Celebrating middle age in a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate was glorious.
The trouble could have begun on I-70 West on a snowy and frigid cold January night with slick but nearly empty roads while heading to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for a long weekend of snowboarding and several apres beers. But trouble never came. We passed large snow banks where a Toyota Prius fell victim. Only its rear end was visible. The rest was buried in snow, abandoned by its owner. Blizzards do that sort of thing.
Meanwhile, the three of us were traveling in a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate with yours truly behind the wheel. We mocked the Prius's sorry state and went on our merry way. Our chariot was an $81,280 (including destination) luxury rig equipped with nearly everything GM has to offer in its full-size trucks.
GMC kindly loaned CarBuzz the diesel-powered truck for the occasion, celebrating my 41st year on this planet. It was the ideal choice.
Steamboat Springs (elevation 6,732 feet) is one of the premier destinations in North America for winter sports, and we knew we had to roll into town in something dope (excuse the snowboarder lingo).
Founded in 1900, Steamboat Springs was originally a ranching and mining town, but that's all long gone. In addition to being a ski and snowboard spot, the area is home to several natural hot springs. The first ski jump was built in 1913 by a Norwegian guy who might be classified as clinically insane today. Every skier and snowboarder ought to be eternally grateful to him.
We rolled into town early the next morning after crashing for the night at an Airbnb about an hour away. We passed an array of luxury SUVs like BMWs, Range Rovers, and several Rivian R1Ts. Did the Sierra Denali Ultimate hold its ground among those high rollers? Easily. GM launched the Denali Ultimate trim for the '23 model year after concluding the regular Denali wasn't luxurious enough. What does that $81k price tag get you?
Quite a bit, but I honestly think this specific truck's best feature is the 3.0-liter V6 Duramax turbo diesel engine. Paired with a 10-speed automatic, this silky smooth oil burner offers up to 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. It's absolutely worth paying less than $1,000 more for it over the standard 5.3-liter gasoline V8. There's also the 6.2-liter gas V8, which I experienced last year in a '22 GMC Yukon Denali.
Conclusion: opt for the diesel, which also gets you a 9,000-pound towing capacity, if so needed. Even on the semi-icy roads and with three souls on board with all of our gear, we still managed 22/30 mpg city/highway, darn close to official EPA estimates.
And speaking of gear, the carbon fiber composite short bed, complete with LED lighting, contained two snowboards, a set of skis, and a small cooler that lacked beverages while driving. Everything else fitted nicely inside the crew cab. The heated and ventilated front and rear seats were very much appreciated by all.
My front passenger and I took full advantage of the 16-way power front massage full-grain leather seats. The third stooge sat in the back, stuffed between our bags and assorted essentials like unopened beverages for said cooler. The heated steering wheel kept my hands good and toasty. We all enjoyed the light brought in by the sunroof.
Unfortunately, this Sierra Denali Ultimate lacked wireless charging. Blame the pandemic's effects on the semiconductor chip industry. But no matter, the Sterling Metallic (a $495 option) over Alpine Umber Denali Ultimate had something we deemed more important: GMC's excellent MultiPro Tailgate. This really came in handy when unloading our gear each morning while wearing those notoriously uncomfortable snowboard and ski boots.
On more than one occasion, a random someone stopped to comment on the Denali Ultimate. One guy complimented the truck's 20-inch polished aluminum wheels (my friend described them as “flower-like”) and the Signature Denali Vader Chrome Grille. Another asked if it was Cadillac, not noticing the GMC emblems fore and aft. Clearly, this looks as premium as its price suggests.
We hit the slopes each of the three mornings by 9AM and stayed not long before the lifts closed for the day, a major feat considering we were out late every night (behaving responsibly, of course – no driving took place in an inebriated state).
The three-hour-or-so journey back to Denver turned into four hours because of heavy congestion. The snowplows had done their job, and daytime traffic was significantly worse than at night. Our truck lacked the optional Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system, but it's not something I would have tried using anyway on curvy and still semi-slick mountain roads. I used the Adaptive Cruise Control instead and was extremely happy I did in the stop-and-go traffic.
We took advantage of the 12-speaker Bose Premium audio system. Radiohead never sounded better compared to any other vehicle I've tested. The Wi-Fi hotspot kicked in when we hit a dead data zone, allowing the Spotify playlist shuffle to continue.
Our three-day Steamboat Springs winter getaway unfortunately concluded; we were being kicked out of our rented condo for the next occupants.
The Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate was everything I expected and more. It is the Cadillac of full-size pickup trucks Cadillac does not offer. Adjusting to a truck this size was relatively easy for someone (read: me) who stands only 5'4'', but it was really its width and the slightly difficult turning circles that took some getting used to.
We returned home very tired in the best way possible. Driving this luxurious rig over a long weekend winter getaway full of stupid fun around the clock made celebrating early middle age all the more memorable. It's a shame it had to end. Next year's trip is already being planned.
Keyword: The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate Is The Perfect Rig To Visit Steamboat Springs During A Blizzard