Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Review

2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Work Truck Regular Cab

The pickup truck has long been a mainstay of American byways and highways, and Chevrolet has been there from day one. Originally used and respected by farmers, construction workers and small-business owners, Chevrolet's hauler was a basic workhorse known for its reliability and longevity. More recent times have seen Chevy's full-size truck adopt the name Silverado, which was previously an upscale trim level.

As with its rivals, the modern-day 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 one wants something sporty, there are always the SS versions that come complete with a rumbling V8, bucket seats and flashy wheels.

Older versions of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup have been praised for their strong work ethic but soundly criticized for their bland, often overly plastic-endowed cabins. With the current model, fit and finish has improved to the point where the Silverado now stands proud in that area. Of course, there are other choices in the full-size pickup truck market, but the half-ton Chevrolet Silverado remains a solid pick no matter what the intended use.

Current Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The current Silverado 1500, introduced for 2007, is much improved over the past version in terms of cabin materials and build quality. Where there was once an abundance of lackluster design, hard plastic and uneven panel gaps there's now richly grained upholstery, softer materials and precise fitments. The lineup offers three body styles (regular-, extended- and crew-cab) and trim levels ranging from no-frills "Work Truck" to plush LTZ. The most popular trim is the midlevel LT, which provides most features people want as standard, including air-conditioning, full power accessories and a CD player.

Powertrain choices, traditionally a strong point, encompass everything from a frugal 4.3-liter 195-horsepower V6 to a muscular 6.0-liter V8 with 367 hp. Most Silverados, however, will be fitted with either a 295-hp 4.8-liter V8 or a 315-hp 5.3-liter V8. A four-speed automatic is standard across the board and one may choose either rear- or four-wheel drive.

Calling cards of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 include strong performance, a refined and quiet ride (even with the heavy-duty towing package) and a comfortable, well-finished cabin. The few downsides we've noted in reviews include minor interior ergonomic issues and the hesitant response of the four-speed automatic transmission in downshift situations. GM's excellent six-speed automatic is promised to be available for its half-ton pickups soon, which is a good thing given that the Silverado's competitors already offer five- and six-speed automatics.

Past Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Models

Although Chevrolet has produced a pickup truck since 1918, the truck never received a formal name until 1999 at which point it was dubbed the Silverado. ("Silverado" was formerly the name of a trim level that dated back to the 1970s.)

Most Chevy pickup trucks considered by used-vehicle shoppers will be the 1999-2006-generation Silverado 1500. Underneath the handsome styling, a family of new 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 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 on line 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 half-ton Silverado from this era. The truck offered plenty of performance and work capacity, but was hampered by a dated cabin design fraught with cheap materials and below average fit and finish.

The previous generation of Chevrolet pickups ran from 1988-'98, and were simply known by their number nomenclature – 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/K1500 trucks include the base Cheyenne, midlevel Scottsdale and top-line Silverado. Strengths of these trucks include strong, durable powertrains, while weaknesses center on sketchy build quality and materials within the cabin.

SELECT A SPECIFIC CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 MODEL YEAR*

* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.