Yup however the new twins still got owned by Ford & Dodge in the light duty shoot out! They are still sub par in the category!

The benefit of building essentially the same (GM) trucks for more than 6 years is that you eventually get all the bugs worked out and that's what's reflected in the initial quality survey. Unfortunately for GM, the competition is far more advanced and the results of that can be seen in the latest shoot-out.

Good job GM. Keep on trucking no matter how mad the jealous crazy people get.

Great job GM, top quality old trucks and even better new trucks! Ford keeps on losing ground just to many problems and now the ecobust facing recall.

Actually, the study is fundamentally flawed. It keeps track of complaints, not problems. Around 80% of the complaints revolved around electronic interfaces being difficult to learn or use.

This is clearly reflected in the list, the vehicles with the LEAST technological advancement placed highest and the MOST tech heavy vehicles consistently placed low, regardless of brand.

@toycrusher... yeah I'm sure Porche has no technology in their vehicles at all.

ford build the same pickup for years whit small up grade the

Problem whit ford is quality and fix the ecoboost problem,yes the engine have a defect ,,,wy ford try to implant the ecoboost on the market so fast,just watch the big recall coming soon whit this engine????

I don't care how good they are, I don't want to puke every time I look at that thing.

@steve - look at individual winners in each category. Nearly all were the most tech deficient vehicles, like Toyota Camry or fullsize GM trucks

Forcasting resale values? talk about your witchcraft/mumbojumbo. Really, there is no way that anybody can look into the future and define what the residual value of anything is going to be. This sounds like a marketing ploy. The 'research' firm (ALG) that hands out the predictions has their salaries paid by.................who?

think about it.

@len i don't get being beat by a few point is being owned

Ford sucks, in related new Ford is being sued again for engine fires, smaller egoboost's are blowing up and Mike Levine blames the owners for running 87 octane.

These types of accolades are beneficial for GM.

But it is still an accolade. At the end of the day profitability is the key aim for any manufacturer.

Profit can be made by margin and numbers sold. If margins are small or even negative, then a company can have financial difficulty irrespective of the number of vehicles moved.

Resale value of a used vehicle doesn't necessarily translate into profit for the manufacturer. Total monthly sales isn't necessarily a measure of business success.

I thought GM was going to give these two trucks their own identity. They look more similar now more then ever.

Great Job GM!
They make some fantastic vehicles now and people are happy with them.

@George - Yes, it's kinda funny isn't it. The current generation was quite different in the fender flares and grille. The new ones are EXACTLY identical with the ONLY exceptions being the grille, lower front bumper, and the color of the interior ambient lighting.

Only GM can get away with stuff like this.

@ toycrusher,
Here are some individual winners just to name a few:
Acura TL
Hyundai Genesis
Infinity FX
Lexus LS
Porsche 911 & Boxter
Nissan Murano
Mercedes-Bens GLK
Ford Mustang
Cadillac Escalade
Your theory is "fundamentally flawed". Are these vehicles tech deficient as well?

@Len: they did not really get "owned," the chevy was 40-50 points behind but the GMC was much closer. Also, while the Ford did win, it does have the same crappy warranty that the Nissan and Toyota do. Dodge and GM have better warranties.

That was the unsung piece in the shootout I think. While by PUTC criteria the Ford was the best (and don't get me wrong, I love this site and the shootout), I think we are forgetting that when a consumer goes to plunk down money on the truck that the warranty is going to be a big factor. These trucks are getting awful expensive and when a consumer plunks down $40,000, 2 more years and 40,000 more miles of warranty is a big deal to them.

"Initial Quality" is a bit of a misnomer, it really is an "initial satisfaction" survey.

@Marcus - yeah they did! RAM has a few mid-cycle updates & Ford has relatively none! GM has a completely brand new truck hood to hitch so, where is the superior performance out doing the Eco-boost? no HEMI fighter either? 6.2 doesn't count against the Eco-boost or HEMI because 6.0 liter v8's are in a separate class segment for larger displacement engines. I'm tried of people trying to make the excuse for 6.2's being the solution to GM's lacking torque & hp! If people want a 6.2 v8 shootout bring it on! that's a fair shoot!

@marcus

I agree, if just given the tow package it probably would have made up enough points to win, it wasn't far behind with their mid grade motor.

Warranty is a big decision for many people, two of my closest friend just bought a acadia because of the warranty (it was the swing vote for them).

I do agree these initial assesments of long term abilities is kind of laughable. Though GM trucks have been some of if not the most reliable long term it is a pretty safe assesment just looking at what the Tundra got when it first came out then how they found out it was a poser and had to be removed from long term reliability lists just goes to show these assesments should be done a couple years in. Cost of ownership is a little easier to pin point but still the reliability comes in to play when factoring in possible unforeseen repairs. It is a wash, I will continue to base long term reliability on what I hear/see over time.

Take for instance Dodge, their trucks used to be junk, they have gotten alot better as of recent. They might be a little more carlike in many ways but still a good truck. Ford has always made good products in terms of trucks but their recent eco boost and ford touch has raised some questions. Toyota makes a great mid size but i wouldn't trust their Tundra long term. GM for us hasn't had mechanical issue other than an alternator or two for the last 20 years, that includes full size trucks, mid size, full size suv's, astro vans (some of the best we have owned) and a few cars sprinkled in, not one has had any mechanical issues (motors, trannys, water pumps, ect..) I will stick with them, but I wouldn't have a problem owning the other two domestics or the Tacoma is given one.

Here's an additional piece of information related to why J.D. Power did not have a midsize pickup winner this year. We're told they require at least four competitors in order to present an award and, technically, the midsize segment for 2013 has only three: Toyota Tacoma, Honda Ridgeline, and Nissan Frontier. This year there is no Suzuki Equator, no Chevy Colorado, no GMC Canyon, and no Ford offering.

@George, @toycrusher

Also the tail lights are slightly different in shape, as the Silverado's are upswept at the bottom and the Sierra's are straight-bottom, similar to the current models.

Initial Quality is kind of a misnomer. Most vehicles don't have to many issues the first year and if they do its under warrenty and more of just a pain rather then and expense to the customer. A study of quality at 5 or 10 years of ownership whould be much more beneficial to the customer. Although with redesigns every few years it can be kind of hard to gauge.

That is the first GM pickup I've ever seen with an intact tailgate handle/bezel.....ever.

I agree that Ford and Ram make very technologically advanced trucks. However, it seems that the GM twins are more reliable, can haul, tow, carry way more than most people will ever need, even if that is arguably a fraction less the the other 2. My feeling is that Ram and Ford make great trucks, but much like the C/K pickups of the 90s, in 10 or 20 years you'll see a lot more GM trucks on the road then Ford or Ram due to the long standing reliability of GM trucks.

@Gregory J - I tend to agree with ToyCrusher. The vehicles you posted like the Acura TL, Infinity FX, Lexus LS, Porsche 911 & Boxter, Mercedes-Bens GLK, and even the Cadillac Escalade are higher end vehicles. They tend to be better sorted out than "lesser" vehicles.
Hyundai used to have piss poor ratings but they've turned things around. Nissan seems to build reasonable vehicles as well. That leaves the Mustang and in that case, it would depend on the model. Ford has been building it since 1964 1/2, so I think that they know how to keep the "recipe" going.
GMC used to be number one in combined sales but now are #2. Most remaining buyers are stalwarts of the brand. Those whom are very familiar with a vehicle's quirks are less likely to see them as flaws due to adapting to them (kinda like an old married couple).

Initial quality is a misnomer as pointed out by @Luke in CO. These ratings can be improved upon with an effective sales team giving a thorough run through of a vehicles features before leaving the car lot.

Kudos to GMC on the ratings BUT long term durability is more important.
Most reports on long term reliability and cost of ownership give GMC HD's a better rating than Ford or Ram.
GMC 1/2 tons tend to rate mid pack in those same ratings. F150 and Tundra have dominated the 1/2 ton segment for a long time. Ram has crept into the top 3 in the 1/2 ton ranks.

There will be teething problems with the 2014 GMC siblings just like there have been with Ford, Ram or Tundra.

Quick7, Ford outsells the GM twins so seeing more trucks on the road10 yrs down the line might not happen Even if Ford had some more problems with their trucks they still sell too many more to account for a few more problems. Trucks just don't get taken off the road cause they have a few issues, they get traded in and someone else deals with the issues. So in sense Ford will always have more trucks on the road, just maybe not owned by the 1st owner. That theory can be put to test by looking thru Craigs List for GM trucks. Even though GM sells nearly as many as Ford there are more Fords and Rams for sale.

"Are these vehicles tech deficient as well?"

No comparable system is as widely distributed as MFT, therefore there is not an 'equal opportunity to please' among manufacturers.

Further, there were undoubtedly a spike in issues caused by the launch of the Fusion & Escape. As you may recall, both of those vehicles had problematic launches.

The political tide is a ruthless one, with a selective undertow.
Draw your own conclusion...

The other thing that people are forgetting here is that the problems that are cropping up in the IQS are more or less majoring in minor things...for example, not having an incoming caller number and name show up on the right hand side of the IP on a MFT car (when it does on the MFT display) is NOT THE SAME as having a transmission fail or even a complete and total MFT failure where it doesn't work anymore.

Yes they can be useful for manufactures to squash bugs and fix issues, but to bring these problems up as insurmountable problems is equally ridiculous.

MFT on the cars is indeed the major culprit here. This article from The Detroit News Yesterday gives a few more details as to why Ford did how it did, and also that Ford is indeed simplifying MFT as vehicles get refreshes.

Quote:

...Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln luxury brand matched the industry average of 113 problems. Ford vehicles, however, were dragged down by the problematic infotainment system MyFord Touch; they averaged 131 problems per 100 cars and finished 27th in this year’s study. Ford was also 27th in 2012.


Ford consumers buy vehicles with Sync — the company’s voice-activation system — or MyFord touch at a much higher rate than their competitors’ customers with similar tech systems, therefore magnifying the total number of problems.



Sargent believes Ford’s quality ratings will improve in coming years. Ford is bringing back button controls in refreshed models and will simplify controls and streamline problems with a new MyFord Touch update this summer...

The other Fords are getting a MFT setup similar to one found in the F-150. That is why you never hear of any problems with MFT in the F-150.

Overall, Ford still has less problems than Ram.

Ram IQ problems with the new models are going way up as predicted.

2012 Ram: 99 problems per 100
2013 Ram: 132 problems per 100
2013 Ford: 131 problems per 100

Ram fell 16 spots.

Source:
2012: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/06/jd-power-and-associates-announce-the-2012-us-initial-quality-study-iqs.html
2013: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130619/AUTO01/306190071/1148/auto01/GM-Chrysler-boost-positions-J-D-Power-quality-study

I can only wish the things that kirk said would happen to my dodge.That way I could buy me a 2013.My truck is an 03 HEMI with 72,000 miles.Never had any problems.Too bad.Cant wait to get a new one.

2013 is going to be Ram's year. With these additions it is head and sholders above the rest of the field.

Yea ram will take down chevy and ford in 2013!!!

GUTS
GLORY
RAM

@ E4x4
I have the Ford Sync system in my pickup, and I'm not a big fan of it. I find it cumbersome to operate. Plus it's quicker and less cumbersome to operate all of the vehicles systems manually.

But from a quality viewpoint I don't consider this as big an issue as the seat trim that broke from exiting the vehicle.

Mechanical/Electrical fails and problems are the biggest issue when purchasing. If you have drivetrain or sensor or poor wiring then it can become a nightmare. I suppose the degree of reducing mobility impacts your perception of the quality of the vehicle.

Another was the dual climate control actuators that failed in my vehicle.

These we initial problems when I bought the vehicle. It is purely a quality/engineering problem. Whereas the issue with the Sync is a design issue. It's just harder to use than it has to be. Especially the voice recognition and the layers of 'folders' you must go through when giving commands.

Its easier to just adjust a knob or press a button. And its also safer.

Also long term durability is significant in any vehicle purchased, even a used vehicle. But people are more accepting of unscheduled maintenance when buying a used vehicle ie, brake pads etc.

Most vehicle now are designed to go for at least a decade before they start to fall apart.

Quality and dependability mean more then losing a pulling contest by tenths of a second. I am excited to see how the new 6.2 does in a pull off between the manufacturers. I would bet that the EPA ratings for the 6.2 will be in the twenties for the highway because the Corvette has a highway rating of 27MPG with a comparable engine. You Dodge and Ford boys keep wasting your money on the poor quality trucks that you buy. I enjoy reading all the great reports coming out about GM's new products and them returning to the S&P 500 because of their success. GM is back weather you like it or not, I love it!

BAFO,
Here we go again with your anti-Americanism. This is why people resent you here.

You are not a Ford owner and don't have MFT/Sync. It's a Mazda with bluetooth. Ford is offering a new package with support for Australian accents on their Fords.

Too bad about your truck is falling apart already. Mazda quality isn't on par with Ford. In your other posts you are tripping all over yourself to say the Australian Mazda BT is the best thing since sliced bread.

@E4x4 aka Denverdick,
Use google and do some research before you make a total and utter fool of yourself again.

What is my Mazda? A Ford Ranger?

Numpty.

@E4-4 aka Denvergoose
Google is your friend, remember that. You will make a total ass of yourself again.

Mazda BT50? What is it? A Ford Ranger?

Numpty

@DenverMike
Pro Ford and UAW? How does that work?

GM does have one feature that arguably puts them on top: Longevity. While Ford may sell more models and Ram may have some of the most advanced technologies, GM trucks seem to last longer on average; reporting more survivors for longer times than either other brand.

Sure, Ford sells more in total numbers, but what percentage of those Fords are still on the road at 20 years, 30 years, 50 years on the road? The Ram/Dodge trucks are essentially gone with very limited exceptions once you reach out to that 50-year mark, though I will except a number of military surplus trucks from the WWII/Korean War eras. I'll always remember helping a friend get a Korean War ambulance built by Dodge with 4WD and a flathead Six running by simply changing the spark plugs and installing a 6-volt battery. He drove that thing home to California from Denver, Colorado, having to stop at dusk every day because it still had the headlights painted over as combat lighting. All running lamps worked even after sitting as a construction site warehouse for something like 30 years at the time.

@E4x4: The only reason that's true is because those systems are Standard on any level of Ford model above the most basic. You want any level of luxury or sportiness at all, then you're stuck with it, want it or not. What's worse is that by making that thing such a part of the vehicle they're driving the after-market entertainment system off the market. The first thing I'd want to do with MFT OR Sync is replace it with something more user friendly.

"New GM Pickups Set a Course for Success" If by that it is meant that GM pickups are approaching parity with Ford and RAM, I can only say that GM pickups were so far behind the industry that they thought they were leading the pack. I think GM is still lagging behind Ford, and just barely ahead of RAM.

I looked at a 2014 Silverado in El Paso, TX, today, and all I came away with was that GM did some tweaking but there is still nothing on par with Ford's Ecoboost V6, nor anything close to RAM's Pentastar/8-speed combo, and still the same old pushrod engine instead of Tundra's all-aluminum, 32-valve, DOHC, 5.7-liter V8.

Of course the GM fans will see it differently but there weren't enough of them to keep GM from going belly up. And I don't think this 2014 line of GM pickups is going to change the balance of power one bit. It'll still be Ford #1, GM a distant second.

@Greg - as always, useless and stupid posts.
Vincentric rates cost of ownership and GMC comes out ahead with their 2500's for fleet or personal use.
Ford F150 rates 1st in 1/2 tons for fleet or personal use.
When it comes to 1 ton trucks, Ram rates the best for personal use and GM rates better for fleets.
When it comes to JD Power, GM hasn't made the top 3 for as long as Toyota has built the current Tundra.

@Vulpine - The only reason there are more GM trucks on US roads is they are the least favorite used trucks in Mexico. By far. So GMs get left behind by exporters in favor of Ram and Ford trucks

Surprisingly, Ram dominates the new truck market in Mexico, followed by Ford, then GM. Their used truck market mirrors this the same preference.

I just took a look at two 2014 Silverado's and one Sierra. I definitely like the looks of Silverado better. The front end looks wide and brawny. The Sierra looks much better in person than it does in photo's. I was critical of the round driving light in a square hole in the pictures but it actually works in real life. The centre infotainment console looks much better in the flesh. I do not like the rear bumper steps. Any guy who can use them (young and no arthritis) isn't going to need them. They are too high for anyone who DOES need a step assist device. They actually had wheel well liners. They do look like they sit low.

I really like both trucks. They actually made me wish that I was in the market for a new truck. Other trucks don't make me feel that way ( with the exception of a copper and black Power Wagon I saw and most Raptors).

The only reason that Ford won the most recent shoot out was the Eco Boost's performance. If they would have sent a 5.0 they would have lost to the Ram, and probably would have finished behind the GM twins. The all are great trucks, and reliability today is light years ahead of what was available 50 years ago, so it is impossible to really discuss what will be on the road 50 years from now. I'm looking forward to the 6.2 liter engine. Will be nice when it hits the streets and gets the mileage the Eco Boost should get, while beating it handedly while towing. All that without the use of a turbo. To me good news in the full-size truck world typically follows good news in the economy. All sounds good to me!

@Lou,
I've been trying to go out and have much closer look at the new Silverado. I've seen one at Detroit Auto Show, but I want to sit inside and get a feel for it. Everybody that had a chance to see one in person likes them a lot. I personally love the look of the new Silverado to the point that I tried to slip an idea to my wife that I might be needing a new truck soon... :)
I didn't go as I planned but I'll keep working on it.. :)

Did you get a chance to take a look at the frame. I touched it when I was at auto show and it felt painted. I know a lot of guys here were complaining about it being waxed on GMT900.

I am a ford truck man. But I feel I would buy a new ram over the silverado. Just had too many problems with chevrolet trucks in the past

@Gregory J. - I never thought of checking the frame to see if it was wax coated. I will next time I have a chance to drive by. Most of the car dealers in my region undercoat all of their vehicles and usually do not charge extra.