Gone are the days when a truck was simply a work vehicle and the pleasures of luxury driving were reserved for the elite brand of sedan. Today, we want the most out of our trucks, which is why the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 vs 2022 Ram 1500 are perfect examples of a continuing trend: luxurious interiors with a gruff exterior. Think Clint Eastwood meets Ralph Lauren meets Steve Wozniak. Toughness meets style meets tech—the recipe for a modern high-trim pickup.
Today, I’m pitting the Silverado and Ram against each other in a duel to see which truck’s top trim—High Country and Limited, respectively—offers the most modern luxury. I’ll primarily be looking inside these trucks, as interior details and comforts amount to more when assessing luxury. Onboard tech, too, like infotainment systems and drive modes, also work their magic in these high-end trims.
Keep in mind, I’ll intentionally stay away from any power, payload, and towing statistics. While these are important features for any truck, the main thrust today is to examine the key features that make these high-end pickups so high-end. Trust me, though, they can do the work you want them to do. My job today is to prove that they do it in style.
High Style for High Country
As evidenced by the High Country logo, with chrome mountains that glitter when the sunlight catches them just right, this is no ordinary Silverado. Chevrolet has gone out of its way to enhance the overall pickup truck experience from one of brute utilitarianism to bourgeois comfort. They’ve made the interior of this truck so sleek that you may choose to occupy it as a second home.
Authentic—and yes, it is real wood—open pore wood trim lines the doors and dashboard, sanded and sheened within an inch of its life. This contrasts with two perforated leather seat color choices: Jet Black or Nightshade Blue with Jet Black accents. The perforation and stitching pattern on the front seats is custom to the High Country, with logo-embossed headrests, 10-way power adjustments with memory settings, and heating/cooling options. I’ll get to the technology soon, but it’s worth mentioning that your standard infotainment screen in a High Country is a center-mounted 13.4” color touchscreen.
Outside, Chevrolet has done its best to differentiate the High Country from the other Silverados, but apart from the badging and the Galvano grille, it looks practically identical to its siblings. That said, some additions include your choice of either 20” or 22” machined aluminum alloy wheels, power-retractable assist steps, LED headlights, and a power-operated tailgate available as either the standard or MultiFlex gate.
Limited Luxury for Limited
Meanwhile, over in Ram country, the Limited is busy seeing how many shades of black it can work into its interior. Each Ram trim comes with its own custom interior colors, and black is the color of choice for the Limited. And I’m talking black everything.
I’ll start with the seats, which are Natura Leather—in black—with Axis perforation and medium graystone accent stitching. Okay, so it’s not all black. Seating is a point of pride for Ram, as it looks to extend comfort beyond the pilot and to the crew. The rear seats offer an outstanding 45.2” of legroom and 8 different reclining positions in the standard Crew Cab. Up front, drivers are treated to heating and cooling, 8-way adjustable power, and soft surfaces on which to rest those elbows.
Continuing with the color theme, the doors and dash are lined with black onyx chrome, while the top half of the otherwise leather-stitched steering wheel is solid open pore wood, stained extra-argent black. Sister trim pieces are to be found on the upper dash and glove compartment.
Outside, you have what you’d expect from a luxury truck. The design of the Ram hasn’t changed much since its award-winning refresh a few short years ago, but the Limited does come with a chrome grille, available power-retractable side running board, and multipurpose tailgate that includes the optional RamBox system (which is basically a box built into the side of the truck bed), and your choice of your standard 20” or 22” black-painted aluminum wheels.
High Country Tech
Back once again in the High Country, they’ve been fidgeting around with the tech options for 2022. As far as infotainment systems go, Chevrolet offers a suite of options, which include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a Bose premium 7-speaker audio system with stainless steel speaker grilles, a WiFi hotspot, 4 USB ports, and wireless phone charging. Chevrolet Connected access is also standard on the High Country. This runs diagnostics on the vehicle, providing up-to-date data on tire pressure, engine status, and the like—while also connecting you with OnStar, should you find yourself in an emergency situation.
Now, one huge tech feature that puts Chevrolet ahead of the game is their new driving feature: Super Cruise. This is Chevrolet’s party piece in the world of automatic driver assistance technology. It uses a series of cameras, radar scanners, up-to-date roadway information, and Chevrolet’s Connected services to allow for hands-free driving—including real-time acceleration, braking, and lane keeping assist. There’s no need for you to do anything except keep your eyes on the road.
With over 200,000 roadways scanned into its navigation system, Super Cruise can offer hands-free driving to the attentive driver. I mention this because there is a system within the system that makes sure you’re paying attention to the road while the car is driving itself. Should you become distracted, the system will warn you to stay alert or it will shut itself off.
All of this tech is designed not only with the future in mind, but with your overall comfort as a driver. The suite of infotainment and driver assist technologies can turn humdrum commutes or long trips into ones of ease, comfort, and entertainment. While some scoff at the idea of automated vehicles, I can’t deny that as the technology improves, more and more carmakers will step into this realm of automation.
Limited Tech
While Ram may stare in envy at Chevrolet’s one upmanship on the automated driving ground, there is plenty of onboard tech that make Ram more than capable of providing the Wow Factor for the tech enthusiast. Front and center is the enormous, 12’’ vertical UConnect touchscreen with 4G WiFi hotspot availability, Sirius XM radio, and Android Auto compatibility. A 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, with 900 available watts, comes standard. The infotainment screen system also comes with updated real time navigation, easy-to-use interfaces for climate control and passenger comfort, as well as a wide variety of other downloadable applications.
Also standard is Ram’s new digital, 7” color display centered between the gauge cluster. The driver can enjoy easy access to vehicle information, which is also displayed with a Heads Up feature that shows vehicle speed and other information on the windscreen. A digital rearview mirror, accessed via the rear camera, provides real-time, light-sensitive video of what’s going on behind you.
New for 2022 is also an advanced air filtration system that catches 95% of air particulates, such as dust, diesel fumes, and the like—allowing for a cabin with some of the cleanest air in the industry. Wireless charging, noise-canceling dampers, and an available dual-pane power sunroof round off the features of this extravagant Ram.
So, the days of the strict work truck may be gone, but what I can look forward to is an era of utility without sacrificing comfort. Sure, the idea of a luxury pickup truck is a very modern notion, but as tastes become more refined and eager for creature comforts, so too does the need to adapt. The High Country and Limited are just a few examples of pickup trucks that go beyond standard expectations and deliver something special to the driver. If you’re looking for trucks that pack a punch but keep you cozy, you’d be hard pressed to find better options than these.
