2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum vs. GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate: Best Luxury Truck

Bentley? Bah. Rolls-Royce? Rubbish. Cadillac? C'mon. Today, there are legions of buyers whose idea of a luxury vehicle includes a cargo bed and 10,000 pounds of towing capacity, and that's what this comparison test is all about. So we're swapping our Dickies for Dior and going out on the town to find out who makes the best luxury truck: Ford or GMC.

Our two contenders are as different from each other as two pickups can be. From GMC, we have the 2022 Sierra 1500 in Denali Ultimate trim, a new, top-of-the-line model introduced as part of the Sierra's midcycle refresh. Distinguished from lesser Denalis by its smoked "Vader" chrome, 22-inch wheels, and open-pore wood trim, the Ultimate comes standard with everything on the Sierra's options list, including the MultiPro tailgate, carbon-fiber-composite bed, and GM's spectacular Super Cruise system (though it wasn't working on our test truck; more on that later). Equipped with the optional 6.2 liter V-8 (GM's Duramax 3.0-liter turbodiesel is standard) and metallic paint, our Ultimate test truck arrived with an all-in sticker price of $84,190.

At first glance, Ford's battery-powered 2022 F-150 Lightning seems to be at a disadvantage. The Lightning has been (rightfully) making headlines for its all-electric powertrain, but for now the model range tops out at the Platinum trim, whereas the gasoline-powered F-150 offers an even more sumptuous Limited model. The Lightning Platinum does without the Limited's fancy wood trim, but it does get a giant tablet-style center screen, 22-inch wheels, 10-way power leather seats, and Ford's own semi-autonomous driver assistance system, BlueCruise (which was working, for better or worse; more on that later, too). Electric means expensive, and our test truck listed at a lofty $99,024. Still, tax incentives should lower that price for many buyers, and the savings in maintenance and fuel-station stops—of which the Lightning needs little and none, respectively—will further close the gap.

Park these two side by side, and the GMC looks like the more expensive truck. The dusky chrome, multi-spoked wheels, and elaborate detail around the headlights and lower grille give the Sierra Denali Ultimate a level of presence and gravitas a luxury truck ought to have. Like any good high-end vehicle, this truck announces the importance of the person who arrives in it.

By contrast, the F-150 Lightning Platinum looks a bit more … ordinary. Ford differentiates the various Lightning models with external trim, but the Platinum shares its full-width daytime running lights with the cheaper XLT model and its more intricate grillework (the details of which are largely lost since there's no actual grille) with the lesser Lariat. There's little to distinguish the top-line Lightning save a set of 22-inch wheels that look like they were designed for aerodynamics, not elegance. We appreciate understatement as much as the next publication, but we can see why construction company owners might not want to roll up in something that looks exactly like the work trucks they buy for their employees.

Inside, once again it's the GMC that makes the better impression. Open the driver's door, and power-operated running boards almost literally throw themselves at your feet. Hoist yourself inside, and the fine leather and intricate stitching should come as a pleasant surprise—provided you haven't been to a Chevrolet dealership, that is. The interior is differentiated from the one in the Silverado, but the detail work in the top-of-the-line Silverado High Country is just as fine as you'll find in the GMC. The open-pore wood is the Ultimate's chief differentiating factor; too bad it throws a glare when the sun hits it just right. And the Sierra's single-pane sunroof looks like an aftermarket afterthought compared to the Ford's giant panoramic roof. We like the infotainment system's Google integration, but sound from the Bose stereo is disappointingly muddy.

Even with the Sierra's wood trim misstep, the Ford's mostly plastic interior can't match the GMC's ambiance. The F-150 does have one clear advantage appearance-wise in the form of its epic, portrait-style touchscreen. By comparison, the Sierra's new wide-format 13.4-inch unit looks like a relic. But the downside of the Ford's setup is a menu structure that defies logic, though we did like the basic home display that can be easily configured to show maps and music together, something the GMC's can't do. The Ford also has a better back seat. It's a little short on thigh support but still far more comfortable than the GMC's thinly padded bench. And we must mention the Ford's massive frunk, which provides oodles of safe-from-thieves storage. The GMC (and most other pickups) don't have anything like it.

Our Sierra Denali Ultimate is powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 making 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Although it'd be easy to tease GMC about the engine's ancient pushrod architecture, this is a strong, smooth, and responsive performer that delivered our test truck to 60 mph in a rapid 5.7 seconds. Backed by a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic that keeps the engine in its powerband, the Sierra delivers an experience we expect from a luxury pickup powertrain.

Unfortunately for GMC, though, the F-150's dual-motor electric drivetrain has taught us to adjust our expectations upward—way upward. The Lightning delivers 580 hp and 775 lb-ft right the hell now, leaping away from the lights in a way no internal-combustion truck can and racing to 60 in a mere four seconds flat—all in smooth, glorious, shift-free silence. (The Lightning can pipe in artificial noise reminiscent of the EcoBoost V-6.) If this truck's acceleration doesn't plaster a grin on your face, you clearly hate fun.

The Sierra is admirably well sealed and silent for an internal combustion truck, though some tire noise sneaks in at higher speeds. But the GMC feels choppy and jittery on anything but glass-smooth pavement, and the structure shakes and shudders over big bumps—ride quality that sure didn't feel luxurious to us. The Ford, however, isn't much better. Although it handles rough roads noticeably better, it suffers from the same body-on-frame juddering as the Sierra. We know, we know, these are trucks—but we're in search of luxury befitting these price tags.

Handling-wise, the F-150 was the more enjoyable pickup to drive, and that's saying a lot. The Sierra has—by pickup truck standards, at least—great road manners, with responsive steering and brakes and excellent body control. This is one pickup you can actually push a bit in the turns. But the F-150, with its heavy battery pack slung under the body, feels that much more agile, a sensation emphasized by the immediacy of its power delivery.

If a chauffeur is the ultimate luxury, a truck that steers itself has to count for something. We were eager to try the Sierra's Super Cruise system, which offers the option of hands-free driving on mapped roads, including automatically passing slower vehicles then returning to the travel lane. We've tried this system on other General Motors vehicles and found it highly impressive—but when we tried it on this Sierra, we found it not working. Our friends at GMC chalked this up to "a small internal issue with the map module, requiring replacement." You'd think someone might have checked out the Sierra's headline feature before delivering the truck to us for testing, but there you go.

That's too bad for GMC, because this particular battle was its to win. The F-150's BlueCruise system was working, but we found it reluctant to engage the full-on hands-off mode, despite repeatedly driving roads we knew to be mapped. Most of the time, it functioned primarily as a lane centering system. When hands-off mode did engage, it alternated between driving straight and true down the center of the lane and ping-ponging gently between the striped lines. BlueCruise needs work, but at least it could be activated, which was a lucky break for Ford in this competition.

This was an extraordinarily tough comparison to call. Were we making our decision based on raw abilities, our choice might be different, but for this comparison we're focusing on luxury. When the trucks are sitting still, GMC is the clear winner, but as soon as you start driving, the Ford pulls ahead, largely because internal combustion power simply can't match the refinement and quietude of electricity. (Working Super Cruise might have shifted the balance somewhat in GMC's favor.) And although we can't judge a truck that isn't here, we're sure that had we asked Ram to send over a 1500 Limited with the optional air suspension, it would've had a decent shot at the winner's circle.

After much internal back-and-forth, we've decided to give this one to the GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate. Ambiance counts for a lot in luxe trucks, and the Sierra's warm and welcoming cab is simply a nicer place to be than the Ford's. We find it hard to forgive the Sierra's stiff ride, though we know many experienced pickup truck owners will be accustomed to such abuse. And we're pretty sure that once most truckers experience the strong, silent smoothness of the Ford's electric powertrain, they'll find the GMC's engine downright primitive. But for now, V-8s are the norm in the pickup truck world, and the Sierra's is about as good as they come. Price is also a consideration here: There is a longer discussion to be had about the long-term economics of electricity, but $99K for a luxury truck with an interior like the Ford's is tough to swallow.

A lot will change in this space soon. GMC has its own electric pickup on the way. Ford, meanwhile, has never shied away from offering ever-nicer models of the F-150, and while the company will neither confirm nor deny, we can't imagine there isn't a higher-luxe Lightning in Ford's future. For now, though, it's a slim victory for the GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate, a classy truck to which we say: Enjoy it while it lasts.

Verdict: The Platinum does a passable imitation of a high-luxe truck, but it puts more emphasis on its electric goodness.

Verdict: A phenomenal luxury truck that's only some ride refinement from a truly "ultimate" experience.