Yes, perhaps this will be viewed as heresy, declaring a large pickup as a PLC. Well, it is and it has what’s necessary to qualify. Large engine? 6.2L V8 so yes. Back seat? Yes but not as big as the sedan, er, Crew Cab version. Sumptuous fittings? Leather seats and lots of toys. Ah, but I spy more than two doors, you cry! If the Germans can declare four door coupes a thing, then America can play that game too. Just don’t point out the bit about needing a cut-down roofline to be a coupe, it’s no lower than the others but even if it was it’s so far up there you couldn’t really measure it anyway. But yes, this format is a great vehicle for one or two, and perhaps a few young’uns, just like back in the day. The best part? No vinyl roof, no brougham badges, no velour anything, no pillow soft suspension. But it does have all the modern accoutrements that the market demands and is far more useful to boot.
A funny thing happened on the way into 2020 – Chevy redesigned their cash cow, the Silverado, for the 2019 model year and was instantly overwhelmed (at least online) with remarks regarding its looks so we’ll start there, no need to beat around the bush; it seems many (or a vocal contingent anyway) didn’t like what they saw on their screens and formed opinions before even seeing any in the metal. Cutting further into it, the interior wasn’t necessarily everyone’s cup of tea either compared to the competition.
But in an odd twist, Silverado sales for the first quarter of 2020 were on an absolute tear until that weird little bug got out and started to ruin everything for everyone. In fact, January saw over 46,000 units leave dealers’ lots (that’s the biggest January since some time before 2005 and translates to almost 1500/DAY) and February accounted for over 60,000 sales which over the last fifteen years has only been exceeded once (2012); And then March which was seriously abbreviated in much of the country still saw over 36,000 sales. Combine that with the basically identical save for the costume GMC Sierra and General Motors as an entity shouldn’t be counted out of the pickup race at all.
Perhaps many buyers took a deeper look and liked what they saw beneath. From a personal perspective I’ve never really minded the looks, and now note that things like the scoops at the bottom side of the bumpers actually are open to the back and likely aid airflow although I’ll be the first to admit that RAM really knocked it out of the park both inside and out this time around and while the F-series is now somewhat dated (and plasticky inside), nobody is thinking it’s past its prime either; the outside is still handsome if more conservative which perhaps plays well in many parts. GM, to its credit, did get rid of the square wheel openings this time around.
As regards this Chevy, especially in this more monochrome RST (Rally Sport Truck, dontcha know!) in a darker color some of the parts that seemed to disturb people like the little corners that intrude on the grille around the headlights and I believe the little upkick at the rear door window edge are far less noticeable. Then again, I really like this thing in just plain white and especially with the large black grille available in the base W/T trim with the Chevrolet logotype punched out of it instead of the bowtie. Between that and this, there’s a million other different variations, if you approach a truck as a tool instead of just a toy then perhaps looking beneath the surface is warranted as well.
I did appreciate that this particular truck was built right here in the US; in Roanoke, Indiana as a matter of fact. The engine and transmission on this one are also listed as being built in the US as well. Total US/Canada content is 46%, Mexico contributes 38% and the other 16% isn’t identified as to origin.
While this particular truck is perhaps outfitted a bit more for leisure than the farmyard, one thing that most can agree on is that the 6.2 liter Ecotec3 V-8 is a fantastic block of metal. Backed by a 10-speed automatic (Hydra-Matic 10L80) it produces 420hp at 5600rpm and 460lb-ft of torque at 4100rpm.
This all-aluminum engine is an OHV design featuring direct injection as well as variable valve timing and is frankly everything you could want. Quiet, supremely powerful in all situations and actually fairly economical (relatively speaking) it’s an excellent companion. The Dynamic Fuel Management lets it run on as few as two cylinders (so still with an effective displacement of 1.55liters) or on any other quantity of cylinders as needed and in the 465 miles I put on this brand new example with just over 2000 miles when I got it, it returned an average of 19.6mpg on regular gas.
Now, about 320 miles of that were freeway miles and conditions were excellent, i.e. minimal traffic and good weather, but another 80 or so miles were mostly city miles at low speeds, much in residential subdivisions and with traffic lights, stop signs etc. but generally lightly loaded. The balance was up in the foothills of this area, again, not steady throttle and lots of stops and starts for pictures etc. With an EPA rating of 16city and 20hwy and a 17mpg average, my 19.6 result seems to easily confirm that. The final drive ratio in this truck was 3.23, so fairly high, but with that stump puller of an engine you can have your cake and eat it too.
When the weather was good I just kept it in 2WD, but we did get a dusting of snow and some wet weather for a small part of the week, during which I just tapped the switch to move it into “Auto” so if additional traction was needed it would figure it out for me, I think for most people having an “Auto” setting makes lots of sense (4Hi and 4Lo are also available choices). My own somewhat older truck only has 2WD, 4WD, and 4WD Low, which makes it more challenging (and frankly a pain) in changing conditions especially considering it doesn’t have stability or traction control. In a lightly loaded pickup it takes minimal moisture to get the back end moving in an undesired direction, having the truck do a lot of the work to keep it under control is a godsend for most people.
While this Silverado obviously has traction and stability control, I was a little surprised that it was one of the relatively few recent testers to NOT have a full suite of safety software included, although it is available. So besides the backup camera (excellent resolution), I had to rely on myself to be aware of other traffic, cars in my blind spots etc.
This particular example had the very large trailering mirrors (new for this model year) with separate convex sections that are likely a boon for those with frequent trailering needs but the downside is that they are so big they are capable of hiding a heavy duty crewcab longbed truck at an intersection behind them if the angles are just right. Nothing bad actually happened as he moved into my field of view before I moved but it reminded me to move my head around a bit more while stopped and looking both ways. Not every option is necessary for every person, the best part of trucks is that you can get them exactly how you want them and what you would use them for.
One of the biggest surprises after realizing how fast this truck actually is (would you believe 0-60 in a hair over five seconds?) is that it actually corners very well. Now, of course it’s a truck, it’s heavy and tall, but going down a windy road or driving around the lake road is not an exercise in cornering frustration, it turns with far more aplomb than expected (certainly better than the PLC’s of yesteryear) and without untoward drama.
I wasn’t really expecting too much from the 18″ Michelin All-Seasons that are the standard fitment here although many other styles and sizes of both wheel and tire area are available. And they certainly provided a good ride with those useful sidewalls. However, it will keep up with any moderately driven vehicle on most roads and not be a chore to do so. At speed it’s quiet and stable, however when lightly loaded, bumps upset it more than they would a car or CUV, with a large bump at higher speeds resulting in multiple bounces, curiously more noticeable from the front end than the rear rather than just a one-and-done. Everything inside and out was solidly attached, nothing rattled, felt loose or less than durable.
The interior of the truck is spacious, comfortable, and almost instantly usable. The driver’s seat adjusts electrically, passenger manually, and they are plenty large enough for most people I can think of, legroom is abundant, all the controls on the dashboard make sense without reading the manual first, and this particular trim level even had that holiest of holies, a column shifter! Now, while the seats and the steering wheel were leather covered, the shifter curiously was not, instead it’s just a kind of squared off piece of plastic. Not a huge deal but it’d be a nice little thing to add given the other items’ main touch points already are.
The biggest shortcoming in the interior is likely the section of the dashboard ahead of the passenger. While there are two gloveboxes the design isn’t overly inspired and perhaps looks a bit cheap with what look like large gaps around those two doors. The passenger doors (as opposed to the glovebox doors) and the sides of the center console feature an attractive faux-wood strip with an interesting design on it, something like that could easily have been designed into the dashboard as well, at least for these more uplevel trims.
Plastics in general are more on the “truck” end of the spectrum, with the most plasticky pieces probably being the gear lever as well as the two very large and prominently placed grab handles on the A-pillars. Grabbing those revealed a fair amount of mold-mark edges on the inside. I totally get it, this same stuff is shared with the basic truck as well, perhaps the really-uplevel trucks get nicer stuff, however this kind of touch point is what leaves an impression, how much more can it really cost to improve this and wouldn’t it be worth it even on the most basic one?
At one time, GM offered two very different dash designs for the basic vs uplevel trucks, I feel that this RST level is more uplevel than not and as such these touchpoints could be easily improved. The dashboard itself might be more difficult but there does seem to be some chatter that perhaps GM will upgrade the interiors sooner than usual, having been caught out a bit by RAM’s large step forward. I didn’t take issue with the driver’s portion of the dash though, and the door panels were decent as well.
Gauges were easily legible and comprehensive enough with various menus in the center display to toggle through in order to see all kinds of information (idle hours, total hours, trans temp, oodles of stuff…). If you look at the rpm gauge (it’s currently idling), if you turn the engine off the needle descends all the way down but if the stop/start system is enabled it moved down halfway to “AutoStop”. The stop/start system works fine, it fires back up with minimal vibration or noise and probably saves a decent amount of fuel. Defeating it is a matter of pushing a toggle on the center stack or if it turns off and you let your foot off the brake just a hair it comes back on and stays on.
Even though there was a column shifter there was still a center console between the seats but now with even more room for all the various stuff that people take with them. The center bin between the seats was like a mini-trunk, easily able to swallow whole gallon containers of packaged liquids, the large open tray area in front of it was perfect for the phone, pens, notepads, and perhaps even a Sunday morning buffet.
The HVAC controls were easy to decipher/program, the A/C was ice cold (yes it hit 70 degrees outside for a brief spell), and many will be pleased to hear that there were virtually no button blanks at all save for the outermost sections of the lower toggle-type switches near the bottom of the center stack, however that was fairly subtly done. One thing that GM has done for a while now on their truck platforms at least is to have the heated seats available in two modes; one can either heat the whole seat or just the back section and not the seat bottom with separate buttons for each. Either way offers three heat settings. And the steering wheel was heated on this one as well, activated by its own button right on the steering wheel.
Rereading what I wrote, it’s frankly quite astounding at how far GM truck interiors have come since my old ’98 Tahoe with its Play-Skool like knobs and dials and far fewer ergonomic considerations. In this current truck everything appeared to be in a logical place and even the steering wheel buttons weren’t that rubbery one-piece multifunction pad like in some of the cars, but rather real, individual buttons. A small thing, to be sure (and how pretty much everyone else does it, admittedly) but it’s far better than the other.
I climbed into the back seat as well and while there was plenty of headroom I was forced to man-spread in order to be comfortable back there. A short ride would be fine but an hour or more wouldn’t be welcomed. Of course that’s what the full-fat crew-cab version is for and just like back in the day, the back wasn’t really made for lounging, or at least not lounging in the normal position.
Still, there is a lot space back here and if there is a passenger at least they have a couple of USB ports to help them plug in, turn on, and tune out. After re-reading the specs on the sticker a few times, I realized that the back seat likely isn’t actually leather, but feels very much like the front seats do and look the same. Either that means that vinyl in back seats has gotten much better or that leather in front seats is more like vinyl than I thought. Probably both.
The seats do fold up, leaving enough room for large plastic bins (which I tried but failed to take a picture of) once you navigate them around the short(er) back doors. I’m sort of conflicted on this; while the real (if short) doors are likely safer in an accident, and are more convenient for actual passengers as well as probably being easier to manufacture/install/adjust, the clam-shell arrangement that used to be more en vogue makes it far easier to load the back seat area assuming that there is ample space next to the vehicle.
At first I thought the interior was black and gray, it took a bit of time to realize it’s actually really dark brown and light gray. Not a bad combination at all, even if the name they chose for the interior hues “Gideon / Very Dark Atmosphere” gives you zero clue as to the actual colors. The outside of this truck was Shadow Gray Metallic and while in the overcast photos it comes across as simply charcoal, once the sun hits it there is a very large amount of blue that comes out and makes for a very attractive shade. The combination of exterior and interior works quite well, someone at GM is pretty good at this, they’ve had a long run of interesting color combos across all of the lines (car and truck) for some time now.
But what am I doing, this is a truck and I haven’t even touched on its defining feature, the bed! This one, being the double cab, comes with the middle sized bed as standard and frankly it’s the only size bed I’d want with a longer cab like this, that extra foot over the shorty on the regular crew cab makes all the difference. I moved this toilet as well as a sofa, the sofa by chance happened to fit perfectly while still allowing the tailgate to close and sandwich it in place, but that’s more a coincidence.
The party trick on this tailgate is that it’s electric. However, that only works in the down position, you have to lift it back up manually although it’s weighted or assisted such that it’s a one-hand or perhaps two-finger affair to do so (the HD line also has an auto-up option). One can either push the button on the tailgate where the handle would normally be or push it on the keyfob like a trunk opener. The lights flash and it lowers. Most useful when your hands are full but you can still reach the button, kind of like trying to turn on the garage lights with your hands full of grocery bags. Doable with a little effort, but far better than setting everything down first. With empty hands it’s obviously easier, but in that case opening the tailgate manually wasn’t ever any great hardship either.
The camera set into the tailgate was cool in that there are different settings and views with the best one probably the top down one for lining up a trailer to the hitch. Without that you either need an assistant and a lot of yelling or practice or if solo a lot of jumping out and back in to get it lined up. To change the desired view you just select one of the buttons below the screen.
What else is standard on this trim? Well, there’s a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and OnStar available for subscription, LED lights in every exterior position front and back, Keyless Go, Remote Start, a reminder to check the back seat for sleeping babies, a very handy step built into each side of the rear bumper (everyone else should just swallow their pride and do the same), and some other basic stuff.
So what’s this little rascal gonna set you back if you want one just like this one? We all know that sticker prices are for comparison purposes only, especially in trucks they have little reflection on real out the door prices. But as a benchmark, this truck in this configuration starts at $42,100 with everything that is NOT listed next. Those next items start with the biggie, the 6.2l engine at $2,495. Then for $1,655 there’s the Convenience Package with Bucket Seats (Bucket seats with center console, Dual-zone climate control, 10-way power driver’s seat -manual passenger, Heated front seats, Leather covered and heated steering wheel, Tilt and telescoping column.
For a further $1,420 there is the Convenience Package II which is comprised of: Universal home remote, Sliding power rear window, 120V instrument panel and pickup bed outlets, Chevrolet Infotainment 3 plus 8″ HD color touchscreen with voice recognition, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android-Auto, Bose premium sound, and an HD rear vision camera. $760 gets you the leather front seats, $395 covers an auto-locking rear diff, the Trailering Package for $395 takes care of the hitch, 7 and 4pin outlets as well as the hitch guidance system, Power heated trailering mirrors run $345 and the Integrated trailer brake controller rounds things out at $275. Oh, destination is $1,595 for a grand total of….$51,435.
Noodling around on the Chevy website let me build this same exact configuration but the website deducted $4,500 in discounts right off the bat from the above total. No doubt your local dealer would kick a lot more in as well as is usually the case. There isn’t a lot of that above stuff I’d want to do without if I was looking for a fairly fancy truck although if I was really buying one I’d probably either get a regular cab with a long bed and go really basic (white, W/T with the small wheels etc) or whole hog with the larger Crew Cab but still this size bed. And as great as the engine is (and it is!) I’d want to at least try the rest of the options as well before paying the extra cost for this one.
I don’t tow enough for work or play (or even remotely big loads) to really need the mirrors but would probably still get the other towing stuff just in case. I’ve been seeing a fair variety of these on the roads, especially lately, and with the numbers they’ve been selling that’s not likely to change any time soon, although the current health situation is obviously putting a damper on what was starting out as a great sales year. Let’s hope we can all have the ability and health to go back to shopping for trucks, be it a smaller one, a larger one, or a “PLC” just like this one soon.
Disclosure: Chevrolet provided the truck for a week along with a full tank of fuel.
Thanks for this, which is the first up-close look I have had at this generation. Random thoughts: I like the way they have gone back to spelling out CHEVROLET in the tailgates and on the grille of the lower level models. It is a great name, they should be proud of it. But the font on the hood sides is easily read as “SILVERADD” or “SILVERAOO”.
I am still working through the looks, though I have the same issues with “Truck R” and “Truck F”.
Most of all, it is interesting the way sales have come on hard after a slow start. I know at least one life-long Chevy truck die-hard who is loving the Ram he got at work, and has a Charger Hellcat that he bought used just for fun, and wondered if Chevy was in for some permanent problems. That idea may have been premature.
I’m not sure of the timeline, but you have to wonder if the Canadian dealer that created the retro Cheyenne trim a few years ago didn’t have some influence here, especially regarding having gone back to spelling out CHEVROLET in the tailgates.
I saw one of the retro trimmed trucks in the metal on a boat ramp last summer, and had momentary cognitive dissonance seeing that tailgate; I half expected to see my Dad next in line backing his boat in with his ’76 LTD.
The truck was really sharp….
One byproduct of such capable, desirable trucks is that real, used PLC’S are so unpopular and cheap to buy these days, even I can afford them.
The interior is super dated and cheap compared to any trim of the RAM 1500. No contest.
My God, what an ugly truck
Epic powertrain dropped into a truly horrific exterior and interior that somehow managed to regress from the prior (very decent) insides.
Just borrowed my friend’s trusty ’98 K1500 Ext cab step side Z71 with a 305 (198k miles strong, all original aside from an alternator and water pump). That to me is the perfect truck. Auto 4wd is handy no doubt but has been problematic (in older versions anyhow). My friend’s has the anvil simple manual t-case lever on the floor. The GMT400s are the handsomest trucks ever made, aside from the ’67-72s.
I can’t think of a bigger gap in desirability for myself personally, going from GMT400 to whatever the current abomination’s chassis code is.
Here’s a comparison pic of the 2018 vs 2019 Silverado Interior in what looks like a comparable trim level. It doesn’t seem too different (which is what I think many may be objecting to). But I don’t see it as a retrograde step either. The overall bar has just moved higher in the market.
Re the exterior that’s always up to subjective interpretation. Sales for the first three months of this year seem to show it’s now being accepted by the broader marketplace.
I’ve heard specifically that there is more hard plastics, which may or may not be true. It does seem that the soft touch vinyl goes lower down the dash area on the older trucks.
Exterior, yeah taste is definitely subjective, and I think Chevy designers have honed in on what the market wants (maximum angry brodozer effect).
I’d have to look at both side by side I suppose and touch them all over, FWIW the new one didn’t feel like it had an overabundance of hard stuff or at least certainly not in the areas that are most commonly touched (excepting the grab handles and shifter that I mentioned and that could be dressed up fairly easily). The dash and door panels seemed mostly soft. I suppose it’s a fine line, make it all soft and you’ll likely get complaints that it’s a truck and it’ll never hold up in the long run. It certainly has less obviously hard plastics than the Ford.
I do recall that the last redesign came in for a LOT of criticism that it was too much the same, i.e. it needed much more differentiation and people couldn’t tell the old and new apart. So Chevy now makes it obviously different and it’s too much for some (or perhaps the same people). The old truck was quietly handsome and frankly more like what the RAM turned into and the F150 has been since 2004. This time around Chevy is the outlier and enduring criticism for trying something different. Change is hard for some, I suppose. I expect the people that actually use trucks for actual work aren’t going to give a damn about the exterior styling, supposedly that’s not what one should buy a truck for according to the internet. Those people buy the hammer that pounds the nail the best for them, not just the one that’s painted the prettiest color. 🙂
I’ve really enjoyed my time in a pair of rental Tahoes (K2XX generation trucks), the interiors in particular, but the easy gait and burble of the 5.3L (and the excellent real world mpg) and overall feel things like the column shifter, etc all feel “right.” Those ingredients plus moderate handsomeness and some kind of tenuous styling connection back to those GMT400s that I like so much, make the prior gen GMs appealing to me. We’ll see, we’re moving to a larger house with a 1 acre lot and three car garage, if I stick with this circle track project and need to tow semi-regularly, I may very well find myself used Chevy shopping. Then again knowing me I’d try to find a clean rust free GMT400 and refurbishing it. I wish Chevy were the ones that did an aluminum body, I find that inherent rust-resistance of the newer Fords VERY appealing, here in Central Indiana.
I agree that the GMT400s were among the best looking and best GM trucks ever. I worked on countless when I was at the GM dealer. They were our bread butter. They were sized nicely, relatively light and peppy with the Vortec engines.
That said, they are far from perfect. Quality and reliability was hit and miss, with the early trucks being better built. We pretty much dealt with failures on every aspect of these trucks, although many seemed to be impossible to kill. Tons made high mileage, and recall the first famous million miler truck was a GMT400 Chev. They weren’t the most robust and the brakes were barely adequate while the ride was on the undampened side.
That said, I take I nice one in a heartbeat. They are cheap and easy to fix, I know them very well and they are comfortable and still relatively modern. Around here most are long gone other than the occasional pampered regular can short box. I still miss my old Chev.
Vince around Indy, the most incredible thing to me is just how many GMT400s are still around. Central/NE Indiana is GM country, (the Fort Wayne plant is up on I69, countless GM plants dotted the interstate for years). Just on my block there are two old GMT400s, an early 90s W/T in ratty beat up shape, and a neighbor has an eye-wateringly clean and rust free red Sierra 1500 (reg cab long bed 2wd). Anywhere you drive you’ll see atleast 5-6 GMT400s, between the pickups and the SUVs especially. When I borrowed my buddy’s ’98 Z71 to get mulch, the gentleman loading it offered to buy it off me, leaving the yard I saw an older guy tarping over the bed of his immaculate early 90s brown/tan two tone Silverado.
I believe the chassis code is
WTF-CHEV-2020.
Sounds like it excels in the areas that matter most to me: acceleration, fuel economy, handling, driveability. Seems like GM’s focused on what’s most important over the long haul.
My goodness, people have opinions about these things. I guess we always have. The gas mileage and performance is impressive, equivalent to what my much smaller and more humble Dakota with the six-cylinder/cut-off 318 V8 would get. I suspect mine was easier to park, even without the camera in the back. Those steps in the bumper are the best idea ever. But if I had a truck with an electric tailgate, I would at least want it to have a sound-track of an old tailgate as it crashed down into place when you lowered it. That was always the signal to climb up and go to work.
Thank you for the very thorough review! I’m glad to read a generally positive review, most all the magazine reviews I’ve read have been pretty down on the Chevy.
Count me as not a fan of the new look, but it has grown on me a bit. That you consider the new round wheel arches a credit to Chevy probably explains why you like the looks. The arches are my biggest styling issue with the truck. Why throw away such a visual trademark that is so identified with your brand? It’s the biggest part of the Chevy look and I don’t understand why they would want to throw that away. I have also heard that they are doing an interior and exterior refresh ASAP, so we will see how that looks.
Granted, I’m not in the market for a truck or car at this time. I think people tend to harp on interior materials too much. Is there plastic? Are the touchpoints soft enough? Does the plastic have the right feel? We are talking about a truck here. Seems to me the important questions are: does it work well and is it durable? I suppose in the current world, where pickups have effectively replaced PLC’s and people don’t mind dropping 40-70k on a pickup truck, nitpicking on the feel of buttons and quality of the wood trim and such is justifiable.
I have a feeling the Silverado and Sierra’s first quarter sales bonanza was due in large part to fleet sales.
…and record-breaking incentives. It takes a lot of incentives to motivate someone to buy something that doesn’t excite their soul.
I like the exteriors of these, more so than the prior generation actually. The interior, I don’t get at all…..the dash and overall interior of my 2019 Suburban looks more upscale to me, and it dates back to the 2015 model year to add insult to injury. You can’t believe everything you read online of course, but I read that GM rushed these trucks to market because of the new Ram and had to cut development time short….a better interior will appear in a mid-cycle refresh. So we’ll see if that comes to pass.
I agree with Jim, the whole area in front of the passenger looks like they just gave up and threw a 1990’s GM dashboard there.
And the gauge cluster is what GM trucks have used for 20 years. I have the optional larger screen taking all the real estate between the speedo and tach, which gives you different “layouts” for the info screens and auxiliary gauges. To my eyes it imparts a much more upscale look and feel. I’m sure it’s optional in this pickup, but why not make it standard in everything above the fleet versions?
But these are all very subjective points. I’m sure plenty of people think this interior is great, from the sales data.
Another great review and photography Jim. You put a lot of work and added value into your contributions to Paul’s a site, and it is really appreciated.
An impressive truck. I am a bit surprised that overall it appears somewhat conventionally/conservatively styled inside and out. Even the wheels. I assume, to ensure broader appeal.
I really enjoyed this! Thank you.
To each their own.
Nice review!
Thanks for the review. I’m jealous of the fuel economy. Considering you’re at altitude, even considering the limited distances and preponderance of highway miles it seems like it is better than my 3.5 V6 6 speed automatic Tacoma. And the 5.3 should be even better. I find the styling “OK” within the context of modern pickups, both in and out. The version that I find appealing is the Custom Trail Boss, which comes with 2” lift, Rancho shocks and 18” Duratrac tires for a very reasonable price … not quite in the Raptor or Power Wagon class, but a decent package at a low price since you don’t need a high-level trim package to get the hard parts. Have you had a chance to drive the 3 liter GM diesel yet?
Nope but I’d like to, I understand the mileage is excellent on that – what’s super appealing is just the range it would offer without having to go to a gas station. .Actually I’d really like to try the 2.7 turbo four.
I took a rental Tacoma TRD Offroad and rental Tahoe LT (5.3) on the same business trip to Chicago and back on I65 (granted, the Tacoma was in colder weather possibly on winter blend fuel). But the results were astounding. The Tacoma got an indicated 19mpg, and that was with me keeping speeds a bit closer to 72ish mph. I hated how it needed to downshift for the slightest of hills. The Tahoe loafed along and returned an indicated 24.5mpg, and I was driving it quicker, closer to 75mph I’d guess, as it felt much more comfortable and less strained. Now I get that the Tahoe has its low hanging chin spoiler helping it vs the Tacoma’s blissfully uncompromised approach angle, but boy that Tacoma would be a vastly more satisfying to drive vehicle with a small block Chevy under the hood (or Toyota’s own smaller 4.6L V8?). Forget even the fuel economy for a moment, the 5.3L in the Tahoe was immensely more pleasant to drive.
Rub it in, won’t you. I just checked in with an arborist we’ve used who bought a diesel Colorado. No issues after about 3 years and he loves it. I think that with fuel prices currently in California the cost per mile may be a wash vs a gas Colorado (or Tacoma) but the mpg and range are appealing. I just can’t see using a full-size truck in either the town we live in nor on the trail.
4×4 Tacomas get lousy mileage. My son’s never gets more than about 16-17. Aerodynamics undoubtedly plays a big part. The Taco is an old design, and the 4×4 stance ruins the already mediocre aerodynamics further. The American big pickups are constantly refining the aerodynamics of their trucks. And their drive trains are well suited too.
The current Tacoma, rugged as it is, is from another decade.
Ironically enough my ’96 4Runner on even more aggressive all terrain tires than what my rental TRD OR had gets within spitting distance of what that new Tacoma got, with superior real world gearing/engine response (IMO) out of its 3.4L+4spd auto. Mine almost never downshifts on the highway to maintain speeds out in the Midwest, despite being about 100hp down on the newer direct injected 3.5L. Put your foot in it and wind it out and I’m sure the new motor wipes the floor with my old cast iron mill, but in real world driving I prefer the old setup hands down.
Have you tried a Tacoma with a 4.0L? These are way torquier and IMO offer better real world performance than the 3.5L. The fuel mileage isn’t far off too, despite the EPA ratings. I like the 3.5L in a Camry or even a Sienna, but it’s not well suited in the Tacoma.
I agree with Paul that the Tacoma’s have poor fuel economy for their size. Maybe around town their lighter weight might help a bit, but on the highway, it can easily be bested by many fullsize trucks. My brother traded a Tacoma for a 5.7L Tundra and noticed almost no difference in highway MPG between the two.
Yep I test drove one of the 2nd gen trucks back in 2014, along with the 4Runners when they just refreshed them. I agree, the 4.0L is an excellent motor. That 2nd gen Tacoma in retrospect was a great truck, I liked the simple interior, fairly handsome styling (certainly vastly better than the weird bloated schnozz they tacked onto the 3rd gen), and I believe it weighed on the order of 400lb less than the current Tacoma, while making notably stronger low end/mid-range power. A “Goldilocks” where it makes enough power, is efficient enough, and stupendously reliable. I did the alternator on my friend’s 6spd FJ Cruiser a few years back when he hit 190k as I recall, it’s still going strong without a hiccup now with well over 200k, not phased at all.
Whenever I see an old truck with a bed that will actually hold something, does not require a crane to load it or a ladder to get into the cab, I marvel at how far trucks have gone from that outdated format.
You are so correct there. It’s amazing how outsized those new ones are.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-comparisons/cc-comparison-new-pickups-vs-old-pickups-bring-on-the-hyperbole/
Jason:
If you re-read my comment, I am talking about bed capacity, loading height and driving position. The last truck I rented, an F150, about 8 years ago, had a large bed, which is what I wanted, but I detested the high seating position. I drove pickups from the 60s and even the early 90s and they were quite efficient in their space utilization. That is what they are for; rarely do you see rear passengers in contemporary pickups , but this design makes the load area look like an afterthought. If the overall dimensions of older pickups approximate new ones, that is fine because most of the area is devoted to what pickups are for, hauling materials. In fact, if that is what most pickup buyers really wanted a pickup for, on the rare occasion, when they have that need, they would rent one for infinitesimally less than what it costs to own one.
Yes, and loading height and driving position are similar. Regular cab pickups with 8′ beds are still available.
Is the styling everyone’s cup of tea? Likely not.
I had a ’15 Silverado 1500 as a company truck.
Very nice truck but even at my being 6′ tall it was way to big to be getting in and out of all day in my sales job. Thank goodness it had nerf bars, towel rack and rear bumper cut outs.
But hey, the price was right!
Can’t wait to get my ’92 F-150 on the road again. It’s just the right size.
The last picture in this review seems to not show much difference in that aspect over the last 30-some years, at least when comparing apples to apples.
I dunno what all makes up the overall driving perception, but when I pilot my friend’s aforementioned ’98 ext. cab Step side 4WD Chevy, it still feels very manageable. Maybe part of that is the narrowness of the bed when you look behind yourself. The cabin width doesn’t feel gargantuan either, although you’re certainly high up with a large hood to look out over. The times I’ve test driven more recent half tons they have across the board “driven big,” although perhaps the GM products less so, and the Tundra and 1st gen Titan most massively more so.
The auto stop marking in the tach is a nice little touch, but if you actually own a vehicle with auto stop-start you do get used to the fact that it is supposed to shut off and don’t think the engine died.
I have been calling extended cab pickups this era’s PLC for many years, that is the role that it fills for many. The other similarity with cars of the past is the use of a different grille for the different trims. Sure pickups had a painted and chrome grille option for many years, but it was the same basic grille, just with a trip through the chrome bath. Now most every trim has a different grille just like when the Caprice got a different grille than the Impala. After all the Bel-Air, Impala and Caprice were just different trim levels of the same basic car.
Count me in as surprised just how big the sales surge for the GM trucks were the first quarter, but you do have to keep in mind that 1st Q 2019 was pretty bad, so year over year looks more impressive than it is.
The people responsible for the design should feel at least somewhat vindicated. All the internet pundits said the styling and interior were what was killing sales and Chevy was going to be stuck in 3rd place for the foreseeable future. It sure looks like it was just the lack of the normal level of discounts at introduction, the ramp up in production and initial lack of availability of lower trims.
The sales surge wasn’t just over last year, I compared it to the last fifteen years in the text.. (the figures I found only went back to 2005 so I don’t know about before then, perhaps someone else has other figures, but it was the best January since at least then and the best February bar one year in that entire span. The March drop off due to shutdowns likely ruined the rest of the quarter taken as a whole though, hence my monthly comparisons. Going back to 2005 covers what, four generations?
My pet theory is that RAM did do a great job this time around which is obvious, Ford is the sales leader for whatever reason so no point in criticism there, if you’re number one you must be doing something right, hence Chevy is the one to get the venom as somebody always has to lose and be the whipping boy in much of auto journalism. And many people parrot what they read. Meanwhile people will usually buy what they think does the best job. I certainly would hope that if one was in the market for a truck one would take a look at ALL the offerings and make their own decision instead of worrying about what some writer or commenter’s opinion is.
I didn’t say the sales numbers weren’t impressive, just that the quarter over quarter numbers make it seem more impressive than it really is.
Don’t know what was in the water in Jan and Feb but a lot of full size trucks were sold. Here is a little perspective
In addition to Chevy, GMC and Ram also had their best Jan since 2005, while it was Ford’s second best Jan, only overshadowed by a strong 2019 number.
Ford also had their best Feb since 2012, while GMC just missed matching their 2012 numbers. Ram had the best Feb since 2005 by a significant margin.
Of course March was the lowest month for everyone in many years.
What a great observation on today’s loaded pickups being the new PLC. The feature truck hits all of the exact same buttons that a guy would be looking for in a 1969 Grand Prix (or 1958 Thunderbird, for that matter).
And, to be honest, the street price of a typically optioned Silverado RST isn’t all that bad, either. I wouldn’t have one but it definitely shines a different light on those I see driving them now.
The absence of the chrome grille on this RST and the base W/T makes it look a whole lot less awful than it does with the chrome.
The dark color does wonders for this pickup. The more base models with black plastic grilles and light colors are quite jarring.
Were I in the market for a new pickup (which I’m not) I would look at all of them as each have their distinct merits. The big merit in your tester is that 6.2 liter engine; it sounds like a real honey. Of course I’m still curious about the 2.7T.
So far I have not even gotten near one of this generation. I’ve ridden in several of the prior generation but only driven one – a 2015 crew cab 4×4 with a 4.3 liter V6. That was not an impressive drivetrain as it seemed a little too overwhelmed.
The biggest quibble I have about GM pickups doesn’t seem to have been addressed in this one but perhaps I’m wrong. It seems the windshields are shorter than the others, making frontal visibility a little compromised in comparison to the competition. But that is a minor point in the big scheme of things.
From the Detroit Free Press:
After grabbing headlines for stealing the coveted No. 2 pickup spot in 2019, Ram ceded the title back to the Chevrolet Silverado for the first quarter.
Silverado saw a 26% spike in the first quarter, from 114,037 in 2019 to 143,698. Ram pickups grew only 7%, from 120,026 to 128,805.
Analysts attributed the pivot to what one called a “thermonuclear” discount battle.
I’m guessing Chevy was not comfortable with that #3 position, and bought its way back to #2.
Here’s a blurb from the Detroit News:
Dealer incentives were a big reason that Ford’s overall pickup sales were off only 5.4% as J.D. Power reported that automakers shoveled truckloads of incentives, including no-interest loans, to maintain volume in their most profitable segment. Ford’s truck line includes F-Series and Ranger pickups, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, Transit vans, Transit Connect and E-Series vans.
Until the market settles back down and demand falls back more closely with supply (if that happens, considering that a deep recession is already unfolding) I wouldn’t place too much stock in these pickup sales stats reflecting genuine organic demand for one brand or another. Buyers are hunting the best deals, and have become less brand loyal then ever. Why not? It’s not like there’s really all that much difference between them.
Average pickup incentives in March were $7200. Unfortunately I can’t find a breakout per brand.
I think there’s more differentation in pickup trucks than there ever has been. That doesn’t mean that the end result isn’t the same though (capability and cost), if that’s what you mean.
You get where I’m coming from, right? It’s like 1960 all over again.
Let’s see, how do you want your half ton. Aluminum or steel? Overhead cams or pushrods? Turbos with that? How about a diesel? Would you like leaf springs or multi link rear end? The possibilities are endless. The only two things that aren’t offered here that used to be are a solid front axle and a manual transmission. I’d love a manual, but I’m 100% happy with IFS in a half ton.
I might give one of these a shot, but after being in business and running through dozens of work trucks, I am about ready to give up on the modern half tons. Granted, we use our trucks heavily in service use in an area with many unpaved roads, but the modern half tons have all struggled to reach 150k miles without major problems. Then, when they do have a problem at that mileage, it’s a real crap shoot on scrapping or repairing.
The last half tons we found that have a decent value proposition are the 4.8 Silverados with the 4l60. The drivelines are incredibly simple, robust, and inexpensive to replace. Unfortunately the rest of the truck doesn’t hold up as well as the f150s (or at least the interior and paint quality is much lower), but they blow away anything else we’ve run, cost per mile, including fuel.
So I guess maybe I won’t, and I’ll keep stockpiling the last of the 4 speed Silverados. Let me know when the value proposition catches up.
Subjectively, I rated the Ram #1 in styling a couple of years ago. Then, I would have placed GM #2 with trucks that were non-obtrusively styled and offering a trim, efficient look.
Then the Ram exterior styling changed and lost all of its machismo. And the GM entries added a taller bulkiness to its looks, not to mention character lines that are different for difference sake. Quietly, Ford freshened the F-Series, fixing the “grouper” grille shape. Voila, now I find the F-Series to be the best looking truck, particularly in Lariat trim.
Speaking of trim, I’d never buy a truck with painted bumpers. After a few years, every one of those painted bumpers display rust. Chrome bumpers last a lot longer before showing signs of rust.
You’ll note I didn’t rank the Toyota or Nissan trucks. The Toy is old, but ironically I see some Toyota style influence in the flanks of the new Ram and GM trucks. Nissan styling has zero originality… it is a very poor caricature of an F-Series (drop belt, nostril grille) with some added Ram bling.
JMHO
I took this shot a week ago at a local dealership of a new 4X4 standard cab, up against my Chev Belair…It makes the old girl look like a sports sedan!
Nice-looking Bel Air! I believe it’s a 78, correct? Love the color.
I once had a 77 Impala, white, with the same shade of blue for the interior.
Does GMC still offer a different hood for every day of the month?
Many are downright silly looking.
Wow Dean, that is a beaut!! I love these plain versions of the B-bodies, and a Bel Air is a rare find. Is it s 305 or 350? How many cars do you have? You really should write up a COALs on your little collection.
Thanks, Vince. She’s a ’78 with 305, PB, PS, AM radio and a blower type rear defogger. I only wish that I had the skill and patience to detail and clean it up like your recent Torino update.
I’ll include the shot taken of the basic truck taken the same day, which has a face that only a mother or designer could love. It seems to be uglified just for the sheer fun of it. The only comparison was that flat black square grill grafted on the basic Ford Econoline/Pick-up a few years back.
OMG Fugliness that rivals any befinned and megachromed monstrosity from the late 50s that we routinely slag here at CC! And wait until those black plastic parts fade to the chalky dark grey that all outside GM plastic seems to do.
One look at that and I’m off to find a decent ’99 – ’06 C1500 short bed with a 4.3!
Rear view
Again with this? I thought Jason dealt with this months ago. That’s a 3/4 4×4. If you compared it to the same truck of the same vintage as your Caprice, it would be similar. Maybe even taller, as the old square body was SFA!
The half ton is in the first picture behind the sedan. It’s quite a bit lower than the HeavyDuty.
Once upon a time undoubtedly someone would take similar pictures showing a VW Rabbit or Renault 4 or whatever next to the “gargantuan” length of a B-body…
Good ideas:
Chevy: Step pockets in the rear bumper corners
Ford: Front door belt-line cut-out so the side view mirrors can be lowered and reduce the size of the front-quarter blind spots by nearly half.
Agree about the Chevy step pockets. When I bought my ’12 Ford F-150 at the same time a coworker bought a Silverado with the step pockets, I was instantly jealous of that feature.
They would have been handy as recently as last weekend when my wife made a run to the furniture store to pick up a bed being donated to a family by the community charity she is a board member of.
Depending on your perspective, the Silverado / Suburban lines became the defacto “full-size” GM car either with the downsizing of large GM cars in 1977, or the end of the B body in 1996. If your perspective was still a hold-out, the final Chevrolet Impala rolling off the Detroit/Hamtramck assembly line on February 27, 2020 should seal the deal.
There is at least some irony that people complain that the ’71-’76 GM large cars were too big.
With the current onslaught of wagon-like CUVs replacing sedans, it’s unfortunate that the only real variety in body styles is mostly limited to large trucks and the Jeep Wrangler / Gladiator line.
I’m really enjoying having a coupe in my fleet in the form of a 2013 Mustang, and when driving it I sometimes dream of a larger coupe – maybe my Mustang expanded to “mid-size” personal luxury coupe Thunderbird proportions.
With ’70s fashions making something of a comeback, maybe I can dream a bit more about vehicle body style variety making a comeback.
GM really wasn’t terribly circumspect in the fall of 1976 about the year they thought a truck became their large car….
The quantity of luxury features in new , or even not so new trucks is astonishing. Sadly the durability is also an issue. While shopping for a used truck I tested a loaded 2004 Chevy and while it had dual zone climate control, heated power seats, automatic everything and then some, quite a few items had failed, the steering was vague and the brake pedal was frightening. The 2002 F150 I actually bought has worn much better and has far more solid feeling steering and brakes.
What’s more interesting is the shift in proportions as cabs get longer, beds get shorter and trucks get taller. When I parked next to a 2018 SIlverado extended cab with a short box my truck looked like a low rider. The 8′ box and 4×2 ride height make my super cab truck look very long and low next to the boxier 4×4 trucks.
You make a convincing case for the PLC-ness of this pickup… and I can even see traces of some of the more unflatteringly-styled PLCs in this Silverado. Like, for instance, a ’72 Thunderbird.
I love pickups, and hope someday to be able to justify owning one (right now, for instance, I’m looking at my neighbor who had loaded his Nissan Frontier full of mulch, and I long for utility like that). But I will join the whining masses here and declare the Silverado to ugly for me to consider buying.
The interior, though, looks rather pleasant and functional, and overall this seems like a good truck. Especially, I suppose, viewed from the inside out.
I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the power tailgate though. What’s the point of power operation to open but not to close? Unless it’s just a nudge to get folks to buy the HD version with the power-up feature too. I’m not really a fan of power tailgates or hatch lids, however the one instance I’ve thought such a feature would really come in handy is when the rear is covered with dirt (like when you drive on dirt roads a lot). Then, whenever you close the thing, you get a mighty puff of dusty air. But aside from that, it’s one option I’d much rather live without.
I found this to be a very enjoyable and balanced review — and great photography too!
The old C/K in the final photo has no doubt lived a hard-working life, but the overall design has aged quite well. Those trucks are hard to kill! I still see them & the GMT800 generation on the road every day when I go to my job. It’s amazing how the basic size between the GMT400 & the new Silverado has hardly changed in the past 30 years.
Personal luxury coupes vs modern pick up trucks is a very apt comparison. Many personal luxury coupes had trunk mounted luggage racks that were never used to haul luggage. Many modern pick ups have short beds that never haul luggage, or much of anything. All hat, no cattle.
An astute observation.
They just haul sailboat fuel. RARE to see them hauling anything else.
But many of those short bed crew cab/extended cab truck do have locking hard covers on the bed and are used just like a trunk was used back in the day, often with a carpet mat and the seal for the tailgate so it is all weather tight.
Now I want to see one of these with a vinyl roof. Maybe a blue nautical themed-one on a white truck. For pulling a boat and just generally looking “classy.”
“almost instantly usable.” I like my interiors to be usable pretty quickly and not have to wait.
Interesting review. And Chevrolet provided it?
I’ll start with my disclaimer that that I work for a larger Chevy dealership (about 1,000 new and used vehicles in inventory, we sold over 300 units in March). While no longer a salesman, I deal with inventory daily.
My first impression of the new truck a good one. Styling is indeed subjective, I haven’t heard the reasoning behind the front side scoops, but the new heavy duties don’t have them. Those little fender intrusions into the grille are “classic“ Chevy styling mistakes, in my opinion. The current Tahoe/Suburban has those little fender tips between the headlight and parking lenses; to me they’d look better if that lense assembly had a straight back edge. I didn’t like the rear bumper caps on the initial 2nd generation S-10, or the skirted looking rear fenders on the early 90s Caprice; both of those styling booboos were changed a few years in.
I’m not crazy about the step-in height and less crazy about the bedrail height on not just the Chevys, but all new trucks, even the mid-sizes. But what you gonna do?
I consider the interior an improvement over the previous model. The seats feel better, with firmer bolstering., and the standard cab is a little larger, allowing a six-footer ample legroom with having to have the seat back too upright. My brother-in-law drives a 2018 WT standard cab at his municipal job, and complains about that problem as well. Funny thing, I prefer the urethane steering wheel over the leather wrapped whelk any day. They seem to last longer (I see a lot of worn out steering wheels on the wholesale lot); and when spinning the wheel around with the sides of your finger in the spoke, as in a parking situation, the leather edge and stitching rubs my fingers raw.
Yes, I prefer the lower level grille with the Chevrolet script better, too. In addition, those lower level trims (WT and Custom) have an actual key, versus the push button start/stop of the higher trims (LT, LTZ, RST, High Country). I personally hate carrying a fob, just a key, please.
I’ve driven all the powertrains; while I’ve taken little notice of the transmissions, I’ve noted the engines. The most popular by far is the 5.3 V8. Quite adequate in most every respect: power, drivability, economy.; it’s popularity speaks for itself. The 6.2 is a brute, but seems like overkill, until you see those torque numbers. I haven’t driven one in the new models, but in the previous generation I wasn’t particularly impressed. Yes, it’s got more oomph, but I noticed hesitation and stalling, in every one I drove. Don’t know why. The new 2.7 I4 turbo is my choice. While not yet “proven”, it has plenty adequate power. I personally like the sound. Quiet. No “rumble” whatsoever. Just never cared for that noise, however muted the V8s may be. However, if towing on a daily basis, I’d opt for the 5.3. That leaves the 3.0 I6 diesel. I do like that sound. I bird-dogged a friend into a black on black RST crew cab. He and his wife love it. She claims about 30mpg on the highway, and they’ve put about 10k miles on it in 3 months. They can’t wait for the 2021 diesel Tahoe so they can trade her 2015 in. Only one problem with the diesel. It’s only available on LT trim and above. I did see a nice lightly optioned LT double cab with a diesel, but that’s an exception. Why do all of the manufacturers do that? With the exception of their heavy duty pickups, diesels are only available on high trim models. Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Chevy Colorado, the Cruze. and the Equinox. Why can’t they put a diesel in a lower trim model?
While I share Jim Klein’s appreciation for 1/2 ton, standard cab, 8 foot bed trucks, it seems no one wants them. They’re called “old man trucks”. The only ones I’ve seen on my lot in the last 6 years are white WTs for fleet. We did take a siren red (maroon) LT in on a dealer trade in 2018, but I think it went out on a dealer trade, too, after a few months. We do have five 2019 standard cab, 8 footers leftovers in stock. One bright red, two silver, and two dark blue (one just sold last month to a…old man); the base model WTs with only the appearance package (chrome bumpers and 17” alloys). I’d buy one but they’re still too much for my taste. Another note: the 6-1:2 ‘ bed is the only bed available with the double cab. Most crew cabs have the 5’8” bed, but the 6-1:2 is available. The 8 footer is only available on the standard cab, as is the 6-1/2 footer. Another note: you can get a 8 footer on Ford’s supercab (comparable to the Chevy double cab).
Granted, I haven’t driven one with a load or trailer, but I’m sure they’re more than up to the task. As far as those trailering mirrors, I hate them. I had them on my 2001 F-250; too many mirrors. I’d look into the mirror, and look at the convex when I meant to look at the flat. Aggravating, confusing, and dangerous when trying to change lanes in heavy traffic at 60+mph pulling a trailer. I’m not up on my product knowledge like I used to be, but the auto-locking differential used to come with the trailering package, which was part of the Z71 package (Jim’s loaner truck was not Z71, I believe). Also, the trailer brake and trailer mirrors were part of the heavy duty towing package, but so was a 3.73 rear gear (on the 5.3). Being that he had the 6.2, perhaps the 3.23 was the only gear available. My friend who bought the RST diesel wanted a 3.42 (he claimed the GM website allowed it when he virtual built one), but I had to explain the 3.23 was the only gear available with the diesel.
Yes, Chevy provided it through one of the media fleet companies I work with. There was zero hesitation or stalling on the 6.2 in this truck, you pointed it, tickled the throttle pedal with your toe and it went. Mine was not a Z-71, all the trailering parts were individual options or small option packages and yes it had the 3.23, which I believe is the only one available with the 6.2 (in this configuration at least).
I prefer the old man pickups. My last one was a ’93 F-150 flareside. I don’t need a back seat, and prefer the easy visibility from looking out the back window that a standard cab offers. The one I drove before that was a F150 with the 300 six and an 8′ bed with a truck cap. An 8 foot bed would allow me to get a slide-in camper if I ever chose to do that, but pulling a camper would also be an option for me.
I’ve long thought that if you had to have one vehicle and only one vehicle, a four door pickup truck would be that vehicle. I really admired the old Chevy Avalanches when they were still in production. The rear bumper step is one of the innovations that the Avalanche featured, among a host of others. I’ve been hoping that someday GM would we reinstate the Avalanche on one of the truck lines, whether full size or mid size. I could see an argument that an Avalanche style of pickup could be a one-vehicle household’s vehicle.
I was an immediate fan of the new styling when it came out and like it more every day. That said, I’m not a “truck guy” and I have very little emotional attachment to something like this. I think the overall theme of the styling is a bit severe, but nothing too odd. For reference, my last pickup truck was a mid 90’s Dodge Dakota, if that helps. I’ve never gotten into the whole hard plastics vs. soft plastics arguments, either. As long as the plastic panels don’t make noise or squeak, I’m fine with that. The hard plastic panels generally look good as long as you keep them clean. And, since they’re made of harder material, it’s easy to keep them clean. I don’t take it too easy with any of my vehicles, so I guess the harder plastics work well for me.
My forever presumptive son-in-law had just taken delivery of a new 3.0L Diesel Silverado right before Covid-19 put us on lockdown. I hope to take a ride in it soon. It seems nice, at least from the couple of times I’ve seen it. He says he gets great mileage on it. Which in normal times would be wonderful as he’s a contractor and can travel some distances to his job sites. But we’re all on staycation right now…
Who knows? Maybe GM will make a new Avalanche for me someday…
The rear bumper step is really good, just having that a few inches lower than the top of the bumper itself makes a huge difference. I wish SUV’s had the same thing, having had several vehicles with a roofbox on top it would make loading those a lot easier too. And yes, several other trucks have fold down steps or other devices available but with it just being molded into the bumper it is easier, lighter, cheaper, one less thing to break and foolproof.
What an excellent review Jim. I love the PLC analogy, it works well. Most of the traditional publications that have written about these trucks have not provided this kind of detail. They only seem to focus on a few things, like the interior being substandard and not get into much other detail. I can’t say I am a fan of the styling on these trucks, but I will admit they look better in person than photos. A colleague bought one very similar to your test truck, except his was a crewcab and in a dark red paint. With the monochromatic paint scheme it doesn’t look too bad, at least for a modern truck. With a few styling tweaks this could be an much better looking truck. When the previous generation was released in 2014, it was unattractive too, but by the end of the generation it was far better looking.
How did you find the bed on this truck? Chevrolet is boasting about the increased volume on these beds, where a short bed has as much volume as the old mid-sized bed. As a pickup owner that uses one for work, but also as a family hauler, that extra volume would be appealing to me.
The extended cab/supercabs/double cab configuration I still prefer due to the ability to have a 6.5′ box and the truck still about 230″ long (which is still really big). I hope this new generation is bigger than the old one for rear seat space. Adjusting the front seat all the way back on the previous generation Chevrolet didn’t leave enough room for my long legs in the back. The Ford and Ram were the same, but the ancient Tundra is the only one I can fit my legs into. I also much prefer the Chevrolet/Ram/Toyota normal door to the suicide door. For me it’s far more useful for passengers (which my truck carries often) and even for luggage.
Thank you Vince, I appreciate that from you. It helps tremendously not to have a word limit, I’m not sure how Adam D would have reviewed this in 350 words or less but guess that it would likely take longer than writing what I did, mainly in deciding what to leave out!
The bed was a decent size, it’s the 6.5 foot one which is the one to get if you still want something with cab space. My own truck is a crew cab with a 6.5 bed and the main things I like about it is that I can fit 8foot lumber into it diagonally and still close the gate. Or ride with the lumber or sheet over a closed tailgate and not feel like it’s about to drop out. Chevy says the 6.5footer has 10 cubic feet more volume, somehow by making the bed wide internally. Perhaps they also figured a way to raise the sides a bit or lower the floor a bit too, I’m not sure. Even in a crew cab the extra 10″ over the regular bed doesn’t seem too onerous to park (except if a garage is a limiting factor) but the increase in utility is far more than the small increase in cost.
The picture of me in the rear seat was with the front seat adjusted for my 32″ inseam if that helps and I don’t recline the front seat angle very much, I prefer to be more upright. I had to splay out in the back to get my legs to fit, it’d be fine for a short ride or if my employee was the one in the back 🙂 but I would not want to travel back there for more than an hour or so or even regularly. And if my kids were back there they’d probably kick the seatback regularly “by accident”.
I usually do not like new generations of GM trucks but gradually warm up to them. Not really happening yet with this one.
I have a 2014 HD Chevy, I like its relatively simple appearance. I did see its 2020 exact twin at a local dealer this week and it’s hideous. The mirrors especially are so visually awkward. Are these things styled by preteen boys that are obsessed with robots?
Full disclosure – I may have reached OWG status
I test drove this and the Ram. I could not get past the looks of the Silverado. The interior of the Ram especially the infotainment system is light years ahead of GM.