The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Strong power from turbodiesel
- Great standard infotainment
- Laundry list of options
- Blocky, business-like styling
- Impressive capability
Dislikes
- Less exciting than competitors
- Lacks advanced tech of Ford Super Duty
- Few advanced safety features
- Poor crash safety despite no scores
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD is at the end of its run for this generation but is more than worthy of consideration.
The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD is at the end of the line—a new heavy-duty truck is on the way for 2020—but it’s worth a look for its numerous configurations, powerful engines, and impressive capability.
We give it 6.3 out of 10, unable to award more points since it lacks fuel-economy and crash-test scores. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
Available in three-quarter-ton (2500) and full-ton (3500) configuration with single- or dual-rear-wheel setups and a diesel or gas V-8, there’s a Silverado HD for nearly every job. For 2019, this truck is largely unchanged minus a new Tribute Edition that includes a number of unique visual features. Having just redesigned the standard Silverado (1500) and introduced the new 2020 Silverado HD, this may be the ideal time to score a deal on the outgoing Chevy pickup models.
Chevy offers the HD lineup in WT (work truck), LT, LTZ, and High Country trims with several options available, but most heavy-duty pickup buyers are interested in the capability.
A 6.0-liter gasoline V-8 is standard and provides plenty of grunt with just over 3,500 pounds of payload capacity, but an optional 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 does the heavy lifting with nearly 20,000 pounds of towing capacity in some configurations.
The Silverado HD is a massive vehicle and drives like it, with pronounced body roll and steering that could best be described as leisurely. This is no sports truck, but the standard V-8 is brisk enough when unhampered by a trailer or cargo, and the diesel has plenty of low-end torque for good power off the line.
With a rearview camera standard as of last year, all Silverado HDs get a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and this truck can be as basic or opulent as your needs dictate, with vinyl bench seats and hard plastics on the base model or fine leather and advanced safety systems at the top end.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Styling
Gone for the next generation in favor of brash styling, cherish the business-like looks of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD while they last.
The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD is a cowboy in a tuxedo: business on the outside, but country through and through. For its myriad of chrome-heavy looks, however, we give it 6 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
Even down to the base work truck trim, all Silverado HDs included a heaping helping of chrome trim, some with even more than others. The big, blocky, upright grille still has presence and class, and in the top-tier High Country trim, body color bumpers and chrome running boards provide the most visual cohesiveness.
Inside, this truck’s utilitarian nature shines through, with more storage cubbies than you might be able to fill and a dashboard that’s all business. Large dials suitable for use with gloves and a 7.0-inch touchscreen keep things functional, but the Silverado HD loses some ground in the intriguing interior race to its competitors from Ram and Ford.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Performance
Despite the massive increase in torque, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD is best had with a good ol’ gasoline V-8.
The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD puts up big capability numbers on paper, but sometimes real-world trials tell a different story. We give it 5 out of 10, with points for its towing and hauling performance and its powertrains, and both points deducted for its heavy-duty handling. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
Heavy-duty pickups are all about numbers, and the Silverado HD has the digits to compete–at least on paper. All HDs come standard with a 6.0-liter V-8 that makes 360 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque and a 6-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel-drive is standard, and four-wheel-drive is optional. The gas V-8 model is the payload champ, boasting 3,534 pounds of capacity out back.
The Silverado HD’s optional engine is a 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 making a whopping 910 lb-ft of torque, capable of towing more than 18,000 pounds in some configurations, enough to require a CDL, but also possibly enough to tow your house down the street.
A traditional leaf-spring suspension setup in the rear helps increase simplicity and durability, but not ride comfort, as the Silverado HD is bouncy without weight over the rear tires. Handling suffers from this set up too, though we realize lithe handling is not a chief concern among heavy-duty truck buyers. A digital steering assist system on turbodiesel models helps dial out some of this truck’s considerable heft when maneuvering at low speeds.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Comfort & Quality
Heavy-duty pickups are some of the most useful vehicles on the road, and the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD is no exception.
The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD benefits from one key characteristic: it’s a big, powerful, heavy-duty pickup. Factoring utility into the equation, this truck scores 7 out of 10 for quality, with points for its people and cargo potential. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
As with most of its competitors, the Silverado HD is available in three cab configurations, two powertrains, two drivetrains, and two bed sizes, not to mention 2500 and “dually” 3500 for different hauling needs.
The bottom line: The Silverado HD range boils down to a short 6-foot-6 or an 8-foot long bed; two-door regular or four-door regular or crew cab; single- or dual-rear wheel in 3500 HD models.
Regular cab trucks can accommodate two or three people, depending on the bench seat style. Double cabs have short rear bench seats that can seat adults for short trips, so long as the front passengers are willing to trade for some leg room. Crew cab models get more than 40 inches of leg room in the back, perfect for small crews headed to the work site.
Base WT (Work Truck) Silverado HDs get vinyl upholstery and basically no creature comforts besides a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system–this truck is solely meant for commercial and fleet use.
Stepping up to the LT trim adds durable cloth seats and not much else, while LTZ models get heated front leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a remote starter, an integrated trailer brake controller, 110-volt power outlet, a power-sliding rear window, and chrome trim across the exterior.
The top-tier High Country trim adds 20-inch wheels, body-color bumpers, upgraded leather, heated and ventilated front seats, a spray-in bedliner, and a Bose audio system, but is only available in short box crew cab configuration.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Safety
Though crash test data is limited, what data there is does not bode well for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD.
Heavy-duty pickup trucks are not often crash-tested fully, but what data there is reveals some concerns about the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD’s scores. It also lacks some active safety features too.
With incomplete crash scores, we abstain from giving the Silverado HD a safety score. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
The federal government gives the Silverado 2500HD four stars overall in its test, with just three stars in both the front crash and rollover categories regardless of body style. The IIHS doesn’t report any ratings.
In terms of safety equipment, the Silverado HD makes do with six airbags, stability and traction control, and OnStar telematics that automatically notify emergency services if a crash is detected.
LT and LTZ models can be had with forward-collision and lane departure warning systems as well as a rear seat reminder to check for infants or children in the back seat when departing the vehicle. Those features come standard on High Country trucks, but automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitors aren’t available on any HD models, a noticeable oversight considering the truck’s size, but understandable when factoring in the difficulty of operating those systems while towing.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Features
The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD is available any way you like it, from hose-down work truck to near-luxury barge.
With its myriad body styles, trims, and drivetrains, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD can be had in countless combinations. As with most trucks, though, simpler is better. We’ve awarded 7 out of 10 for features. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
GM vehicles offer no shortage of both factory- and dealer-installed options, and Chevy’s biggest and baddest truck is no exception. From the humble WT trim to the downright plush High Country, there are numerous combinations of features that this truck can be equipped with.
Base models include 17-inch wheels, power locks and windows, a Bluetooth-enabled 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and vinyl seats.
At the top end, the High Country model includes 20-inch wheels, body color bumpers, Bose audio, wireless phone charging, heated and cooled seats, and front and rear parking sensors, bringing it to near luxury vehicle territory.
The Z71 package on mid-grade trucks adds off-road equipment such as beefier shocks, a front stabilizer bar, underbody shielding, hill descent control, and 18-inch wheels. A new Tribute Edition package on Z71-equipped trucks adds unique, flag-themed trim pieces, black bowtie logos, and a chrome lower skid plate detail.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility is standard on every model, while satellite navigation is optional on LT and LTZ trucks and standard on High Country.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Fuel Economy
Heavy-duty trucks are an exception to EPA ratings, so no data is available on the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado HD.
If you’re buying a heavy-duty pickup to save gas, well, you’re doing it wrong. We can’t tell you how wrong, however, because the EPA does not rate HD pickups for fuel economy, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado included. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
Normally, a diesel powertrain would be more efficient, but due to its enormous size and power, there’s no telling whether the turbodiesel V-8 is more efficient than the gas engine. Also, due to the varying uses and abuses HD pickups are put under, it’s unlikely most drivers will see similar mileage figures as many passenger cars would across different vehicles.
