Used 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado brings tastefully conservative good looks, a range of engines and powertrain choices, and excellent towing and hauling capabilities to one of the toughest markets in the U.S. Chevrolet’s reputation over the decades has made its Silverado pickup one of the top sellers, coming in at a perpetual number two behind the Ford F-150. But right behind it are the Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, and even its sibling, the GMC Sierra. Prices and equipment span the gamut from a basic work truck costing less than $30,000 to a full-blown High Country with all the trimmings costing nearly twice that. While it doesn’t offer a diesel, the Silverado’s range of gas-powered engines keeps it competitive in fuel economy and power without sacrificing capability.

The idea of trucks being uncomfortable and noisy is as outdated as bipartisan legislation. The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado glides along the highway, quietly despite its boxy design, and smoothly despite its old-school leaf-spring rear suspension. The Silverado’s suspension soaks up big dips with ease, although that same capability also means it’s sometimes floaty off-road or around town. The steering on the other hand feels nicely weighted, and with enough angle that the Silverado is more maneuverable than you might think. Of the three engines available, we recommend the 5.3-liter V8. The V6 offers better fuel economy but feels sluggish, while the 6.2-liter V8’s extra power isn’t enough to offset its fuel-economy hit. The 8-speed automatic translates to fuel economy that’s close to the EcoBoost V6 in the Ford F-150, but unfortunately throttle response feels particularly lazy.

Base models of the 2018 Chevy Silverado benefit from the same sensible layout, ample storage, and nicely textured plastics as the rest of the lineup. That’s not to say there aren’t benefits for paying more; move up the trim ladder and you’ll get even higher-end materials, and the top-of-the-line High Country lays on the luxury nice and thick. Beyond creature comforts, there are three cab sizes to choose from: traditional regular cab, a double cab with some extra space behind the front seats, or the crew cab, which can seat up to six in surprising comfort.

Like any modern truck, the Chevy Silverado boasts rugged and distinctive exterior styling. Yet it doesn’t go overboard, instead presenting a relatively conservative face to the world compared to its sometimes garish competitors. Granted, the Silverado LTZ grille is a big chunk o’ chrome, but the rest of the lineup is more tasteful and subdued. The High Country offers a more luxurious take on the full-size pickup, and it looks the part with generous — but tasteful — uses of chrome. Unlike the F-150, the Silverado doesn’t offer a built-in stepladder, but it does offer an optional rear-bumper step.

12,500-POUND TRAILERING RATING
If you order a Silverado Crew Cab with the NHT max towing package, you’ll get best-in-class towing capability of 12,500 pounds. That bests the Tundra, F-150, Ram…everyone.

BUILT-IN WI-FI CONNECTIVITY
Chevrolet will bill the Silverado’s Wi-Fi capability as a feature for workers on the job site, and it’s certainly useful there. But we know what it’s really for: taking the Silverado on a road trip, and keeping the kids occupied with their tablets as you travel.

Newly standard on the 2018 Chevy Silverado are a rearview camera and a tire-fill alert that honks the horn to tell you when you’ve reached the right inflation pressure. Otherwise things aren’t much different from last year. The basic Silverado WT — that stands for Work Truck — comes with air conditioning, power windows, cruise control and AM/FM audio system with a new 7.0-inch display, auxiliary jack and SD card. Also standard are multiple USB inputs, Teen Driver safe-driving system, projector-beam headlights, LED accents, and the CornerStep cutout on the rear bumper to make it easier to access the truck’s bed.

Like most full-size pickups, there is a range of engine, cab, bed and drivetrain options to choose from. Besides that are multiple trim levels. If you’re looking for luxury, start with the High Country, which comes standard with the big V8, leather upholstery, navigation, Apple CarPlay, a premium audio system, and more. There are multiple other packages, such as the Midnight Edition, which comes in a cool all-black theme, or the Z71 off-road edition, which tones down the chrome grille. One option that isn’t available at any price is push-button ignition, odd since it’s available in the Silverado-based Tahoe SUV.

There are three engine selections for the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado. The base engine is a 4.3-liter EcoTec3 V6, which leads in fuel economy, but seriously lags the others in horsepower; skip it. At the other end is the 6.2-liter V8, which handily out-powers everything else, but fuel economy suffers more than we prefer. The Goldilocks setup is the 5.3-liter V8, which offers more power than the V6, but better fuel economy than the bigger V8. All engines are available with 4-wheel drive (4WD) instead of the standard 2-wheel-drive (2WD) setup, and the standard 6-speed automatic gets supplanted with an 8-speed automatic with the 6.2-liter V8 and 5.3-liter V8 LTZ. Everything runs on regular unleaded, with the V6 and 5.3-liter V8 capable of running on E85 ethanol blend.

4.3-liter V6 Flex-Fuel
285 horsepower @ 5,300 rpm
305 lb-ft of torque @ 3,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/24 mpg (2WD), 17/22 mpg (4WD)

5.3-liter V8 Flex-Fuel
355 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
383 lb-ft of torque @ 4,100 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/23 mpg (2WD 6-speed, eAssist 4WD), 16/22 mpg (4WD 6-speed, 2WD 8-speed), 15/20 mpg (4WD 8-speed), 18/24 mpg (eAssist 2WD)

6.2-liter V8 Flex-Fuel
420 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
460 lb-ft of torque @ 4,100 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/21 mpg (2WD), 15/20 mpg (4WD)