2018 Chevrolet Silverado Road Test and Review

2018 Chevrolet Silverado High Country ・ Photo by General Motors

The recently revealed all-new 2019 Chevy Silverado pickup truck has been grabbing a lot of headlines lately, but that redesigned full-size truck doesn’t go on sale until late this year. In the meantime, General Motors will sell hundreds of thousands of trucks just like our 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500 test vehicle.

Chevy built its first truck in 1918, and our 2018 Chevy Silverado Centennial Edition celebrates 100 years of the brand’s pickups. After driving it both on road and off, it’s safe to say this is the very best Silverado half-ton pickup Chevy has ever built. It competes with the Ford F-150, the Ram 1500, the similar GMC Sierra, the Toyota Tundra, and the Nissan Titan.

Assembled at GM’s truck plant in Silao, Mexico, right alongside the similar GMC Sierra 1500, Chevy offers the 2018 Silverado in an extensive assortment of configurations with several different powertrains. Prices range from just under $30,000 to about $70,000 with a long list of options and accessories. Our four-wheel drive 2018 Chevy Silverado Z71 Crew Cab test vehicle had a sticker price of $61,190.

Big V8 Horsepower

Chevrolet offers three engines in the 2018 Silverado, a 4.3-liter V6 with 285 horsepower, a 5.3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower, and a 420 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 that the pickup shares with Chevy Tahoe RST and the Cadillac Escalade. Chevy also offers eAssist on the Silverado with the 5.3-liter V8. This “mild hybrid” system adds an additional 13 horsepower and 44 lb-ft of torque from a small electric motor and improves fuel economy by two miles per gallon.

Silverado V6 models get a six-speed automatic transmission while the largest V8 works only with an excellent eight-speed automatic. The 5.3-liter V8 is matched with either transmission depending on the trim level and body style. 

Chevy also offers three body styles: regular cab, double cab, and crew cab, and they’re all available with 4WD for an additional $4,000. There are also eight trim levels to choose from. The WT base model, LS, Custom, LT, LT Z71, LTZ, LTZ Z71, and the luxurious High Country, which is dripping in chrome trim. Prices start at $29,695, including $1,295 for destination and shipping for a two-wheel drive Regular Cab short bed WT powered by the V6.

Photo by General Motors

Modern While Retro Exterior Design

Trucks just don’t come any better dressed than our 2018 Chevy Silverado Centennial Edition. Our test truck was a head turner, dressed in rich Centennial Blue, rolling on 22-inch silver wheels with chrome inserts and wearing Heritage Bowtie emblems that spell out Chevrolet just as they did back in the 1920s.

The Chevy may not have the curves of the Ram 1500, or the semi-truck musculature of the Ford F-150, but the 2018 Silverado is dripping with attitude from its massive grille to its flared wheel wells to the sculpted power bulge of its hood.

And Chevy has put attention into the details. Our truck had a spray in bed liner, LED headlamps foglights and taillights, and the movement of its EZ Lift and Lower Tailgate is damped so it doesn’t slam open.

Photo by General Motors

Comfortable and Luxurious Interior

One hundred years ago the interior of the first Chevy truck was little more than a thinly padded bench and a couple of gauges. Today, the interior of the 2018 Chevy Silverado is as comfortable and luxurious as many high priced sedans. The Chevy’s heated driver’s seat is wide and well-shaped, and it's height adjustable for shorter drivers who will also appreciate the truck’s tilt and telescopic steering wheel and its power adjustable pedals.

The Silverado’s column mounted shifter feels dated, but the pickup’s interior is ergonomic and functional, with plenty of storage including a huge console bin and two glove compartments. There’s also plenty of chrome and wood trim and a complete set of gauges with cool chrome bezels and racy red needles.

Standard features on our Silverado LTZ Z71 included Bluetooth, an onboard 4G Wifi  Hotspot, Apple Carplay and Android Auto capability, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, an 8-inch color touchscreen, heated front seats, a power sliding rear window, and remote vehicle start. Our truck’s optional luxuries included a power sunroof, a Bose premium audio system, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and navigation.

Photo by General Motors

Driver Aids and Safety Systems

Our 2018 Chevy Silverado was also packed with high tech driver aids and safety systems. Chevy offers the Enhanced Driver Alert Package on the Silverado which includes Forward Collision Alert, IntelliBeam headlamps with automatic high-beam control, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Front and Rear Park Assist, and Safety Alert Driver Seat, which vibrates the seat to warn the driver of danger. The package is a good value at $945.

Low-Speed Forward Automatic Braking is also part of the package but it’s a bit over sensitive and applies the brakes abruptly. We were disappointed to learn that adaptive cruise control is not available.

Other notable standard safety systems include a rearview camera and Chevy’s Teen Driver Mode which allows you to monitor your child’s driving habits through alerts sent to your smartphone. It even mutes the truck’s audio system until the front passengers buckle their seatbelts.

Photo by General Motors

Comfortable and Quick

Our test truck was equipped with the Z71 off-road-ready suspension which equips the Silverado with an auto-locking rear differential and shocks from Rancho, a well-known manufacturer of high-quality off-road dampers. Although the ride can be a bit bouncy, it remains comfortable even on our truck’s 22-inch tires. Still, when it comes to the ride comfort, the class leader remains the Ram 1500 which uses a unique coil spring rear suspension.

In the city, the 2018 Chevy Silverado is maneuverable and responsive. This truck has quick reflexes despite 5,500 lbs. of mass, and our test truck was quick thanks to its optional 420 horsepower 6.2-liter V8, which is the most powerful V8 in this class. Acceleration from 0-60 mph takes just 5.6 seconds and flooring the throttle off the line in two-wheel-drive will squeal the tires.

On the highway the Silverado effortlessly cruises along at 70 mph at just 2,100 rpm, saving fuel thanks to a cylinder deactivation system which shuts down four of the V8’s cylinders in light load situations. The truck’s eight-speed automatic transmission is responsive in delivering quick downshifts.

Photo by General Motors

Easy to Drive Off-Road

Our Z71 was about as off-road ready as a 2018 Chevy Silverado can get. With its two-speed transfer case, auto locking rear differential and Hill Descent Control, our test truck was ready for just about anything at our off-road testing grounds in Gorman, California.

The Silverado's ample nine-inches of ground clearance was more than enough for rocky trails and sandy washes. Its transfer case engages four-wheel drive smoothly and in four-wheel-drive low, the torque of the big V8 gets the big pickup up and over steep grades with ease. In 2WD wheel hop was an issue in deep sand, but the Chevy’s automatic locking rear differential still created enough traction to tackle the terrain.

Its Rancho shocks work well even over faster washboard dirt roads, and its 22-inch Bridgestone All-Terrain tires offer plenty of traction and prove durable. Still, the truck has limitations because of its lack of serious metal skid plates to protect its undercarriage and its low hanging front spoiler. Both help the aerodynamics on the highway and improve fuel economy, but limits ground clearance and can be easily damaged.

Photo by General Motors

Cargo and Towing Capability

The big Chevy’s payload is among the highest in the class, ranging between 1,930 lbs. for the Standard Cab 4WD model, and 2,250 lbs. for the Double Cab with 2WD. Our 2018 Silverado came standard with a spray-on bed liner, which is installed by the dealer, a Cornerstep rear bumper (which makes bed access much easier,) and bright LED lighting inside the bed.

At 9,800 lbs. for the 2WD models and 9,500 lbs. with 4WD, the Chevy’s tow ratings are very competitive in this class. Our truck also had an optional integrated trailer brake controller which costs an extra $275. Chevy also offers a vast variety of towing accessories including balls, receivers, hitches, bed extenders, racks, and other bed utility items.

On some body styles and trims, Chevy also offers the Max Trailering Package for $925. It includes a stronger 9.76-inch rear axle with an automatic locking rear differential, heavy-duty rear springs, unique shock tuning, and better cooling. With this option, the 2WD Silverado can tow 12,500 lbs. and the 4WD model can pull 11,800 lbs.

Photo by General Motors

Fuel Economy

The most fuel-efficient Silverado is the 2WD V6 powered models, which are rated 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. Models with the 5.3-liter V8 max out at 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. However, Silverado’s equipped with eAssist and the 5.3-liter V8 do a little better getting the same mileage as the V6 models. For comparison, a Ford F-150 with the 2.7-liter Ecoboost engine is rated 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

With the 6.2-liter V8, our 4WD Crew Cab rated 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. After a week of mixed driving around Los Angeles, including a morning of off-road play, and several hundred miles on the highway we averaged 17.6 mpg.

All of the Silverado’s engines, including the 6.2-liter V8, run on 87-octane regular grade fuel to keep operating costs down. The V6 and the 5.3 liter V8 are also FlexFuel capable, so they’ll run on E85.

Photo by General Motors

Final Thoughts

Although its off-road capability is limited by its low front spoiler, the 2018 Chevy Silverado Z71 is fun to take off-road. It also performs well on the street and is impressively comfortable and capable. Every Chevy Silverado also comes with two complimentary oil changes 24-hour roadside assistance.

It's no wonder Chevy sells a ton of these truck. The Chevy Silverado is consistently America’s second best-selling full-size pickup trailing only the Ford F-150. Yes, the all-new 2019 Chevy Silverado should be even better, but if you’re in the market for a full-size pickup right now, the 2018 Chevy Silverado is a very desirable choice.

Photo by General Motors