2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

2024
The Car Connection
Best Car To Buy

The Car Connection Expert Review

Robert Duffer Robert Duffer Senior Editor
June 13, 2022

Buying tip

The 2022 Silverado LT comes with key features for under $50,000, but Super Cruise is so good we’re tempted by the High Country grade.

features & specs

2WD Crew Cab 147" Custom
2WD Crew Cab 147" High Country
2WD Crew Cab 147" LT
MPG
19 city / 22 hwy
MPG
16 city / 21 hwy
MPG
19 city / 22 hwy
MSRP
$43,900
MSRP
$59,800
MSRP
$48,100

The 2022 Silverado casts a wide net with nine trims, three cabs, three bed lengths, and four engine options.

What kind of vehicle is the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500? What does it compare to?

The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 full-size pickup truck vies for king of the trucking hill with the bestselling Ford F-150, comfortable Ram 1500, redesigned Toyota Tundra, and value-oriented Nissan Titan. 

Is the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 a good truck?

Redesigned for 2019, the current generation slipped in our rankings due to its cinder-block styling, uninspired interior, and a lack of standard safety features. Chevy rights those wrongs with the 2022 refresh, as reflected in a higher TCC Rating of 6.2 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

What's new for the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500?

Quite a lot is new on all but the base Work Truck, Custom, and Custom Trail Boss trims. The six other trims—LT, RST, LTZ, LT Trail Boss, High Country, and the new off-road ready ZR2 model—spruce up their faces, update their interiors with a 13.4-inch touchscreen, add standard safety features, and offer GM’s Super Cruise limited hands-free driver-assist system. 

Changes to the outside are modest. The wide, blocky front fascia remains, as if Chevy tried to stretch the upper and lower grille to the farthest corners before adding lights. Lower, narrower headlights squint out of a hood that dips down more, perhaps to smooth out the freight-train face of its predecessor. The most significant changes take place Inside. Chevy blends its predecessor’s clumpy dashboard into a much smoother consistency, with a broad horizontal expanse inset with seamless rectangular displays. The top High Country trim—Chevy’s version of GMC’s Denali trim—dons open-pore wood trim, leather seats, and other amenities for the executive class.

The powertrains mostly carry over from 2021, though they’re streamlined. The base V-6 has been discontinued for a standard 2.7-liter turbo-4 that makes the same 310 hp as last year but torque increases by 82 lb-ft to 430 lb-ft. It uses an 8-speed automatic and front- or four-wheel drive. At 20 mpg combined, it’s much more efficient—as well as much smoother and quieter–than the 17 mpg V-6 it replaces. The 5.3-liter V-8 makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque and it can tow up to 11,200 lb with rear-wheel drive, or 10,900 lb with four-wheel drive. The 6.2-liter V-8 puts out 420 hp and 460 lb-ft, comes only with four-wheel drive, and can tow up to 13,300 lb. A new ZR2 hits the trail with front and rear locking differentials and 33-inch mud-terrain tires, among other upgrades. Both V-8s come with a 10-speed automatic transmission, as does the 3.0-liter inline-6 turbodiesel.  

The ZR2 only comes only as a crew cab model. Other Silverados can be had with a two-door regular cab, four-door extended cab, or a four-door crew cab. The Silverado boasts one of the roomiest crew cabs and the longest beds among full-size trucks, and its bed is also offered in three sizes. An available six-way power tailgate creates more versatility for carrying a payload that tops out at 2,280 lb. 

Chevrolet corrected its biggest wrong from last year with the addition of automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, and automatic high beams. 

A new optional driver-assist feature limited to the top High Country trim is GM’s remarkable Super Cruise, which enables hands-free and stress-free driving on certain highways. 

How much does the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 cost?

Offered in nine trim levels this year, the 2022 Silverado Work Truck regular cab with a standard bed starts at $35,495, including a $1,695 destination fee. Standard gear includes 17-inch painted steel wheels, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth for two devices simultaneously, and 40/20/40-split flip-up rear seats. Cruise control costs $225 extra, and four-wheel drive runs anywhere from $3,300 to $4,600 more. 

Considering the volume configuration of a crew cab and short bed, the LT makes the most sense for our budget at $48,995. It adds a 10-way power driver seat, 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and 13.4-inch touchscreen powered by Google. The new ZR2 with standard four-wheel drive tops the lineup at $69,590.

Where is the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 made?

Chevy builds the Silverado in Flint, Michigan; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Silao, Mexico.

7

2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Styling

Chevy addressed Silverado critics with a softer face and overhauled interior.

Is the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 a good-looking car?

The refresh makes it less imposing than the cinder-block face of its predecessor. Chevy smoothed it and stretched it out—relaxed it in a word—and the brand’s responsiveness to criticism is worth a point here. The interior showcases a complete overhaul, with a broad, horizontal dash that mirrors the wide proportions of the truck. That adds another point to a 7. 

The big change to the front is a less vertical grille that, in rear view mirrors, could’ve looked like a semi bearing down. Instead of twin bars framing the bow tie emblem or Chevrolet name, depending on trim, the badging sits above one bar in the slotted grille. That bar stretches like a barbell to C-shaped daytime running lights. Squinting headlights appear lower, and the massive front bumper that seemed to have been inspired by a tow truck now stretches across the lower end in a more unified fashion. 

More significant changes take place on the interior of versions at the LT and above. Here too Chevy ditched the blocky, incongruous layout for something more whole. The former 8.0-inch touchscreen that seemed to be swallowed whole by the dash gets swapped out for a 13.4-inch touchscreen. Unlike Ford and Ram’s portrait orientation, Chevy stretches the screen landscape-style to reflect the stretched width on the exterior of the truck. It cants toward the driver, like a winged cockpit, yet still in visual line with the upper glovebox and vertical vents on the passenger side. Add the 12.3-inch digital cluster on that line, as well as available open-pore wood trim, leather upholstery with special stitching, and stainless steel speaker grilles, and the truck doubles as an executive office. 

Climate control dials, drive mode buttons, and a volume knob are a welcome respite from screens. The capacious center console comes with an electronic gear shifter, instead of the standard column-mounted shifter.


5

2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Performance

Silverado power choices range from a turbo-4 to a trail-hopping ZR2.

Chevrolet streamlined the powertrain options for 2022 to be more efficient, more powerful, and overall more refined. It’s the only truckmaker still offering two V-8s, but the new standard engine is a 2.7-liter turbo-4. The powertrain options earn a point, but it still rides like a truck on its rear leaf spring suspension, which costs it a point. It’s a 5. 

How fast is the Chevrolet Silverado?

It might be tempting to dismiss the turbo-4 as too small, but it gets even more potent for 2022 and provides the quickest acceleration in the lineup. The 2.7-liter turbo-4 makes 310 hp and 430 lb-ft (up from 348 lb-ft last year) at 3,000 rpm and comes with a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission. The turbo gasps then whirs, but the sound is much quieter than the V-6 and a welcome addition when passing through neighborhoods. A brief lag accompanies a throttle stab, either from a stop or on the highway, but the turbo-4 jumps with surprising quickness that shapeshifts the full-size crew cab into Colorado-like proportions. Neat trick. We did not test the turbo-4’s improved towing capacity of up to 9,200 with rear-wheel drive, however.

A seamless 10-speed automatic with overdrive gears and a first gear seemingly for start-up only shuttles power to the rear axle or four-wheel drive with the other powertrains. The volume 5.3-liter V-8 still makes 355 hp and 383 lb-ft that no longer outperforms the turbo-4 from a torque perspective. Depending on the model, it can be about $1,500 more than the turbo-4.

The most efficient engine is a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-6 that makes 277 hp and 460 lb-ft at 1,500 rpm. With a towing capacity of 13,300 lb, it makes the most sense for hauling all those highway miles laden for capacity but unladen for economy. 

The big boss remains the 6.2-liter V-8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft and it comes standard with 4WD. It can do most anything. 

Is the Chevy Silverado 4WD?

But of course. Rear-wheel drive comes standard and 4WD costs about $3,300 more. 

ZR2

The biggest news for the 2022 Silverado is the arrival of the ZR2 off-road model, which first appeared on the mid-size Colorado. Powered by the 6.2-liter V-8, the Silverado ZR2 comes with position-sensitive shocks that adapt to the terrain and spool valves with three different compression profiles for higher-speed overlanding and rock crawling. Electronic locking front and rear differentials, as well as a limited-slip rear diff, and 33-inch mud-terrain tires keep the ZR2 from ever getting stuck between a rock and a hard place. With red tow hooks, robust skid plates, distinct 18-inch wheels, and a new front fascia with a steel front bumper that improves the approach angle to 31.8 degrees, the ZR2 gives the Silverado lineup a bona fide off-roader that can go anywhere, though it doesn’t conquer as thoroughly as the F-150 Raptor or Ram TRX. 

Towing and payload

Payload and towing capacities vary by engine size, with the turbo-4 allowing owners to tow up to 7,900 lb and haul 2,280 lb. On the other end of the spectrum, the 6.2-liter V-8 double cab can tow up to 13,300 lb and haul 1,690 lb (2,090 lb with the Max Trailering package). The ZR2 sits at 8,900 lb towing and 1,440 lb of payload.


7

2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Comfort & Quality

The Silverado has a large crew cab, long beds, and the most pickup cargo volume.

With the largest beds and most cargo volume in the full-size pickup class, the Silverado earns a point for its overall utility. A spacious crew cab adds another point for a 7. 

Top trims such as High Country would add another point for its luxurious fit and finish. Otherwise, the Silverado is a solidly durable work truck. Regular cabs seat three, while extended and crew cab models fit six, on paper. New this year, LT and above grades have a 10-way power driver seat with power lumbar, and enough cushion and bolstering to fit all big and tall frames. In back, the crew cab offers up to 43.4 inches of rear leg room, so you could fit the starting line of a hockey team, as long as the goalie rides in the bed with the other loonies. Most models have underseat storage for long and thin items ideal for expensive hunting and fishing gear.

Bed sizes come in a 5-foot-8 short box with 62.9 cubic feet of space, a 6-foot-6 standard box with 71.7 cubes, and an 8-foot long bed housing 89.1 cubes. On average, that’s about 10 cubic feet more than the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150. Regular cabs come with the long bed, extended cabs with the standard box, and crew cabs with either the short or standard bed. Twelve tie downs come standard, and it can be optioned with a power tailgate that goes up or down with the push of a button on the gate, key fob, or from the cabin, or it can be equipped with GM’s six-way power tailgate that adds degrees of versatility.

2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Safety

Crash testing remains an unknown in the 2022 Silverado, but the driver-assist features are excellent.

How safe is the Chevrolet Silverado?

The refreshed Silverado hasn’t been crash tested by the NHTSA or the IIHS, but the carryover model earned four stars on front passenger side and rollover tests, resulting in a subpar four-star overall rating. We’ll wait to assign a rating here until crash testing is complete, but the standard and available driver-assist features would each earn a point on our scale. 

The good news is Chevy equips all new 2022 Silverados with standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, and automatic high beams. Driver-assist options range from a surround-view camera system to GM’s excellent Super Cruise hands-free driving system.  

For owners who log a lot of highway miles, the updated Super Cruise can be a revelation. Encompassing more than 200,000 miles of mapped divided highways in the U.S. and Canada, the truck will drive itself as long as the driver’s eyes remain on the road. It takes adaptive cruise control a step further, and automatically initiates lane changes to pass a slower vehicle if the pass lane is open, and automatically moves out of the passing lane when the other lane is open. It’s the most sophisticated and safest system on the market. Driver monitor sensors alert the driver to pay attention when needed, and it only takes a tap of the steering wheel to confirm, instead of torquing the wheel. It can be used while towing, but only with the Advanced Trailering System composed of eight cameras. 

A more polarizing standard safety feature is GM’s Buckle To Drive feature that will not let drivers shift out of park until fastening their seat belts.

9

2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Features

The Silverado’s upgraded interior and features rank high.

With nine trims, three cabs, and three bed options, the 2022 Silverado can be configured any way you want it. The addition of standard safety features and the tech expected in a new car earns the Silverado a point for its base content and another point for value. The Work Truck regular cab starts at $35,495, including a $1,695 destination fee, and has 17-inch painted steel wheels, keyless entry, power locks and windows, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Bluetooth for two devices simultaneously.

An extensive options list, and excellent infotainment on most models earns another point each for a 9 here. It misses a perfect 10 for its basic 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, but Silverado owners get one scheduled maintenance visit in the first year. 

Which Chevy Silverado should I buy?

For a crew cab and short bed, the LT fits our budget at $48,995; 4WD adds $3,300. It adds a 10-way power driver seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, remote start, keyless open and start, four USB ports, and two 120-volt outlets. It’s the least expensive trim to come with Chevy’s excellent 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 13.4-inch touchscreen powered by Google, and compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. GM’s headstart over other automakers in telematics continues to pay off with a sophisticated infotainment system that’s as easy to operate as a smartphone. 

How much is a fully loaded 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500?

The new ZR2 with standard four-wheel drive tops the lineup at $69,590. In addition to the mechanical upgrades listed in the Performance section, it has 18-inch wheels with mud terrain tires, 10-way power front seats that are cooled and trimmed in leather, Bose sound, a surround-view camera system that includes a bed view, heated rear outboard seats, and all the trailering tech.


3

2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Fuel Economy

The Silverado’s standard turbo-4 falls short of the diesel and rivals’ hybrids

Is the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 good on gas?

Incrementally, it’s 3 mpg better with a standard turbo-4 instead of a V-6, but at 19 mpg city, 22 highway, and 20 combined with rear-wheel drive, it still rates at a 3 on our scale. Four-wheel drive lowers it 2 mpg. Mud terrain tires lower it another 2 mpg with most powertrains. 

The Silverado’s most efficient model, the turbodiesel with rear-wheel drive, rates at 23/31/26 mpg, making it great for truckers who log a lot of highway miles. 

Adding four-wheel drive drops it to 22/26/24 mpg, which matches the 2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid, and beats the 2022 Toyota Tundra Hybrid. 

The 5.3-liter with a 10-speed gets 16/21/18 with RWD or 4WD, though 4WD loses 1 mpg on the highway. The 6.2-liter with standard 4WD rates 15/20/17 mpg, which isn’t much of a penalty for the added power. Those estimates are with active cylinder deactivation that shuts down a certain number of V-8 cylinders when cruising or otherwise not needed. Without the fuel-saving tech, it drops 1 mpg. 

The ZR2 puts a beating on terrain and your wallet, at 14/17/15 mpg.

USED PRICE RANGE
$17,795 - $68,994
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6.2
Overall
Expert Rating
Rating breakdown on a scale of 1 to 10?
Styling 7
Performance 5
Comfort & Quality 7
Safety N/A
Features 9
Fuel Economy 3
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