ROAD TEST
Chevy Silverado 2500 HD
In the world of truck advertising, torque and towing are king. It’s an all-out war and 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 — three-quarter-ton (2500/250) and one-ton (3500/350) — and I had the Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The heavy-duty 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 is 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. In a nutshell, trucks ain’t cheap anymore.
An all-new Silverado 1500 halfton is coming for 2019, completely redone from the tires up. The new heavy-duty versions usually lag at least a year or two behind, so expect the current-generation 2500 and 3500 to hang in for a while.
The Silverado’s 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque slots in between archrivals Ford F-250, with a 6.7L Power Stroke diesel that makes 450 hp and 935 lb-ft of torque, and the Ram 2500, with a 6.7-L Cummins engine that cranks out 370 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque. That’s about it for your choices in this segment. Toyota doesn’t make a heavy-duty Tundra, while Nissan offers the Titan XD, a truck it says bridges the gap between half- and three-quarter-ton models, and with an available 5.0-L Cummins that makes 555 lb-ft of torque. As for towing, turn off the TV when the
oversized numbers start rolling up. Tow ratings are a complicated science, and whenever an automaker promises you’ll be able to haul an apartment building off its foundation, that’s the very top number for specific truck configurations with a specific type of hitch. 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 and all of them get the job done without fuss, but I give the nod 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.
The interior is a nice place to be, and 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, even when you’re wearing gloves. And unfortunately you are likely to have them on in this truck. While it sounds like a needless luxury, heated steering wheels are the new gotta-haveit feature, especially on a truck where the idea, at least in theory, involves some work outdoors in the cold. The top-trim High Country has one, but not this LTZ tester, and it’s a glaring omission on something that costs 80 grand.
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.