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.
Key Takeaways
- Test truck: Silverado 1500 LS Double Cab with four-wheel drive and the Custom Package, which brings a 5.3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower and a six-speed automatic.
- $35,985 MSRP and $39,210 as tested; the Custom Package is a $3,700 option.
- 16 mpg city and 22 highway (18 combined), with a 26-gallon tank and a 572-mile freeway range.
- Size: 230 inches long with a 78-inch bed and an 80-inch width.
- Ride: There’s plenty of overall vision and the front and rear seat occupants ride in comfort, although nowhere near in silence.
- Dislikes: Difficult ingress and egress.
The Weekly Driver Chevrolet 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.
Size and Bed
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.
Driving Impressions
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.
Fuel Economy and Console
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 and letters on various gauges and big, simple and white, and it also meshes well into the Silverado’s persona: rugged, straightforward and strong.
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.
2015 Chevrolet Silverado Verdict
Rugged, comfortable and spacious, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado significantly helps define the modern definition of working pick-up truck.
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
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Base Price | $35,985 |
| As-Tested Price | $39,210 |
| Engine | 5.3-liter V8 (Custom Package, $3,700) |
| Horsepower | 355 hp |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | Four-wheel drive |
| Fuel Economy | 16 city / 22 highway / 18 combined mpg |
| Fuel Type | Regular |
| Fuel Tank | 26 gallons |
| Bed Length | 78 inches |
| Overall Length | 230 inches |
| Airbags | 6 |
| Warranty | Bumper to bumper 3 yr/36,000 mi; powertrain 5 yr/100,000 mi; corrosion 6 yr/100,000 mi; roadside assistance 5 yr/100,000 mi; scheduled maintenance 2 yr/24,000 mi |
James Raia
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
