The Chevrolet Silverado remains one of the best-driving full-size pickups, even when measured against its newer competition. It feels tight and quiet, with little road noise or wind noise. Those are benefits of its stiff frame, which minimizes noise and vibration from the running gear. The rigid chassis allows the suspension to soak up and manage bumps and ruts and tar strips. The cab is stiffened by a magnesium beam behind the instrument panel and a lateral steel beam between the magnesium beam and the right side of the dash. This additional stiffening is designed to eliminate squeaks and rattles, and we haven't heard any.
The Chevy Silverado rides more smoothly than the Dodge Ram. We drove a Silverado 1500 2WD LS Extended Cab that rode very smoothly. Its long, 143-inch wheelbase contributed to the ride (and enhanced high-speed stability). Models with Quadrasteer have a rougher ride, however. We drove a Silverado with Quadrasteer that tended to bounce annoyingly over a succession of dips. We suspect that the heavier rear axle that comes with Quadrasteer causes the rougher ride.
The Silverado handles well on dry pavement, loose dirt, deep dirt, and off road. It tracks straight at speed on dry pavement and it's stable on wet pavement. It holds its line when the rear wheels spin under acceleration, even when coming out of a low-speed turn on wet pavement. Steering is responsive and offers the right amount of feedback; there is a dead spot in the center when cruising, however, which Chevrolet says is designed to minimize steering corrections on the highway. Rack-and-pinion steering is used on Silverado 1500 4x2s. Four-wheel-drive and heavy-duty models use recirculating-ball steering.
Quadrasteer is no gimmick. It enhances low-speed maneuverability, and is a must-have for owners who tow, though it's available (for $1,995) only on selected models. (For 2005, that would be the 1500 Extended Cab short-box 4WD, 1500HD Crew Cab with 2WD or 4WD, and all 2500HD Crew Cabs). The Silverado is a full-size truck in a compact world, and Quadrasteer helps address that. Four-wheel steering helps when maneuvering through crowded parking lots and public garages. With Quadrasteer, you can make a U-turn in places that previously required backing up. A Silverado that requires 47.3 feet to turn around in with standard front-wheel steering needs just 37.4 feet with Quadrasteer. That's 10 feet, a huge difference. Where turning around on a narrow street takes five steps in a standard pickup, it's only three steps with Quadrasteer. Changing direction is quicker, less annoying.
While Quadrasteer helps around town, it is truly a superb feature when towing trailers. Quadrasteer can make you look like a trailering pro. First, it greatly improves control when backing up, eliminating much of that trial and error that occurs when you don't tow trailers on a regular basis. Second, Quadrasteer allows you to back a trailer into spots that would be literally impossible without it.
The optional Ride Control Suspension is designed to enhance control when pulling a trailer. Press the Ride Control button when the truck is empty and the system firms up the shock damping, which reduces bouncing somewhat, although at the expense of increased harshness. When towing, Ride Control helps reduce the tendency of the truck to pogo as the trailer goes over bumps. It can also be used for better suspension control when driving off-road.
Four different engines are available for Chevy's light-duty pickups, so it's helpful to study power ratings, payload ratings, tow ratings, fuel-economy, pricing, and other data to choose the best engine for your needs. People talk about horsepower, but torque ratings better reflect how the truck will perform.
The V6 model is best for light-duty work when price and fuel economy are paramount; it also meets Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle, or ULEV, standards. But the two most popular engines are small-block V8s. The 4.8-liter V8 (294 cubic inches), which GM calls the Vortec 4800, is popular in base models and delivers 295 pound-feet of torque. It offers plenty of power unless you're towing, hauling heavy loads, or driving at altitude, but it could definitely use more juice when trying to accelerate up hills.
The 5.3-liter Vortec 5300 V8 (327 cubic inches) generates 335 pound-feet of torque, enough grunt for all but the most demanding applications. It's the engine we prefer. It only rates 10 horsepower more than the 4800, but offers a lot more torque, over a broader range of speed. The 5.3-liter's fat torque curve is useful for light towing and hauling, but also makes the Silverado more fun to drive when commuting or out and about. Fuel economy is about the same. For 2005, 4WD Silverado 1500 Extended Cabs with the standard box offer an exclusive, 310-horsepower, all-aluminum version of the 5300 that weighs 100 pounds less than the iron-block engine.
All of these Vortec small-block V8s are based on the SB-2 architecture introduced on the Corvette and extended to the Camaro and Firebird in 1999. Since 2003, they have featured Electronic Throttle Control for more precise, consistent throttle operation; new oxygen sensors offer improved reliability and reduced emissions during warm-up. All of Chevy's Vortec engines come with 100,000-mile platinum-tip spark plugs, sequential fuel injection, and 150,000-mile anti-freeze.
Larger engines are available for heavy-duty Silverados. The big Vortec 6000 6.0-liter V8, standard on 1500HD, 2500HD and 3500 models, delivers 360 pound-feet for pulling big, heavy trailers. An 8.1-liter V8 is available for heavy-duty models, as well as a 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel V8, which for 2005 now produces 310 horsepower and 605 pound-feet in automatic-transmission applications.
A five-speed manual gearbox is standard in the base truck, but most buyers opt for the excellent four-speed automatic. The automatic features a Tow/Haul mode that reduces the tendency of the transmission to hunt between third and fourth gears in hilly terrain; and when it does shift, it shifts quicker and harder. This strategy reduces heat buildup for improved reliability. We recommend the automatic unless you run a snow-plowing operation or have a specific need for a manual. With all the advances that have been made in automatics, most of the advantages of a manual are now more imagined than real, even when driving off-road.
The Silverado SS, based on the 1500 Series short-bed Extended Cab, delivers quicker acceleration via a 345-horsepower version of the Vortec 6000 with 380 pound-feet of torque. A 3.06 first gear, 0.70 top gear and 4.10 rear end emphasize rapid performance and relaxed highway cruising over towing capability (although the SS can still tow a respectable 8,100 pounds). The SS model's 20-inch wheels and Z60 performance suspension are designed to improve road holding and cornering capabilities.
A Hybrid model, available only in California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Nevada and Florida, promises up to 10 percent better fuel economy with the same power and performance as the 5.3-liter V8. In fact, the Hybrid is powered by that same engine, developing the same 295 horsepower and 335 pound-feet of torque. Sandwiched between the engine and the four-speed automatic transmission is a compact 14-kilowatt (19-horsepower) electric motor/generator. While the Silverado is moving under the V8 engine's power, the motor/generator is feeding electricity to a 42-volt battery pack. Even while braking, the motor/generator uses the truck's forward motion to charge the batteries, a process calle
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