You may have been driving your truck for a long time, or you may have just bought a new pickup truck a few years ago. It doesn’t matter. Times change, and so do our expectations. This is why the top automakers are never content to stick with one model but are constantly working to make the ones they produce better all the time. We see this when we compare the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 vs 2022 Toyota Tundra. Chevrolet and Toyota are two of the biggest automakers in the world, and their full-size, half-ton trucks are industry leaders among pickups. If you just look out on the road any given day, you are sure to see plenty of Chevy Silverados and Toyota Tundras out doing their job. So, why then did both Chevrolet and Toyota decide to come out with an all-new version of their most popular truck for the 2022 model year?
The simple answer is that both automakers thought it was time to update their respective trucks. Chevy had debuted the Silverado 1500 in 1999, and Toyota followed with the Tundra a year later. While the 2022 Silverado 1500 represents the fifth generation of this model, with the most recent update happening back in 2019, the 2022 Tundra is only the third generation. Rather than make major generational changes to the second generation Tundra around 2007, Toyota chose instead to make incremental improvements to its very popular full-size truck model. As a result, many observers felt the Tundra had gotten a little too long in the tooth. So, now you have these two automakers going head-to-head for a new year with new truck models.
Some Similar Approaches
It’s interesting that Chevy and Toyota took some similar approaches to their latest versions of their respective half-ton pickup trucks. However, as we shall see, there are some clear differences between the two models.
First, both the 2022 Silverado 1500 and 2022 Tundra have rugged new looks. Gone are the more staid looks of the prior generation, replaced with bolder, more aggressive grilles and front fascia. Both Chevy and Toyota have done away with the more boxy headlights on older models, replacing them with wing-shaped daytime running lights that actually give the 2022 Silverado 1500 and 2022 Tundra an uncannily similar appearance. These bolder looks are also complemented by a wider stance on both trucks, giving each truck more vehicular stability as well. Finally, these updated looks are carried over into the interiors of the Silverado 1500 and Tundra, with more refinement on the seats and finishes.
Furthermore, both Chevrolet and Toyota should be congratulated for making their trucks technologically advanced. The 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 features the standard Chevrolet Infotainment system with an available 13.4-inch color touchscreen. Similarly, the 2022 Toyota Tundra has the Toyota Audio Multimedia with an available 14-inch touchscreen. These standard systems will allow you to connect and access your smartphones through Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth.
Chevy and Toyota also made their trucks safer than ever with the standardization of their respective active driver assistance systems. Every 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 comes with the standard Chevy Safety Assist platform featuring six different advanced safety and driver assistance. The same goes for the 2022 Toyota Tundra, which is equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 Active Safety system on all grades. In this way, both automakers have shown a commitment to making their trucks safer for you and your passengers.
Chevy Goes for Gold on the Silverado 1500 With More Trim Options
Not all truck drivers are alike, and it seems like Chevy understands this better than Toyota. First, the 2022 Silverado 1500 is offered with a regular cab, double cab, and crew cab, while the 2022 Tundra comes with only a double cab or a CrewMax (Toyota’s name for a crew cab design). As a result, there is no option on the Tundra for drivers who are looking for a full-size pickup for work that maximizes towing and payload through lowering vehicle weight with a regular cab. You see, a regular cab only has one row of seats and two doors, so your engine’s ability to tow trailers and carry payload is improved with this type of cab. You do not get this option if you buy a Tundra.
Second, Chevy offers more different trims on the 2022 Silverado 1500 than Toyota does with the 2022 Tundra. This means that you will get more choices if you buy a Silverado 1500. You get to choose between 8 trims: a base WT (for “work truck”), Custom, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, ZR2, and top-of-the-line High Country. The ZR2 is an all-new trim that is dedicated to off-roading, with standard 4×4, Multimatic 40mm DSSV spool-valve dampers, front and rear electronic locking differentials, skid plates, and 33-inch off-road MT tires. In contrast, Toyota only offers the 2022 Tundra with five trims: the SR5, Limited, Platinum, 1794 Edition, and TRD Pro, which is the Tundra’s off-road model with an off-road suspension featuring FOX shocks and a factory lift for greater ground clearance. As you can see, you get more options and choices on the 2022 Silverado 1500.
Engine Options to Drive You Wild
Just as not every driver is looking for the same type of truck, they have different needs from their truck’s powertrain. Some want better acceleration through greater horsepower, others want more torque for towing or off-roading, and then there are those worried about fuel economy. While all of us may have concerns over each of these issues, we may rank them differently. As a result, the ability to choose between a number of different engine options on a truck can be crucial to designing one best suited to meet our needs. Again, Chevy seems to understand this, while Toyota misses the mark.
Toyota offers every 2022 Tundra model with a choice of two different engines. The base is a 3.5-liter i-FORCE Twin-Turbo V6 paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, making it capable of 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. Toyota also offers a 3.5-liter i-FORCE MAX Twin Turbo V6 Hybrid engine with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain pairs the V6 gas engine with a permanent magnet synchronous elective motor powered by an 87 kWh battery. This optional powertrain can produce 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. This represents the highest performance of any engine on either of these two full-size trucks.
Nevertheless, Toyota only offers two engines, while Chevy offers four different engine options on the 2022 Silverado 1500. The 2.7-liter High Output Turbo I-4 is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and comes standard on the WT, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST double cab, and LT Trail Boss trims. This engine is capable of providing 310 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. The 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 is standard on the RST crew cab, LTZ, and High Country and comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This engine produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque and is also available on the WT, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST double cab, and LT Trail Boss models.
The all-new ZR2 model comes with a 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission that produces 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. This engine is available on the Custom Trail Boss, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, and High Country. Finally, you can get the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 with a diesel engine, something not offered by Toyota on the 2022 Tundra. This is a 3.0-liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel I-6 with 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. With these four choices, combined with the extra trim levels, you will be in the proverbial driver’s seat in configuring your 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500, something that you can’t get with Toyota’s one-size-fits-all approach on the 2022 Tundra.
A More Capable and Versatile Truck
The 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 is a more versatile and capable truck than the 2022 Toyota Tundra. While both trucks have much to be proud of with standard safety and infotainment technology and more aggressive looks for the new generation, only the Silverado 1500 offers the choices of engines, cab configurations, and trims that will give you the ability to find the right truck for your purposes. This difference in capability is best shown by towing, where the 2022 Silverado 1500 gives you the power to tow up to 13,300 pounds depending on your choice of engine; the 2022 Toyota Tundra tops out at only 12,000 pounds. As a result, the clear choice for your next truck is a 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500.
