Ownership Experience - 2023 Lightning Extended Range (LER) to 2024 Sierra EV Denali (SEV)

[VAF84]

Apologies for the length, but I was trying to capture as much as I could before my LER experience slips further into memory. Hopefully it helps someone. I'll tweak or respond to any other questions as they come up.

• Intro
  • Let’s start by stating the obvious. The SEV has a three-year tech advantage, and a huge battery. It’s naturally going to have an edge on a few things based on that alone: so nothing against Ford here, just my shared experiences.
• My street creds
  • In the last two years I have transition through the following vehicles. 2022 Sierra Denali 6.2L V8 (refreshed “new” model), 2023 Lightning Lariat ER, 2024 F150 King Ranch Hybrid, 2024 Sierra EV Denali. All of these vehicles had extensive cross-state highway time. Prior to that a 2022 TRX, 2017 F250 diesel, and some Ram’s with the Cummins diesel before that. All have towed heavy loads and seen long cross-state trips.
• Summary
  • The LER was an excellent pickup for localized work/play/towing. Acceleration is fun and sporty, however ride is plush and floaty. It provides excellent value, especially at today’s pricing. Great for road trips but must have lots of time and patience for longer trips. Reliability was acceptable, but not great, during my ownership. I've frequently mentioned that the GM twins are the first true ICE truck replacements; and remove the last excuses to delay EV ownership. The upper trims do everything well with few sacrifices. Great for people who spend lots of time on the highway, road tripping, or towing. Drives like a fast tank; acceleration feels less sporty, but suspension feels sporty (reverse of the Lightning).
• Driving impressions
  • Where the LER drives like a sports truck, the SEV drives like a luxo-tank. Think ponderous like a MB G-Wagon. Upon initial test drive of the SEV, I reported it feeling slow after getting in directly from my LER. I’m happy to report that it was resolved via the drive modes. Admittedly, I prefer the SEV’s “My Mode” to preset settings in the LER. I have mine on the highest for acceleration, but tour for suspension and steering. It truly gives it that luxurious feel of effortless acceleration with full comfort. I switch to normal for road trips or when out of convenient reach from fast chargers when working. To me, the Ford’s normal was sporty enough that all I wanted to do was launch it at every stop.
  • Both have proven to be excellent in adverse weather. The LER saw snow, and not once made this warm weather Southerner feel unsafe on the road. The SEV has only seen torrential rain, but inspired confidence due to size and weight; curious how weight and low profile tires will handle ice/snow.
  • Downside to the SEV at 8,500lbs is obviously weight. Hard stops are a little more dramatic; especially with Super Cruise when there’s erratic stop/go traffic. Further, I recently obliterated (not an exaggeration) a deer on the highway. I still wonder whether if I was in the LER or a lighter pickup if I’d been able to completely dodge it. Ultimately, it was hit completely by the passenger side of my truck/rim which goes to show just how much squat and angle it had when I slammed on my brakes. See other thread on this.
  • Both trucks are fast under WOT. The LER is much smoother though; it jumps forward and pulls. Whereas the Sierra needs a tad more time as it squats and then blasts off. Both have torque steer, but only the SEV’s is squirrely enough to get you to pucker up. Initially, I had moments in the Sierra that made me feel like the truck was in control and I was holding on for dear life, lol. Not exactly pleasant. However, after some time and practice, I’ve recognized this happens somewhere between 50-65mph and my body has adapted to make quick counter movements. I still consider this to be an important issue for GM to investigate and hopefully solve with an OTA down the road. I have experience with fast cars, I’d be concerned with an inexperienced driver going WOT getting onto an access road and crashing.
  • Edit 12/16 @ 8:43pm: SEV has better one pedal driving for slow speeds. When backing into the garage to do the fit test, the LER was stickier and made me more concerned that I’d accidently plow through the wall, whereas the SEV was more easily reversed closer to the wall.
• Efficiency (non-hypermile)
  • Interestingly, at comparable speeds I have found the efficiency to be similar to the LER for most of my driving. Highway SEV 1.9, LER 2.0. City SEV 2.0, LER 2.1. Slow speeds SEV 2.0, LER 2.3. If you do sub 50mph for most of your driving, the LER will likely be 25% more efficient than the SEV. However, for us highway dwellers, there’s not a whole a lot of difference. I’d say the LER has a marginal advantage at those speeds at best at speed limits. I will throw in that my unrestrained lead-foot driving with frequent sustained speeds between 70-85mph resulted in 1.7 mi/kwh long term average. With my LER I’d gotten to the point where I was anxious to drive anything but the speed limit for long distances and I’d had a restrained (for my style) driving style.
  • I’ll preface the following by saying that my LER didn’t have the heat pump like the 24+ models. Interestingly, the SEV’s efficiency appears to be less impacted by adverse weather or driving conditions. It seemed like everything adverse had instant effects on the Lightning. High speeds, cold weather, etc. They are less pronounced on the SER. I’m not sure if it’s aerodynamics + heat pump or what. In short, generally lower efficiency, but less volatility.
  • Towing – I’ve only towed around town with the SEV a couple of times, but efficiency seems like the LER; .86 mi/kwh with a 20ft enclosed cargo trailer at highway speed limits. However, I didn’t have to plan ahead, and didn’t have to fully charge it! A more relaxing experience for sure.
• Non-Commercial Work Duty (Non-towing)
  • Unexpected miss by GM. LER has much better lighting. I never thought I’d miss the surround zone lighting in my LER had; probably because my ownership has begun during the short days of this season and I’ve been doing a lot of work in the dark.
  • This is not specific to EV, but GM’s tailgate has always seemed more functional to me due the step that can also help extend the bed without needing straps. I’ve also had issues over the long-term with Ford’s extendable step; minor, but there. Generally easier access, more versatility with GM’s setup.
  • I’ve loaded both trucks to the brim in different ways. I feel the Ford has better space to carry things inside. For family, office “work” road trips, the LER frunk and a cabin with a flat bottom, easily accessible under seat storage made it easier to store items I didn’t want to get dirty. On the other hand, GM’s mid-gate has already been handy more than once in my one month of ownership, although I do a lot of DIY projects at home.
  • More specific to the mid-gate, the SEV has more “cargo” capacity with that option. Their tailgate step makes it easier to get full use of the bed. This setup has saved me twice from having to go pick up my trailer to transport larger items.
  • LER has more bed outlets, however, I find I’m never using more than one or two at any given time. Generally, Ford has more outlets throughout the vehicle.
  • Ultimately, it’s personal preference. Aside from range, there’s nothing that one can definitively do better than the other. For some payload will be a deciding factor, but for my case not a consideration. IMO the GM option has an edge on utility, but for the most part they are equal here.
• Towing
  • Take out the bigger battery advantage and they’re roughly the same.
  • Sierra’s weight has an advantage in that my cargo trailer will rarely ever weigh more than the truck; great for driving confidence.
  • Surprising con for the GMC for prior ICE GMC owners. It does not have the tech found in a 2022 Denali where you get a video pop up screen of the sides when using the turn signal. Disappointing is an understatement.
  • GMC heavy one-pedal setting nice for towing.
  • For some, not having a front charging port is a con for GM. Personally, I’d take two charging ports (front/back) but prefer rear port for the 95% of my other driving.
  • For air suspension equipped like mine, it’s nice to be able to adjust the suspension.
• Software/Tech
  • The number of tech features win goes to GM, but the number of software features goes to Ford.
  • Whether you use them or not, GM has more tech. Rear view Camera, heads up display, Super Cruise steering wheel, IMO more useable cameras. Better resolution dash, more dash view options etc.
  • On the software side, I find GM only slightly more advanced than the ICE experience, but maybe they are appealing to a demographic that is less open to change, or they’re focused on engineering and reliability. I find there to be better presented, and more useful battery info, on the GM dash. The Android system is fine, but I still prefer CarPlay. I occasionally have times where I can’t activate a destination on maps for whatever reason, and I’m stuck using my phone. I strongly dislike the inability to input destinations while the care is moving, even though it will allow you to modify charging stops while moving. Still, nowhere near as glitchy as the Ford product.
  • Ford on the other hand, has phone as a key that I miss dearly. After living without CarPlay, I still find it a better experience than Android Auto. More intuitive phone app with more options to interface with your vehicle. I think the software interface in the vehicle is more user friendly. I like that you can easily leave user experience feedback. I do feel that this is where Ford tries to be more innovative and separate itself from the competition. However, this also brings a certain amount of reliability issues with it. I had regular glitches with Ford’s CarPlay on phone calls, I had the dash blank out on me, I had the center screen blank out on me. I had delayed bootup on the center screen They were minor, but consistent glitches that get annoying.
  • GM has no start button; a blessing and a curse. I love jumping in and going. I don’t love its literal application. I get in and out of the vehicle A LOT, and many times I don’t want it to turn off because maybe I’m on a call, don’t want to lose the XM song I’m listening to, have kids in the car. Sometimes I leave the door open, so it won’t shut down, but then I hop back in, close the door, and it shuts down then restarts. I’ve got three small kids. I’m constantly hopping in and out to load/unload/buckle etc. Further, it’s a headache when hitching/unhitching a trailer. I can press the 60min “keep on” option, but at times that’s inconvenient, not intuitive for the application or it doesn’t work properly with all of the in and out that I do. Might be on me to work with it better, but I feel there’s room for improvement.
  • Both Ford/GM have a way to go with Auto Start via phone. Neither consistently turned on the vehicle quickly and reliably, although Ford may have been a tiny bit better.
• Hands-free: Blue Cruise Vs. Super Cruise
  • Blue Cruise has more hands-free driving geographic area, but so much nagging. Super Cruise is more limited, but a smoother and more relaxed experience.
  • On the Ford, throw on a 1lb weight and you can drive hands free just about anywhere, or at worst you’d have lane-centering with minimal effort. I’m about to harp really hard on BC, but for all of my complaints I’d rather have it than not, I’d still pay a reasonable amount to use it, and it’s still better than most of what’s out there. However, I’ve never been nagged more in my life. I was battling warning’s all day. “Watch the wheel, hold the wheel, watch the road, beep, beep, BEEP!” I’m not saying this as an inattentive driver, it just felt like you were being nannied all day. I didn’t realize how stressful it was unconsciously until I got my GMC. Another issue I had; randomly picking up MPH signs from feeder roads or HOV’s that would result in sudden brake check from 70mph to 35mph on a highway, or it speed me up randomly. Further, it was hard to tell whether it was on hands-free or not with the little icons. LER had a habit of randomly getting confused and slamming on brakes in stop and go traffic; essentially brake checking the person behind me. Part of the reason for the steering wheel weight was because it would keep switching on and off from BC to lane center, so the weight kept torque on the wheel for smoother transitions.
  • Super Cruise – Smoother experience at the expense of lane-centering in more areas. It’s a trade-off. Considerably less nagging, but I’ve given up some B roads that I could use lane centering on. It’s smoother in traffic. However, for better or worse, it does not have speed recognition, resulting in no speed limit change issues like the LER. However, one must be more aware when approaching areas where speed limits change. One thing I appreciate is the steering wheel light showing when it’s activated: it’s reassuring. I feel SC also gives you a little more leeway to look around when it’s active, versus nagging as soon as you look away.
• Software Recommended Charging stops
  • At the time of my ownership, I felt the LER’s stopping recommendations were a mess. It was less intuitive, more rigid about your options, the software would lose its mind in some situations. I just stopped using it all together.
  • I can’t say GM’s is absolutely better as a result of having so much range that I no longer have to plan like I used to, but first impressions seem positive. I’d go with better just because it was bad with the Lightning and having Google maps manage this aspect seems more intuitive.
• Road Tripping
  • This is where GMC trounces the current competition. Taking the range concern out of the equation makes you feel free to go anywhere at anytime. In the same 33 minutes I’d stop to charge in the LER, I get roughly 100 more miles in the Sierra of range; not to mention the Sierra seems to be equal or more efficient at higher speeds than the LER with varied conditions. For once I was finding that the GPS wasn’t adding gobs of time to my trip for charging. Further, the GM improved on their seats that used to be hard side.
  • With the Sierra there’s now freedom to explore and lodge/eat at places not tied to a charger.
• Interior
  • Good thing for GM’s HUD because the steering wheel covers the dash display.
  • If you like big steering wheels get the Ford, if you like smaller then get GM. I personally like them smaller so GM fits me better. Ford’s practically sat on my lap.
  • If you like a stalk shifter get GM, if you like console shifter get the Ford. Again, coming from the ¾ ton world, I like having space in the console, so stalk shifter for me.
  • The GMC size feels more like a ¾ ton truck inside, but the rear passenger useable space is much better in the Ford.
  • Don’t want to get into comparing a Denali trim to the Lariat. However, as a compliment to the Ford, I felt that the Lariat trim punched at a higher level with the only real complaint being the gray seats that also tended to get frumpy. Both trims are comfortable for extended driving time.
  • Both comfortably fit three child car seats in a row.
  • I think GM’s new seats are better than Ford’s now, but that’s subjective.
  • I like GMC’s little hiding spots in the console; better use of storage space due to lack of console shifter.
• Exterior
  • The LER barely fit in the garage; you had maybe 3 inches to spare. The Sierra with a front license plate holder will not fit, or if it does it will be down to the +/- one inch the builder may have left in there. I’ve tried two garages; townhome didn’t fit by a long shot, regular suburban home needed about 2 inches to be tightly comfortable.
  • Every time I walk by the GMC it lights up the headlights and taillights vs how Ford lights up the zone around the truck. It’s something I dislike because I’m always activating my headlights directly at my neighbor across the street every time I walk by it with my keys.
  • Personally, I liked the RST/LER lightbar across the front rather than the lit up GMC, but I do like the muscular body aspects of the Sierra.
  • Ford’s flap is better than GM’s plug at the plug in location for the charger.
  • Easier to park the Sierra, likely due to rear steering. However, I always had trouble parking the Lightning vs past pickups where I could whip in to park. Something probably off with the wheel placement due to battery location.
• MISC
  • I never realized how much I disliked the Lightning’s “beeping” until I got into the non-beeping GMC. It’s like I was in a utility work truck announcing my arrival everywhere. Beeping to reverse (I back in everywhere), beeping to open and close the frunk.
  • Wife appreciates easy access to “one-pedal” settings. She hates one-pedal, she can turn it off from the main screen.
  • Wife likes the subtle acceleration sounds from the Sierra vs no sound from LER.
• Reactions from people on the road
  • Compared to the Ford, the GMC has had more positive reactions and unsolicited feedback from the general public than any other truck or sports car I’ve owned. People (more than one stranger) literally call it “beautiful”. Their words, not mine. Even with it wrecked from hitting the deer, I’m getting thumbs up and compliments. A young UPS truck driver excitedly yelled out a compliment as I drove past him in a strip mall. Not at all what I expected. Then again, the LER is an F150 fitted with EV parts, so it makes sense that it’d go under the radar.
• Competition and Purchase Considerations
  • Honestly, I probably could have been happy with the Lightning, but range. I could have ordered my CyberTruck reservation and saved money, but range. When it came down to it, my only option at this time was RST or Sierra EV because, range. It’s hard to say who I would have gone with were it not because no other competitor offers the range I need. Probably a CT, but it would have been close with all the considerations.
• Unexpected Finding
  • After my run in with the deer I noted some things. One thing is that my 24in rims acted as a shield and probably limited the damage to my truck. Second, that when compared to ICE, I was able to keep driving without having to stop. I feel like there was a great chance of having damage on an ICE truck that would have rendered my truck undriveable, such as broken coolant line or something like that. Third, this thing is a tank. The force transferred upon that poor deer was tremendous, and yet it continued to drive like nothing. Sure, cosmetic damage, but wow, this thing took it like a champ.

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[Karlos]

I too smacked a deer in my 2023 LER @ 55mph. Took out A/C and confused front sensors, but otherwise drivable. Coming out of body shop at end of the week hopefully. $13.5k damages, including the front plate, which looks undamaged here but all the supports on the back were snapped.

 

[broncoaz]

Very interesting read. I briefly looked at the Silverado EV in LT trim last weekend before putting a deposit on a Lightning Flash to lease today. My dealer never got back to me with lease numbers on the SEV. I don’t love the avalanche look, but that’s personal preference. One thing I don’t like is that the frunk opening looks narrow in pictures. How is the frunk compared to the Lightning?

I’ve been out of an F-150 since I sold my 2022 Lightining Pro and my 2020 Raptor, I’m looking forward to being back in one after have a Chevy 1500 ecodiesel work truck and my 2021 Bronco the last couple of years. What you said about the Lightning feeling more like a sport truck appeals to me greatly.

 

[VAF84]

I too smacked a deer in my 2023 LER @ 55mph. Took out A/C and confused front sensors, but otherwise drivable. Coming out of body shop at end of the week hopefully. $13.5k damages, including the front plate, which looks undamaged here but all the supports on the back were snapped.

Sorry to hear it, but glad it's drivable and got fixed! I see you're in TX, you didn't happen to hit it on 290 did you? I caught mine just outside of Elgin. Unfortunately, I have to wait because there aren't any parts available for the fix yet.

 

[detansinn]

I don't know how the engineers working at other truck manufacturers have the strength/will to get out of bed every morning to compete with F-series trucks.

I've put thousands of miles on Silverados and Ram trucks. When it comes to my own money, it's always Ford. They just nail the details that the other guys struggle with.

 

[VAF84]

Very interesting read. I briefly looked at the Silverado EV in LT trim last weekend before putting a deposit on a Lightning Flash to lease today. My dealer never got back to me with lease numbers on the SEV. I don’t love the avalanche look, but that’s personal preference. One thing I don’t like is that the frunk opening looks narrow in pictures. How is the frunk compared to the Lightning?

I’ve been out of an F-150 since I sold my 2022 Lightining Pro and my 2020 Raptor, I’m looking forward to being back in one after have a Chevy 1500 ecodiesel work truck and my 2021 Bronco the last couple of years. What you said about the Lightning feeling more like a sport truck appeals to me greatly.

I much preferred the LER frunk. More space, better lit, more plugs. To me the close button is more intuitive as well. It's tucked between the vents on the SEV, below the frunk.

You'd have to go with one of the Sierra variants to move away from the Avalanche look. On the Chevy version, I liked the front, but like you, not a fan of the sails.

Personally, I liked the LER drive better. The SEV is just more customizable, and ultimately enjoyable. Still, as a sports car enthusiast, I like that sporty feel better. Ultimately, range considerations were my number one priority.

To your point, I didn't find many sales reps enthusiastic about the GM EV trucks; maybe because I'm in Texas. I was definitely more knowledge about the product. Not surprised you didn't get a lot of info.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I've been intrigued by the GM offering, but never got up close to one, what you've shared has me comfortable with continuing my long commitment with the 2022 Lightning Lariat-ER, probably the best option in my books.

Hopefully you'll visit this forum as your experience with the Sierra EV continues for additional observations, thanks for your contributions over the past year.

 

[Heliian]

Tldr, the lightning is still the best. More range =more battery = more design flaws. The gmc/Chev rides like a 1990 f350.

Just wait until Dodge comes out with their Bev Ram, should be even "better".

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