AAA Western & Central NY

Trying to keep ahead of fierce competition, General Motors has completely redesigned their full-size pickups, the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra 2500HD.

We're all familiar with the troubles at Ford and Chrysler and - to only a slightly lesser extent - General Motors. But adding insult to injury, the sales of full-size pickups in the U.S. last year fell 10 percent as gas prices again topped $3 a gallon and a sharp decline in new construction resulted in fewer tradesmen buying new trucks.

With aims toward a bigger stake in the full-size truck market, Toyota recently introduced its redesigned Tundra that - not so coincidentally - is built at a new facility in San Antonio, Texas. Toyota, who sold 124,000 Tundras in 2006, is looking to raise that number to 200,000 with the new '07 model.

And while sales of the best-selling Ford F150 continue to decline, it seems both Chevy and GMC have found a sweet spot among full-size buyers with year over year sales increases for both newly designed Silverado and Sierra.

The Silverado and Sierra are mechanically identical with only slightly different sheet metal styling. Chevy sells an Avalanche model, while GMC offers the luxury Denali. Combined, GM would like to see $1 million in sales for 2007, with Chevy accounting for about 75% of that total.

While the lighter-duty half-ton Sierra and Silverado went on sale late in 2006, my tester, the heavy-duty 2500, has only recently arrived at dealerships. Though similar to the 1500 models from Chevy and GMC, the new 2500HD has a larger standard 6.0-liter V-8 that produces 312 hp and 373 pound-feet of torque. A 6.6-liter turbo-diesel that produces 365 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque is optional. Both use a six-speed automatic transmission.

The 2500 is offered in a dizzying number of configurations, including regular, extended and crew cab, along with a choice of two cargo box lengths and either two-wheel or four-wheel drive. Trim levels include the base WT (work truck), mid-range SLE and top-of-the-line SLT.

Visually, the 2500 has a slightly different grille and front valance, and features larger interior door pull handles than the 1500.

Inside, the dash, seats and door panels are all the same as those in the GMC Yukon, Yukon XL and Denali models. They are strikingly handsome with a high-quality appearance, fit and finish. There's still an overuse of hard plastics, but GM's execution is better here than in previous generation models.

The cabin is huge, with ample room up-front for head, hips and legs. The shifter is on the column and there's an oversized center console with two cup holders and an open storage tray with plenty of room for loose items like cell phones, a Kleenex box and pocket change.

The back seat felt much smaller. It was noticeably less comfortable than the new 2008 Ford Super Duty I tested in March, but in fairness the Ford King Ranch was almost $14,000 more expensive. Rear seats were too upright and uncomfortable for long drives.

I used the 2500HD almost exclusively as a commuter vehicle with mixed highway and city street driving. Because of the beefier 2500 heavy-duty suspension, it had a ride noticeably firmer than the Silverado I tested in January. Though smooth and comfortable for a truck, I recommend opting for the 1500 series unless you need the towing or load capacity.

Because this is a big truck, you have to plan where you want to park and allow that the cargo bed will, in most cases, extend into driving lanes in parking ramps and shopping center spots. And, don't expect to just pull into an empty spot. You'll almost always need a few back and forth attempts, due to its massive size.

I tested a high-end 2500HD Crew Cab SLT with four-wheel drive and a base price of $40,255 including the $900 destination charge. Options - including remote vehicle start, adjustable pedals, rear park assist, off-road package, navigation system, sunroof, power rear sliding window, XM Satellite radio, heavy duty trailering equipment, trailer brake, cargo management system and heated mirrors- added an additional $5,314 to the base price.

My tester also had the optional and recommended EZ-Lift & locking tailgate ($95) that makes raising and lowering the tailgate possible without dislocating a disc in your back.

Standard equipment on the SLT includes 17" aluminum wheels, dual zone air conditioning, rear window defogger, Bose AM/FM stereo with 6-disc CD/MP3, tilt steering column, cruise control, auto headlamps, fog lamps, 12-way power-heated leather bucket seats with memory, power locks and windows, heated mirrors and electronic shift transfer case.

Safety gear includes 4-wheel anti-lock brakes and dual front air bags. Other safety features including side and curtain airbags and stability control are not available on the 2500HD. While it has not been crash tested, the very similar 2007 1500 Sierra received the highest five stars for front crash tests from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Overall, I found the test truck nice to drive, brawny with ample towing and hauling capacity. However, I don't recommend it as a daily driver unless you're on a ranch, can use it as a trade vehicle or frequently haul a boat, RV or trailer. I recorded a dismal 14.2-mpg during my weeklong test. Long cargo bed models come with a 34-gallon fuel tank, a 26-gallon fuel tank is found on short bed models.