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05-13-2016, 09:47 AM
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2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 5.3L 8AT 4x4 Crew Cab
A refined roughneck adds two gears and gets smoother.
- MAY 2016
- BY TONY SWAN
- PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL SIMARI
Instrumented Test
The pickup truck is an all-American invention with roots in the old buckboard wagons of the Wild West—big work ethic, not much concern with comfort. That cowboy-boots image lingers, but rigs like this Chevrolet Silverado make clear that the utilitarian pickup of yesteryear has little in common with its contemporary descendants. Even the basic Silverado WT (for Work Truck) has its share of amenities, and the LTZ tested here—one step below the top-of-the-line High Country model—is just this side of hedonistic. Maybe even on the other side, now that Chevy has added refinement to the truck by installing its latest eight-speed automatic transmission.
The work ethic remains, though. As tested, this crew-cab four-by-four truck has a payload rating of 2130 pounds and is capable of towing up to 10,800 pounds. These are stout numbers, which can be amplified slightly by opting for the 6.2-liter V-8. But the compelling thing about this Silverado is its level of civilization; the L word—luxury—is not inappropriate.
Like other full-size crew-cab pickups, the Silverado LTZ has plenty of room for five. The seats are leather clad, and the center dash embraces an 8.0-inch touchscreen (lesser trim levels get a 7.0-inch screen). It’s home for Chevy’s MyLink, one of the better infotainment and connectivity systems, as well as navigation, with oversize icons that make for easy operation even when the truck is trundling over washboard dirt trails.
Dynamic Serenity
High-quality appointments and premium audio in a spacious interior are only part of this story. Just as significant is a trait that’s borderline intangible: the absence of noise. The Silverado is cat-burglar quiet at any speed and on almost any surface. Those who relish the good ol’ baritone throb of a Chevy small-block V-8 might be a little disappointed. But if silence is golden, the Silverado is 24 karat. Our sound meter recorded just 66 decibels at a 70-mph cruise, down from an already good 68 decibels in the 2014 six-speed version. That’s a luxury-sedan figure, on par with our measurement for a Lexus LS460.
This quiet demeanor is really just a side benefit of the eight-speed transmission created in the quest to meet the government’s ever-rising demand for improved fuel economy. There’s a testing anomaly, though, that sees the EPA mileage actually drop by 1 mpg in city, highway, and combined ratings. The six-speed was available with a tall 3.08:1 rear-axle ratio, not offered with the new transmission in this configuration. The EPA requires separate ratings for varying engines and transmissions in trucks, but it doesn’t require certification for every final drive.
Ratings aside, we logged 15 mpg motoring around town doing household chores (none of which challenged the truck’s limits, which are absurdly high after 20-some years of a marketing-driven arms race among manufacturers). That 15 mpg is a big percentage gain over the very similar Crew Cab LTZ 4x4 we tested in 2014 with a six-speed automatic, which delivered only 13 miles from a gallon of regular. Back then, we had many complaints about clunky noises and jolting shift operation of that six-speed; the new eight-speed exhibited none of those bad habits.
Smooth shifts and quiet operation are key components in comfort. To that, add creamy ride quality, another Silverado attribute, which is remarkable considering this one was a four-wheel-drive example with a live rear axle on leaf springs capable of accommodating payloads of more than one ton.
Smooth shifts and quiet operation are key components in comfort. To that, add creamy ride quality, another Silverado attribute, which is remarkable considering this one was a four-wheel-drive example with a live rear axle on leaf springs capable of accommodating payloads of more than one ton.
The other side of a plush ride, of course, is handling that can be described—charitably—as deliberate. With its combination of compliant suspension, 20-inch wheels, typical full-size-pickup mass (almost 5600 pounds), and high center of gravity, the Silverado responds reluctantly, scaling in proportion to the degree of haste demanded by the driver. Grip—0.74 g—is respectable by pickup standards, and the braking distance (184 feet from 70 mph), while lamentable, is not uncommon for vehicles in this size and weight class.
On the go side of the ledger, the 5.3-liter V-8 propels all this refined mass to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. That’s 0.5 second slower than in our last test of the six-speed version, however. One issue is that this new setup forces an additional shift in the 60-mph run. Our test driver also noted that brake-torque launches with the new transmission are less effective than was the case with the six-speed, because the electronics limit the engine to lower rpm than before. A lot of nuances influence the results when an automaker undertakes a “simple” swap of one major component like the transmission.
Fresh Face
On the go side of the ledger, the 5.3-liter V-8 propels all this refined mass to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. That’s 0.5 second slower than in our last test of the six-speed version, however. One issue is that this new setup forces an additional shift in the 60-mph run. Our test driver also noted that brake-torque launches with the new transmission are less effective than was the case with the six-speed, because the electronics limit the engine to lower rpm than before. A lot of nuances influence the results when an automaker undertakes a “simple” swap of one major component like the transmission.
Fresh Face
Besides the transmission transplant, Chevy has given the Silverado a littlefreshening for 2016, including a revised front fascia, a new hood, and, on LTZ and High Country models, LED headlights, accent lights, and taillights. Chevy’s updated MyLink infotainment system, which accommodates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, also is new to the Silverado.
The tailgate has been redesigned, with internal damping to soften the opening, plus—a nifty new feature—remote locking. Also new: the addition of lane-keeping to the Driver Assist package. It’s one of the least intrusive among such systems we’ve experienced.
The LTZ four-by-four we tested is almost $50,000 to start and as such includes a lot of standard features. Our test example included $4685 in options. From that list we’d be inclined to keep the sporty leather bucket seats ($510) as well as their extra-cost heating and ventilation ($650). And the spray-in bedliner is a must; it’s a $475 option but was standard on this model. The 20-inch chromed aluminum wheels ($1495), chromed assist steps ($700), and Iridescent Pearl paint ($995) seem expendable. Be that as it may, assessed as a vehicle capable of handling the occasional chore of hauling fertilizer or towing watercraft, as well as daily transportation, the Silverado LTZ is as civilized as contemporary half-tonners get. It’s even commendably light on the cowboy design overtones applied to so many of today’s pickups. So while it maintains the work ethic of those old buckboard wagons, it’s far, far easier to live with.
Last edited by BeachBumMike; 05-13-2016 at 10:00 AM.