What’s in a name? That which we call a Trail Boss would, by any other name, still be the boss of the trails. Still, other trucks deny their purpose and refuse their trim name, leaving themselves open to the slings and arrows of vicious mockery from enthusiasts. But where does the Silverado 1500 RST fall? Does this “Rally Sport Truck” live up to its ambitious name? Is it a Shakespearean tragedy? Or is it somewhere in between?
Wherever you find trucks for sale, you’re sure to find a wide variety of trim levels. Trucks are versatile, and every driver wants something different out of their truck, whether that is off-road capability, luxury, or just the lowest possible price. Chevy’s trim lineup for the Silverado 1500 is a perfect example. There’s a Work Truck that gets the job done cheaply, a High Country model with extra creature comforts and styling features, and Trail Boss and ZR2 trims that can handle the great outdoors. The RST trim promises a sporty look and exceptional on-road performance. But does it deliver, and is there more Chevy could be doing to make this trim the best it can be?
How Sporty Is the Silverado?
The RST is off to a strong start just by being part of the Silverado lineup. Chevy’s full-size pickup handles nicely and does a good job of not feeling like a huge vehicle out on the road. It doesn’t have the cushy suspension that gives the Ram 1500 its smooth ride, and it’s a few hundred pounds away from being able to tow as much as the Ford F-150, but it has the other competitors from the big three beaten when you’re tackling windy canyon roads. The handling is limber, the brakes feel right, and it just feels good to drive in the kinds of situations that drivers looking for “sporty” vehicles think of when they’re picturing letting loose behind the wheel.
What the RST Adds to the Mix
For a trim whose middle name is “sport,” the RST has a surprising lack of performance upgrades among its standard features. While it does offer optional six-piston Brembo brakes, this upgrade is available on other trims, and you’ll find that the only standard feature the RST has over the base WT is an automatic locking rear differential, which isn’t exactly an asset when it comes to on-road performance. So, what does the RST trim actually come standard with?
As is the case with many, many “sporty” trim levels (across all brands, not just at Chevy), the majority of the highlights focus on style. The first thing you’re likely to notice about the RST in a crowd of Silverados is that it has a unique front end. Where other trims decorate their faces with shiny chrome or off-road-ready black cladding, the RST has a body-color center grille bar and matching bumpers. This does pair nicely with the black bowtie badge and gives the RST a sporty look. Its style projects an image of on-road action rather than the rugged or luxurious vibes that the other Silverado trims are going for.
If you want to go even further down the styling road, you can opt for the Rally Edition Package, which puts the finishing touches on the aesthetic. Black tailgate lettering, badges, assist steps, and glossy painted wheels match the blacked-out bowtie to give the overall exterior a cohesive look. But the black stripes on the hood and tailgate are really the coup de grâce here. Nothing screams “sporty” like putting actual racing stripes on your vehicle. But still, none of this actually contributes to the truck’s athleticism. So, is the RST just a way to use style to celebrate the sporty performance that the Silverado 1500 generally brings to the table, or does this trim, in particular, really have anything substantial to add to the mix?
What If We Upgrade the Engine?
Sometimes, you have to look beyond the standard features to see what makes a trim worth springing for because not all “available” features are available across the board. This is where we come to the real case to be made for the RST: its ability to unlock Chevy’s 6.2L EcoTec3 V8. The smaller 5.3L V8 in the Silverado lineup is nothing to sneeze at, producing 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque and giving you the ability to get from zero to 60 mph in as little as 6.1 seconds with the right configuration. But it pales in comparison to the 6.2L V8. With a maximum output of 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, the larger V8 makes the Chevy truly quick, able to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. These stats make it easy to argue the case for a truck’s sporty nature.
Now, here’s where this matters for the RST. While the 5.3L V8 can be had on just about any Silverado trim, right on down to the lowly WT, the 6.2L V8 is a bit more exclusive. You can get it on the LT Trail Boss, LTZ, ZR2, and High Country trims, but the most affordable among these has a starting price of nearly $60k before you account for the cost of upgrading the engine, and the most expensive is just about $70k. The RST starts out at around $50k, making it a significantly more affordable way to get the athletic 6.2L V8 engine under your hood. The engine even improves the aesthetics of the RST Rally Edition, changing out the black chrome single exhaust tip for black dual exhaust tips. There’s even an available sport mode that delivers more exciting sounds for what the marketing folks would call an “immersive experience.”
Could Chevy Do More?
If you have even a passing familiarity with the concept of “hotrod” culture, you’ll know that there’s always more you can do to make a vehicle sportier than it already is, especially a vehicle that’s fresh off the production line. There’s only so far that an automaker is going to go, especially when it comes to a model like the Silverado that’s always going to prioritize towing and hauling over rallying. Still, it does feel like a few extra perks could go a long way for the RST. A specially tuned suspension system could heighten the strengths of the Silverado’s handling, and paddle shifters would be a nice touch for drivers who want a little more control over their ride.
Or heck, what about four-wheel steer? GM has been making that a selling point on EVs like the crab-walking electric Hummer and even the Silverado’s electric alter ego. Why not use it here to give the RST tighter turns at low speeds and more stability around curves at high speeds? But if we reach for the stars, we might lose what we already have. Adding too many expensive features to the RST would kill its current ability to offer the sportiest Silverado engine at an accessible price point.
The Right Engine Makes All the Difference
It might be fair to say that all the RST has to offer is flashy styling and an affordable way to access the 6.2L V8. But it might also be fair to say that this combo is enough to make the RST truly sporty, particularly when these elements are being layered on top of a pickup that’s already impressively athletic for its class. Sometimes, it really is what’s inside that counts. And when what’s inside is 420 ponies, what more do you need?
