Car Review: Chevy truck is giant size
Apr. 14—No doubt you have seen your share of big pickup trucks on the road, and each has a designated purpose. But if you want all-inclusive transportation to tow your yacht, go mudding in the wilderness or use as a daily driver with high-tech gear in a mammoth cabin, check out the new Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew Cab ZR2 Bison with 6.6-liter turbo diesel power.
It is big, brawny and pricey and won't fit in a standard garage, but the fun factor behind the wheel makes up for its few deficiencies. It weighs more than four tons and its V8 diesel engine develops an impressive 975 lb.-ft of torque — enough to tow 18,500 pounds. With all its heft, this jumbo truck hit the 60-mile per hour mark in just 6.4 seconds, after building up launch through its brake torque system. In regular driving, the diesel also moves quickly around interstate traffic with little effort thanks to its 10-speed Allison transmission.
The big diesel makes 460 horsepower, 60 more than its non-diesel V8 counterpart. You can decide if the $9,490 diesel upgrade is right for you. If you are not off-roading, you can also consider deleting the $9,135 optional Bison package that includes AEV steel bumpers, steel rocker guards, fog lights replacing corners on the front bumper, massive tow hooks and full-length steel skid plate to protect your investment.
The Silverado's trailering package with hitch guidance, brake controller and power adjustable heated mirrors is necessary for towing; although, we noticed the latter blocks some right-side vision. Fortunately, multiple high-res camera views are useful in parking lots and trails to see how close obstacles are.
The Silverado rides on massive 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory mud terrain paws on 18-inch wheels with suspension lift and locking rear differential. Exclusive to the ZR2 is custom Multimatic DSSV dampers — shocks that deliver incredibly high-performance suspension on road and off. Rivals Ford Super Duty Tremor and Ram 2500 Power Wagon don't compare.
About the only downside to Silverado's big truck is finding an off-road trail suitable for its size. It will climb over anything while idling with its 21-foot length and 7-foot height. It's in a whole different world than Wrangler.
For its size, the ZR2 offers a compliant ride. Steering is precise and braking, while on the soft side, is strong. There is enough space in the rear compartment to spread out and take a nap while on day trips. Seating is comfortable and an updated 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is filled with easy-to-use apps and cabin controls. Fortunately, designers built-in a mixture of buttons and switches for cabin essentials negating the need to drill down screen commands while eyes are off the road. Interior leather treatment is generous, and a digital instrument gauge cluster is filled with useful information.
An impressive safety suite is included featuring full stop and go adaptive cruise control, front pedestrian braking, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and automatic high beam headlights.
We recommend a test drive in this brawny pick-up, along with Ford and Ram rivals.
Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at editor@ptd.net.
