[Envoy4Life]

A charming V8 can't overshadow a lousy interior.
motor1
March 21, 2019
By: Brandon Turkus

The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado has seen mixed success since its introduction earlier this year. Our first drive, written by yours truly, was lukewarm at best. And when my colleague Jeff Perez got behind the wheel of a Trail Boss model down in Miami, well, that lukewarm tone cooled off considerably. Poor Jeff is still getting angry emails from Chevy fans after the Bowtie's bread-and-butter truck earned the second lowest truck score we've ever handed out.

Being the good guy that I am, I'm going to take some heat off Jeff and explain precisely where the Silverado goes wrong. There are certainly things to like on this truck, but it also has one big, fundamental flaw that simply doesn't afflict its rivals from Ford and Ram (and two others that do). And until Chevrolet can correct these glaring faults, the Silverado will continue to be our least favorite American half-ton.

Full article at link.

 

[Envoy4Life]

The new trucks are an unmitigated disaster, especially the volume Chevy version.

Ugly, massively overpriced, terrible interior, and unsafe, according to the most recent IIHS testing. Just an absolute debacle. One certainly has to wonder if an emergency refresh, alá 2014 Malibu, is in the works.

 

[Ed753]

Remember a year + ago, when that one guy said the new Ram interior was "nothing special" and the new Silverado was awesome?

What was his name again?




"There's a little bit more leather and some more chrome, but when you climb behind the wheel for the first time, your first impression will be that this is a $35,000 truck. Contrast that with Ram – the aforementioned 1500 Longhorn I was driving made me audibly gasp the first time I climbed behind the wheel."

 

[unkillsam]

Envoy4Life, I sure hope that an emergency refresh is in order.

Unlike some others I actually like the exterior styling and the packaging of the trucks but.......

1. Improvements to crash safety.
2. 100% completely new interior.
3. 30 gallon gas tank.
4. 2 speed transfer case on all 4x4 models.
5. More goodies standard on RST and Trailboss trims.
6. More difference between LT and LTZ, High Country models.
7. Better ride quality.
8. 10 speeds across the board except for Custom and WT.
9. 6.2 liter as a stand alone option except for Custom and WT.
10. I like the idea of the 2.7.....offer a longer warranty on trucks with that engine to convince customers.

 

[Envoy4Life]

Remember a year + ago, when that one guy said the new Ram interior was "nothing special" and the new Silverado was awesome?

What was his name again?




"There's a little bit more leather and some more chrome, but when you climb behind the wheel for the first time, your first impression will be that this is a $35,000 truck. Contrast that with Ram – the aforementioned 1500 Longhorn I was driving made me audibly gasp the first time I climbed behind the wheel."

And right on cue, LLN posted a review of the Ram:

https://leftlanenews.com/ram/video-review-2019-ram-1500-longhorn-crew-cab-4x4/

The Ram 1500 Longhorn is a luxury car masquerading as a truck.

In my eyes, the two aren't close. Ram took it serious and designed a kickass truck from top to bottom, left to right, and inside out. GM mailed it in, and is getting barbecued for it, and rightfully so.

Envoy4Life, I sure hope that an emergency refresh is in order.

Unlike some others I actually like the exterior styling and the packaging of the trucks but.......

1. Improvements to crash safety.
2. 100% completely new interior.
3. 30 gallon gas tank.
4. 2 speed transfer case on all 4x4 models.
5. More goodies standard on RST and Trailboss trims.
6. More difference between LT and LTZ, High Country models.
7. Better ride quality.
8. 10 speeds across the board except for Custom and WT.
9. 6.2 liter as a stand alone option except for Custom and WT.
10. I like the idea of the 2.7.....offer a longer warranty on trucks with that engine to convince customers.

Great list. I agree with essentially all of it.

I would also like to suggest 86ing the 5.3L and introducing a new TTV6 to replace it.

 

[RedSkyBlackDream]

I'm so hoping the related full size SUVs don't have any of the cons the trucks suffer. Especially since Cadillac is getting a version. I honestly like the futuristic look of the GM PU twins exterior. The GMC looks like a robot and I love it. Those interiors though. My f***ing goodness - I'm surprised they didn't delay the debut of the trucks after seeing the RAM 1500 interior. How embarrassing.

Sidenote: Anyone know if the shifters on the new SUV are on the column too? Lol I'm kidding!

 

[ranchman]

So how exactly does Ram take anything but interior to new levels....just curious? Outside is a massive step backwards, plain and completely unimaginative, the engines are absolute DEAD last in power and fuel economy, their top transmission 2 cogs shy of Ford and GM, the quality control is woeful....absolutely embarrassing actually when you look on the 5th gen Ram forums... I mean I'm not all that impressed with the new Sierra/Silverado either, they need some work for sure, but the new Ram really doesn't crush it in any regard besides its awesome interior.
]

And Envoy, why in the world would they 86 the 5.3? Have you ever took the time to see that the DUD 5.3 keeps up with the almighty Rams only V8 engine offering? All while returning much better fuel economy?

And I offer my opinions as a TRUE truck buyer. I currently own a Ram, and have had F150's (both EB's) and Sierras in the past.

 

[ChrisNJ]

After owning 6 gm pickups since the 90s and 3 burbs we have finally given up. many of them 6.2's. The first to drop was the burb, replacing our 2010 Yukon Denalli XL that cost 50K, they wanted 70K+ in '15, no way. Wife is in a 50K grand cherokee v8 now. I agree with the article that 60K+ for a pickup has gone to far. Both my son and I just bought two f150 v8 CPO one year old rental trucks for 32 and 35K. warrantied for another 6 years.
i used to need the 6.2 to tow heavy, but we don't need to anymore. Obviously, we've become non-brand loyal anymore.

 

[DaBangBang]

Checked out a Silvie today after reading this article on M1.. I had to agree. Simply can not figure out why the hell Chevy/GM decided to do this interior in the higher trims. I get it on anything under the RST.. maybe.. But why on the upper trims. IN FACT.. Why does GM give these vehicle different interiors than the SUVS? The Tahoe interior from 2015 would blow the competition away..

I get that its 5 years old.. but why would I in designing these trucks pick this layout:

over this Layout:

 

[Envoy4Life]

And Envoy, why in the world would they 86 the 5.3? Have you ever took the time to see that the DUD 5.3 keeps up with the almighty Rams only V8 engine offering? All while returning much better fuel economy?

And I offer my opinions as a TRUE truck buyer. I currently own a Ram, and have had F150's (both EB's) and Sierras in the past.

You sure? Might want to double check that.

Here you go, I'll do it for you:

The Chevy only needs regular fuel, so it has that advantage, but as far as what was tested, the Ram is more efficient.

As far as performance goes, MT found the Ram 5.7L faster than the Chevy 5.3L, by nearly half a second:

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ram/1500/2019/2019-ram-1500-laramie-57l-first-test-review/

Weighing 328 pounds less than an identically specced 2013 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 we tested a few years back, the newer Ram accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds and went through the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds at 93.7 mph.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/che...9/2019-chevrolet-silverado-first-test-review/

Unsurprisingly, the slowest of our Silverados were our 5.3-liter V-8 testers. The street-going and off-road-ready Silverado RST and Silverado Trail Boss traded blows in our instrumented acceleration tests. The Silverado Trail Boss was quicker to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, needing 6.4 seconds to the RST's 6.6 seconds, but the Silverado RST caught up by the end of the quarter mile, its 14.9-second run at 94.6 mph just edging out the Trail Boss' 15.0 seconds at 93.2 mph for the quarter mile.

Now granted most people don't go out and buy full-size trucks for 0-60 times or 1 MPG better fuel economy, but if you can get a faster truck that's more efficient with a miles better interior for CHEAPER than the competition, why wouldn't you???

That's why the new trucks suck. They do nothing better than the competition, yet GM thinks they are able to charge a premium for them. It won't work.

 

[wallus13]

Heads should roll for the interior on the new trucks. The exterior is attractive however.

 

[Captain Chaos]

TFL truck got much different results comparing the Ram Rebel 5.7 VS the Trailboss 5.3. EPA numbers aside, the Chevy bested the Ram by several MPG's.

And I'm gunna be pi$$ed idf GM rolls out a new interior in a year. That'll make my 19 AT4 worth way less at trade in time.

 

[09W]

They do nothing better than the competition, yet GM thinks they are able to charge a premium for them.

You mean the $105 maximum premium you illustrated above?
Or the 0.2 secs quicker in the 1/4-mile advantage the Ram has?
Debacable City.

 

[Captain Chaos]

You mean the $105 maximum premium you illustrated above?
Or the 0.2 secs quicker in the 1/4-mile advantage the Ram has?
Debacable City.

Ram doesn't even offer a premium engine choice. You get the same 5.7 in a work truck as you get in a Limited Longhorn, same HP and TQ numbers too. In fact, Ram only offers two engine choices, and neither one is even close to class leading. I wonder why they don't offer the 6.4 Hemi in the 1/2 tons, it should be capable of numbers close to the 6.2 and will at least give buyers a choice.

 

[SAngelo]

I actually really like the exterior and engine lineup but the dash really needs that emergency refresh like ASAP !! Also, GM can we get rid of the column shifter ???

 

[kool1]

I think the interior is fine. It's not a Dodge interior but the idea that its "lousy" is nonsense.

Personally I think the Silverados are the best looking new pickups on the road. If I was in the market I would buy in a heartbeat.

 

[DaBangBang]

I agree that the exterior and engineering of the trucks are the best of the three, but even I have to get in GM for not at least having a more luxo interior in their High Country and Denali trims. That's literally the whole point of buying that high up the food chain. I think they should revise it. It genuinely is getting pummeled in reviews and it actually is the one thing that gives other trucks the edge.

At one point I argued that in a truck the interior was not the primary reason one should have issue.. but we have to remember that honestly.. the car/truck guys off our father's and even our days are not the car/truck guys off today. These are the type of cats that call up roadside when their vehicle gets a flat and the spare and jack are just 2ft away. I literally watched a dude standing on the sidewalk with his hands on his hips.. while a female cop changed his tire for him 😞 .

Anyway I say that they should redo this interior not because a truck should have a luxury car interior, but because the clientele they now cater to are the same clientele that actually has on their contact list a local pedicure shop.

 

[Kex1969]

The underwhelming interior aesthetics of the 2019 trucks was the sole reason I chose a 2018 Sierra SLT crew cab a few months back. I had my heart set on a 2019 AT4 too. The Ram did well on the interior, but go checkout 5thgenrams.com and see the plagues of electrical issues those trucks are having...lipstick on a pig. I hope the next generation of GM trucks does better or sadly, I'll actually have to consider an F-150

 

[canadian.bacon]

Give them the 10 speed with the decent engine (6.2) on any trim and it will sell like hotcakes. I think there is some competition out there that does that, not sure who....
While at it, maybe throw in the normal tcase in there, you know, just cause it still an effin truck, for crying out loud !

 

[canadian.bacon]

The underwhelming interior aesthetics of the 2019 trucks was the sole reason I chose a 2018 Sierra SLT crew cab a few months back. I had my heart set on a 2019 AT4 too. The Ram did well on the interior, but go checkout 5thgenrams.com and see the plagues of electrical issues those trucks are having...lipstick on a pig. I hope the next generation of GM trucks does better or sadly, I'll actually have to consider an F-150

While at it, check the f150forum for the problems with 2018s. Close to 200 pages now, I think. None of the automakers are that much better than each-other, with the exception of the Tundra maybe, but I wont buy expensive tech from 10 years ago, no matter how reliable it is.