*1,500-lb payload | **4,000-lb trailer | #7,500-lb trailer | 35-55-mph uphill acceleration with ***3,160-lb ##7,750-lb trailerSPECS 2020 Silverado 1500 RST (CrewCab 4WD 2.7L) RST Duramax (DoubleCab 2WD)
Base Price/As Tested $46,095/$49, 235 $46,135/$48,685
Power (SAE net) 310 hp @ 5,600 rpm 270 hp @ 3,750 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 348 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm 460 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 7.1 sec 7.0 sec
Accel, 0-60 mph (loaded) 8.7 sec* Not tested
Accel, 0-60 mph (towing) 14.1 sec** 16.4 sec#
Quarter Mile 15.3 sec @ 90.8 mph 15.4 sec @ 90.7 mph
Quarter Mile (loaded) 16.5 sec @ 83.3 mph* Not tested
Quarter Mile (towing) 19.3 sec @ 68.7 mph** 20.8 sec @ 66.6 mph#
Braking, 60-0 mph 124 ft 126 ft
Braking, 60-0 mph (loaded) 129 ft* Not tested
Double Lane Change Time 3.5 sec 3.7 sec
Davis Dam Frustration 8.9 sec @ 591 ft*** 17.9 sec @ 1,200 ft##
Cruise Control 65-mph Overrun 1.2 mph 2.4 mph
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 19/22/20 mpg 23/33/27 mpgVehicle Layout RST Front-engine, AWD, 6-pass, 4-door truck RST Duramax Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door truck Engine/Transmission RST 2.7L turbo
DOHC 16-valve I-4/10-speed automatic RST Duramax 3.0L turbodiesel DOHC 24-valve I-6/10-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R Dist) RST 5,022 lb
(57/43%) RST Duramax 5,041 lb (59/41%) Wheelbase 147.4 in Length x Width x Height RST 231.7 x 81.2 x 75.5 in RST Duramax 231.8 x 81.2 x 75.6 in Energy
Consumption, City/Hwy RST 177/153 kW-hr/100 miles RST Duramax 164/114 kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb RST 0.96 lb/mile RST Duramax 0.83 lb/miIt’s hard to believe the 2.7-liter is
a four-cylinder; most judges said
they would take it over any other
gas engine in the Silverado lineup.
This compelling engine, which
generates 310 hp and 348 lb-ft,
may not sound stirring. However,
it’s a torquey engine at low rpm,
which is where it mostly lives, as
Walton noted. And it hustles,
powering the 5,022-pound truck
to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds and
covering the quarter mile in 15.3
seconds. It cruises well at highway
speeds and produces little body
roll on winding roads. Shifts are
smooth and efficient.
Attach a 4,000-pound trailer,
and the RST 2.7 is fastest off the
mark of our test field, scooting
to 30 mph in 3.5 seconds, while
its 0–60 time of 14.1 seconds isT
he powertrain is the heart
of a full-size pickup. A func-
tional bed, interior accou-
trements, and ease of pairing
a phone all impact how livable
a truck is. But if the key criteria
are how the truck accelerates,
sounds, shifts, and tows, you can’t
go wrong with the 2020 Chevrolet
Silverado 1500 with a gas or diesel
engine and 8- or 10-speed auto-
matic transmission smartly tuned
to take advantage of the torque.second only to the Ford Ranger’s.
Walton was impressed on the
Davis Dam; the 2.7 towed with slick
upshifts and held cruise speed
with ease on the downhill grade.
The weight savings with the I-4
provides a stunning amount of
extra payload capacity, able to
carry almost one ton.
Or opt for the 3.0-liter
Duramax, a sweetheart of a
diesel with excellent sound and
feel, fuel economy, power off the
line, payload, and towing. “This
is probably the best of the light-
duty diesels,” Williams said.
The RST Duramax is nimble,
handing twisty roads like a large
sedan. Chevy’s suspension
upgrades make it feel like a new
truck. “I don’t know if I’ve driven a
truck that rode that well,” Waltonsaid. Cortina noted how easily it
drif ts for fun. Evans said he could
tow with it every day: “It drives
beautifully and reverses just as
well, even without all the optional
cameras and trailering apps.”
Brakes require a heavy foot but
work well. Markus said the pedal
feel seems quite linear in its rela-
tionship to braking force.
One problem was that the
Duramax’s shifter liked to get
stuck in park. It’s an isolated
incident; our GMC Sierra with the
same powertrain had no issues.
Seabaugh felt the trucks
struggled in the dirt; the
Silverado required off-road
mode to clear moguls. This turns
off traction control and creates
wheel slip before the brakes
engage and stop an airborne
wheel from spinning.
We awarded the Silverado high
marks for the powertrains and
wide bed but had to dock points
for its interior quality. The design
isn’t fresh, and the materials, like
the hard plastic and uncomfort-
able cloth seats, aren’t upscale.
The wood substitute on the doors
could have spiced up the plain
dash. Our RST 2.7 tester with the
bench front seat featured one
regular USB port and an AM/FM
radio. Unacceptable. Don’t get
us started on the horrible backup
camera and grainy screen.
Markus liked the information on
the center screen. A four-wheel-
drive display provided stats on
pitch and roll, trip information,
fuel range, oil life, tire pressures,
and air filter life, as well as engine
hours, a timer, and instant fuel
economy bar graphs.
The Silverado 1500 is an
improved but still ordinary truck
with great powertrains. “Ford
and Ram are focused on how to
build a better truck,” Seabaugh
said, “Chevy seems focused on
building a better Silverado.”
Alisa PriddlePRO Phenomenal powertrains • Responsive steering • Good pulling power CON Boring interior • Seats not comfortable • Horrible backup cameraChevrolet Silverado 1500
Finalists
RST Duramax48 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020