2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vs 2023 Toyota Tacoma

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 boasted a design that sparked mixed reactions. Some elements like the small headlights and the aggressive styling, which seemed as if they were inspired by someone with a penchant for Transformers, made it appear more aggressive than iconic. Nonetheless, the Silverado’s design fit well within Chevrolet’s current vehicle portfolio. The split-bar grille reminiscent of the 1990s models added a timeless touch alongside options like the Rally Edition, Midnight Edition, and Redline Edition, which offered some additional visual flair.

Inside, the Silverado presented a functional and palatable cabin. Two different interior layouts were available depending on the trim level. The Work Truck (WT) and Custom trims retained the more basic, pre-2022 facelift interiors, featuring a smaller screen and focusing on hard controls and dials. Meanwhile, the other trims offered a high-tech dash with a large, intuitive touchscreen. Standard features included vinyl upholstery and a 7-inch infotainment system in the WT, and cloth upholstery, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto in the Custom trim.

For the Trail Boss—particularly the Custom Trail Boss—off-road capabilities were highlighted with standard four-wheel drive (4WD), skid plates, and upgraded shock absorbers. The LTZ trim added creature comforts like leather upholstery, wireless device charging, and a power-operated tailgate, while the top-tier High Country stood out with features like a power-sliding rear window and heated and ventilated seats.

In contrast, the 2023 Toyota Tacoma offered a substantial yet sleek look for a midsize truck. Its upright grille and tall bed conveyed an assertive stance without the bulkiness of a full-size pickup. Toyota sold the Tacoma in multiple trims, such as SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, and TRD Pro. The new SR5 SX package introduced blacked-out elements, while the Chrome Package added sleek chrome accents. The Tacoma TRD Pro, tested in bright Solar Octane paint, included off-road-specific features like underbody skid pads, a TRD-tuned suspension, and a TRD sport exhaust, making it a visually and functionally appealing off-road truck.

The interior of the Tacoma varied from Spartan in the SR trim with fabric and plastic to more refined in higher trims like the TRD Pro, which featured Softex leather-trimmed upholstery and heated front seats. The Tacoma’s cabin had user-friendly climate controls and buttons, which remained easy to operate even with gloves on.

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offered a versatile range of engine options. The base engine was a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder, producing 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. For those desiring more power, the optional 5.3-liter V8 delivered 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, and the 6.2-liter V8 upped the ante with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. Another choice included a six-cylinder Duramax turbodiesel engine providing 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque. The base four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the others utilized a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Silverado 1500 shone bright in its towing capabilities, with the 6.2-liter V8 enabling a maximum towing capacity of up to 13,300 pounds when equipped with the Max Towing package, and a maximum payload capacity of 2,260 pounds for the base four-cylinder with RWD. The truck’s drive, particularly in the Trail Boss configuration, delivered substantial power and handled various terrains with ease, albeit with some mechanical noise and minor steering issues over rough roads.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Toyota Tacoma’s performance was centered around two engine options. The base 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine developed a modest 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. However, it fell short in both power and fuel efficiency, making the 3.5-liter V6 engine the more desirable choice for most buyers. The V6 offered 278 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque, mates to either a six-speed automatic or a manual transmission.

While the Tacoma wasn’t particularly quick, it showed its strengths in off-road environments. The TRD Pro trim was equipped for robust off-road activities, featuring a TRD-tuned suspension and all-terrain tires. Unfortunately, this off-road focus resulted in some drawbacks on paved roads, including vagueness in the steering and a tendency to wander. The Tacoma's fuel economy also lagged, with numbers ranging from 16.3 mpg in real-world conditions for the V6 TRD Pro to 21 mpg combined for the four-cylinder.

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offered a variety of configurations. Shoppers could choose from regular cabs with standard or long beds, double cabs with a standard bed, and crew cabs with short or standard beds. The bed lengths ranged from 5 feet 8 inches to 8 feet, providing flexible cargo solutions.

The regular cab Silverado seated up to three passengers with its front bench seat, whereas the double cab offered conventional car doors for easier rear seat access but limited legroom in the back. The crew cab model excelled in passenger comfort, with both rows providing ample headroom and legroom, and the rear bench could fold upwards to create additional in-cabin cargo space.

The 2023 Toyota Tacoma also provided multiple configurations, with access-cab models featuring clamshell-style doors and a six-foot-one-inch bed, and double cabs offering a choice of a long bed or a shorter five-foot bed. The double cab's genuine four doors made entry and exiting easier but still suffered from tight rear legroom.

While the front seats in the Tacoma double cab offered comfortable legroom and an abundance of cubby space, the rear seats were notably uncomfortable for anything beyond short trips. Carrying gear was efficient with the five-foot bed fitting multiple bags, skis, and other items with ease.

The technology in the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 varied between trims. Base models like the WT and Custom had a straightforward 7-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims benefited from an upgrade to a more modern layout featuring a 13.4-inch touchscreen with wireless capabilities. The LTZ took it up a notch by adding wireless device charging and additional USB ports.

In comparison, the Toyota Tacoma lagged in this aspect. The base SR trim came with a 7-inch touchscreen, and higher trims got an 8-inch version. While all Tacomas had Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio, the system felt outdated compared to newer infotainment systems. Our test Tacoma included a premium JBL audio system and two USB-A ports.

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped comprehensive advanced safety technologies, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, and lane-departure warning as standard. The LTZ trim and above added more features such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. NHTSA awarded the Silverado 1500 a five-star overall safety rating, and IIHS scores were commendable.

Toyota ensured the 2023 Tacoma maintained its reputation for safety by integrating Toyota Safety Sense (TSS), which included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert, and adaptive cruise control. Additional features in the TRD Pro included blind-spot monitoring and a surround-view camera. However, the Tacoma lacked some of the more advanced aids present in other Toyotas. It received a four-star overall rating from NHTSA, falling short of top marks in some crash tests.