A Comprehensive Comparison Of Toyota And GM’s Pickup Trucks

Toyota and General Motors are two automotive giants who make some of the best vehicles in their respective space in the U.S. But when it comes to pickup trucks, both have their strengths and weaknesses, and we find out where.

In the mid-size truck space, the Toyota Tacoma is the best-selling model, and neither the Chevrolet Colorado nor the GMC Canyon come anywhere close to its popularity. However, among full-size trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado range is the second bestseller in America (after the Ford F-Series). The GMC Sierra is almost as popular as the Silverado. However, the Toyota Tundra is not in the same league. But the Silverado and Sierra also include their Heavy Duty versions as well, something that’s missing from Toyota’s lineup. Additionally, GM also has electric pickups which are rolling into the market in the form of the Chevy Silverado EV and the GMC Hummer EV.

We took a closer look at their engine offerings and price ranges to find out how the pickups from Toyota and General Motors really compare against their closest rivals.

In order to bring you the most up-to-date and accurate comparison possible, we’ve relied on information sourced from General Motors, Toyota, Fueleconomy.gov, NHTSA, IIHS, and hands-on experience. For information regarding our ranking and grading procedures, please refer to our methodology policy.

Mid-Size Pickups: Tacoma Vs Colorado Vs Canyon

In the US, the most popular mid-size truck is the Toyota Tacoma. Even before the model received an update for the 2024 model, sales of the Tacoma continued to dwarf any GM truck in the segment. Brand-new generation models of the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon were introduced in 2023. Both the Colorado and the Canyon offer identical turbocharged 2.7-liter engines, that make between 237-310 hp and up to 430 lb-ft of torque. While an 8-speed automatic is standard across the range.

The all-new 2024 Tacoma introduced a new generation 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine for the pickup truck. Depending on the trim, the engine makes 270-278 hp and 310-317 lb-ft of torque, and is available with an 8-speed automatic as standard, but a 6-speed manual gearbox is available as an option, which GM does not offer. The engine in the standard Tacoma is estimated to deliver around 21 MPG, which makes it comparably economical compared to the engines in the Colorado and Canyon.

However, Toyota will soon introduce a hybrid electric Tacoma that makes 326 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. This engine will only be available with 4-wheel-drive and an 8-speed automatic. However, it is expected to be more efficient in comparison.

Pricing And Availability

The most basic 2024 Toyota Tacoma costs $31,500, which is quite comparable to the 2024 Colorado Work Truck model. However, the 2024 Canyon Elevation model starts from $37,595, but it comes with a few extra features and equipment. The Tacoma TRD PreRunner would be the closest rival to the basic Canyon at $38,100. However, the Tacoma offers short and long beds along with regular and crew cab configurations. The GM trucks (Canyon, Colorado) are only available with a single-sized bed and crew cab. The most expensive 2024 Tacoma Limited starts at $52,100, while the 2024 Canyon Denali costs $55,895.

The off-road oriented Colorado ZR2 and the Canyon AT4X cost $48,395, and $55,895 respectively. Toyota is yet to release the hybrid version of the Tacoma, and prices for those models are unknown at the time of publishing this article. The off-road Centric Tacoma TRD Pro and Trailhunter models will be hybrid-only models, that will be introduced later.

Full-Size Pickups: Tundra Vs Silverado Vs Sierra

Toyota keeps things very simple with its full-size pickup truck, the Tundra. It comes with a 3.4-liter turbo V6 that makes between 358-389 hp and 406-479 lb-ft of torque in its standard form. The hybrid version of the same V6 engine makes 437 hp and 583 lb-ft, which makes enough torque to haul and tow, and is fairly efficient. A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Tundra.

GM offers the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 with four engines that are identical to both trucks, but there is no hybrid option. Engine choices are either a 2.4-liter turbo, a 5.3-liter V8, or a 6.2-liter V6. Instead of the hybrid, GM offers a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder diesel. The gasoline motors make 310-420 hp and 430-460 lb-ft of torque. While the diesel makes 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. The smaller motor comes with an 8-speed automatic in the GM trucks, while a 10-speed gearbox is available on all other engine choices.

While in terms of power output and torque, the Tundra seems the better truck than the Silverado and Sierra. However, Toyota claims the Tundra can tow up to 12,000 lbs, while the GM trucks can tow even more at 13,300 lbs, making them better for those needs.

Pricing And Availability

The 2024 Tundra is available only as a crew cab with choices of 5.5 ft, 6.5 ft and 8.1 ft long beds. GM’s Sierra and Silverado trucks are available in standard, extended and crew cabs with 5.8 ft, 6.6 ft and 8.1 ft beds.

If you’re looking for a full-size workhorse pickup, the most basic Chevy Silverado Work Truck is the most attainable at $38,795, while the Tundra SR and Sierra SR models are also competitively priced. The most expensive Tundra is the Capstone model which costs $78,845, while the Silverado High Country is priced at $64,695 and the Sierra Denali costs $68,595. However, GMC also offers the Sierra Denali Ultimate which costs an extreme $83,490.

Among off-road oriented models, the Silverado ZR2 is the best value at $71,895, while the Tundra TRD Pro has a $74,130 price tag and the Sierra AT4X costs a staggering $81,195. These prices are for the most basic versions of the trucks and their trims. Prices for all three pickup trucks vary depending on the selected cab style, bed size, and engine configuration.

Full-Size Electric Pickups: Silverado EV Vs Hummer EV

In the full-size pickup market, Chevrolet introduced the Silverado EV, and GMC revived the Hummer EV. While a Sierra EV is also expected to arrive soon, details have not been confirmed so far. Toyota, on the other hand, has no official plans for an electric full-size pickup truck on the horizon.

Both the Silverado EV and Hummer EV use GM’s modular Ultium electric vehicle platform. The Silverado EV features a 200 kWh battery pack with a motor on each axle for 4-wheel drive. Chevrolet’s electric truck is rated to offer between 510-664 hp and 615-780 lb-ft of torque. The 2024 Silverado EV has a claimed range of up to 400 miles.

The 2024 Hummer EV uses an even larger 246.8 kWh battery pack, but is good for up to 359 miles. This is because the electric truck is tuned for better performance, making between 625-1,000 hp and a combined torque output of 11,500 lb-ft for the triple motor version. Not only does the Hummer EV have 4WD, it also offers four-wheel steering for the crab walk feature, which allows it to drive diagonally as well, which can be useful off-road.

Pricing And Availability

Chevrolet is yet to announce the official price for the Silverado EV. So far, only two trims have been confirmed, which include the work truck and the RST model. The Hummer EV is available as a pickup, and an SUV will be rolled out soon. GMC offers the dual-motor Hummer EV 2X pickup for a price of $98,845, while the triple motor 3X model costs $106,945.

Heavy Duty Pickups: Silverado HD Vs Sierra HD

Heavy-duty pickups are also something Toyota does not have in its arsenal. This allows free rein for General Motors trucks like the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD and the 2024 GMC Sierra HD. Like their smaller siblings, General Motors offers the exact same engines for the Chevy and GMC heavy-duty trucks. Both trucks get a 401 hp 6.6-liter V8 gasoline motor, and a 470 hp, 6.6-liter turbo V8 diesel engine which is good for 975 lb-ft of torque.

In both trucks, either engine comes paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, while choices for two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive are available across the model lineup. Both the Silverado and Sierra HD trucks are available in two sizes; 2500 HD and 3500 HD models. But engine and transmission choices remain the same.

Pricing And Availability

The 2024 Silverado 2500 HD costs between $46,395 and $50,095. The 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 HD is priced marginally higher, between $47,395 and $51,295. Likewise, the Silverado 3500 HD is marginally cheaper, costing between $47,595 and $51,295, against the GMC Sierra 3500 HD at $48,595 and $52,459.

Toyota Vs General Motors: The Better Pickup Truck Manufacturer

It is clear that when it comes to mid-size pickup trucks, the Toyota Tacoma is unbeatable as it dominates the space. It is the best-selling truck against its main rivals, which means it is extremely popular. With the 2024 model, Toyota has only cemented its position, as the Tacoma is now more capable than ever. The manual gearbox, TRD Pro and Trailhunter versions will also be extremely desirable for enthusiasts. Additionally, iSeeCars rates the Tacoma as quite a reliable pickup truck among its peers, being more reliable than the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon.

However, when it comes to full-size trucks, the Tundra may be extremely reliable. It is not as popular as the Chevrolet Silverado, or the GMC Sierra. The GM trucks offer more engine choices, and cab and bed configurations that make them more versatile compared to the full-size Toyota pickup.

Toyota isn’t present in the heavy-duty truck space either, which allows the Silverado and Sierra HD models to be quite popular in their space. While a Toyota Tacoma EV has been rumored to be under development, there is no official confirmation from the manufacturer about its possibility to reach production.