2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 

What's New for 2014

Redesigned for 2014, the Chevrolet Silverado benefits from weight reduction and a lineup of new, more fuel-efficient engines including a now-competitive V6.

Introduction

Most people buy a full-size pickup truck with the idea that they can drive it every day and use it for heavy lifting and hauling when the need arises. That latter requirement necessitates some muscle. Traditionally, you'd pass on the pickup's base V6 engine and spring for a substantially stronger but thirstier V8. But lately, automakers have been beefing up their trucks' V6 engines. Now Chevy has joined the party. As such, one of the best things the redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado has going for it is something the outgoing version lacked: a competitive V6 engine.
Of course, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 still offers V8 power as well, and they're burly 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter mills that now benefit from direct fuel injection and cylinder deactivation for better power and efficiency. But for those who'd like the big Silverado's generous passenger and cargo space and whose hauling and towing requirements aren't as severe, the new 4.3-liter V6 should fill the bill. It makes 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque, and can tow up to 7,200 pounds when properly equipped. Fuel economy ratings haven't been announced yet but are expected to be competitive with Chevy's rivals in the half-ton truck class.

In addition to the more potent V6 engine, the latest Chevy Silverado benefits from a diet as well. The new regular cab model with the V6 and a 6-foot, 6-inch pickup bed, for example, weighs 250 fewer pounds than its predecessor. Other enhancements include revised suspension tuning for a smoother ride, forward-hinged rear doors on extended cab models (they were awkward, reverse-opening half doors previously) and a wealth of new standard and optional safety and convenience features such as a rearview camera, parking sensors, a forward collision alert system, a lane departure warning system and trailer sway control.
Meanwhile, the Silverado's exterior design doesn't stray far from tradition. A massive new grille, revised bumpers and more sculpted styling down the side give it a more modern, almost aerodynamic look, but it retains the square-jawed, all-business look of previous Chevy Silverados. Those who regularly haul a lot of people and cargo will be pleased to know that the Silverado 1500 crew cab now offers a 6.5-foot cargo box in addition to the previous 5.75-foot box. Inside, Chevrolet has upgraded the Silverado's upholstery, dash and door-panel materials and now offers an 8-inch touchscreen display with the brand's MyLink infotainment interface and smartphone integration.
All told, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is fully competitive with its long-time and similarly well-rounded rivals, the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 as well as the Toyota Tundra. This is especially true now that Chevy offers a V6 engine that promises ample performance along with good fuel economy. As such, your choice of a full-size pickup may come down to feature availability or even styling preference.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a full-size pickup offered in a variety of cab/cargo-bed configurations in both two- and four-wheel drive. Body styles include regular cab, extended ("Double") cab and crew cab. Regular cabs can be had with either a 6.5-foot standard bed or an 8-foot bed. Extended cabs come with the 6.5-foot standard bed, while crew cabs can be had with either a 5.75-foot short bed or the 6.5-foot standard bed.
Regular cabs are limited to the base Work Truck and midlevel LT trims, while the extended and crew cabs come in LS, LT, luxury LTZ and off-road-oriented Z71 trims.
The Work trim (or WT) comprises 1WT and 2WT subsets. The 1WT comes with 17-inch steel wheels, air-conditioning, cruise control, power windows and door locks, a tilt steering wheel, vinyl seating, rubber floor covering, a 40/20/40-split front bench seat and a four-speaker AM/FM sound system with USB and auxiliary inputs. The 2WT adds stainless steel finish wheels, chrome bumpers and grille, deep-tint glass, power/heated mirrors, keyless entry, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, OnStar telematics and an upgraded MyLink audio system with a 4-inch color display, satellite radio, HD radio, Pandora radio, a CD player and voice control functionality.
Stepping up to the LT adds a chrome grille insert, an "E-Z" lift/lower tailgate, alloy wheels, cloth upholstery (with adjustable lumbar support for the driver), carpeting, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and six speakers for the audio system. The LTZ piles on chrome trim, 18-inch alloy wheels, remote starting, power folding mirrors, a power sliding rear window with defroster, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a rearview camera, a 110-volt power outlet, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated eight-way power driver and passenger front seats, driver-seat memory settings and an 8-inch touchscreen display for the MyLink interface.
The Z71 trim, which is added atop the LT or LTZ, features off-road-oriented hardware such as special shock absorbers and air cleaner, hill descent control, underbody shields, recovery hooks and a few unique exterior and interior styling tweaks.

Many of the features on the upper trim levels are offered on the lower ones as options while other available features (depending on the trim level and configuration) include towing packages, various axle ratios, a power sunroof, side steps, parking sensors, ventilated front seats, a Bose audio system, a navigation system and a rear-seat entertainment system with a Blu-Ray player. Notably, the Max Trailering package features an integrated trailer-brake controller, heavier-duty suspension calibration and a higher-capacity radiator.
Another key option group is the Driver Alert package that features lane departure warning, forward collision alert, safety alert seat and front and rear parking sensors. There are also the All Star Edition, Texas Edition and Custom Sport Edition, whose highlights (depending on the package) include 20-inch wheels, one of the available towing groups, remote starting, a power driver seat, a rearview camera and, of course, unique badging.

Powertrains and Performance

Standard on all but the LTZ trims is a 4.3-liter V6 with 285 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque. As with all other Silverado engines, it comes matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. Maximum towing capacity, when properly equipped, is fairly generous at 7,200 pounds.
The 5.3-liter V8, which is standard on the LTZ trims and optional on other Silverados, makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. Properly equipped, trucks with this engine can tow up to 11,400 pounds. With two-wheel drive, Chevy says Silverados with the 5.3-liter V8 will achieve 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway (16/22 for 4WD).
Optional on the LTZ trims is a 6.2-liter V8 (late availability). Its power, fuel economy and towing numbers have yet to be released by Chevrolet.

Safety

Standard safety features include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front and rear seat side airbags, and side curtain airbags. Also standard is OnStar, which includes services such as automatic crash notification, roadside assistance, remote door unlocking and stolen vehicle assistance. Options include a rearview camera, front and rear park assist and a suite of driver aids that include lane departure warning and forward collision alert.

Interior Design and Special Features

With this redesign, Chevy improved the cabin quality on lower trims, where materials and build quality are both notably better. There are also more bins and cubbies than before and LTZ trims have up to five USB ports to keep all your devices charged and happy. The MyLink system deserves special mention for its available 8-inch touchscreen that features clear, intuitive controls, redundant knobs and buttons and a very effective voice command interface.
With a choice of bench or buckets (depending on trim level) up front, as well as available heating, ventilation and adjustable lumbar support, the Silverado's thickly padded seats promise plenty of long-trip comfort.
All-new cab structures for the three configurations (standard, double and crew cabs) bring improved structural stiffness and crashworthiness to the 2014 model. The cabs' basic dimensions are unchanged but there is a smidge more rear legroom than before, and front occupants have more fore/aft seat adjustment range.
Gone are the awkward reverse-opening rear doors of the previous extended cab; the newly minted double cab has traditional forward-hinged doors. The new cabin also rides on improved body mounts for reduced noise and vibration, while clambering into the bed is made easier by clever steps and handholds built into each rear corner.

Driving Impressions

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado's new V6 provides ample thrust and is light-years ahead of the old V6 not only in terms of power and performance but refinement as well. Another indication of this engine's all-around legitimacy is that it is available in all trim levels rather than relegated only to work truck variants, as was the case with the old V6.
As you'd expect, the 5.3-liter V8 delivers solid thrust with good manners, though there's still a bit of vibration during hard acceleration. More seamless than ever, however, is the fuel-saving cylinder deactivation system, which swaps between V8 and V4 modes with complete transparency.
The six-speed automatic provides smooth and timely gearchanges in normal driving. But despite the pull of the Silverado's huskier new engines, we've noticed that there's still too big a gap between the transmission's gear ratios when towing. There are rumors of an upcoming eight-speed transmission ? it would be a welcome addition. That said, we've towed a trailer with an 8,600-pound load with a Silverado equipped with the 5.3-liter V8 and the Max Trailering package and there was plenty of reserve grunt.
Overall ride and handling dynamics are noticeably improved over the old truck. The 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 feels robust structurally, yet most versions are compliant and comfortable over broken pavement, though the stiffer ride on trucks with the Max Trailering package can grow tiresome. The 2014 Silverado is also very quiet, with road noise snuffed out and only a whisper of wind noise at freeway speeds. The Chevy is steady around turns and the steering is well-weighted. Off road, the Silverado shudders less when bouncing around on rocky trails, exhibiting better composure than ever before.
courtsey by: http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/silverado-1500/2014/