BIG POWER MEANS BIG PRICE TAG
In the world of truck advertising, torque and towing are kings. There are some pretty impressive numbers out there, but there’s more to a truck than just pound-feet and how much it can pull.
The biggest numbers belong to the heavy-duty trucks and I had the Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The heavy-duty Silverado models, and their mechanically identical GMC Sierra siblings, start with a 6.0-litre V8 gasoline engine making 360 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque.
My chariot carried the optional Duramax 6.6-L V8 turbodiesel engine, which ups the ante to 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque. It’s not a cheap upgrade; the engine costs an additional $10,430, and it hooks exclusively to an Allison six-speed automatic transmission, priced separately at $1,445. The Silverado 2500 starts at $42,070 for the Regular Cab 4x2 in Work Truck trim, while my Crew Cab 4x4 LTZ tester began at $63,065 with gas engine.
Adding the optional diesel engine and transmission, along with such options as a Midnight Edition blacked-out accent package, power sunroof and Z71 off-road package, brought it to $80,005 before freight and taxes. Trucks ain’t cheap anymore.
The Silverado’s 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque slots in between archrivals Ford F-250 and the Ram 2500. That’s about it for your choices in this segment.
As for towing, it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Buy the truck that best matches your trailer. I recently towed and hauled with all of the Detroit Three heavy-duty trucks in back-to-back testing. All of them get the job done, but I give the nod ahead to the Chevy. That Duramax-Allison combination is a match made in heaven; acceleration is smooth and linear with a heavy load, and braking is confidence inspiring.
All of these big trucks are meant to look intimidating, and the Silverado plays the part with its huge domed hood and squared-off styling ( beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think the GMC Sierra is better looking).
At the back, GM uses a simple step into the bumper ends that’s absolutely brilliant: Put your foot in, grab the handhold in the box side, and pull yourself up (and you need it, because trucks these days are needlessly oversized).
The interior is a nice place to be. The Silverado features supportive seats, a roomy second row with fold-up seats for extra storage, large centre storage console, and controls that are easy to use.
And while it sounds like a needless luxury, heated steering wheels are the new gotta-have-it feature, especially on a truck where the idea, at least in theory, involves some work outdoors in the cold.
Heavy-duty diesels are seldom an impulse buy, but if it’s your first one, remember that in addition to the engine’s initial stiff cost, it’s also more expensive to service. So ignore the big numbers in the ads and instead consider your needs, and buy appropriately.