2010 Chevrolet Silverado LT Z71 Crew cab: Classic look, increased fuel economy

By Mike Blake, Carlisle Events

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

On June 8, 2010, an official memo informed employees at General Motors' headquarters in Detroit to discontinue the use of the word "Chevy" in place of "Chevrolet." Employees are discouraged from saying "Chevy" when speaking with co-workers, dealers, customers and family and friends, so my recent pick-up truck test ride was not in a Chevy pick-up, it was behind the wheel of a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado LT Z71 Crew Cab.

Chevrolet has been selling pick-up trucks in America since 1918, and after 92 years, has honed its craft well, so well, in fact, that the No.2-selling vehicle in America has seen its sales increase by about 8 percent so far this year.

Some of the sales increase can be attributed to what’s new with Silverado this year. The 2010 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3-liter V-8 has been imbued with enhancements that yield incrementally better fuel economy, including a standard six-speed transmission and variable valve timing, and all Silverado V-8s (including 4.8-liter and 6.2-liter powerplants) are FlexFuel engines that can run on E85 as well as gasoline. Side curtain airbags, front-seat side airbags and stability control are standard on all models, and all stereos except the base unit offer USB connectivity.

Outside, the Silverado retains its classic brawny, rugged and clean truck looks. The signature Chevrolet grille with horizontal center bar and golden fleur-badge within a pair of vertically stacked headlights come powerfully at you, to play off the confident powerdome hood and broad shoulders, sweeping to rounded sides, contoured box and flared rear bumpers.

Full-sized dimensions are inherent, though the crew cab demands a short bed to provide a stylish and athletic pick-up weighing in at 5427 lbs. and measuring 230 inches long, 79.9 inches wide and 74 inches high on a 143.5-inch wheelbase. The Silverado sports a ground clearance of 9 inches and a step-in height of 22 inches.

The Crew Cab is offered only with a short box that grants 53.2 cubic feet of cargo volume with a 69.3-inch length at the floor, 62.4-inch width, 21-inch height and a tailgate width of 61.5 inches.

The 4WD version affords a towing capacity of 9500 lbs., with enhanced trailering packages available that raise the maximum to 10,300 lbs.

Chevrolet trucks have earned a reputation for delivering power, and the 2010 Silverado lives up to that status. My test truck was outfitted with a Flex Fuel 5.3-liter V-8 engine with a cast iron block and cast aluminum head. The 5.3 is rated at 315hp and 335 lb-ft of torque on gasoline and 326/348 on E-85.

Employing Active Fuel Management and sequential fuel injection coupled with a hydramatic 6L80 6-speed transmission, the 4WD 5.3-liter version is rated at 15mpg in city driving and 21mpg on the highway on gasoline. A week of mixed use driving tests achieved an average of 18.1mpg with my text Silverado.

Muscle was a bit hesitant off the line, but pulling power and passing acceleration were excellent ion all ranges. During track tests, Silverado was able to gallop from zero to 60mph in a tick under 8 seconds, as it was able to complete a quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds.

Delivering the comfort of a car while still driving like a truck, the ride is smooth and quiet, though the turning circle is wide and takes strategy to perform.

Road irregularities and off-road obstacles are handled deftly by a front suspension that utilizes independent coil-over shocks and shock absorbers and a rear suspension that uses a solid axle with semi-elliptic variable-rate two-stage multi-level springs and splayed shocks.

Power-assisted front discs/rear drum 4-wheel ABS and power assisted rack-and-pinion steering are both responsive and confident.

Inside, an unsophisticated lay-out in the Silverado LT provides single-zone manual front climate control, front passenger assist handle, AM/FM stereo with MP3 compatible CD player, seek-and-scan, digital clock, auto-tone control, Radio Data System, speed-compensated volume and TheftLock, XM Satellite radio, Driver Information Center with odometer, trip odometer and message center, illuminated entry feature and backlit instrument panel switches, analog instrumentation with speedometer, odometer, fuel level, engine temperature, and tachometer, and an adjustable tilt-wheel with brake/transmission shift interlock.

Safety features include frontal, driver and right-front passenger air bags with Passenger Sensing System, head curtain side-impact air bags with rollover sensor for front outboard seating positions, seat-mounted side-impact airbags providing thorax and pelvic protection for driver and right-front passenger, On Star and tire pressure monitoring system.

The 4WD Silverado LT is base priced at $29,785 (2WD starts at $26,810). The Crew Cab with the short bed starts at $35,610 including $995 for destination and freight. Add-ons included the Convenience Package for $545 (power pedals, rear parking assist and rear window defogger); Interior Plus Package for $745 (6-way power seats and dual-zone air); Power Pack Plus for $1780, The Z71 Appearance Package for $995, the Z71 Suspension Package for $275, 18-inch aluminum wheels for $400, heavy duty trailering for $350 and a few minor extras, to bring the packaged price as tested to $39,450.

For under $40k, the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado LT looks like a sure thing to remain on its increased sales course, but don’t call it a Chevy.


Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

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