Like all full-size pickups, Silverado is available in a vast array of versions: two-wheel drive and four-wheel-drive; standard-length regular cabs, extended cabs, and crew cabs; short (6-1/2-foot) and long (8-foot) bed lengths. Three trim levels are available: base, LS, and LT. Full-width Fleetside beds are standard, but retro Sportside beds are available for selected models.
Payload capacities vary. The 1500 series offers payloads ranging from 1593 to 2334 pounds (depending on bed, cab, and drive configuration). The 2500-series models offer payloads in the 2600- to 3200-pound range.
Silverado 1500 models are available with a 4.3-liter V6, 4.8-liter V8, or 5.3-liter V8. 2500 models and the 1500 HD Crew Cab are powered exclusively by the 6.0-liter V8. The 1500 HD model combines light-duty 1500-series styling in a heavy-duty six-passenger crew cab with a 300-horsepower Vortec V8. (2500HD and 3500 models are covered in a separate New Car Test Drive review.)
Silverado SS is a special high-performance model equipped with a high-output Vortec 6000 designed for exhilarating off-line acceleration. SS gets a unique high-performance Z60 chassis package, 20-inch wheels and tires, full-time all-wheel drive, a lower, wider stance, and special exterior and interior trim.
Options include XM Satellite Radio, which provides CD-quality broadcast of 100 digital channels coast to coast, a Bose sound system. Crew Cab models offer a Panasonic DVD Passenger Entertainment System and rear-seat audio controls. OnStar is also available, which puts a human being at your assistance at the press of a button any time of day. OnStar operators can unlock your doors remotely and the system automatically calls for assistance if the airbags deploy.
Passive safety features: A passenger-sensing system automatically deactivates the passenger-side frontal air bag under certain conditions to protect children. Dual-level frontal air bags are designed to provide an appropriate amount of inflation based on the severity of the crash. Active safety features include four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) on all models. Auto4WD improves traction and stability of four-wheel-drive models on slippery roads.