Overview & Reviews

Like its rivals, today's Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is available with a wide variety of body styles, powertrains and trim levels. Thanks to this flexibility, the half-ton Silverado pickup is just as adept at serving as the weekday family car as it is at transporting home-improvement supplies or towing a boat on the weekends. And if you want something fancy, there are always loaded-up versions that come complete with a rumbling V8, flashy wheels, bucket seats and high-tech infotainment options.

Older versions of the Silverado 1500 pickup have been praised for their strong work ethic but criticized for having bland cabins of questionable quality. The current version, however, exhibits greatly improved fit and finish. Where there was once an abundance of hard panels and uneven gaps, the Silverado now features richer materials and precise fitments while maintaining its hard-working nature. Of course, there are other compelling choices in the full-size pickup truck market, but the half-ton Chevrolet Silverado is a solid pick no matter what it's used for.

Current Chevrolet Silverado 1500
The current Chevrolet Silverado 1500 debuted for the 2014 model year. It offers a number of improvements relative to its predecessor, such as upgraded interior trim, new technology features and engines that are both stronger and more fuel-efficient.

Under the hood, the base V6 engine has gone from zero to hero. Although it shares its 4.3-liter displacement with the previous-generation V6, that's all they have in common, as the current V6 makes 285 horsepower -- a 90-hp gain. Also, the new V6 is available across the lineup, whereas the old one was limited to basic work-truck models. The other engines have hit the gym as well: the 5.3-liter V8 now makes 355 hp, while the 6.2-liter V8 trots out 420 horses. All three engines use a six-speed automatic transmission that yields more frugal fuel economy, particularly from the overhauled V6.

As usual, the Silverado is available in a variety of body styles. There are three cab configurations (regular, extended, crew) and three bed lengths (5.75 feet, 6.5 feet, 8 feet). Available trim levels, depending on which combination you choose, include Work Truck, LT, LTZ, High Country and Z71. The Work Truck is better equipped than it used to be, providing full power accessories, USB connectivity and optional Bluetooth along with the expected vinyl upholstery. The LT steps up to a chrome grille, an "E-Z" lift/lower tailgate, alloy wheels and cloth upholstery. The premium LTZ throws in more chrome, a power sliding rear window, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a rearview camera, heated power seats, leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control and an 8-inch touchscreen with MyLink smartphone integration.

The luxurious High Country trim gets niceties like Bose audio and fancier power seats, while the Z71 boasts an off-road-ready suspension and other heavy-duty components, plus some mean-looking styling tweaks. Silverado options include a rear-seat Blu-Ray entertainment system, a navigation system and multiple towing packages.

In reviews of the current Chevrolet Silverado 1500, we've remarked that its subtle styling changes conceal serious progress under the skin. Tops on that list is the capable new V6, which finally makes Chevy a viable six-cylinder player in this segment. But we've also noticed significant refinements in the Silverado's ride and handling, thanks in part to a more robust structure that's less prone to surface-induced shuddering. Not that this truck has gone soft; on the contrary, its towing capacity exceeds 11,000 pounds with the 5.3-liter V8 and hits a mind-boggling 12,000 pounds with the brawny 6.2.

Inside, the current Silverado is a whole new ballgame. Ingress and egress have been streamlined in the redesigned extended cab (double cab), which comes with crew-cab-style conventional doors in place of the old reverse-opening rear doors. Materials quality is appreciably higher across the board, so buyers of lower-trim models are no longer stuck with substandard plastics and the like, while nicer models have it better than ever. The attractive, easy-to-use 8-inch touchscreen with mobile-app functionality makes Chevy's workhorse as high-tech as some luxury sedans. Bottom line: This Silverado is the complete package.

Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Models
The previous-generation Silverado 1500 was produced for the 2007-'13 model years. It was available in three cab styles (regular, extended and crew) and trim levels ranging from no-frills "Work Truck" to plush LTZ. The most popular trims were the midlevel LS and LT, which provided many popular features as standard, including air-conditioning, full power accessories and a CD player. Significant options included a variety of towing packages, the Z71 Off-Road package and a navigation system.

Powertrain choices encompassed everything from a workaday 4.3-liter 195-hp V6 to a muscular 6.2-liter V8 with 403 hp, but most Chevy Silverados of this vintage were fitted with either a 295-hp 4.8-liter V8 or a 315-hp 5.3-liter V8. A four-speed automatic transmission with a tow and haul mode was standard on Silverado pickups with the base V6 and 4.8-liter V8. The 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8 received a six-speed automatic toward the end of this production run.

Calling cards of this Silverado included no-nonsense performance, a reasonably refined and quiet ride (even with the heavy-duty towing package) and a comfortable cabin that admittedly looks a little old compared to some contemporaries. We mentioned a few other downsides in reviews, including minor interior ergonomic issues, underwhelming performance from the base V6 and the hesitant responses of the four-speed automatic transmission while downshifting. The excellent six-speed automatic, however, is hard to fault with its smooth, on-point performance.

During its lifespan, the 2007-'13 Silverado remained largely the same, but keep in mind that the initial top-of-the-line engine was a 6.0-liter V8 rated at 367 hp; the 6.2-liter V8 didn't replace it until the 2009 model year. That same year, the six-speed automatic transmission was introduced as an option for the 5.3- and 6.2-liter V8s, and it became standard with those engines for 2010.

The previous Silverado 1500 was produced from 1999-'06. Although Chevrolet has produced a pickup truck since 1918, this generation marked the debut of "Silverado" as the big truck's formal name instead of a trim-level designation (which it had served as since the 1970s). Underneath the handsome new styling, a fresh family of V8s debuted, ranging in size from 4.8 to 6.0 liters. They offered output running from 255 hp with the smallest 4.8-liter to 345 hp from the high-output 6.0-liter V8 in the Silverado SS. A base V6 was also available, but as expected, most of these Chevy Silverados came fitted with one of the V8s. (Buyers looking at the heavy-duty series Silverado 2500HD and 3500 of this generation could also get a 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8 or an 8.1-liter gasoline V8.) A unique four-wheel-steering option (called QuadraSteer) came online about midway through this generation and cut the truck's turning circle down to 37.4 feet -- around 10 feet less than a typical full-size pickup. Unfortunately, QuadraSteer was discontinued for '06, as buyers were put off by the high cost of this option.

Consumers more interested in function than flash should be happy with a used half-ton Silverado from this era. The truck offered plenty of performance and work capacity, though it was hampered by a dated cabin design fraught with cheap materials and below-average fit and finish.

The previous generation of full-size Chevrolet pickups -- the last of the so-called "C/K" line -- ran from 1988-'98 and comprised three distinct versions: 1500 (half-ton), 2500 (3/4-ton) and 3500 (1-ton). Standard cab and extended cab body styles were offered, as was a crew cab, though the latter was actually from the previous 1981-'87 generation. Although six-cylinder and diesel V8s were offered, chances are strong that most Chevy trucks from these years will have either a 5.0- or 5.7-liter V8 mated to a four-speed automatic. In keeping with tradition, one could choose either rear-wheel drive (indicated by a "C", e.g. "C1500") or four-wheel drive (indicated by a "K"). Trim levels for these C/K trucks include the base Cheyenne, midlevel Scottsdale and top-line Silverado. Strengths include strong, durable powertrains, while weaknesses center on sketchy build quality and materials within the cabin.

User Reviews:

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  NICE TRUCK!` - 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By kevinbgy - December 27 - 10:55 am

  I enjoy the ride quality as well as the glances that I get when cruising through town. The exterior design has to be the best out of all the trucks that I compared it to. The interior needs some work, it is plain and boring not enough thought and time has gone into the design and layout. I live 12 miles from the nearest town and I travel daily on the interstate and this appears to be affecting the brakes on my truck significantly! The vehicle is brand new only 3 months old and has about 7000 miles on it and I have had to have the ceramic disk brakes replaced TWICE on it. I will admit that sometimes I tend to have a heavy foot and really push the vehicle but this is not often.

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  lots of breakdowns - 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By formerchevydriver - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehilce last march and by the time it had 39,000 miles on it the rearend had gone out, the serpentine pully had gone bad, the front shocks were leaking and it had an airleak in the dash somewheres from the date of purchase. All of these miles on this truck were highway miles with regular maitnance done on it. I was very disappointed in the quality of the vehicle.

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  Poor Quality - 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By davir - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Just purchased my new Silverado and the 1st time on the highway it sounded like the rear passenger door was partially open. The door was closed, but lots of road noise can be heard inside the cab. Took the vehicle back to the dealership and was told "all trucks sound like that" and there is nothing GM can do about it. Dealer did agree that my truck had the loudest interior noise he had ever heard. The 1st time I drove down a country road a squeak developed in the dash and the rear bumper license plate light fell out of its holder. This vehicle has 3000 miles (99% highway miles) and is only 2 months old. If GM had a 60 day return policy, I would take it back tomorrow & pay for the mileage used.

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  Infotainment system is obsolete technology. - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Stephen Brooks - December 15 - 12:02 pm

  After several weeks in and out of the shop and calling GM due to my navigation system being unable to change route and more than 50% extended predicted travel time GM gave ne a service bulletin and response that said the system operates as designed and works from a static base when calculating travel time. It is not an active system. Translation they bought old technology for their new vehicles. you can use any gps capable device today and have more accurate information. Their resolution was to offer me GM dollars to buy junk I dont need from their online store. I asked to either have the GPS ($750 option in a $45,000 truck) repaired to work correctly or give me credit to purchase a truly usable system. The lack of concern demonstrated by the GM team has convinced me to not buy a GM product again. Another recall I have to deal with came today, it appears the seats break lose in a crash?

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  Vibrate, Shake & Shudder - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By bugsy4 - November 26 - 2:51 pm

  Hi, Took delivery at the end of Feb.2014 and has spent 19 days back at the dealer for a vibrating problem that comes and goes while on the highway. Every time that I brought the problem up to the service manager he would first say that it was fine but then would work on it. After trying to fix it themselves the dealership called in an engineer from Chevy that just keep throwing parts at it. In the end they placed a new rear axel in the truck and admitted that they have had to replace a lot of them. Well I must have gotten another bad one because the more I drive it the worst that it is getting. At this point The district Manager of Chevy refuses to work on her any more and I am Not Happy!

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  Vibrations - 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By silvabrations - November 10 - 6:57 pm

  Overall I like the truck, but it certainly is not that much better than the 09, or 11 I had. Oddly enough this truck has an awful vibration at 55mph plus or sometimes 45mph if going into the wind. Oddly enough, I believe the vibration is due to the hood flexing. When driving you can see a slight flex in the hood that as best as I can tell corresponds to the vibration throughout the truck. I am curious if others have had the same issue.

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  Hmmm, Wonder About These Reviews - 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By hillbilly - October 18 - 2:33 am

  Miss my 94 Silverado. MPG 14-16, not 20. I drive 180 miles RT for work and that includes 5 miles gravel roads and frequent 4WD. Truck is comfortable and looks good. Cargo management system and kept losing the plastic corners. Finally gave up and removed the front part of it. Stereo speakers crackle and pop and sound like crap already. The big Chevy "Bowtie" has water in it, expect it to fall off soon. Problems with the tire pressure monitor system twice. 4WD switch doesnt work all the time and now 4WD is "Out." Been at the dealers for the last 9 days and counting. Last GM product!

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  Okay truck but forced to have OnStar - 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By dukeblu - October 8 - 5:30 am

  Told the dealership I did not want OnStar. OnStar activated anyway. Tried to call and cancel. Only the dealership can do so in the first year. My truck and I cant cancel the service. Worst customer service i have experienced in a while from GM. Dealership has been fine. Okay truck beyond OnStar, but this service which hijacked my radio the other day drives several low ratings ratings. Think the gas mileage was better with the 5.3 in my 2007 Classic than the 5.3 in the 08. Will not buy another GM until OnStar in not mandatory. Sad that they cant figure out to center the OnStar antenna on the roof. 4th new GM truck in the last seeral years and the last until OnStar is optional

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  Hidious Bench Seats - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By jeprudhom - October 2 - 2:00 am

  The 40/20/40 style bench seat is ungodly uncomfortable. If I had to do it again, I would take GM up on the 24 hour test ride. If I would have done this, I might have considered a different truck.

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  dispointed - 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By racerx62040 - September 19 - 12:13 pm

  i bought a 2012 chevy Z-71 ex cab pick up 2 years ago now. this is the first vehicle i have even been able to buy new. when i drove it off the lot it had 3 miles on it and i was very happy. one of the big selling points was the sticker said it got 21 MPG hwy. the sales man said it got 21MPG. i feel they lied to me. this truck has a 5.3 engine. the truck i had before was a 1995 GMC ext. cab 2x4 long bed with a 350 throattle body injection engine. when that 350 hit 180,000 miles the engine had problems. so i totaly rebuilt that engine and everything was new. that truck even after the rebuild got 15 MPG. so i bought this new one thinking it would be better. but it only get 16 MPG at the best