While I don’t ever buy new cars, I can still appreciate a great deal. But truly great deals are hard to come by, so when I hear about them, I’m always a bit skeptical. Most of the time, it ends up being some sort of scam or trick. So when a friend sent me a link to the inventory for a Buick-GMC dealership in Alabama that appears to show a bunch of brand-new, 2026 Sierra 1500 pickup trucks discounted by over $10,000, resulting in asking prices of around $30,000, I figured it was some kind of clerical error.
As it turns out, those massive discounts are real. Howard Bentley Buick GMC, a dealer in Albertville, Alabama, is currently offering some massive discounts on its Sierra 1500 inventory, allowing buyers to own a full-on half-ton truck for nearly the price of a base Ford Maverick.
It’s not just this one dealership where you can snag an absolutely killer deal right now on a 1500. GMC is offering a pretty gigantic discount in an attempt to move trucks equipped with General Motors’ “Turbomax” turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, to prepare for deliveries of 2027 model-year trucks.
What Exactly Is Going On Here?
If you go to Howard Bentley Buick GMC’s website right now, you’ll see over two dozen GMC Sierra 1500 Pros advertised for under $27,000, with each listing mentioning somewhere between $13,000 and $14,000 of savings. Click on a listing, and it gives you a breakdown of the discounts:
That “Trade Assistance” discount can be ignored right away, as it only applies if you also trade in a qualified vehicle. That means if you just walked into the dealership with no trade-in, you wouldn’t get that extra $3,500. Add that back in, and you’re looking at a real price of $30,115. That’s still $10,500 in discounts, though, or roughly a fourth of the car’s original MSRP.
Curious to know where this $7,000 “Howard Bentley Discount” was coming from, I called the dealer to find out more. A representative told me that it, along with the Purchase Allowance and Bonus Cash discounts, was being used to clear inventory in anticipation of 2027 model-year vehicles. Howard Bentley is the top dealer in Alabama by volume, which is probably why it has so many base 1500s on the lot in the first place.
But discounts like this aren’t limited to this one dealer. While that $7,000 discount is advertised as a dealer-level markdown, it’s actually a nationwide incentive being offered by the factory. Specifically, it’s a $7,000 purchase allowance for any Sierra 1500 with a Turbomax engine. Lorenzo Buick GMC, a dealership in Miami, is advertising similar discounts on its website for these trucks, as is Classic Buick GMC of Cleburne, Texas.
Mashed with the lower-level discounts dealers normally give out to move inventory, it’s unlocking the opportunity to get into a proper half-ton truck for cheaper than any smaller mid-size truck on the market today, including GMC’s own Canyon.
What Does A $30,000 GMC Sierra 1500 Look Like?
The modularity of GMC’s Sierra pickup means there are countless trim combinations to choose from, from short-wheelbase, regular-cab, two-wheel drive base models to fully loaded, Supercrew bodied, chromed-out, leather-heavy, Denali Ultimates powered by 6.2-liter V8s.
Obviously, you’re not going to be getting anywhere near a Denali for 30 grand. The trucks priced in this range are the base Pro models with the regular, single-row cab and the standard-sized 6.6-foot bed. As mentioned previously, they use the 2.7-liter four-cylinder making 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, paired to an eight-speed automatic sending power to the rear wheels only.
Don’t expect many creature comforts inside, either. Pro models get the basics you’d expect from any new car—air conditioning, cruise control, a backup camera, USB ports for charging—but not much else. Expect lots of blank buttons and other unused real estate. There’s an infotainment screen, but it’s fairly tiny. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though, which is nice.
There are a few charming elements of a base, brand-new GM truck I’d actually prefer here, even if I were opting for a higher trim level. The column-mounted gear selector is a must, as are the silver-painted steel wheels. And what regular cab truck would be complete without a true three-seater bench? The Pro model gets this seating setup standard, with a fold-down armrest.
With these discounts, something like a Ford Maverick is about the same price and delivers more convenience features, including two additional seats and much better fuel economy. But I’d still have the GMC, obviously, because it can far outperform the Maverick when it comes to real truck stuff. Even in this base, four-cylinder form, the Sierra 1500 can haul 2,230 pounds of payload and tow 9,000 pounds. The Maverick, meanwhile, can only tow 2,000 pounds. Even the most appropriately equipped GMC Canyon can only pull 7,700 pounds.
If you’re wary about whether a four-cylinder is capable enough to handle the demands of a half-ton pickup, don’t be. I’ve driven a couple of Silverados with this engine back when it was new, and I was actually pretty impressed with its pulling power. Honestly, price being equal, I’d probably take it over the 5.3-liter V8 because of the fuel economy benefits.
Howard Bentley’s site says the seven grand discount will only be available until the middle of March, but I bet GMC’s nationwide incentive will stick around until all the 2026 model year four-cylinder trucks are sold. If you’re in the market, I suggest trying to wait them out a bit longer to see just how much better the deals become. But even if you need a truck right now, there are lots of discounts to be found.
Top graphic image: GMC
Jason would love the center screen on these.
But those round wheels look ridiculous in those hexa-square fenders.
Couldn’t they find any hexa-square wheels to go in there?
What’s funny is this engine gets a ridiculous amount of hate because it’s NOT A V8 I’LL NEVER BUY A TRUCK WITHOUT A V8 FUCK YOU but it’s lowkey maybe the best and most reliable ICE engine GM makes. To be fair it absolutely chugs gas, so I do understand why people are like “why would I even bother”…but it’s apparently a great engine.
The people on the blogs that went with it love it. It’s basically a diesel that happens to take regular gas. 400+ pound feet of torque in a base engine is no joke. I’ll bet it tows like a champ.
These are the kinds of discounts that used to be fairly common back in the Before Times.
Getting $10k off, especially on a pickup, would never have been considered “news”.
Bargain basement work trucks are pretty rare up here, if only because RWD trucks are a pretty tough sell where winter seemingly never wants to end. Pretty cool for those in warm climates though. That’s a lot of capability for a reasonable price.
In fleet spec, RCSB is a bit of lot poison. I’m not sure who ordered these for the lot, but it was a bad idea. People who want fleet-spec trucks want to use them for “real work” which usually means a long bed. If you check any dealer’s website, the cheapest full-size trucks you’ll find are almost universally RCLB. RAM doesn’t even offer 1500 regular cabs anymore.
edit: I dug around on cars.com. While dealers in Florida tend to have the most egregious and opaque fees, and I don’t trust them at all, a few dealers in FL are offering RCSB Chevy 1500 under $25,000.
The proverbial “work truck” is of course the one that sits on the lot.
But that four cylinder is kinda cool, I bet it tunes well and could be pretty stout with just a bit of massaging.
I bet an intercooler, pipes and catback could pull like 100-150whp easy
That 2.7L is very stout because its designed like a diesel, but so far there have not been a ton of ways to extract more power out of them. Not sure if it is still a locked ECU or what. There might be chips for the Cadillac CT4 which uses the same engine. It honestly doesn’t need more power. Its already a very low-end torque motor.
So they are basically just trucks. And finally closer to a reasonable price.
Man, I love these “new cars found for ridiculously discount at dealership” articles.
Can I interest you in a new 2024 Lyriq for 40+% off MSRP?
Honestly…yes.
This dealer had 2 and I just bought one. As of yesterday this one was still on the lot. https://www.kevinwhitakercadillac.com/new/CADILLAC/2024-CADILLAC-LYRIQ-99fa8a58ac1833326061e30c2d0dbde5.htm
And that is the price point this truck should’ve been at from the get go.
Some utility or municipal fleet will get a good deal on these, plus maybe a handful of people who want a regular cab/rear-drive truck.
Are they discontinuing the turbo four cylinder? I’m curious as to why the big discounts if there’s just going to be a fresh batch of them in ’27.
’27 is a redesign of the GM half tons. Turbomax is likely to continue but who knows.
That engine has more power than the 6.5L Turbodiesel V8 in my K3500.
No kidding, my 1993 K3500 came with 195hp and 385 ft/lbs out of the 6.5 TD, which wasn’t bad at all at the time.
Honestly did not know they still built RCSB trucks.
Gotta be a fairly niche audience looking for zero-option 4 cyl short bed RWD regular cabs, but good deal for the unicorn who wants such a thing.
For me this “base” level truck is a luxury barge. My father was a mason contractor, he would not buy a pickup or dump truck if it had a radio in it, said was not paying his workers to listen to the radio, he wanted all their attention on the road. Love this truck, two door with a usable bed, genuine steel wheels, looks great.
That’s what I’m saying! If something has a/c, a radio, and cruise control, that is plenty for me
Your father sounds like a real miserable bastard.
When I started in the late ‘80s my employer would only buy no radio – no air trucks. Not that big a deal when most were white. But then we got the military surplus Scouts. Flat black. Oh the misery.
But the Scouts were fun to drive for other reasons. First 4x4s we had, made dirt jobs a lot easier. Also proved 4×4 just gets you stuck further out. Best was how the required bright yellow “radioactive material” placard showed up against the flat black paint. I’d stop to fill up at a busy station, go in to pay, and all the other cars would be gone when I returned.
Oof, that reminds me of my Great Uncle. He asked the dealer to remove the standard AM radio from his car since he wouldn’t listen to it, and would sit in the car near a parking meter until it ran out since he paid for that time and was going to get what he paid for damn it!
…and the question that now comes to mind is “just how much more boost will that engine take?” And “how stupid does a modern half-ton truck look when it’s lowered?”
I really think you can get a lot more out of these 2.7s. They make a ton of torque at low rpm but it falls off quickly as revs climb. I’m guessing they sized the turbo to spool quickly so it makes a lot of boost down low but runs out of breath. A larger one would be able to hold pressure for more of the range. Leaving peak boost and peak torque more or less unchanged but making a bunch more power with these seems absolutely possible.
I like this idea. K-swap eat your heart out.
2027’s? Where has this year gone already? I better keep my eye out for the 4K blu-ray of the original theatrical Star Wars due in February!
Is there a blueray in that GMC?
The Turbomax is the most reliable engine in the 1500s right now. This would make an excellent basic truck for years to come, for someone.
Maybe the TurboMax is the new LS?