The toughest of the tough, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has so much to choose from all impressive to all powerful. Who doesn’t like feeling that power behind the wheel, I know I certainly do. From the casual truck driver who just wants to feel the strength, to the driver who needs a reliable work truck, to the truck buyer who wants the top-of-the-line, indeed the Silverado can fit all those needs depending on trim and configuration.
New in 2015, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 also offers an eight-speed automatic transmission and the trim name for the 2WT is now an LS.
Competition in this class is fierce, but so is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. There is the Ram 1500, Ford F-150 and even the Toyota Tundra.
A full-size pickup, you can opt for different-type of cab/cargo-bed configurations and you can choose as well between a two or four-wheel drive. For body styles, it’s the regular, extended or crew cab with the regular cabs coming in at a 6.5-foot standard bed or an 8.2-foot bed. For the extended cabs, it is a 6.5-foot bed and the crew cab has a 5.75-foot bed or a longer 6.5-foot standard bed.
On the Regular cab, you get either the LS or LT trims while the extended cab trim is WT, LT, LS or LTZ. For the crew cab, add to those trims a choice of High Country or the off-road favorite the Z71 trims.
On the base trim, the WT there is 17-inch steel wheels, tinted glass, cruise control, power door locks, vinyl seating, rubber floor covering, a 40/20/40-split front bench seat and a limited number of techno options. The upgraded work truck LS will give you a better exterior package with chrome bumpers and grille and there is also power and heated mirrors, power windows, keyless entry and the OnStar as well as MyLink audio system and a 4.2-inch color display with a variety of technology options.
The LT will give you an “E-Z” lift/lower tailgate, alloy wheels, cloth upholstery and leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls while the LTZ adds more chrome trim, 18-inch alloy wheels, remote starting, power folding mirrors, a rearview camera, a 110-volt power outlet, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated eight-way power driver and passenger front seats with two-way adjustable lumbar.
For the top of the line High Country, you can really deck it out with 20-inch wheels, front and rear parking sensors, a spray-on bedliner and 10-way power front seats that are also air-conditioned. If serious offroading is your thing, then the Z71 trim is for you offering LT or LTZ trim features as well as unique shock absorbers, heavy-duty air cleaner, hill descent control, underbody shields and recovery hooks.
Trim features can also be added to the various packages, so there is much to choose from with a variety of one-off add ons as well like a power sunroof, various axle ratios, side step rails and rear seat entertainment.
Standout packages include the Driver Alert package with lane departure warning, forward collision alert and parking sensors or the All Star Edition, Texas Edition with 20-inch wheels, remote starting, rearview camera and a tweaked exterior look.
Under the hood, the LTZ trims offers a six-speed automatic, 4.3-liter V6 engine with 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque and you can opt for rear-wheel or four-wheel drive.
Other trims are offered with a 5.3-liter V8 engine cranking out 355 horsepower and 383 pound feet of torque with six-speed automatic and two or four-wheel drive or the High Country trim has a 6.2-liter V8 engine with 420 horsepower and 460 pound feet of torque. With the eight-speed automatic transmission, you can tow up to 12,000 pounds depending on how it is equipped, the less powerful engines will offer from 6,200 to 11,500 pounds of towing.
For safety, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has the antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front and rear seat side and side curtain airbags and, depending on the trim, there are also choices of a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, lane departure and a forward collision warning system.
Space, space and more space in the Silverado 1500 in a no-nonsense sort of way and it is a quiet ride as well as smooth too. Even the V6 option is a winner and can tow up to 7,600 pounds and even better, is will save you money on fuel on this one. The materials used inside are impressive and high-end and there are plenty of little bins for storing and perfectly placed cup holders. You will also find up to five USB ports in certain trim levels and easy to find and use knobs and dials are convenient and appreciated. Adults can sit in the front or the back seats with no problem since there is plenty of space for everyone.
When driving the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, there is power no matter what engine or trim you choose, combine that with an easy acceleration and you have a winner in any class. When towing there is a bit of a lag on the six-speed transmission version, but the eight-speed works like a charm for this task. Sure, it’s big, but it’s tough and this Chevrolet knows it, behind the wheel you will know it too.
Should You Need to Know: Completely redesigned in 2014, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 just keeps getting better with choices for any driver’s needs on or off road.
Miles Per Gallon: On the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 4WD LTZ Crew I drove it came in with 15 miles to the gallon in the city and 21 miles per gallon the highway.
Cost: The 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 4WD LTZ Crew had a price tag of $56,165.
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