2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Inside, the look is familiar, too familiar, all the way down to the column shifter. Some people might appreciate this. The blocky exterior carries over to the interior.

Then there is the turbo-4. In most cases, Chevy doesn’t even mention four cylinders, as if no truck buyer would take it seriously. Pickup trucks have changed, and the 2.7-liter turbo-4 with 8-speed automatic (310 hp and 348 lb-ft of torque) can handle the occasional heavy load or seasonal tow, while still delivering crossover-like fuel economy of 20 mpg combined in four-wheel drive. It can be loud and a little shaky over rougher roads, but it gets the commuter job done. (For more, read our first Silverado turbo-4 drive.) 

New for Silverado and new for 2020, the 277-horsepower 3.0-liter turbodiesel-6 with a 10-speed automatic transmission churns out 460 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm. Available on the top LT, RST, LTZ, and High Country trim levels, the turbodiesel is plenty capable but is intended for fuel economy. It gets an impressive 25 mpg combined in 4WD, and beats out the competition with a 33-mpg highway rating in rear-drive configurations. (For more, read our 2020 Silverado 1500 diesel first drive.)

Three versions of GM’s 5.3-liter V-8 are offered, with either a 6-speed, 8-speed, or 10-speed automatic transmission that is new for 2020. The base version has Active Fuel Management that can shut down four cylinders under light load conditions. The V-8s with the 8-speed and 10-speed have a new feature that can shut down one to six cylinders. Both are rated at 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque and can get up to 19 mpg combined in 4WD. With rear-wheel drive, the V-8s can tow up to 11,600 pounds in double cab configurations. 

The top dog is a 6.2-liter V-8 with 10-speed automatic that churns out 420 horses and 460 lb-ft of torque. The 4WD Double Cab can tow up to 13,400 pounds. 

Both V-8s are strong, but take their time delivering power; the 10-speed helps. The 6.2-liter is more willing. The turbodiesel falls well short of the competitors and other Silverados, but can haul up to 9,300 pounds in 4WD in both extended and crew cabs. 

An integrated trailer brake controller, a new towing checklist in the instrument panel, a new towing app, and the available 15 camera views make the towing experience easier for noobs and veterans alike.

Even in top High Country trim, it’s not as luxurious as the Ram 1500, but that’s just fine for shoppers who prefer their expensive truck to feel less like an expensive truck. Black soft-touch materials and a good balance of chrome gives the basic interior a sense of refinement.

Big switchgear and large square buttons keep the interface simple, and the various electrical plugs are easy to access in the center stack. But even the larger 8.0-inch touchscreen is cramped. 

Chevy improves what was already a spacious Crew Cab cabin, adding 2.9 inches of rear leg room. The front seats are roomy but pretty basic, and the truck has enough width to fit three across in the second row. Fold-up rear seat bottoms and storage pockets in the rear seatbacks add storage space.

The bed is offered in 5-foot-8, 6-foot-6, and 8-foot lengths, and is at least 10 cubic feet larger than the predecessor. All three bed sizes are 7 inches wider, which enables laying flat 4-by-8 sheets of plywood or what have you, and results in largest in the class. A power-folding tailgate can be operated from the fob, outside, or inside the truck, and 12 fixed tie-downs makes the hauling safe and secure. 

All of these features, plus the bed steps mounted in the bumper, make the Silverado’s bed king of the hill.

Standard safety features are basic, too, including six airbags, trailer sway control, and hill start assist.

Even though automatic emergency braking and other essential active safety features are standard on only the Toyota Tundra, Chevy’s insistence on making it available only on higher priced Silverados is confounding. We do appreciate that rear-seat reminder is standard.

Standard on the High Country and optional for LT and above is the Safety package with front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, and rear cross-traffic alerts. Offered only for LTZ and High Country is Safety Package II with forward-collision warnings with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warnings with active lane control, automatic high beams, and GM’s Safety Alert Seat that vibrates in the direction of potential hazards.

The Work Truck is exactly as it sounds, basic and good for fleets or the worker who just wants a basic, no-frills truck. With how luxury-loaded some trucks are, a basic work truck is a compelling option. It has vinyl seats, vinyl floor, manual seats and steering column, and basic 17-inch wheels. Tech goodies include a 7.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, rear-seat reminder, and Teen Driver, which enables owners to customize settings and limit certain functions for new drivers. 

The Custom steps it up with LED taillights and 20-inch alloy wheels, while the Custom Trail Boss comes standard with the Z71 off-road package, which includes a 2-inch lift, Rancho shocks, a locking rear differential, skid plates, and 18-inch wheels with off-road tires.

LT models add cosmetic touches such as a chrome bar across the grille and chrome bumpers and mirror caps; LT includes LED headlights and daytime running lights, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen. 

The RST gets matching body color accents, full LED lighting, remote start, keyless ignition, standard 18-inch wheels with options up to 22 inches. 

Our choice would be the LT or its mid-range siblings the LT Trail Boss for those who like the off-roading equipment or the RST for the sleeker street look. The larger infotainment is useful, the LED lighting provides better illumination, and pricing shouldn’t shoot too high, though at these prices, automatic emergency braking should be standard, not reserved as an option on the highest, priciest trims.

LTZ buyers get power folding and heated outside mirrors, and leather upholstery, while High Country customers receive the kitchen sink of features, including navigation, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and a power up/down tailgate.

The Z71 package is offered on all models, as is a four-wheel-drive system with low-range gearing. The higher trim Silverados come available with adaptive cruise control and the HD’s excellent Advance Trailering Package, which includes a 15-camera view to give the cabin eyes all over the trailered load. and adaptive cruise control.

Even though the diesel tops the competitors at 27 mpg combined, most Silverado consumers choose the V-8 with the 8-speed automatic, which lags the competition. We rate the Silverado 3 out of 10. 

The 5.3-liter V-8 mated to the new 10-speed automatic in four-wheel drive is rated at 16 mpg city, 22 highway, 19 combined, which is 1 mpg more than the similarly equipped 8-speed. 

The Ram 1500 with the more expensive eTorque mild hybrid system is 17/24/19, but the regular 5.7-liter V-8 in 4WD is rated at 15/21/17. 

The eTorque system is more expensive and more efficient than the Dynamic Fuel Management system offered in 6.2- and 5.3-liter Silverados with the 8-speed; the active cylinder deactivation can shut down cylinders when they’re not needed, such as on highway cruising, to save fuel. 

The Silverado 3.0-liter turbo-6 diesel in 2WD is a tad more efficient than the Ram as well, at 27 mpg combined versus 26 mpg combined in the Ram. The 2.7-liter turbo-4 is 20/23/21 mpg with rear-wheel drive, and 19/22/20 mpg with four-wheel drive. It doesn’t save that much fuel for what is lost in towing capacity and overall power. 

The 5.3 with the 6-speed and rear-drive available on lower trim models is rated at 15/22/17, while the 4WD version gets a 15/21/17 rating, which lags the Ram and Ford F-150.

V-6 Silverados check in at 16/21/17 mpg in 2WD form or 15/20/17 mpg with 4WD, slightly lower in Trail Boss editions.

With the 6.2-liter V-8, the Silverado is rated at 16/20/17 mpg. It comes only with 4WD and a 10-speed automatic.