Truck Stop Unlimited - All About Trucks & Trailers

The newly designed 2007 Chevy Silverado has racked up a couple of truck of the year awards, from the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and from Motor Trends Magazine. We’ve seen past award winners fizzle out with the buying public, but the new Silverado does deserve some recognition. Some of the changes made to develop the new generation truck were subtle, some were major, but together they produced a much improved Silverado. Base price, $25,960; truck tested, $31,700.

First Impressions of the 2007 Chevy Silverado

Compare the 2007 Chevy Silverado with the previous generation truck and you’ll immediately notice that its front end is cleaner looking, with simpler grille and headlamp styling. The truck’s front and rear fenders are contoured to create a look of strength, but they’re not so bold as to overpower the rest of the truck’s exterior appearance.My test vehicle was a 2×2 extended cab Silverado that was equipped with Chevy’s optional EZ lift tailgate. The tailgate lift has a torsion bar system to help you close it, and according to Chevrolet, lifting effort is reduced by about 40 percent. The extra help might not sound too important, but if you use the truck bed regularly it could save you a lot of lifting over the life of the truck.

Under the Silverado’s new sheet metal you’ll find a totally new frame, one that showed up first in 2007 Tahoe and Suburban SUVs, which were released before the Silverado. A combination of building processes called hydroforming and frame boxing result in a frame that supports more weight and is more resistant to flex and twist than the previous model. The new design gives the truck a better ride and increases stability, especially on rough or uneven roads, and it also allows the Silverado to carry more weight.

I really liked the truck’s remote starting feature. I drove it during cold weather and it was nice to start it up from inside the house, wait a few minutes and step into a warm cab.