Meet the 2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 2×2 Extended Cab

The newly designed 2007 Chevy Silverado has racked up a couple of truck of the year awards, from the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and from Motor Trends Magazine. We’ve seen past award winners fizzle out with the buying public, but the new Silverado does deserve some recognition. Some of the changes made to develop the new generation truck were subtle, some were major, but together they produced a much improved Silverado. Base price, $25,960; truck tested, $31,700.

First Impressions of the 2007 Chevy Silverado
Compare the 2007 Chevy Silverado with the previous generation truck and you’ll immediately notice that its front end is cleaner looking, with simpler grille and headlamp styling. The truck’s front and rear fenders are contoured to create a look of strength, but they’re not so bold as to overpower the rest of the truck’s exterior appearance.
My test vehicle was a 2×2 extended cab Silverado that was equipped with Chevy’s optional EZ lift tailgate. The tailgate lift has a torsion bar system to help you close it, and according to Chevrolet, lifting effort is reduced by about 40 percent. The extra help might not sound too important, but if you use the truck bed regularly it could save you a lot of lifting over the life of the truck.

Under the Silverado’s new sheet metal you’ll find a totally new frame, one that showed up first in 2007 Tahoe and Suburban SUVs, which were released before the Silverado. A combination of building processes called hydroforming and frame boxing result in a frame that supports more weight and is more resistant to flex and twist than the previous model. The new design gives the truck a better ride and increases stability, especially on rough or uneven roads, and it also allows the Silverado to carry more weight.

I really liked the truck’s remote starting feature. I drove it during cold weather and it was nice to start it up from inside the house, wait a few minutes and step into a warm cab.

Inside the Silverado 1500
I had plenty of legroom in the comfortable leather seats installed in this LT model Silverado and visibility was excellent. Extra space and a good view over the wheel are due in part to Chevy’s decision to move the dash 3.5 inches lower and forward for the LT Silverado (you’ll gain 5-inches in the LTZ model). Instruments are well positioned and control buttons are good sized and all within easy reach.

The LT Silverado has dual glove boxes, a handy feature we’re seeing in more and more vehicles. The test truck had a 40/20/40 split front seat. Look under the 20 percent center seat area and you’ll find a locking space large enough to hold a laptop. Fold-down that seat’s back and it becomes a center console.

Rear passenger space was pretty good for an extended cab truck. Backwards opening doors can’t be opened by rear passengers without help from someone in the front — unless you’re prepared to stretch your body across the front seat backs. That’s not unusual for an extended cab truck, but it is something you should be aware of.

The truck was equipped with plenty of options, including power windows in front and back, a sunroof, dual zone climate controls, steering wheel mounted radio controls and an auto dimming mirror with a compass and temperature display. Overall, the interior was a good combination of the comfort you would expect in a nice SUV with the utility you need in a truck.

On the Road in the Chevy Silverado
The test Silverado was equipped with a 5.3-liter V-8 engine with flex fuel capability, meaning the engine will run on either gasoline or a mixture of gas and ethanol. The truck had a four speed automatic transmission with towing mode.
Push a button to enter tow-mode, which changes the computer’s shift points to allow the engine to stay in the best power range as much as possible while you’re pulling something behind you. Chevy offers several different rear axle ratios depending on the configuration you choose, but a 3.73 rear axle is the norm for trucks with the tow package. This lower ratio helps in many instances, like pulling a boat up a ramp or a hill or when you’re simply moving away from a stop with a heavy load.

Unfortunately, there’s a trade off when you have a lower rear axle ratio — reduced fuel mileage whether you’re pulling or not. I drove the Silverado 553 miles and about two-thirds of that was at approximately 40 mph or higher. I used 33.3 gals of gas for an average of 16.6 miles per gallon. That’s somewhat lower than I would have expected from a 2×2 truck.

In this new generation truck, Chevrolet finally made the switch away from recirculating ball type steering to rack and pinion steering. The result is a responsive steering system that gives you a better feel for how the truck is handling the road. The new trucks also have a coil spring front suspension instead of the previous torsion bar system, another switch that improved the ride. The Silverado did just fine on the winding roads I drive every day.

Final Thoughts on the 2007 Silverado 2×2
One thing about the Chevy Silverado hasn’t changed, it’s available in numerous configurations. Engine variations are just one of the choices you’ll make — there’s a V-6 and a variety of V-8s. You can buy a regular cab truck with just front seating, an extended cab like the truck I drove or a crew cab with four full size doors and two full rows of seating.

The Silverado is available as a 4×4 or 4×2 truck. Choose from three bed lengths, 5 feet 8 inches, 6 feet 6 inches and 8 feet, but bed choices vary, they aren’t all available with every truck.

Silverado Safety Features

• Front air bags are required on all new vehicles in the US, and the Silverado is no exception.
• Side curtain air bags are an option on all Silverado trucks.
• Antilock brakes are standard on all models.
• GM’s StabiliTrack system is standard on crew cabs and an option on extended cabs, but for some reason is not available on regular cab Silverados.
• OnStar is installed in all trucks and the first year of GM’s Safe and Sound plan is free.

Warranty

• New vehicle warranty, 3 years/36,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty, 5 years/100,000 miles
• Rust-through corrosion, 6 years/100,000 miles

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This entry was posted on Saturday, November 24th, 2007 at 12:57 am and is filed under car. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.