2008 Chevy Silverado
by Steve Schutz, MD

As regular readers no doubt know, I’m not a pickup guy. Sedans, luxury SUVs and sports cars tickle my fancy, but everyday work trucks, not so much. Still, I recognize that many physicians, dentists and (especially) veterinarians own pickups, so I’ve been waiting for the right one to write about.

Cue the all-new 2008 Chevy Silverado, a truck that excels in every important way — the best pickup on the market, in my opinion.

Good thing. Ford’s best-selling F-150, while getting long in the tooth since its 2004 introduction, remains the class sales leader, and Toyota’s San Antonio-built Tundra is making inroads after an early rash of engine failures. So the new Silverado needed to be good.

The Silverado certainly has a solid foundation, sharing as it does a platform with the well-received Tahoe/ Suburban family of SUVs. And like the big SUVs, the pickup looks a lot like the prior version, but updated. In fact, by eschewing gratuitous ornamentation and focusing on utility the design of the Silverado goes against the industry imperative of adding “bling” to everything. This is a truck that looks businesslike, not stylish.

The interior, on the other hand, is quite inspired. Gone are the cheap looking gray and charcoal plastics from the prior Silverado, replaced by the much improved materials that made their debuts in the aforementioned full-size SUVs. Like those SUVs, the Silverado’s interior is warm, inviting and solid. It’s so much better than it used to be that you’d be excused for thinking it was from a Toyota or Volkswagen.

A bunch of noteworthy features are new this year, but two in particular were pointed out to me by Lori Alt, one of our endoscopy nurses who just bought an ‘08 extended cab Silverado. Lori loves the rear doors that open a full 180º (“great for loading groceries”), and the lockable storage compartment below the front center seat (“perfect for stuff that’s too big to fit under the armrest.”)

A brand new rack and pinion steering system provides for surprisingly good handling (for a pickup). No one buys these work horses for their cornering prowess, but it’s worth mentioning that present day pickups go, turn and stop way better than they did in the past.

The Silverado’s ride is smoother too, thanks to a fully boxed frame and greatly improved coil-over-shock front suspension system.

None of that civility hampers the hauling and towing ability of the Silverado. With proper configuring, the Silverado can haul up to 2,160 pounds and tow a class-leading 10,500 pounds.

Any pickup buyer knows that everything I’ve written so far is a gross oversimplification of what a Silverado is. Chevrolet offers a multitude of styles of their new pickup in a price range of $17,860 to $34,895. Major variables include box size, cab configuration, engines and rear- or 4-wheel-drive. Naturally there are zillions of options available to further personalize your ride.

The bed comes in three sizes: short (5 ft. 8 in.); standard (6 ft. 6 in.); and long (8 ft.). Cab configurations are standard, extended and crew cab. Also, there are three major engine choices: a 4.3-liter 195 HP V6, 5.3-liter 315 HP V8, and the top of the line 6-liter 367 HP V8. My test vehicle had the 6-liter motor, and I found it to be exceptionally quick and strong. Published figures show zero to 60 MPH times of just under eight seconds, and that seems about right.

Fuel economy — if that’s the right word — is surprisingly good. With official EPA mileage ratings of 15 mpg city and 19 highway, the 6.0-liter V8 boasts better numbers than any of its competitors. The 5.3-liter V8 does even better: 16 mpg city and 22 highway. Give credit to GM’s Active Fuel Management system which shuts down half the cylinders when the Silverado is cruising.

Chevy provides five suspension options: Z83 for general use, Z85 for better trailer towing, Z71 for off-roading, Z60 for optimal street performance, and NHT for maximum towing capability.

Three interior trim levels, WT, LT, and LTZ offer varying levels of luxury. Cloth seats are standard on WT and LT models, but leather seating is available with LT versions, along with a six-way, power-adjustable driver seat.

LTZ models have a larger center console, heated, 12-way, power-adjustable leather driver seat, six-disc CD/MP3-capable Bose audio system, and heated windshield washer fluid. Crew cab LTZ models add stadium seating, rain-sensing automatic windshield wipers, and a rear-seat audio system.
I’m not a truck guy, but even I can appreciate the essential goodness of the new Silverado. If you’re looking for a new full-size pickup, make sure you call Phil Hornbeak at (210) 301-4367 and then stop by a Chevy dealer. I bet you’ll be impressed.