Quadrasteer is no gimmick. Four-wheel steering is a great feature on any Silverado for low-speed maneuverability and a must-have for owners who tow. Let's face it. Silverado is a full-size truck in a world of compact parking spaces. Four-wheel steering really helps when maneuvering in crowded parking lots and public garages. With Quadrasteer, an extended cab short box Silverado can turn around in a 37.4-foot circle (curb to curb). Without Quadrasteer, the same model takes 47.3 feet. That's 10 feet, a huge difference. You can make a U-turn in places that previously required backing up. Where turning around on a narrow street is a five-step process in a standard pickup, it's just a three-step process with Quadrasteer. Quadrasteer helps enormously around town, but we think it is truly a must-have feature for towing trailers. When towing a trailer, Quadrasteer will make you look like a star. First, it greatly improves control, eliminating much of that trial and error that occurs when you're not messing with trailers on a regular basis. Second, Quadrasteer allows you to back a trailer into spots where you could not physically do so without it. Chevrolet's ad showing the cowboy backing a horse trailer through a chute demonstrates the benefits well. Quadrasteer increases the 8400-pound towing capacity of Silverado 1500 models with the Vortec 5300 to 8600 lbs.
1500HD crew cab models do not seem to ride as smoothly as the other models. This is most likely due to the 1500HD heavy-duty suspension. When the bed is empty there is some road vibration, but drivers used to driving pickups should find it within acceptable bounds. Throwing some weight in the bed or adding a canopy should smooth it out some. The benefit is towing capacity: 10,200 pounds with a weight-distributing hitch and sway control. The 2500 models also ride rougher than standard 1500 models, but offer a 10,700-pound towing capacity.
Silverado's steering is responsive and offers the right amount of feedback. Silverado tracks straight and handles well on dry pavement, loose dirt, deep dirt, and off road. It's stable on wet pavement and stays true when the rear wheels spin when accelerating hard in a low-speed turn. Rack-and-pinion steering is used on Silverado 1500 4x2s. Four-wheel-drive and heavy-duty models use recirculating-ball steering. Even the rack-and-pinion system has a fairly wide dead spot in the center when cruising, which Chevrolet says is designed to minimize steering corrections on the highway.
Four different engines are available for Chevy's light-duty pickups, so when choosing one it's helpful to study power ratings, payload ratings, tow ratings, fuel-economy ratings, pricing, and other data. People talk about horsepower, but torque ratings better reflect how the truck will perform.
The V6 model is best for light-duty work when price and fuel economy are paramount. The 4.8-liter small-block V8 is popular in base models and delivers 285 foot-pounds of torque. The 5.3-liter (327 cubic-inch) V8 is rated 325 lbs.-ft., enough grunt for all but the most demanding applications. We prefer the Vortec 5300 over the 4800. Its fat torque curve is useful for light towing and hauling, but also makes it more fun to drive when commuting or out and about. The big Vortec 6000 6.0-liter V8 that comes on the 1500HD delivers 360 lbs.-ft. for pulling big, heavy trailers. Go beyond that and you're into the 3/4-ton 3500 and 2500HD models (reviewed separately).
Silverado's small-block V8 engines are based on GM's SB-2 small-block architecture introduced on the Corvette and extended to the Camaro and Firebird in 1999. For 2003, Electronic Throttle Control provides more precise, consistent throttle operation on all small-block V8s, while new oxygen sensors reduce emissions during warm-up and are designed for improved reliability. All of Chevy's Vortec engines come with 100,000-mile platinum-tip spark plugs, sequential fuel injection, and 150,000-mile anti-freeze.
A five-speed manual gearbox is standard in the base truck, but most buyers opt for the excellent four-speed automatics. Automatics feature a Tow/Haul mode that reduces the tendency of the transmission to hunt between third and fourth gears in hilly terrain; it also shifts quicker and harder, all of which reduces heat buildup for improved reliability. We recommend opting for the automatic unless you run a snow-plowing operation or have a specific need for a manual. With all the advancements in automatics, most of the advantages of a manual are now more imagined than real.
Silverado's frame is the stiffest and lightest truck frame General Motors has ever built. Introduced on the 1999 models, the front frame rails are hydroformed, a process that uses high-pressure hydraulics to shape large and complex components that used to be fabricatedfrom smaller stampings. Tubular crossmembers and roll-formed mid-rails increase rigidity even more. This stiff structure enhances handling and ride quality immensely, while improving crashworthiness. The front suspension comprises aluminum upper and lower control arms, with coil springs on two-wheel-drive 1500s. Torsion bars are used on all 4x4 models and 2500 models.
Silverado comes with good brakes. Anyone familiar with the brakes in older Chevy pickups and full-size SUVs should be very pleased with the vastly improved brake-pedal response and stopping performance of the current models. Braking force on the current models begins only an inch into the pedal travel. The four-wheel disc brakes are huge and powerful and come standard with ABS. Dynamic Rear Proportioning improves stability under heavy braking, whether the truck is loaded or empty. Chevrolet promises excellent fade resistance, with long pad life and good heat dissipation. We worked the brakes hard on our truck and experienced no fade.
Silverado's AutoTrac system lets the driver press a button to shift between 2WD for best fuel economy to 4WD, a traditional part-time system that delivers excellent traction off road. Press the button for 4WD Low for particularly rugged terrain.
Spinning wheels in the rain? Pressing the Auto4WD button cures that problem. Step on it in the wet and there's half a moment of wheelspin as power is transferred to the front wheels and the Silverado takes off. It works very well. Auto4WD is the mode to be in when the conditions are loose and fluctuating, such as icy roads, gravel roads, slick pavement, spotty snow. Auto4WD eliminates that binding of the front and rear wheels in tight parking lot maneuvers, nice in the winter.
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