2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Vehicle type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door truck
Price as tested: $56,485 (base price: $52,045)
Engine type: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Power: 420 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque: 460 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
Wheelbase: 143.5 in
Length: 230.0 in
Width: 80.0 in Height: 74.0 in
Passenger/cargo volume: 136.0/53.4 cu ft
Curb weight: 5658 lb
EPA city/highway driving: 15/21 mpg
For model year 2015, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offers some new standard and available features, just a year after a complete makeover.
They include a Hydra-Matic 8L90 eight-speed automatic transmission on the 6.2-liter V-8 models, 12,000-pound trailering capacity, up-level trailering mirrors with rear guidance lamps, and a spray-on bedliner for all models.
Also new are the enhanced MyLink with Text Messaging Alerts and Siri Eyes Free, available OnStar with 4G LTE, and built-in Wi-Fi hotspot (3-gigabyte three-month trial).
An eight-inch-diagonal touch screen is available with the navigation option. Siri Eyes Free and TMA use voice-controlled connectivity with natural language recognition, allowing phones to remain stowed and hands to remain on the steering wheel. The touch screen also uses gesture recognition.
For 2015, Silverado 1500 models are priced from $26,170-$51,540, and include regular cab, double cab and crew cab body styles, all offered with four-wheel drive.
Trims include Work Truck (WT), LS, LT, LTZ and High Country. Regular cab models are available with a 6-foot-6 box or an 8-foot box. Double cab models are offered exclusively with the 6-foot-6 box, while crew cabs are available with a 5-foot-8 box or the 6-foot-6 box.
New exterior colors include Rain Forrest Metallic and Deep Ocean Blue Metallic, which add $495, and for a limited time, Sunrise Metallic and Pewter will be available.
My review vehicle was a Deep Ocean Blue Metallic LS rear-wheel drive double cab with Jet Black/Dark Ash interior featuring high-wear cloth on the bench seats. The cloth is especially durable, stain resistant, and easy to clean — spilled liquid simply beads up instead of soaking in.
On my vehicle, the standard 4.3-liter V-6 Ecotec3 engine was replaced by a 355-horsepower 5.3-liter V-8 ($1,095 extra).
An upright instrument panel had six simple, intuitive gauges with a 3.5-inch driver-information center, operated by a stalk on the panel itself, directly behind the steering wheel. The controls on the center stalk were simple, logical and easy to operate.
Silverado’s exterior is aerodynamic to reduce wind noise and enhance efficiency on the highway. The doors are fitted into the body sides and triple sealed to help keep the cabin quiet. The aluminum hood is lighter than a steel hood, also enhancing efficiency.
The tester was EPA rated at 16 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway, better than any other V-8 pickup. Traveling over 800 miles, mostly on two-lane and low-speed-limit four-lane roads, hauling a bed full of household items, I averaged almost 19 mpg.
My Silverado had a $475 spray-on bed liner, a CornerStep bumper, ergonomically shaped handholds and several covered tie downs built into the new box rail protector. Four heavy duty tie-downs were positioned low on the bed wall.
The signature bold, upright two-port grille gave my Silverado a strong, muscular appearance with Chevrolet’s signature vertically stacked headlights pushed to the corners.
Chrome door handles and mirror caps were included in a Custom Package for $1,290, along with 20-inch silver-painted aluminum wheels with five wide spokes, all-season tires and a body-color rear bumper pad.
Silverado’s safety systems are designed to protect driver and passengers before, during and after a collision and include three-point safety belts in all rear positions, front outboard safety belt retractor pretensioners which gradually loosen after sudden retraction; six standard air bags with sensors to detect the presence of a properly seated front passenger; head-curtain side-impact air bags with rollover protection; front seat-mounted side-impact air bags; and StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation technology, trailer sway control, and hill-start assist.
High-strength steel makes the cab and frame stronger and lighter, helping Silverado achieve a five-star rating in government crash testing.
My tester also had antilock brakes, four-wheel discs with Duralife rotors, which offer double the service life thanks to a GM-exclusive process to protect against rust; tire-pressure monitoring; daytime running lights; EZ Lift-and-Lower locking tailgate; spare-tire lock; deep-tinted glass; rubberized-vinyl floor mats; and power/heated outside mirrors.
Silverado’s cabin is roomy, quiet and functional; the ride feels controlled and confident, with good steering, cornering, and braking _ even when the bed is fully loaded.
Base price for my Silverado was $31,940, with $4,225 in options including the spray on bed liner for $475 and color-keyed carpet for $100, and $1,195 freight bringing the total sticker to $37,360.
