2003 Chevrolet Silverado Walkaround Review at Automotive.com
»Locate a Dealer»Find a Used Car»Get Financing

2003 Chevrolet Silverado Review: Exterior

Find a Car
 

2003 Chevrolet Silverado Review

Substantial changes improve one of the best.
Walkaround
The 2003 Chevrolet Silverado shares its aggressive new design cues with other Chevy trucks. It looks similar to the Avalanche sport-utility truck, but the TrailBlazer SUV and even the big Express van sport the new look. The upcoming replacement for the S-10 compact pickup, called the Chevy Colorado, will sport a similar look.

Most noticeable are the new headlights, which angle down at the top, making them look like knitted eyebrows. The grille features a large band running across the middle with a big gold Chevy bow tie in the center. It's all smoothly integrated into the front end with the redesigned headlamps. Silverado's new aerodynamically styled hood suggests power and strength and works with the headlights for an almost menacing appearance. Front tow hooks and fog lamps are recessed into the front bumper.

Along the sides are new front fenders, new body side moldings, and a new wheel line-up. In back, bulging taillamps boast a fresh design that maintains the Chevrolet family look yet clearly identifies it as a new Silverado. Models with Quadrasteer have bulging rear fenders.

The doors and door openings are large. Extended cabs come standard with four doors, though rear doors only open about 90 degrees. Big door handles make getting in easy. Puddle lamps mounted beneath the big side mirrors light the ground along the sides of the truck, handy in the woods and in the city. Those mirrors are also available with redundant turn signal indicators, warning drivers alongside or in the blind spot that you're moving over. Running lights on the roof, tailgate, and leading and trailing edges of the bulging rear fenders on some models add visibility for improved safety. They also look neat.

The bed features built-in tie-down brackets near the four corners. Indentations molded into the bed allow use of boards to form two-tier loading and bulkhead dividers. The Silverado's load floor is 31.6 inches above the ground on 2WD models, 33.7 on 4WD. Short boxes are 78.7 inches long; long boxes are 97.6 inches long. Fleetside boxes are 60.2 inches wide (at the floor); Sportside boxes measure 49.1 inches wide. All boxes are 50 inches wide between the wheel housings.

A PRO-TEC composite box is available for Silverado 1500 Extended Cab Short Box models. PRO-TEC is a nearly indestructible material that's lighter and stronger than steel and resists dents and never rusts. PRO-TEC Silverado tailgates can support a lot more weight than steel tailgates.

Next Page



2003 Chevrolet Silverado
  
Similarly Priced
Recently Viewed Cars