[Steve]

I got my hands on a loaded 2007 Chevy Silverado this week and let me tell you, this is one nice truck!



The Truck

• 2007 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab 4x4 LT2 with FlexFuel 5.3L V8 - Red
• MSRP: $42,824.00

Some Notable Standard Equipment

• Vortec 5.3L V8 w/ Acive Fuel Management
• Z85 Handling / Trailering Suspension
• 4 wheel ABS
• Tire Pressure Monitor Sytem
• Driver Information Center (DIC)
• 1-year OnStar Safe & Sound

Some of the Options

• Remote Vehicle Starter
• Heated Window Washing Fluid (hah! in Texas?)
• Full curtain airbags
• Navigation Radio CD/DVD/MP3 with rear seat entertainment system
• Power sliding rear window
• Leather seats
• XM Satellite Radio
• Cargo Management System

What's it like to drive?
Getting into this truck was very comfortable for me, with the 4x4 package and the P265 tires, it stands up quite a bit. I imagine that drivers and passengers under six-feet tall may have more issues getting into the cab, especially if it’s parked on a grade on in a vally-type parking spot. But, once you climb up, you feel like you're in something solid and stout. Adding-on functional running boards may be a good idea with the 4x4.

One of the first things I noticed was how very quiet it was going down the road, thanks for the hydroformed boxed frame design and extra sound insulation. Every year the vehcles get quieter and the 2007 model helps eliminate road noise pretty dramatically. It's even quieter than my 2002 Trailblazer. This "extra" quiet makes the add-on bose stereo package even more enjoyable, as it’s one of the clearest factory sound systems I’ve heard to date, of course it's a $2,000 add-on package, so you would expect that.

The truck has plenty of power for normal driving. I had no problem getting on the pedal slightly to pass a car or to get up to freeway speed in good time. Stopping is not hard either with the 4-wheel ABS brakes with rear proportioning, but remember it’s a large truck still, give yourself a lot of room when driving in stop-and-go traffic.

The layout of this truck (ext cab, short bed) does limit the ease of quickly finding a parking spot and pulling in. I almost always had to do a 3-point parking job to get into a spot, especially when parking next to another truck, van or large vehicle. The turning radius seems tight as well, but that’s to be expected for a large truck.

What’s it like to sit in?
Being on the upper scale for height/weight, I had no problem fitting comfortably into my seat. When seated, I have a good view of the cockpit-looking instrument panel, stereo control and navigation (although I have to stretch my arms a bit and lean forward to use the stereo) and all of the center console’s nooks and crannies, which there are several. Because of the height and size of the center console, it was a stretch to move over and open the glove box (both of them). But I had enough room in the center console to store a cell phone, a Pocket PC, an electric razor and perhaps lunch for five.

Headroom is impressive, I easily have two-plus inches of space over my head. Hip and shoulder-room is equally as spacious. I was able to go through a drive-through and actually pull my wallet out without taking off my seat-belt, that’s how much room there is.

Legroom and foot-room is another matter. The parking brake is awkwardly located and I struggled to get my left foot to rest comfortably when going down the highway. Other tall drivers may experience something similar. There is no left-foot “dead-pedal” location that is popular on other GM platforms. A lot of the discomfort could go away if the parking brake were to come up higher when released.

Toys and Gadgets
Ok, I'm hooked on the XM, built-in DVD system and GPS navigation system. I've been an XM avoider for the past few years, but this built-in system was so impressive that I was sold and became a raving fan after only 15 minutes. Other lesser systems do exist, but this one takes the blue ribbon at the county fair.

The DIC is also very impressive as well. From a glance you can get a view of report of the active MPG you're getting, tire pressure, transmission temp or a variety of other stats that you may need to know when going down the road. One of my big complaints has to do with the instrument panel though. The gauges are so far recessed that large shadows appear across the face of the smaller displays. I found I had to struggle to read the output during daylight hours. With the lights on at night, this problem went away.

Overall impression?
This truck is incredible! It’s comfortable, quiet, had plenty of power and it looks great too. It's a great truck for hauling the kids and a boat to the lake, or for a contractor to work from.

[Steve]

Going to the store in style!


It's not designed to hold 4x8 sheets of plywood (short box), but it can haul a crew of workers or kids and some gear in the bed, while towing a trailer.