|
Chevrolet Silverado
Review: If you're looking for a new truck, I've got good news and
bad news. The good news is that nobody makes a bad truck any more. The
competition has become so intense, especially since Toyota and Nissan
entered the picture with their Tundra and Titan, that Ford, Chevy and
Dodge have all redesigned their truck lines in a frenzy of oneupmanship.
If you haven't driven a
new truck in a few years, you'll be blown away by the differences. What
used to be a noisy, bumpy work vehicle has transformed into a rolling
living room. Now for the bad news: That oneupmanship has also led to a
whole slew of gimmicks.
The Ford F-150 and
Dodge Ram, the two most recently redesigned
Pickups, also happen to
offer the most, shall we say, frivolous feature set. Between the two of
them, they offer heated rear seats, a cooler built into the bed, a
fold-down step, a heated steering wheel, an Internet connection and a
defroster in the rear sliding window.
They're all nice
features, but they're not the kind of things you equate with the core
purpose of driving a pickup.
That's why when a 2010
Chevy Silverado showed up in my driveway, it seemed like a purist's
truck. It's a truck that hasn't strayed from its mission, eschewing
bells and whistles in favor of perfecting three simple things that make
a truck great, a powerful engine, a stout chassis and a tough
suspension.
The Silverado excels in
all those areas. Its engines, a 4.3-liter V6, 4.8-liter V8 and 6.2-liter
V8, all offer the kind of power and confident acceleration you expect in
a truck of this caliber. It can tow up to 10,600 pounds when equipped
properly, which is plenty for anyone other than hardcore owners who
shouldn't consider a light-duty truck anyway.
The Silverado's smooth
ride comes via a nicely tuned suspension and a chassis that shows very
little flex. It's a refined and comfortable feeling, even if you never
forget you're driving a tough truck.
Keeping with its
back-to-basics theme, Chevy doesn't offer any luxury packages with fancy
chrome badges on the Silverado. That's what GMC's
Denali line is for.
Instead, Chevy offers some options that can make long trips a lot more
comfortable, without breaking the bank.
There's a USB
connection on the radio that lets you play music from an
MP3 player, a rear-view
camera that helps when backing up, satellite radio and a navigation
system. Check the right boxes, and you'll end up with a luxurious truck
even without the GMC branding.
Chevy also doesn't want
you to forget about being "green." All three of its engines can burn E85
ethanol. And if that's not enough, it's available in a hybrid model too,
to impress the Copenhagen climate conference people.
Overall, the Silverado
is simply an honest, straightforward truck. It doesn't offer a lot of
gimmicks because it just doesn't need them.
What was tested?
The 2010 Silverado 1500 4WD Extended Cab LT with a base price of
$32,275. The options on the test truck: Interior plus package for $470,
the exterior plus package for $410, the power plus package for $1,780,
the off-road suspension package for $275, the Z71 appearance package for
$995 and leather seats for $1,075. The total MSRP price as tested
including the $995 destination charge came to $37,775.
Why avoid it?
The off-road suspension can be bouncy, and it's the least fresh of all
the American-brand trucks.
Why buy it? It
has all the makings of a great truck, with a choice of three strong
engines, a stout chassis and a tough suspension.
By Derek Price © AutoWire.Net - San
Francisco
The Bottom Line:
The Chevy Silverado's cabin is spacious and comfortable, with plenty of
well-placed storage bins throughout the truck. With a tall stance and
uncluttered body style, the Chevy Silverado has a classic look that
emphasizes its strength and durability. The bottom line is that it’s a
strong, reliable, pickup that puts it focus on where it really matters.
Bottom Line
Review provided by: Tony Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
“Tony the Car Guy”
is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay
Area. If you have a question or comment for Tony send it to
TonyLeo@pacbell.net or visit AutoWire.Net at
www.autowire.net
And remember: “ You Are
what you Drive ”
Chevy Home Page
Column Name: The
Silverado is true to its roots
Topic: The 2010
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Word Count: 780
Photo Caption: The
2010 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Photo Credits:
Chevrolet Silverado Internet Media
Series #: 2010 - 09
Download
the Microsoft Word version here:
2010 Chevy Silverado
Download the Original Image File here:
2010 Chevy Silverado
|
