The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Wildly capable
- Huge cabin
- Stump-pulling turbodiesel
- Stump-jumping ground clearance
Dislikes
- Brash looks
- Meh cabin
- Light on safety tech
- Unimpressive gas V-8
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD lineup boasts impressive hauling ability and massive diesel power, if you can swallow its looks.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD? What does it compare to?
The full-size, heavy-duty 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500HD are worth shopping against the Ford F-Series Super Duty and heavy duty trucks from Ram HD, as well as the related GMC Sierra 2500HD.
Is the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD a good truck?
For drivers looking to maximize towing capability, the 2023 Silverado HD lineup is very good. Brawny styling and an uninspired interior aside, these trucks are immensely capable. We rate them at 5.2 out of 10, with caveats that they don’t score for safety or fuel economy, and are rated at the lowest score in those categories as a result. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
The 2023 Silverado HD sees few tweaks this year. The six-way power tailgate is available on all trims.
Offered in regular, extended-, and crew-cab forms, the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD is a big, full-size pickup with brash exterior styling, a so-so cabin, and the promise of huge capability.
The base 6.6-liter V-8 can lug up to 17,370 lb, while turbodiesels in select configurations are rated as high as 36,000 lb. Models with 2500 badging are rated to tow and haul less, but they have softer suspension tuning that makes them more adept as daily drivers—if you really need this level of capability.
With its slick-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission, the 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 spins as much as 910 lb-ft of torque to the rear or all four wheels. The engine is smooth and responsive, and well worth the upcharge over the somewhat laggard gas engine.
Convenient bed steps and an available tailgate that doubles as a workspace (albeit one that’s very high off the ground) add utility points, but the Silverado HD has a weak interior against its rivals. Buttons and knobs require a huge reach, and the design hardly impresses. Space is fantastic in crew-cab form, though.
On the tech front, the standard 7.0- and optional 8.0-inch touchscreens have an easy-to-use interface and can be paired with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Chevy charges extra for basic crash-avoidance tech and adaptive cruise control, which are features we strongly recommend for highway cruising in a vehicle this large.
How much does the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD cost?
The Silverado HD comes in a huge range, in WT, Custom, LT, LTZ, and High Country trims. The 2500HD WT starts at around $41,000 and the 3500HD adds at least $1,200. The turbodiesel adds at least $10,000 over the gas V-8. Most buyers will pick crew-cab models with 4WD, and our recommendation is the LTZ turbodiesel for about $70,000. The High Country plateaus at about $80,000.
Where is the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD made?
In Flint, Michigan.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Styling
The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD certainly makes a statement.
Is the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD a good-looking truck?
It is not—at least to our eyes—but it is distinctive. We land at a 5 out of 10, with the point we would add for its brash exterior canceled out by the blah cabin.
The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD’s ginormous front end lacks any semblance of charm. The razor-like grille flanked by alien-esque headlights and driving lamps gives way to a chin-height hood. Even from the side, the heavy-duty version of the Silverado departs from convention with its myriad bed steps and squared-off wheel wells. It’s slightly more conservative from the rear, though.
It’s less polarizing inside, with big knobs and buttons designed to be operable with work gloves. Function over form, that’s for sure. Compared to the latest cabin available on Silverado 1500 models, the 2500 has a dated, almost cartoonish style.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Performance
The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD makes an exceptional heavy hauler.
If you need more capability than the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado offers, you might want to look into adding train tracks to your property. Equipped with the optional turbodiesel, the Silverado HD makes a serious towing truck. We rate it at 6 out of 10 thanks to that power and capability.
Is the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD?
It can be. Chevy charges around $3,000 for four-wheel drive with a proper two-speed transfer case.
How fast is the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
Speed takes a back seat to towing ability here, but there’s no slouch in this lineup.
That said, we’re less enamored with the 6.6-liter gas V-8, mostly because it’s paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission that could use a couple of extra gears for better fuel economy and hilly road flexibility. The gas V-8 puts out 401 hp and 464 lb-ft, and it’s rated to tow as much as 17,370 lb with proper equipment.
Better yet—by a country mile or three—is the 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 that puts as much as 910 lb-ft to the wheels via a 10-speed automatic gearbox supplied by truck-parts builder Allison. In 3500 dually form, it can tow as much as 36,000 pounds. Get your commercial driver’s license ready!
Available dual rear wheels improve payload capacity, too.
These trucks are admirable highway cruisers, with terrific directional stability and limited interference from gale-force winds. They’re heavy enough that they ride reasonably well even unladen, and the huge brakes deliver impressive stopping performance.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Comfort & Quality
These trucks are massive inside, if not especially fancy.
The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD impresses for its interior space, if not for its finishes. We rate the lineup at 7 out of 10 thanks to big interior volume and the extensive bed options.
Regular, extended-, and crew-cab versions can be paired with 6-foot-10 or 8-foot-2 beds, depending on the trim level.
The gigantic front doors reveal well-padded front seats in either a three-seat bench or twin buckets/center console configuration. Extended-cab trucks have a small rear bench best for kids, pets, or briefcases. Crew cabs, on the other hand, have true stretch-out space, and the bench base can be folded up to accommodate bulkier cargo.
Where the Silverado HD disappoints is in its interior trim. Work-oriented models are predictably basic, but even the High Country sees few real differentiation other than varied trim and nicer leather.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Safety
We wish Chevrolet was less stingy with active-safety tech on its big bruisers.
How safe is the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD?
The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD has yet to be crash-tested by either the NHTSA or the IIHS, which is a shame since these huge trucks sell in equally large numbers.
Until they are crashed in the name of science, we can’t assign a score here.
Chevy makes automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control optional. We strongly recommend all of these since outward vision is difficult given the Silverado’s tall stature.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Features
Chevrolet offers the Silverado 2500HD in a broad range of trim levels and configurations.
From aptly named Work Truck to somewhat snazzy High Country, the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado HD lineup stretches from basic to somewhat decadent.
We base our 7 out of 10 rating on Work Trucks with their 7.0-inch touchscreen including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, vinyl seats, and power features. Pricing isn’t out yet for the 2023 model year, but we doubt it will stray far from last year’s $41,000 price of entry.
More popular Custom versions have cloth seats and the option to add a few more niceties, while LTs slather on alloy wheels, chrome trim, and the option to add an 8.0-inch touchscreen.
On all, a three-year/36,000-mile warranty provides basic coverage.
Which Chevrolet Silverado HD should I buy?
Unless you need a work truck, the LTZ at around $70,000 in four-wheel-drive, crew-cab form with the turbodiesel makes something resembling sense. Its heated and power-adjustable leather seats make it a comfy cruiser for long-distance use.
How much is a fully loaded Chevrolet Silverado HD?
You can easily top $80,000 on a Silverado HD High Country, but we’d look more seriously at a GMC Sierra HD at that level.
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Fuel Economy
The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD is exempt from EPA testing.
Is the Chevrolet Silverado HD good on gas?
No, it’s not, but we don’t know exactly how bad it is. The EPA classifies these heavy trucks as commercial-grade vehicles, so they are not evaluated for their fuel economy—but we do score them with a 1 so that their rankings accurately reflect their estimated efficiency.
Turbodiesel models have a 36-gallon fuel tank and their 10-speed automatic transmissions should do a good job of keeping engine revs low for highway cruising.
