2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

You can snag a Chevy Silverado in one of nine trims and a variety of configurations. There is a two-door regular cab paired with a six-and-a-half-foot "standard" bed or an eight-foot "long" bed. You can also grab a double cab with the standard bed. Most folks, however, will likely want the larger crew cab with a standard bed, although a the crew cab can also be equipped with a five-foot-ten-inch "short" bed. For this review, we’ll be focusing on the off-road specific ZR2 model available in only the crew cab, short bed configuration. Other trim levels are Work Truck (WT), Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ and High Country trims.

Chevy gave the Silverado a refresh in 2022, and the front end is still handsome some two years later. A pair of squinty headlamps are offset by angular daytime running lights, and the large grille can be as stealth as all-black or as glitzy as full chrome, depending on trim level. So too varies the wheel size. 17-inch steelies are standard on the base work truck trim while the top High Country can be had with big 22-inch chrome shoes. Chevrolet should also get credit for offering two brilliant shades of red and a bright blue in addition to the traditional whites and greys that seem to be so prevalent these days.

Truck buyers will see the most improvements inside, with a modern cabin that uses better quality materials than last year’s model. Higher trim levels even get leather all the way around and snazzy open-pore wood trim. Screens abound in the Silverado, but there are still plenty of physical controls for things like the HVAC and four-wheel drive (4WD) systems, lane-keeping alert, and hill-descent control.

Chevrolet offers the 2024 Silverado 1500 with four engine choices. The standard engine is a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 310 horsepower mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. There are two V8s: a 5.3-liter and a 6.2-liter, the larger of which makes 420 ponies. The two V8s both pair with a 10-speed automatic. However, our tester came with the new 3.0-liter six-cylinder Duramax turbodiesel pushing out 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque, the most twist of the bunch.

The diesel engine pulls strong off the line and the 10-speed automatic transmission does its job in the background, with smooth shifts on the way up and down. Plus, it’s the only full-size diesel in the game—along with it’s slightly more upscale brother the GMC Sierra 1500—since Ford and Ram have nixed their oil-burners. Depending on trim, the Duramax diesel will add a few thousand more to the bottom line, but in our ZR2 tester it’s actually less than the other available engine, the 6.2-liter V8.

The Silverado ZR2 is definitely the truck to get if you plan on hitting the dirt. Standard fare on this trim includes a two-inch lift, front and rear differential lockers and the excellent Multimatic shocks. These variable-rate shocks use the same technology as seen in F1 racing with valves that are tuned for a firm ride on the pavement but soften up as soon as the 33-inch tires hit the dirt. Essentially these shocks provide the best ride, no matter what terrain you’re on, and they do it automatically.

For those who want to go all out, the ZR2 Bison package adds steel bumpers and skid plates, rock rails and smaller 18-inch wheels, all the better to increase the amount of sidewall available for your dirt shenanigans. The package costs roughly $8,400, but it’s a decent buy considering the hardware it adds to the standard ZR2.

The Silverado can be a bare bones full-size pickup truck or as fancy pants as your wallet will allow. The WT gets basic vinyl seats, a small infotainment screen and four-way manual seats, but step up to the High Country for 10-way power seats, a Bose stereo system, ventilated front seats, heated front and rear seats with separate settings for the seat and back as well as a heated steering wheel.

Our ZR2 trim is close to the High Country in terms of luxe goodies, minus a few key items. The rear seats don’t have quite the same quality of leather, and it is missing the power-adjustable steering wheel, carpeted floor mats, and the ZR2 isn't available with power-retracting side steps, either.

Regardless of trim, we recommend getting the crew cab configuration with its 43.4 inches of rear legroom. The double cab only has 35 inches of legroom, making it best suited for kids or cargo, but not full grown adults. The crew cab doors open wide enough for easy entry and exit, and although our ZR2 model sits high off the ground, grab handles for both front seat passengers make getting in a simple process.

When properly configured with the diesel engine, the Chevy Silverado 1500 can tow a max of 13,300 pounds. That’s not quite as much towing capacity as found in the Ford F-150, but it’s more than both the Ram 1500 and the Toyota Tundra. However, our ZR2 tester model can tow only 9,000 pounds thanks to its unique suspension.

When it comes to payload, the four-cylinder engine in a regular cab with two-wheel drive has the best rating, with the ability to haul 2,260 pounds in the bed. Again, it can’t beat the F-150 (and this time the Ram 1500 also bests the Silverado). Our ZR2 tester also takes a hit in payload capacity, coming in closer to 1,800 pounds. However, there are 12 tie downs in the bed and our tester has the optional Multi-Flex six-way tailgate. It’s great to be able to customize the tailgate to safely accommodate longer loads or use it as a step to get up into the bed.

The two bottom-level trims come with a seven-inch touchscreen and a mostly analog gauge cluster, but they also come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a welcome surprise at the base level. To take advantage of all Chevy has to offer, opt for the LT trim or above. This gets you a 13.4-inch touchscreen, available wireless charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot and a nifty 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Overall, the infotainment system is easy to use, with everything laid out thoughtfully and logically. The screen is quick to respond and graphics are clear and crisp. Google is built into the infotainment system and users have access to Google maps and a well-calibrated voice recognition system. Simply ask the system to adjust the climate controls or change the radio station and your wish is its command.

Chevy knocks it out of the park when it comes to trailering technology. Although it doesn’t have a back-up assist like the Ford F-150, you can get cameras with up to 14 different views. Yep, four different views of your hitch, four views when parking, and six different driving views including blind-spot monitoring that covers the length of the trailer. There is also an automatic trailer light test and a towing checklist to make sure drivers haven’t forgotten anything important like attaching the chains or setting the trailer brakes.

An available rear camera mirror pushes a video feed to the rear-view mirror for a wide angle view of what’s happening behind the truck. This is great when the bed is full of taller items, blocking the view from the traditional rearview mirror. Also available is a huge 15-inch color head-up display, projecting all the driving and navigation information you could possibly want right on to your windshield.

Every Silverado gets Chevy Safety Assist standard with automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist and lane-departure warning, a following distance indicator and a few other techy bits. We also like the inclusion of Chevy’s Teen Driver program, in case you want to hand over the keys to the newest driver in your family. Here parents can set parameters and access a driving report card, all from a password-protected screen.

There are plenty of optional safety features as well. When lights and dings don’t get your attention, it’s almost guaranteed that the vibrating safety alert driver’s seat will. We also recommend spending some extra cash on the 360-degree camera and front and rear parking sensors. The Silverado is a big boy and you’ll want the extra help when you try to park it.

Adaptive cruise control is available and we found it works as advertised. Folks who want to go hands-free/eyes-up can splurge on Super Cruise on the High Country trim. This technology will only engage on pre-mapped roads, although it works on over 400,000 miles of pavement so it’s not likely you’ll find many major routes where it doesn’t work. Chevrolet says you can use Super Cruise while towing and that it will leave a bigger gap between you and the vehicle in front to account for the weight of the trailer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) gave the 2024 Silverado 1500 in crew cab configuration an overall safety rating and side crash rating of five out of five stars. In frontal crashes and rollovers the Silverado rated four out of five stars.

However, things don’t look so good over at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2024 Silverado crew cab received the top score of “Good” in driver’s side crashworthiness, but the truck scored “Marginal” in passenger side crashes. Current testing for front crashes received a “Poor” rating while side crashes merited a rating of “Average.” Headlamps for the 2024 Silverado received an overall rating of “Poor.”

Starting with an MSRP right around $38,000, there is a lot to like about the Silverado. However, it is not the cheapest of the bunch. The Ford F-150 starts at about $2,000 less. You’ll also want to look at the Ford or the Toyota Tundra if you want a hybrid powerplant as Chevrolet doesn’t offer one.

Ford also offers the fully-electric F-150 Lightning. The Silverado also comes in an EV format, but is currently only offered to fleet customers in the WT trim.

Our ZR2 tester with the diesel engine, the $1,970 technology package, a sunroof, the cool Multi-Flex tailgate and a fancy Glacier Blue Metallic paint job comes to $75,800 including $1,895 for delivery.

An equivalent Ford F-150 would be the Tremor trim—the Raptor is much more aggressive—coming at a few thousand dollars more, but that’s with the inclusion of the blue oval’s Blue Cruise technology. A Toyota Tundra TRD Pro is a few thousand less and comes with that hybrid engine. The bargain of the group might just be the Ram Rebel, similarly equipped in the low $70,000 range.

Fuel economy is all over the place, depending on the Silverado’s drivetrain and engine option. The best you’ll get is 29 miles per gallon on the highway in a two-wheel drive (2WD) diesel. The worst is 14 mpg in the city in a ZR2 with the 6.2-liter V8. Our tester does a bit better with 20 mpg city, 22 mpg on the highway and 21 mpg combined.

The Silverado’s warranty is par for the truck segment with a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. The first scheduled maintenance visit is complimentary.

The full-size truck segment is incredibly competitive, but the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado can hold its own against the stalwart Ford F-150. The bowtie might fall by the wayside a bit in terms of pricing, towing and hauling, but we like the diesel powertrain and handsome interior. The ZR2 trim with its Multimatic shocks is an especially compelling choice for those who want to venture far from home but other trims should perform their road-going duties just as well.