It’s a handsome truck in RST trim, at the very least.
Emme Hall/Roadshow
The Chevrolet Silverado is an effective truck, but it is nonetheless an underdog within the full-size pickup world. Capable and cozy because it is perhaps, Chevy simply cannot compete with the fancy-pants Ram 1500 and do-it-all Ford F-150. But even so, the Silverado’s myriad configurations and distinctive design give it some real enchantment.

LikeClean diesel engineLots of trailering techPlentiful charging choices

Don’t LikeRestricted driver-assistance techLousy interiorLast-generation infotainment

The Silverado is on the market with no fewer than seven engine and transmission combos, all the things from a base 4.3-liter V6 and six-speed computerized to a 6.2-liter V8 with a 10-speed auto. The midrange 5.3-liter V8 is on the market with 6-, 8- or 10-speed automatics, and there is a 2.7-liter turbo I4 on provide, as nicely. Beyond the underhood configurations, the Silverado is obtainable with single-, double- or crew-cab physique kinds. You can pair these with a 70-inch brief mattress, 79-inch normal mattress or 98-inch lengthy mattress. Three axle ratios are provided and you’ll select between two- and four-wheel drive.For this assessment, I’ve acquired what’s arguably one of the best mixture of the bunch: a 3.0-liter Duramax turbodiesel I6 with a 10-speed transmission and 4WD. I can not overstate how a lot I really like this engine. Pushing out 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, there’s sufficient oomph to get this full-size pickup off the road rapidly. Highway lane-changes are easy-peasy because of gobs of midrange torque, and this truck will hum alongside at freeway speeds easily and effectively.

With the diesel engine and four-wheel drive, the Silverado 1500 is estimated to return 22 miles per gallon within the metropolis, 26 mpg freeway and 24 mpg mixed. With the crew-cab physique, the Silverado has a 24-gallon gas tank, so I may conceivably go 576 miles between fill-ups. The regular-cab truck will get a bigger gasoline tank, and it will do almost 700 miles in a single stretch.Generally talking, the Silverado handles in addition to another truck. The brakes really feel stable and linear underneath my foot, and the steering has a pleasant quantity of weight and suggestions. But Chevy may study a couple of issues from Ram in the case of experience high quality. The Silverado is floaty over bumpy pavement and each pothole is a jarring expertise. You can get adaptive dampers, however solely on the tippy-top Silverado High Country. A full air suspension, just like the Ram’s, would actually do rather a lot to make this truck extra livable everyday.

Three cab configurations and three mattress lengths can be found.
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In phrases of truck stuff, the Silverado is on the weaker aspect of aggressive. When correctly configured (two-wheel drive, lengthy field), max payload is 2,280 kilos, whereas towing can get as excessive as 13,300 kilos (four-wheel drive, double cab, normal field, 6.2-liter V8). The Ram can haul as much as 2,300 kilos in its mattress and tow a max of 12,750 kilos. Meanwhile, the Ford F-150 can go as excessive as 3,325 kilos payload and 14,000 kilos of towing capability, though, frankly, if you are going to be towing that a lot on the common, you are higher off stepping as much as a heavy-duty truck.

My diesel-powered crew-cab tester can haul 2,060 kilos in its brief mattress and tow 9,000 kilos. A equally spec’d Ram 1500 with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel handles 1,800 kilos of payload and 9,710 kilos of towing, because of a 3.92:1 rear axle ratio (the Silverado’s diesel engine solely goes to 3.23:1). The greater the rear axle ratio, the extra low-end grunt you get. Ford’s 3.0-liter PowerStroke diesel in SuperCrew configuration can haul 1,805 kilos within the mattress and in some way nets a 12,100-pound tow score with 3.55:1 gearing. However, the Silverado has a bunch of latest expertise for 2021 to make towing simpler and safer. There’s a jackknife alert that helps whereas cornering and a trailer size indicator makes lane modifications simpler. A cargo mattress digital camera makes it a cinch to hook up a fifth wheel trailer, and if clients set up a digital camera on the rear of their trailer, they’ll see a behind-the-trailer view with pointers and angle indicators proper from the truck’s infotainment display. Great as these are, nevertheless, the Silverado’s company twin — the GMC Sierra — affords extra digital camera views. Still, Ford and Ram cannot match Chevy right here.The Duramax diesel engine is clean and highly effective.
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The Silverado will get its personal model of GMC’s MultiProfessional tailgate for 2021, known as Multi-Flex in Chevy-speak. But even with out this, the usual tailgate is mild and opens slowly. There are cut-out steps within the bumper to make climbing out and in of the mattress simpler, and my tester has a 120-volt, 400-watt outlet again there, along with 12 tie-downs and full LED lighting.Where the Silverado actually cannot sustain with Ford and Ram is with driver-assistance applied sciences. On the Chevy, adaptive cruise management is just provided on the very prime trim, and issues like forward-collision alert and lane-departure warning are elective throughout the board. Ram affords much more options, and do not even get me began on the F-150, which has all of the driving aids you’ll be able to consider and might energy a whole tailgating occasion if wanted.Interior tech falls brief, too. A 7-inch infotainment display is normal whereas an 8-inch show is elective. Thankfully, Chevy’s Infotainment 3 software program is straightforward to make use of, and you’ll add wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But try the spectacular performance of the 12-inch shows provided by Ford and Ram, and the Chevy simply appears previous by comparability.This cabin is admittedly dated.
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At least the charging choices are good, with one USB-A, one USB-C, a 12-volt outlet and an AC outlet up entrance. There’s one other USB-A and USB-C inside the middle armrest, and extra USB-A and USB-C ports for rear seat passengers. Wireless charging is on the market, too.But you guys, the Silverado’s inside is fairly horrible general. This would possibly as nicely have been lifted out of a 2015 Silverado. Hard plastics are in all places and even the house button for the infotainment tech feels icky. It’s all simply so low cost. Spend 5 minutes inside a Ram 1500 and you will marvel why Chevy is not making an attempt tougher.There is, nevertheless, a ton of space for storing. I can match a few bottles within the door pockets, a pockets within the door deal with, a pill within the cubby on the transmission tunnel and my mother’s gigantic purse within the middle armrest. There’s a spot for small gadgets simply forward of the cup holders and a bit cubby on the sprint, as nicely. Passengers get a twin glove field, though the higher field is just not very deep and it appears issues would simply fall out upon opening. The rear seat bottoms flip as much as match bigger gadgets behind the cab, too. Pricing for the 2021 Silverado runs wherever from about $30,000 on the bottom finish to just about $70,000 for a loaded High Country. My truck is a super-weird spec: a RST (which stands for Rally Sport Truck), paired with the Z71 off-road package deal and the diesel engine. Like, why would anybody attempt to mix a sporty on-road truck with an off-road package deal that provides Rancho shocks, hill-descent management and an upgraded air filter? It’s so unusual.The Silverado simply cannot sustain with Ford and Ram.
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If you need off-road functionality, go for the Silverado Trail Boss, which has a 2-inch carry, computerized locking rear differential and meaty 32-inch tires. You cannot get that trim with the diesel engine, although, and off-roading with a full-size pickup is fairly robust — except you go for a Ford F-150 Raptor or Ram 1500 TRX. Personally, I’d simply snag a diesel-powered Silverado LTZ with a couple of tech choices, which places me within the mid-$50,000 vary. When it comes time to spec a full-size pickup, the world is just about your oyster.Oh, and in the event you’re learn this far and marvel why I have not talked about the 2 different half-ton pickup choices, the Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra, it is as a result of they completely can not compete when it comes to utility, expertise and powertrain choices. I’m not likely certain why you’d purchase both of these.Then once more, I’m not likely certain why you’d decide a Silverado over the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500. Hell, even its GMC Sierra twin is better-looking and a bit nicer inside. Sure, the Chevy has an amazing diesel engine, nifty trailering tech and plenty of inside space for storing, nevertheless it’s a number of steps behind the opponents in all places else. Until the Silverado will get a reboot, it isn’t the truck I’d suggest.