Displaying items by tag: Chevrolet Silverado 1500

How does America’s second-best-selling pickup satisfy in Rally Sport Truck guise?

Chevrolet sold 594,094 Silverado pickup trucks in America last year. Again, that's last year—you know, the bad one with the global pandemic. Also, General Motors will hate me for mentioning this, but since the two vehicles are virtually identical, we really ought to toss in the 253,016 Sierras GMC managed to move in 2020. Grand total: 847,110 trucks. I mention these massive sales figures because I always get a bit nervous when reviewing a product that sells in such bulk. Porsche sold 8,839 examples of the 911 last year. That's a number I can wrap my head around, and maybe say something that will affect the numbers. One man's opinion about the second-best-selling vehicle (Ford's F-Series total in 2020 was 787,372 units) in the United States of America? I'm throwing a pebble into the proverbial ocean. You know what? I'm still gonna try, dammit.

2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4×4 RST 6 2L 30

Materials And Design

This Chevy is a handsome fellow. Our test truck's black paint with red accents (the latter being part of the $3,280 Redline Edition option package) seriously pops. Full-size trucks are massive these days, and most of the visual mass is concentrated on their grilles. The Silverado RST wears this facial weight well, managing to look aggressively thick yet sporty. The Ram 1500 looks downright dowdy by comparison, whereas the Ford F-150 is just plain. Sure, the Chevy has strange, sideways-U daytime running lights, but the rest of its front-end styling is solid, especially the black bowtie badge smartly framed in chrome trim. There's little to note on the rest of the Silverado's exterior except for the crucial fact that the steps cut into the rear bumper are still the smartest, best way to access the bed of these hulking half-ton trucks. Yes, even better than Chevy's overly complex transforming tailgate.

 Inside the Silverado, everything comes crashing to a halt. Look, the competition sells trucks with nicer interiors. That's just the way it is. What angers and upsets me about that fact is that it's no secret! Ford and Ram combined deliver more than one million pickup trucks a year with better interiors. Everyone knows this to be the case, and yet GM does little about it. Being even more frank, I'm a perennial MotorTrend Truck of the Year judge. I can attest to the fact that the Chevy Silverado's substandard interior has knocked it out of contention for the golden calipers. Twice.

 
 
The problem is twofold: design and materials. From a design point of view, the Chevy appears to be two generations behind the more upscale innards found in the competition. The screen is nice, and it's similar to what you'd find in a Corvette, but there's creativity or visual interest in the cabin. And then there are the materials; nearly everything in the interior looks and feels chintzy. Bits of plasti-chrome brightwork has been applied to some of the buttons, but it's maquillage on swine chops, if you know what I'm saying. I sat in the passenger seat for a few minutes and examined the plastics used for the dual glove boxes and the surrounding structure, and my kid pulls nicer-looking and -feeling stuff out of his Happy Meals. Moving on.

What's Under The Hood?

The mechanicals are better, and the Silverado sure has a great engine. We all know EVs are the future of not just General Motors, but pickup trucks, too. But, man, this V-8 is a honey. It's big, at 6.2 liters of displacement, and delivers 420 eager horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Cylinder deactivation means that the pushrod small-block can run around as a 3.1-liter four-banger part of the time, as well, in a nod toward efficiency. I've probably used the following quote from Bob Lutz more than any other in my career but, "Americans buy horsepower but drive torque." Chevy has done such a masterful job coupling this mighty V-8 to the jointly developed Ford/GM 10-speed automatic transmission. There are certain cars where it just feels good when you push down on the go pedal. This truck, with this powertrain, is one such vehicle.

2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4x4 RST 6 2L 6

 Interestingly, the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 in the Ford F-150 makes 500 lb-ft of torque (and 400 hp), but because of both a touch of turbo lag and the fact that Chevy is better at programming the 10-speed, the Blue Oval truck doesn't feel as quick nor as powerful. Also, the big 6.2-liter beats up on the numbers put out by Ram's 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, which pips out "just" 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. Even though the American wing of Stellantis has shoved its 6.4-liter V-8 into everything from the Dodge Chargers to Keurig coffee pod machines, it's not available on a 1500 pickup. (That said, there is an eTorque version of the Hemi that adds a supplemental 130 lb-ft of electric torque.) One more thing about GM's 6.2-liter: It sounds phenomenal. 

 The Driving Experience

Looking at the test numbers, the 5,420-pound Chevy is pretty quick. It pulls from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and covers the quarter mile in 14 seconds flat at 99.5 mph. I used to own a Subaru WRX that was slower than that. If you're a pickup-truck-drag-racing kind of person, know that the lighter, 5,340-pound Ford is a touch quicker, hitting 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and dusting off the quarter in 13.9 seconds at 99.8 mph. Not much, but quicker is quicker. The big-boned Ram (5,960 pounds) truly lags, needing 6.6 seconds to hit 60 mph and a full 15 seconds to do the quarter mile, travelling at 93.4 mph. The Silverado definitively loses the braking contest, requiring a longish 133 feet to come to a stop from 60 mph. The Ford uses 123 feet, whereas the Ram needs just 121. I'm not sure what we gain from putting full-size pickup trucks around our figure eight handling course (they all do poorly while killing their front tires), but the Chevy was the fleetest at 27.5 seconds, beating the F-150 by 0.1 second. The Ram was a distant third, requiring 28.8 seconds.

 Subjectively, I liked how the Silverado drove when tackling twisty canyon roads. Dare I call it sporty? I dare. Would I—could I—use the word sporty to describe either the Ford or the Ram? No. However, that's not the common use case for a pickup, and the Chevy's ride quality trailed that of the excellently tuned Ram. When unloaded, you were fully aware there was nothing in the bed. The same is true of a Ford F-150, and both the Ford and the Chevy use leaf springs to suspend the live rear axle, whereas the superior-riding Ram has coil springs. Of the two with the old-school tech, the Chevy's ride is a bit more pleasant than the Ford's.

2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4x4 RST 6 2L 38

 One of the reasons given for sticking with seemingly ancient suspension technology is that leaf springs are better for towing. Fair play, if you're actually purchasing the truck to do some work—or at least tow your party boat—as you want as much capability as possible. The Chevy can tow quite a bit, 9,300 pounds, which is more than the similarly equipped competitors. On paper, at least. With a 7,600-pound loaded horse trailer hanging off the hitch (that's 82 percent of the RST's capacity), the reality was quite different. 

 The big V-8 and its hill of lag-free torque had no problem moving the horse-laden trailer. However, as experienced horse hauler and senior editor Aaron Gold explained, "Unfortunately, the Chevy isn't as stable as other trucks I've towed with. I could feel the horses moving and the trailer trying to shove the truck around on steep downgrades, and the brakes felt severely taxed. The Chevrolet is a reminder there's more to towing ability than power. "

2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4×4 RST 6 2L 21

 Conclusion

Where does this leave us? The 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 RST is a good-looking full-size pickup truck with a great engine and some decent performance chops. Towing horses isn't the truck's forte, but despite what decades of marketing has told us, plenty of people buy trucks simply because they like driving trucks. If you're one of those people, I'd almost recommend you buy yourself a Chevy truck similar to this one. Why almost? That interior is just a drag, especially if you're not explicitly buying the Silverado as a work truck. Chevy comes close to delivering a satisfying pickup with this RST, but that's the same story it's been for far too long.

(motortrend.com)

Published in Chevrolet

The verdict: The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 full-size pickup truck is refined, capable and offers an impressive turbo-diesel engine option, but its primary competitors offer more luxury and innovation.

Versus the competition: Certain trim levels of the Ram 1500 are more luxurious than the Silverado 1500, and the redesigned 2021 Ford F-150 has more powertrain choices, including a hybrid that can also run high-draw power tools, but the Silverado nails the fundamentals with an unruffled driving experience and functional interior.

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was last redesigned for the 2019 model year, and the 2021 model offers a choice of three cabs, three bed lengths, five engines and eight trim levels. Now available is a new Multi-Flex Tailgate similar to the GMC Sierra’s MultiPro Tailgate, which can transform into a bed extender, assist step and more. Also available are additional camera technology for safer trailering and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

Our test truck was a crew-cab, short-bed LTZ trim with the optional turbo-diesel 3.0-liter Duramax inline-six engine. With optional features and packages, the as-tested price was $60,265, including destination.

Related: 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 Vs. 2020 Silverado 1500 Trail Boss Z71: How They Compare

Diesel Drivability
The Silverado 1500’s available diesel engine is an impressive performer, delivering smooth power that moves the truck with ease. The engine is rated at 277 horsepower and 460 pounds-feet of torque, and it works with a responsive 10-speed automatic transmission that quickly kicks down when you need more power. Acceleration from a stop is smooth and predictable, and the diesel has adequate power reserves for high-speed passing.

While diesels have a reputation for being loud and unrefined, the Silverado’s diesel engine is nothing like that. There are some characteristic diesel noises, but they’re more of an underlying soundtrack rather than an overwhelming racket. There’s also no excess vibration; it’s as smooth as a gas engine in everyday driving.

The diesel engine also makes the rear-wheel-drive 2021 Silverado 1500 the most efficient full-size truck you can buy; 4×2 versions are EPA-rated at 23/33/27 mpg city/highway/combined, while four-wheel-drive models are rated 22/26/24 mpg. The next closest competitors are the 2021 Ram 1500 diesel and 2021 Ford F-150 hybrid (see their estimated gas mileage).

The Silverado’s focus on refinement extends to other aspects of the driving experience. Steering response and precision are good, making it easy to place the truck where you want, and the Silverado cruises comfortably at highway speeds with the truck’s tall ride height providing commanding forward views. Unladen ride quality can get a bit bumpy on rougher roads, but the truck’s lack of squeaks or rattles on broken pavement is a testament to its stiff chassis.

Brake-pedal feel isn’t typically a full-size truck highlight, and the Silverado is no exception; the pedal has a numb, spongy feel that makes it seem like you’re stepping on a block of foam.

A Functional but Spartan Interior
Chevrolet took an evolutionary approach when it redesigned the Silverado’s interior a few years back. Ram, meanwhile, chose to create “wow”-inducing cabins in uplevel versions of its 1500, and this dichotomy is evident in the LTZ trim we tested. The LTZ is one of the Silverado’s higher trims, but with average-looking materials and design details, it lacks the level of luxury you get in the Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn and Limited. Even the Silverado’s top-of-the-line trim, the High Country, isn’t as nice as a high-end Ram.

That said, the Silverado LTZ interior is functional overall with easy-to-use controls and an intuitive 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (corded CarPlay and Android Auto are standard). Some buttons, though — such as those for the driver’s memory feature and heated and ventilated front seats — are unnecessarily small.

The driver and front passenger are separated by a wide center console with two cupholders and a bin with an available wireless charging pad. There’s also a big storage bin under the front center armrest.

Like crew-cab versions of the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150, the Silverado’s rear seating area is spacious. Three passengers can ride comfortably thanks to stretch-out levels of legroom, plenty of headroom and large side windows that provide good outward views. Unlike certain Ram 1500 trims, however, the Silverado’s rear bench seat doesn’t recline. The Chevy’s seat cushion flips up for extra in-cab storage, revealing a mostly flat floor, and there are also available concealed storage compartments in the backrest.

Crew-cab Silverados come with a 5-foot-8-inch or 6-foot-6-inch cargo box. The tall stance of our LTZ test truck resulted in a nearly waist-high box floor, which made the standard integrated bumper steps all the more useful for getting in and out of the bed. A power tailgate is available, but the tailgate is easy to close manually.

A base regular-cab Silverado with the standard 4.3-liter V-6 engine can tow 7,900 pounds when properly equipped, but certain more expensive models are actually rated to tow less; the V-6-powered crew-cab Trail Boss with a regular cargo box has a 7,200-pound towing capacity, the Silverado’s lowest.

The truck’s highest, 13,300-pound towing capacity is achieved with a double-cab RST trim level with the optional 6.2-liter V-8 and the Max Trailering Package. Towing capacities vary significantly between these extremes — our diesel test truck, for instance, was rated to tow 9,000 pounds — but each Silverado includes a sticker with truck-specific ratings so it’s easier to know its limits.

The Silverado’s optional camera technology also lets you monitor a connected trailer from the truck’s dashboard touchscreen. The system uses auxiliary cameras to show what’s behind a connected trailer when driving or reversing as well as conditions inside the trailer. You can also use truck-mounted cameras to monitor the cargo box or make hitching a trailer easier. There’s also a new view for 2021 trucks that shows whether there’s enough space to change lanes when towing.

Crash Tests, Safety and Assist Features
The crew-cab Silverado 1500 received good ratings (on a scale of good, acceptable, marginal or poor) in all Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashworthiness tests except the passenger-side small overlap test, where the truck rated marginal. All other large pickups evaluated by the IIHS performed better than the Silverado and its GMC Sierra sibling in this test except for the 2021 Toyota Tundra, which is soon to be replaced by a redesign. (Notably, the redesigned 2021 Ford F-150 had not been tested as of publication, but its results will appear on the organization’s Large Pickups page once completed.) The Silverado’s optional automatic emergency braking system earned a superior score (on a scale of superior, advanced or basic), but the available LED reflector headlights, which go in LTZ models, received a poor rating.

Other optional safety features include blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, a 360-degree camera system, and front and rear parking sensors.

Value in Its Class
You can spend luxury-vehicle money on a Silverado, as the as-tested price of our truck attests, but the same is true for high-end versions of the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150. However, the things that separate the Silverado from its competitors — precise steering and impressive overall driving refinement — don’t require a top trim if one of those isn’t in your price range. The nicest Silverado isn’t in the same league as a top-of-the-line Ram 1500 or Ford F-150, though, so if luxury is what you want, one of those trucks might better meet your needs.

cars.com

Published in Chevrolet

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