2023 Chevrolet Silverado Review

As of writing this, I’m on a holiday! Why should you care? Well, you shouldn’t – but it does explain why I am reviewing a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Custom.

It would (almost) be illegal if I came to the state of Texas and didn’t pay stupid amounts of money to rent an American Truck, to really immerse myself in the culture of every family and their dog having a big, f**k off vehicle.

More interestingly, however, is the fact that so many of these big American trucks are rising extremely quickly in popularity back in Australia which begs the question, are they really better than a standard Ute?

All this and more in today’s review!

How much does the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado cost?

You can actually buy the Chevrolet Silverado in Australia, albeit for a premium compared to the US.

We don’t get this ‘Custom’ spec in Australia which is second from the bottom in the US, but if we did it would cost ~$77,000 AUD before on-road costs.

But if you want an Australian ready model, you have these two higher-spec options:

• Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ Premium - $128,000 AUD before on-roads
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 - $133,000 AUD before on-roads

If you were in the US, for an LTZ, you’d be paying about $92,000 AUD. So where does the extra cost come from in Australia?

Well, although the Silverado is imported by GM Special Vehicles (GMSV), it is remanufactured to be right-hand drive by Walkinshaw in Dandenong, Victoria.

That’s an expensive process, sadly!

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What do we think of the exterior looks of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado?

I reckon this is a really good-looking truck.

From the front, it is menacing as all-hell, even this almost base model Custom trim.

Of course that is all intentional, after all the target demographic of these trucks are macho-men, and you feel pretty macho behind the wheel.

The 20” alloys look hilariously small compared to the giant body.

Like Aussie utes, you can get the Silverado with a variety of cabs and tubs. We have the Crew Cab with the Standard Bed on test today.

Similarly, the rear is really smart too, with the Chevrolet badge embossed into the body work.

More impressively though, is the tailgate for the bed. It has a trick ‘ultra light’ feel, and is well dampened.

The bed has a lot of space too, as you would hope, being 1780mm L x 1490mm W (1280mm between arches) x 590mm H

What’s the interior and connectivity like of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado?

Let me preface this by acknowledging this is a base model, and not what you would get in Australia (at least, for now). But that is what we’re testing, so let’s do it.

It’s actually not too bad.

The worst part really are the seats, but these are exclusive to the base model.

They have almost no bolstering, you can hardly adjust them (for example, no height adjustment) and they feel cheap.

The steering wheel is plastic, but for the first time ever, I don’t care. Because after this rental I had a Dodge Ram with the same 50,000 or so miles and its leather steering wheel was TERRIBLE.

Plastic all the way for this Truck.

The instrument binnacle is analogue and nothing special, but the small 7” infotainment display was actually pretty good. Although comically small in this 6 seater cabin, it did have wireless Apple CarPlay which worked every time.

Big shoutout to the stereo system as well, it was really good – especially compared to the Ram 1500 I had the week after.

Storage space is ample, with more nooks and crannies then I could mention.

The storage I will mention however is the centre armrest which doubles as a third seat when you raise it up. Yes, it’s a very big centre armrest.

What about the Back seats of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado?

I honestly preferred the back seats over the front.

They can do Ute stuff, they can lift up (with no pull tabs! So easy.) You can almost literally get the same amount of space back there as you would in the tub with rear seats lifted up. It’s unreal.

At 5’11”, I can not only fit behind my drivers position, I can stretch my legs all the way forward. Admittedly, that is using some of the room under the seat in front, but I was incredibly comfortable even when my travel companion – my Dad – was driving.

Can you tell I am impressed?

How much can it fit in the tub of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado?

A lot.

Here’s the specs again:

1780mm L x 1490mm W (1280mm between arches) x 590mm H

To put that in perspective, here are the dimensions of the Ford Ranger’s tub:

1480mm L x 1528mm W x 533mm H.

What’s under the bonnet of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado?

Okay, I have to admit – this isn’t actually a 2023 spec. Don’t hate me, it’s an SEO thing.

It’s identical in every way though, except for the engine.

And good riddance, this engine SUCKS.

This Chevy Silverado is powered by the often loathed 4.3L V6 LV3. It is a naturally aspirated 6-cylinder petrol engine (AKA gasoline, for my American friends).

Why does it suck? Well firstly the outputs are abysmal for a 2.3 tonne vehicle: 212kW of power and 413Nm of torque.

That’s about the same as my old poverty-spec Ford FG Falcon Ute, which I would hardly call a performance car.

And then it’s the fact that it get’s 14MPG or about 16.7L per 100km – and that is on the highway.

Now however, that engine has been substituted with an engine Chevrolet deliberately omits the number of cylinders from in their marketing material, instead opting for the title ‘high output’.

That is a round about way of saying 4 cylinders. But that is a good engine, putting out a stupid amount of power and torque for an engine it’s size.

More relevant to us Aussies though is that we get the big dinosaur exploder, a 6.2L V8 with 313kW of power and 624Nm of torque.

In the US there is also a 3.0L Duramax diesel and a smaller V8.

How does the 2023 Chevrolet drive?

Let’s break this common misconception, that huge trucks = instant comfort.

First of all, there is the constant battle of making sure you stay in your lane – literally. It’s so big, and over 3 weeks of combined Truck driving in the US it became slightly easier but no less natural.

Parking sucks too, as you can imagine. No amount of parking aids will make it easier to fit into parking garages, or park anywhere remotely busy.

Then there is the on-road comfort supported by leaf spring suspension in the rear. To be fair to the Silverado, we had no weight in the back except for some small rocks left in the rear by the last renter.

At low speeds, the Silverado is comfortable, no doubt. It soaks up road bumps, and is remarkably quiet for a work vehicle.

It’s at highway speed where you start to feel the vibrations setting in from the jittering of the rear leaf spring suspension. It is great for work and holding heavy loads – in this case 2500lb or 1133kg – but it does make for a less than ideal ride at highway speeds.

To be fair, the 250kg heavier Australian spec LTZ may perform differently, so we will reserve final judgment until we can review one.

The engine has a surprisingly sweet note to it, which you can hear in our full in-depth YouTube review, but it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of performance.

We clocked the 0-60mph at 8 seconds, which is amongst the slowest of American Trucks.

Worst of all was the Fuel economy. Yes, it will always be bad in a 2.5 tonne Truck shaped like a brick, but this was next level bad. 14MPG is laughable, but understandable since the poor engine has to rev to its limit to get enough power to shift the Truck.

Handling is surprisingly good though, with manageable body-roll around the American back roads.

I may sound harsh, and maybe I am to an extent, but the point here is that bigger does not always mean better – a Ford Ranger rides better, for example.

Is the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado safe?

The Chevrolet Silverado has not been safety tested in Australia or Europe, so no ANCAP or NCAP can be provided.

However, at least for our Australian specs, you do get plenty of safety equipment:

• 6 Airbags
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with Pedestrian Detection
• Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) with Trailer Assist
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Parking sensors (front, rear)

How much can the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado tow?

Here’s another reason why this engine pairing sucks – you get a neutered braked towing capacity of 7900lb (3500kg).

But don’t worry, the Australian versions get up to 4500kg of braked towing capacity (when using a 70mm ball), or the same 3500kg when using a 50mm ball.

How much does the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado cost to service?

The Chevrolet Silverado comes with a 3 year, 100,000km Warranty which is not the most coverage I’ve seen but is in line with at least the Dodge Ram 1500 which has the same terms.

GMSV does not offer capped price servicing for the Dodge Ram 1500.

Final thoughts - should you buy a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado?

Before you buy a big American truck in Australia, I think there are some things you need to keep in mind.

It’s big and difficult to place on the road.

But it’s capable.

It’s not an instant pass to comfort.

But it’s capable.

Did I mention it’s bloody hard to park.

But it’s capable.

And more importantly, it’s expensive to buy and expensive to run.

If you can live with its inherent deficiencies, I reckon most people will like the Chevrolet Silverado – but at it’s price point, you’re probably better off getting a Ford Ranger Raptor or similar performance Ute.