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2015 Chevrolet Silverado: Rugged, powerful, versatile

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2015 Chevrolet Silverado: Rugged, powerful, versatile

James Raia

The Chevrolet Silverado was the second best-selling vehicle in the country in 2014. With its identical cousin, the GMC Sierra, the two vehicles remain largely unchanged for 2015.

Introduced in 1999, the two full-sized pick-up trucks have steadily increased audiences via their combination of rugged versatility, comfort and spaciousness. Nearly 530,000 units sold last year, more than a 10 percent increase over 2013 and largely because of the Silverado’s new generation of trim levels.

The Weekly Driver Chevorlet Silverado Test Drive

Among the Chevrolet Silverado’s strong attributes is its appeal to multiple types of pick-up truck buyers. It’s available in a wide range of configurations from two and four-door options to different engines to several available beds and engines.

My weekly driver was the Silverado 1500 with four-wheel drive. It was the LS DBL or double cab trim. It had the two-part Custom Package, with takes an already tough 4.3-liter V6 with a six-speed automatic transmission and boosts it into a monster — in a good way.

With the $3,700 option, the Silverado advances to a 5.3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower. The Custom Package also includes 20-inch wheels, and several trailering equipment items, an auto locking rear differential as well as upgraded door handles and chrome mirror caps.

The 2015 Chevrolet Silverado is a rugged, versatile full-sized pick-up truck.
The 2015 Chevrolet Silverado is a rugged, versatile full-sized pick-up truck. Images © James Raia/2015.

My Chevrolet Silverado had a 78-inch bed (6 feet, 6 inches), which put its total length at 230 inches or slightly longer than 19 feet. With its 80-inch (6 feet, 6 inches) width, driving a Silverado includes a substantial learning curve. More distance is needed to pass vehicles, parallel park or comfortable fit into parking spaces at the grocery store or at the local mall. Basically, it’s a big truck and it needs plenty of room.

While not the quickest pickup truck (I also recently test drove the Ford F-150 and Dodge Durango), the Silverado is a power machine. It rambles down the road with authority. There’s plenty of overall vision and the front and rear seat occupants ride in comfort, although nowhere near in silence. Front seat passengers also have superior head room, since there are two concave sections in the roofline where tall occupants won’t have space issues.

The Chevrolet Silverado is marketed as the most fuel efficient V8 pick-up truck ever offered, and it’s rated at 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the freeway. It has a 26-gallon gas tank, which translates in to a 572-mile freeway range and a keen convenience for a long haul.

Functionality over frills is also the manufacturer’s preference on the console. Numbers anf letters on various gauges and big, simple and white, and it also meshes well into the Silverado’s persona — rugged, straightforward and strong.

Likes:

Overall spaciousness
26-gallon gas tank.
Straightforward console with big number and letter.

Dislikes:

Difficult ingress and egress.
Where’s the navigation system?

Facts & Figures, 2015 Chevrolet Silverado

Acceleration: 0-60 mph, unavailable.
Airbags: 6.
Fuel economy: 16 mpg (city), 22 mpg (highway), 18 mpg (combined), six-speed automatic transmission.
Horsepower: 355.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $35,985.00.
Manufacturer’s Web site: www.chevy.com.
Price As Tested: $39,210.00.
Warranty: Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles; Powertrain, 5 years/100,000 miles; Corrosion, 6 years/100,000 miles; Roadside Assistance, 5 years/100,000 miles; Scheduled maintenance, 2 years/24,000 miles.

What Others Say:

“Flashy bits like turbocharged engines and air suspensions aren’t part of the package, but a quieter, cushier interior, improved power and fuel economy, and a number of useful technology features make the new Silverado a smart choice for a broad spectrum of pickup buyers.” — Left Lane News.

“Just off a head-to-toe revamp last year, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado is a competent competitor in the fierce full-size truck segment. Available with a trio of engine choices and a variety of configurations and trims that range from a basic work truck to a leather-embellished upscale hauler, the Silverado can suit a variety of needs and tastes.” — Kelley Blue Book.

“Fully redesigned last year, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offers a more modern take on the traditional full-size pickup truck. That means the bare interiors and low-quality materials found in the old trucks are gone, replaced instead by a more elegant interior, crossoverlike ride and handling, modern technology and — at the heart of it all — improved capabilities —AutoTrader.

The Weekly Driver’s Final Words:

“Rugged, comfortable and spacious, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado significantly helps define the modern definition of working pick-up truck.”

Article Last Updated: December 3, 2015.

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