Just the idle of the 403hp 6.2L V-8 is enough to make you fall in love. The cam gives it a mildly lumpy burble that’s tuned to resonate like the low notes of some Gothic organ. Matching this sound perfectly is deep piano-black paint. It’s classy but a bit menacing. Meet the ‘08 GMC Sierra Denali. It’s the most expensive light truck to wear the GMC name, and the most powerful, too. Optioned out, this truck stickers for almost $48,000.

At the other end of General Motors’ truck spectrum is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 WT. In the regular-cab Work Truck (WT) form, it is GM’s least expensive fullsize truck with a list price of around $18,000. Our tester, a two-wheel-drive model with just a few choice options, came in at about $21,000. While nothing fancy, it is a truck you could love, too, just for different reasons than the Denali.

Before driving these two trucks back to back, we went into this driving face-off seeking answers to some of our questions: Is any truck really worth $48,000? Would anybody want to drive the cheapest Chevy pickup? Do these trucks share too many components and feel too much alike? Read on for the answers. Starting At The Top When you look at the spec sheet, the Denali could easily pose as a sports car, until you get to the dimensions of the bed and its payload capabilities.

Here are the facts: It has 403 hp, 417 lb-ft of torque, a six-speed gearbox, full electronic stability controls, four-wheel disc brakes with the latest Bosch ABS, 18-inch rims, short 3:42:1 gears, an Eaton automatic locking differential, and a robust 9-1/2-inch rear axle. Clearly, this is the hot rod of the GM truck family. But, unlike some past hot rod trucks-remember the GMC Typhoon that had a towing capacity of only 900 pounds-this truck can work like a truck.