. Pairing it with the automatic six-speed transmission makes all the difference for this engine—it’ll get you down the road well with consumers reporting 15/21 mpg city/highway when running regular unleaded gasoline.
When running E85, the 5.3L Sierra nets drivers 11/16 city/highway. Horsepower gets a boost, up to 315 when running gasoline; with E85, the 5.3L peaks at 325 horsepower. Torque is ramped up in the 5.3L engine as well, topping out at 335 lb.-ft. when running gas and 348 lb.-ft. on E85.
When looking at the 2013 Sierra 1500, the 5.3L V8 blows the rest of the lineup out of the water in every category.
GMC’s Luxurious Denali Package Comes Standard with its Biggest, Quickest Engine
On the high end of the spectrum, we find the 6.2L V8. The 6.2L is flex-fuel as well and comes mated to the same six-speed transmission as the 5.3L, but despite the gain in size, the 6.2L V8 comes up looking a little lackluster.
Fuel economy takes a hit, dropping to 13/18 city/highway on gas and 9/13 city/highway when running E85, which is gas mileage drivers could have found on GMC models 40 years ago, but odds are if you can afford the Denali you can afford the fuel to run it.
The 6.2L does offer some benefits to performance with variable valve timing that leapfrogs the Denali package up to 403 hp and 417 lb.-ft. of torque, good enough to reportedly get the 6.2L V8 from zero to 60 in 6.6 seconds—incredibly swift for a large pickup.
2013 was a Year of Several Recalls for the 1500 Sierra
Though most National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalls for the 2013 Sierra are not engine related, six were issued that could be problematic as far as safety is concerned.
The one recall issued by the NHTSA that is tied with the engine is the reported failing of the transfer pump, which may lead to an inaccurate fuel reading, leading then to engine stall. However, the recall was issued shortly after the vehicle’s release in December of 2013, so most of these problems should have been addressed.
Another issue reported in 2013 by the NHTSA comes when the vehicle isn’t even turned on. Some Sierras have shifted from park with the ignition off and the keys outside the vehicle, obviously very dangerous if children are around. The Sierra may shift out of park and roll down the driveway with nobody in the truck, posing great risk for pedestrians nearby.
There is one minor NHTSA recall that involves text font size on a label on the gas tank and another major one that may pose risk of a fire if the extinguisher is clogged or inoperable.
The NHTSA recently put out two recalls in 2021 concerning the front passenger airbags, which may explode and deploy unexpectedly, leading to serious injury or death from metal fragments found in the airbag compartment.
When Looking at the 2013 GMC Sierra 1500, the 5.3L V8 is the Only Option for Most Applications
With GMC, you know you are going to get reliability and great styling that make for a dependable, good-looking truck that does the job and looks flashy doing it.
However, three of the four engine offerings for 2013 just aren’t up to par with what we’ve come to expect from General Motors and likely won’t deliver on most consumers’ demands of the vehicle, especially when compared to other pickup trucks from 2013, but the 5.3L V8 is the exception. If you’re looking for a good all-around pickup engine from GMC’s 2013 offerings, the list starts and ends with the 5.3L.
Photos: GMC
