2014-18 Chevrolet Silverado

Overview

Chevrolet introduced an all-new redesigned Silverado full-size pickup truck for the 2014 model year. It shared most of its basic design with its corporate cousin the GMC Sierra 1500.

Like most big pickups, the 2014 Silverado was available with three different cab styles. Regular cabs were 2-door models without a back seat. Chevy had renamed its extended-cab model the double cab. The big news here was that it included four front-hinged doors. Previous extended cabs had rear-hinged doors that couldn’t be opened independently of the fronts. The last style, and the one the company expected to be most popular, was the crew cab. It also had four conventional doors, but it was longer than the double cab and had greater interior room. Both 4-door models included rear seats.

Three bed lengths were be offered. Regular-cab Silverados were fitted with a 6-foot 6-inch or 8-foot box. Double cabs came with the 6-foot 6-inch bed. That bed could also be had with the crew cab, along with a shorter box that was 5-feet 8-inches long.

This review covers the conventional, half-ton Silverado 1500. Most Silverados were built in the United States, but some production took place at a General Motors plant in Mexico. Competitors included the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra, and to a lesser extent, the Nissan Titan.

The 2014 Chevy Silverado was offered in WT (Work Truck), LT, and LTZ models, along with a new top-of-the-line trim level called High Country. The WT models were subdivided into 1WT and 2WT variants.

Most models included a rear bumper with steps built into the corners and hand holds formed into the box rail protectors. Other available features included LED lighting mounted under the bed rails, upper tie-down hooks, and and easy to open and close tailgate. All included a trailer sway control system and hill start assist.

The plainest Silverados were the 1WT models. Standard equipment included black bumpers, 17-inch steel wheels, vinyl interior trim, rubber-like floor covering, air conditioning, cruise control, power locks, and a tilt steering column. There was also an AM/FM radio with two USB ports and an AUX jack. Double- and crew-cab models also had power windows.

One step up is the 2WT. These had chrome bumpers, chrome grille trim, remote keyless entry, heated power-adjustable outside mirrors, cloth interior trim, and GM’s OnStar telematics system. Also included was the Chevrolet MyLink connectivity system with a 4.2-inch color touch-screen display. This setup included Bluetooth connectivity, voice recognition, satellite radio, SD card slot, and two USB ports.

Next were the LT models. Additional interior equipment included carpeting, under-seat storage, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio and cruise control buttons. Outside there were aluminum wheels, an easy to open and close tailgate, and rear wheel well liners.

The LTZ added more features including a standard 5.3-liter V8 engine, remote engine start, and a trailer-towing package. Inside there was dual-zone automatic climate control, rearview camera, heated front seats, rear-window defogger, and an upgraded MyLink system with an 8-inch touch screen display.

The new top-of-the-line model was the High Country. The interior had unique leather trim, heated-and-cooled front bucket seats, and a Bose-branded audio system with MyLink connectivity and an 8-inch touch screen.

There were three engines available on Silverado 1500s: a 4.3-liter V6, 5.3-liter V8, and 6.2-liter V8. The displacements were familiar and each maintained an overhead-valve layout, but the company said these were all-new designs. Each used an aluminum block and cylinder heads, direct fuel injection, and continuously variable valve timing. There was also a standard cylinder deactivation system that allowed each engine to operate as a 4-cylinder under certain driving conditions to conserve fuel. All three engines were mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The 4.3 V6 was rated at 285 horsepower, the 5.3-liter V8 engine had 355 horses, and the 6.2-liter V8 engine was good for 420 horsepower.

Silverados were offered in rear-wheel- and four-wheel-drive forms. Maximum towing capacity was 11,600 pounds.

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 included all expected and federally mandated safety features. Additional safety-related items that included forward collision alert, rear-view camera, lane departure warning, trailer sway control, and front and rear obstacle detection.