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
I have a 2026 Silverado with the Turbomax. It’s an excellent little power plant. Very fun to drive around town and gets up to freeway speeds with little effort. I haven’t towed with it yet but I’m sure it will have no issue with our 5000lb camping trailer.
For fun I called 2 dealers. One was Chevy as I didn’t pay full attention was funny clear and honest didn’t believe the price but I convinced him then mentioned 4 cylinder 2 wheel drive and he agreed. Great guy. Called a Johnstown pa GMC dealer and the sales lady said so much money offer and listed it came up to $3,500. I asked if that was in addition to the $7,500 manufacturers discount. You would have thought we were on a date and I asked her to split the check. Said there is no discount go to the website all the information is there. I guess at least in car sales men and women are equal in that they are lying scum.
One of the dealers near me does cheap leases on the GMC with this engine nearly constantly. Yeah, you need to get GM employee pricing and have lease loyalty, but it’s $159 a month for 24 months/20,000 miles with $2500 down. It works out to under $300 a month with taxes and fees if you don’t put anything down. It’s a pretty cheap lease and it’s quite a bit nicer than the ones in the article. They give you a 4×4 with the Elevation Package (3VL) (Digital display, 13.4″ screen, 20″ wheels, heated seats and steering wheel on a double cab) with a MSRP of $53,795 for that cheap lease price. I think they lease a lot of them at that rate. It’s not hard in Metro Detroit to have a GM discount and GM lease loyalty.
We had a handful of the 4cyl GM trucks as site trucks from 2021-this year (replaced with big stainless steel clad dumpsters) and I really liked them. Plenty of power. I’d have one if I needed a pickup
I high school – all i said i needed was cruise control. A good stereo and AC. Still applies. Carplay is a huge benefit.
One thing of note, the 2.7L turbo is actually the better engine to get compared to the L87 6.2L V8 which has had lots of problems.
According to Eric @ IDoCars on Youtube, he rates this engine as the 2nd best engine to get on current GM trucks… with the 5.3L being the best option. Go to 41 min into this video… or go to the beginning to see a teardown of one of these 2.7L engines:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPgkauSP8yc
That car guy on the youtube machine says the 2.7 may be the best engine in these. The 3.0d and the 6.2 have issues. The 5.3 has some reports of iffy quality coming in. The 2.7 is OK. $30 large? You re joking ! I ll take the short box.
I wonder if I contacted the dealer and informed them that Chevrolet was also offering a $7,500 rebate and asked if I could get that as well if they would admit they were just virtue signaling and their advertised discount was actually Chevy money. But if they could put a decent sound system instead of a screen and offer roll down crank windows I’m in.
Genuine question here: why did you only call Howard Bentley Buick GMC to verify the pricing but not the other dealers you mentioned like Lorenzo Buick GMC in Miami or Classic Buick GMC in Texas?
If the point of the story is that this isn’t just a single-dealer discount but part of a broader push to move Turbomax trucks, it would’ve been helpful to confirm the actual out-the-door structure at those stores too. Dealer websites often stack incentives that don’t always apply, so a quick call to the others could’ve clarified whether buyers can really replicate the same deal outside of Howard Bentley.
Right now the article reads like the discounts are broadly available, but the only dealership you actually verified by phone was one store in Alabama.
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.
I don’t need or want a V8 but if my V4 has the same mpg I want a V8
I have the smaller LTG 2.0T motor in my Camaro and it’s also been Like a Rock. 300 lb-ft and zero complaints for 115k miles as of last week. Lots of rallycross events too, I think the exercise has kept it running nicely.
The 2.7T Turbomax sounds like an awesome motor with its dual-volute turbo (not a twin-scroll, it actually has two different “shells” in the housing!) and those single-cab short bed base model GMCs look great. If I was in the market for a tow rig, I’d be pouncing on these deals.
HEMI!
Honestly, this 2.7T engine puts many older trucks to shame with 310hp/430ftlb
The Hemi ranged from ~340hp-395hp (NA)/~375-410ftlb. It deserves to be retired or used as the target of ongoing jokes.
From what I read, to make a 2.7L last, you have to do the oil changes every 5000 miles using a quality synthetic oil and good quality filter.
And the current 2.7L is a better engine than the current 6.2L V8.
5k oil changes with quality synthetic oil and filters is what I would expect to make any turbo gas engine last…
That’s what I’ve done with every turbo car I’ve ever had
At $30/change using DIY labor that’s not much of an ask.
Unloaded, it drives quite well, I was surprised. I rented one to tow my racecar and enclosed trailer (5k lb total) one time and I enjoyed driving it when not towing. I would prefer a na v8 in my (hypothetical) truck, but not a gm exploding one, yet this engine was great doing around town stuff.
When towing however, it kind of fell apart. It couldn’t maintain my regular towing speed despite revving at 5k rpm frequently and somehow managed to get worse mileage towing (8.6mpg) than my regular tow rig (X5M, 10mpg).
The engine might be good. Time will tell. I test drove a bunch of these and couldn’t get over the transmission. It never seemed to know what gear to be in and was just working overtime all the time. Smooth it is not. Opted for the 5.3 cause I’m not touching that 6.2.
I’d probably go with the Babymax over all them tbh
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”.
I dunno. Getting $10k off a loaded Denali wasn’t unheard of, but getting $10k off a fleet spec truck was never very common.
Sure, I’ll give you that. On a base work truck, maybe 5k was more common, but at those times of the year when the moon would align with the stars and dealerships needed to hit their quote, I am sure 10k off even a work truck was doable.
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.
These are perfect for the people who want trucks that don’t use them for truck stuff. It used to be everyone complaining about people buying trucks that don’t need them. Well was that incorrect or do these fill the need for the small pickup truck market that doesn’t need a truck more than a few weekends a year?
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.
Same takeaway I had. The dealerships are finally realizing that $40k is a lot to ask for the most base of base models. They probably kept them around hoping people would decide to pay the extra money to get some more features. So in that sense I suppose these trucks accomplished their mission.
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
Nice. I got in on the mother of all lease deals for the 2024 Nissan Leaf at 19 bucks a month (actually $115 a month with nothing down and taxes amortized). Might have been the cheapest lease in decades. Occasional monster deals do exist.
Not even a little bit.
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.
Pickup Truck Talk states this engine and the 3.0 Duramax are staying. There’s also the new V8s that are coming. 5.7 and the 6.4.
funny that they’re stealing the Hemi’s displacement
I thought that was humorous as well.
I mean, the Hemi stole the displacement from the Chevy 350 (only in rounded metric, though.)
Redesign, you say?
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.
The 300-6 in my 92 F-250 makes half that HP and a little more than half the torque. And has a lower tow rating…
For a brief moment in time in the ’90s, my dad was a salesman at a Ford dealership. He claims the low tow ratings stem from the relatively weak transmissions Ford was using at the time in the lighter trucks. Also, the brakes are from the ’90s (at best).
As much as everyone loves them, old trucks really don’t hold a candle to the ones being made now in terms of performance.
Mine has the 4 speed manual that could crush rocks but it’s a light-duty 250, lighter rear axle, wheel studs, and smaller brakes. I always buy 3/4 tons because I have a double axle car trailer, but I use it so seldomly and don’t mind taking it slow so my next truck will be a 1/2 ton. There are a lot more used ones to choose from…
Well more than double that of the 6.2 n/a diesel Suburban I took my driver’s license test with. And that thing dragged ginormous campers all over creation. Slowly, but how fast do you need to go towing a rolling ranch home?
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
All a truck needs. Plus an 8′ bed – I don’t like wood hanging off the tailgate.
AM radio only, or do you need that fancy FM as well?
would add blue tooth to that, have to recognize the century we are in.
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.
You need to expound on what your job was that your company truck had *radioactive material* placards on it!
Enquiring minds want to know…
I imagine they made a most effective traffic plow.
Nuclear density gauges. A device about the size of a lunchbox that can determine the density of dirt or hot mix asphalt pavement by measuring the resistance to a small radiation source. Used for road construction from the late 70’s through about ten years ago, mostly dropped for more accurate methods and much cheaper maintenance costs – even very low sources are tightly regulated.
I received less radiation from that work over my career than a flight to Australia. But the warning signs definitely freaked out any passers-by.
LOL – I figured something like that, but was hoping for something more exotic.
I’ve spent so much time in the air over the past 30 years I am surprised I don’t emit a faint glow.
Oh wow another geotech! I’ve used Troxlers that were older than me haha.
Yup, that’s them! Over the 30 years we only had one get stolen and one get punted by a truck. Something to get the regulators excited!
At times, yes. But he was old school, meaning worked hard, played hard, took good care of the family. Boating, camping, hiking, fishing, etc we did as a family, dinner at six and don’t be late to the table, what you were up to before then was fine. Don’t be caught watching cartoons on a Saturday morning as you had a good chance of being absconded away to a brick pile to sort them, clean them, and if need be soak them in water if they were too dry. The point is he worked hard, and so we worked hard. I appreciate what hard work is, and those who do it. Overall life was good. Too many these days do not have a core family while growing up, which is a shame.
my dad beat me with his belt. I also had to check pay phones for quarters.
Sorry to hear that about the belt. Judging by the 20 and growing smiley faces to Troubled Troubadour’s comment I think I have touched on a very sensitive nerve.
Sorry if I caused any offense. My old man was a hardass workaholic too. We didn’t have the best relationship.
No offense at all, I understand the relationship issues, there were moments I despised my dad, but many times where I was in awe of him. Took me well into my 50’s to find an emotional peace about him. I have tried to take what I liked and filter out what I did not like about him when raising my kids, who are adults now. We all do the best we can, with what we have.
I obviously don’t know squat beyond what’s been shared – it just strikes me as such comically vindictive behavior today but I’m sure it was more normalized (and of course, possible since I’m sure it was extra) at the time.
Did you deserve it? On the occasions that happened to me as a child, I certainly did, and am a better man for it. If you didn’t well, that is abuse. There is definitely a distinction there.
If that actually worked a kid would only ever be beaten or see it happen to someone else once.
It didn’t take that many more times than that for me – I certainly was never paddled for the same thing twice. I was a quick learner. My dipshit brother on the other hand, not enough beatings in the world.
Well it happened to me too, on my bare bottom even and to this day I have no f#cking idea what I did to *deserve* it. In retrospect my best guess is that my crime was minor but Dad was having an extreme bipolar swing.
I DO however know I was very young and it was done right in front of my best friend who told everyone at school and who gave me no end of teasing about it for far, far too long. Today the school would have been legally obligated to call the cops and CPS, but of course back then no official gave a s#it.
That kind of thing stays with you long after the *reason* for the beating is forgotten.
Some people shouldn’t breed.
Well if they didn’t I wouldn’t be here.
My oldest brother was a complete fuck up. Unfortunately that colored my father’s outlook with us younger ones as we grew older. I know my mom spanked me at least once, but it was her wielding of the wooden spoon that kept us brothers in check. My father never touched us, he would threaten the strap,but he was very intimidating.
As was mine (stepfather) – he didn’t have to resort to the belt often with me. But it didn’t do much good with my brother. And once my mother divorced him (brother’s father), my brother became completely uncontrollable. He’s nine years younger than I am. Still a complete idiot approaching 50.
I got the belt too and I did deserve it. No question about it.
I deserved every lick i got.
Many are.
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.
You can skip the “when it’s lowered” part, especially for the GM products.
Somewhere in Detroit there’s a truck product manager that keeps insisting “ours has to be two inches bigger than our competitors, in every dimension”. He needs to be flogged. The size of these trucks is ridiculous. (And they’re ugly.)
Sorry. Rant over.
I put a 4/6’’ drop kit on my 2015 Silverado so that my dogs can jump in the back seat without breaking themselves. I get loads of compliments on it when I stop. Loading the bed is actually possible from the sides again too. 4×4 still works. The wheel gap previously was so large you could fit your head into the wheel well. Now it’s reasonable and tasteful.
That wheel gap has always bothered me about GM trucks since the late 2000s. I think that’s part of why they look so goofy as is.
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?
Pretty sure you would need the Denali Warner Brothers Limited Platinum edition for the blu-ray. This model probably only comes with a Paramount+ streaming subscription with ads and no Showtime.
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?