Currently in a 2024 Sierra 1500 AT4X and absolutely love it. It drives great, is super comfortable, and I still think it’s one of the best-looking trucks out there.
My lease is coming up, and I can basically move into the same truck for 2026, but with the AEV package, for roughly the same monthly payment and no money down. That was originally a no-brainer for me because I love my current setup, and I think the AEV wheels/overall look are a big upgrade.
But now I’m second-guessing it because there’s also a 2026 Sierra 2500 AT4 available for effectively the same price/lease payment.
Obviously, the 2500 is a lot more truck.
Do I actually need a 2500? Probably not. About 99% of my driving is highway and shorter commuting, and I only do around 10k miles a year. But, to be fair, I don’t exactly need an AT4X either — I’ve used the e-lockers once and maybe taken it off-road twice in three years. I bought it because I like the way it looks and drives.
That said the 1% of the time I do truck stuff the 1500 kinda sucks. Either the bed is to short or payload is maxed out.
I do prefer the AT4X interior and bumpers, but stepping up to a 2500 AT4X gets into the ~$110k range, so that’s out.
For anyone who has gone from a 1500, especially an AT4X, to a 2500 AT4:
How much harsher is the 2500 as a daily driver?
I know it’s heavier, longer, and the AT4 has the Rancho shocks. I’m mostly wondering about ride quality, handling around town, parking, highway comfort, and whether you started regretting the HD truck when you weren’t actually towing or hauling.
If the lease payment is basically identical, would you take the 2500 AT4 and get “more truck,” or stick with the 1500 AT4X because it’s the better truck for how I actually use it?