Truck Stop Unlimited - All About Trucks & Trailers

Inside the Silverado 1500

I had plenty of legroom in the comfortable leather seats installed in this LT model Silverado and visibility was excellent. Extra space and a good view over the wheel are due in part to Chevy’s decision to move the dash 3.5 inches lower and forward for the LT Silverado (you’ll gain 5-inches in the LTZ model). Instruments are well positioned and control buttons are good sized and all within easy reach.The LT Silverado has dual glove boxes, a handy feature we’re seeing in more and more vehicles. The test truck had a 40/20/40 split front seat. Look under the 20 percent center seat area and you’ll find a locking space large enough to hold a laptop. Fold-down that seat’s back and it becomes a center console.

Rear passenger space was pretty good for an extended cab truck. Backwards opening doors can’t be opened by rear passengers without help from someone in the front — unless you’re prepared to stretch your body across the front seat backs. That’s not unusual for an extended cab truck, but it is something you should be aware of.

The truck was equipped with plenty of options, including power windows in front and back, a sunroof, dual zone climate controls, steering wheel mounted radio controls and an auto dimming mirror with a compass and temperature display. Overall, the interior was a good combination of the comfort you would expect in a nice SUV with the utility you need in a truck.

On the Road in the Chevy Silverado

The test Silverado was equipped with a 5.3-liter V-8 engine with flex fuel capability, meaning the engine will run on either gasoline or a mixture of gas and ethanol. The truck had a four speed automatic transmission with towing mode.Push a button to enter tow-mode, which changes the computer’s shift points to allow the engine to stay in the best power range as much as possible while you’re pulling something behind you. Chevy offers several different rear axle ratios depending on the configuration you choose, but a 3.73 rear axle is the norm for trucks with the tow package. This lower ratio helps in many instances, like pulling a boat up a ramp or a hill or when you’re simply moving away from a stop with a heavy load.

Unfortunately, there’s a trade off when you have a lower rear axle ratio — reduced fuel mileage whether you’re pulling or not. I drove the Silverado 553 miles and about two-thirds of that was at approximately 40 mph or higher. I used 33.3 gals of gas for an average of 16.6 miles per gallon. That’s somewhat lower than I would have expected from a 2×2 truck.

In this new generation truck, Chevrolet finally made the switch away from recirculating ball type steering to rack and pinion steering. The result is a responsive steering system that gives you a better feel for how the truck is handling the road. The new trucks also have a coil spring front suspension instead of the previous torsion bar system, another switch that improved the ride. The Silverado did just fine on the winding roads I drive every day.