2017 Chevy Silverado a competent, well-equipped, predictable pickup
The Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup comes to market with a few additions for the 2017 model year. These include GM’s Teen Driver mode, which imposes specific restrictions on secondary drivers to keep them safe, active grille shutters to improve fuel economy and a standard equipment rearview camera for LT trim and above.
Offered with three cab styles, three bed sizes and five trim packages, it’s pretty easy to configure a Silverado 1500 to your exact needs. Cab choices include the two-door regular cab, four-door double cab and fourdoor crew cab configurations. The difference between double cab and crew cab is primarily larger rear doors and more legroom in the second row. Regular cabs get a choice of 6.6- or 8-foot boxes, while the double cab can only be had with the 6.6-foot box. The crew cab can be ordered with the 6.6-foot cargo bed or a smaller 5.8-foot bed.
The base WT (for Work Truck) model’s vinyl upholstery and floor coverings exemplify its job-site intentions. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, Silverado High Country offers a heated leather steering wheel along with leather upholstered heated and ventilated bucket seats. With this model you’ll also find a Bose audio system, power-adjustable pedals, and automatic climate control and the like.
Most buyers will land somewhere in the middle, which means the LTZ trim package with a 5.3-liter V-8, 18-inch wheels, leather, dual-zone automatic climate control and power folding mirrors-along with LED headlights, foglights and taillights. Apple Car Play and Android Auto are teamed with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, along with more USB ports and power outlets.
The standard engine for the lower trim levels is a 4.3-liter V-6 with 285 horsepower, 305 lb-ft of torque, a 7,600-pound tow rating and a 1,980-pound payload capacity. The base V-8 engine is the aforementioned 5.3-liter with 355 horsepower, 383 lb.-ft. of torque, an 11,000-pound tow rating and a 2,430-pound payload. Both of those engines are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and a choice of rear- or four-wheel drive.
For LTZ and High Country models, an eight-speed automatic transmission is offered with the 5.3-liter. Pickup drivers who want to maximize towing capacity to the full 12,500-pound rating, get the 6.2-liter V-8 with 420 horsepower, 460 lb.-ft. of torque and the eight-speed. However, payload capacity falls to 2,160 pounds. With the 5.3L and the eight-speed, the LTZ is quite competent, even when towing close to the edge of its capacity. Fuel economy is rated at 18 mpg combined with rear-drive and 17 with four-wheel drive.
On the road, the LTZ is refreshingly quiet and smooth for a pickup truck. Manufacturers have come to realize pickup trucks might be called upon to go from a job site to a honeymoon. In the case of the Silverado LTZ, this means it feels more like a big luxury car going down the road than what we’ve typically come to expect from a truck.
Ride motions are nicely controlled and handling is predictable, if not exactly agile. Belying the Silverado’s feeling of solidity, ride quality remains amenable, even over-abused pavement. Yes, you do get body roll in fast corners and may sometimes feel like you’re piloting rather than driving, but overall the big Chevy returns a feeling of confidence. This is enhanced by the nicely weighted feel of its steering.
Interior comfort is good, even over long drives. There’s storage for days and an abundance of cupholders. The touchscreen interface is logical, intuitive and delivers reasonably quick responses. Bluetooth pairing is easy and the smartphone interface functions with very little thought at all as operation mimics the handheld devices it supports. While build quality is admirable, substantive is an apt description of the materials employed to grace the interior.
In sum, the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ is competent, well-equipped and reasonably economical for a full-size pickup. It also offers modern tech, such as electronic driver assistance and 4G LTE WiFi capabilities. If you’re shopping in this category, you’ll definitely want to give the Silverado a test drive. For 2017, Chevrolet Silverado 1500’s base price is $27,785. The LTZ trim pricing starts at $48,820.