No two truck drivers are the same. Each of us is looking for something different in our pickup, whether we are planning to use it for work, pleasure, or a little of both. Nevertheless, all full-size trucks come equipped with standards, like a particular powertrain or cab design; others give you choices, but they are often limited to the trim level you choose, so you are basically getting a package deal with your truck. For those of us with specific wants and needs, there is no truck that offers as many options and choices as the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500.
Some truck drivers are looking to get the maximum trailering capability, while others need the most payload capacity. There are those who want a full-size truck for their off-road adventures. Then there are the family drivers who have helped make full-size pickup trucks the most popular model type in America; these drivers want roomy cabs with the latest comfort, convenience, and safety features. No matter what you are looking for in a full-size truck, you can find it from Chevrolet in its flagship model, the 2023 Silverado 1500.
The Sky’s the Limit
The ability to customize your truck without having to resort to aftermarket additions begins with your choices of trims, cab designs, and payload bed sizes. Practically every truck manufacturer offers several different trim choices. These may include utilitarian base models designed primarily for commercial purposes, super luxury models geared toward family drivers, and off-road editions with specialized equipment. Chevy takes this a step further, giving its motorists a choice of nine different trim levels and one special edition on the 2023 Silverado 1500.
The Work Truck (WT) is the most basic of the Silverado 1500 models, with a design ideal for folks looking for a truck for commercial purposes. The Custom adds a bit more convenience features, while the Custom Trail Boss comes with a factory suspension lift and other equipment making it perfect for on and off-road purposes. The LT and RST have enough of a blend of convenience features and work-related equipment to make them a great choice for drivers who want to use their trucks for work during the week and family fun on the weekends.
The LT Trail Boss is similar to the Custom Trail Boss, giving drivers a model that can handle off-roading right off the lot. The top trims go a step further. The LTZ and High Country are the luxury models of the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500, with leather interiors and fully loaded infotainment systems to make them the ultimate family truck model. Meanwhile, the ZR2 is the top off-road full-size truck in the Chevy lineup. There is even an all-new ZR2 Bison special edition for off-road enthusiasts who want to push their trucks to the limit; this is based on the popular Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison midsize truck—the world’s introduction to the ultimate in off-roading.
While each of these nine trims has specific equipment at each level, you can customize each by choosing between three different cab styles and three different payload bed sizes on most of the different trims. For example, most of the trims of the 2023 Silverado 1500 can be purchased with either a crew cab or double cab design. Both have two rows of seats, with the crew cab offering more legroom, while the double cab increases the towing capacity by reducing overall gross vehicle weight. The third cab style is a two-door regular cab with one row of seats, which is available on the lower trim levels since it is mostly intended for commercial purposes. You also can choose between a sixty-eight-inch short bed, a seventy-eight-inch standard, and a ninety-eight-inch long bed on most models of the Silverado 1500, often depending on which cab style you choose. This allows you to have a customized truck right off of the dealer’s lot.
Four Hulking Engines
Choosing the right engine for your truck is an important decision. In many ways, it can be the most crucial choice you make when buying a new truck, as it will influence things like fuel economy, trailering capability, and payload capacity. This is why Chevy gives drivers a choice of four different engines on the 2023 Silverado 1500. No two engines are alike, and each of these four engines has something to recommend as a choice for your truck.
The base engine is a 2.7L Turbo High-Output I-4, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Choosing to equip a full-size truck with a four-cylinder engine may seem like an odd choice; however, this I-4 utilizes a turbocharger with variable valve timing to maximize performance while reducing fuel consumption. It features a dual-overhead-camshaft (DOHC) design with four valves per cylinder. As a result, it can deliver 310 hp at 5600 RPM and 348 lb-ft of torque at 1500-4000 RPM through direct high-pressure fuel injection.
This engine comes standard on the Work Truck, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST double cab, and LT Trail Boss models. Depending on the cab style and payload bed you choose, this engine can help you carry up to 2,260 lbs of cargo, the most among any of the four engine options. However, its maximum towing capacity of 9,500 lbs is the least among the powertrain choices on the 2023 Silverado 1500. Nevertheless, it is very fuel efficient, with rear-wheel drive models averaging 20 MPG in combined fuel economy.
The second engine option is a more conventional 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 with a ten-speed automatic transmission. This is the standard engine on the RST crew cab, LTZ, and High Country models, while also an option on the other trim levels. It has a single overhead valve design, with two valves feeding each cylinder. Like the 2.7L I-4, this engine features variable valve timing and direct high-pressure fuel injection, providing up to 355 hp at 5600 RPM and 383 lb-ft of torque at 4100 RPM.
As a result, the Silverado 1500 with this engine can tow up to 11,300 lbs and haul up to 2,130 lbs in its bed. This is a solid engine to choose for someone who wants to be able to both tow and haul with their Silverado 1500. It has a solid fuel economy as a result of its Dynamic Fuel Management system, with rear-wheel drive models providing up to 19 MPG in combined fuel economy.
If you choose the 2023 Silverado 1500 ZR2, your truck will come standard with a 6.2L EcoTec3 V8 paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission. This engine is also available on the Custom Trail Boss, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, and High Country. It is most similar to the 5.3L V8, with variable valve timing, direct high-pressure fuel injection, Dynamic Fuel Management, and a single overhead camshaft design.
However, it delivers higher output, a very impressive 420 hp at 5600 RPM and 460 lb-ft of torque at 4100 RPM. As a result, the Silverado 1500 with this engine can tow up to 13,300 lbs or carry up to 1,980 lbs in its bed. This engine is only available on four-wheel drive Silverado 1500 models. As a result, it has the weakest fuel economy numbers among the four engines, providing up to 17 MPG combined.
The fourth engine for the 2023 Silverado 1500 is a 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel I-6. This does not come standard on any model but rather is an option on the High Country, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, and LTZ models. This Turbo-Diesel features a ten-speed automatic transmission and has been upgraded for the 2023 model year of the Silverado 1500. Chevy has boosted the performance of the Duramax Turbo-Diesel, giving it an output of 305 hp at 3750 RPM and 495 lb-ft of torque at 1500 RPM. This is an increase of 28 hp and 35 lb-ft of torque over the 2022 model.
The engine itself features a DOHC design while using high-pressure common-rail direct fuel injection, which is common for most diesel engines. As a result, you can expect to tow up to 13,300 lbs, like the Silverado 1500 models with the 6.2L V8 gas engine. In addition, Silverado 1500s with this engine can carry up to 1,980 lbs in their beds. One of the biggest selling points for this engine is its fuel economy, with rear-wheel drive models able to get up to 26 MPG in combined fuel economy and four-wheel drive trucks providing 24 MPG combined.
The Choices Are Yours
Chevy has made finding the right truck for you easy with the 2023 Silverado 1500. With nine different trims and one special edition, three cab designs, three payload bed sizes, and four engine options, you should have no problem finding one that checks all the boxes for you. This ability to get a truck that is customized right off the lot helps set the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 apart in the increasingly crowded full-size truck field.
