Long-Term Road Tests
2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
July 23, 2008
I left the office late last night heading down Wilshire when I noticed a whistling sound. The last time I drove the Silverado the transmission blew up on me. I was worried. After listening intently I noticed the back window was slightly ajar. I didn't even know this thing had a back window!
Relieved, I pulled over to close it. It was then I noticed it wasn't mechanical, but powered. Where was the switch? I searched and searched but I couldn't find it. RTFM? Yes, I reverted to the manual.
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- Posted by: July 23, 2008, 3:20 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
July 9, 2008
If you can remember, the transmission in our Silverado grenaded about a week ago. And while I'm sure I'm not the first person to drive it since its return, I still wondered if it was a good idea to take it home.
Twenty minutes later I coasted to a stop. In front of my house. Anti-climactic, I know but it seems the work done by Santa Monica Chevrolet did the trick and the Silverado can now return to schelpping us and our half-caf double mocha organic soy lattes around Southern California.
Kurt Niebuhr, Photo Editor @ 31,505 miles
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- Posted by: Kurt Niebuhr July 9, 2008, 10:04 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
July 7, 2008
Last week's Silverado cliffhanger left off with our trusty Chevy being towed to Santa Monica Chevrolet after the transmission decided to take an early Fourth of July vacation. GM Roadside Assistance handled the tow as the truck is still under warranty. It was efficient and quick, I was pleased.
Today's thrilling conclusion begins later that same day:
I called Santa Monica Chevy a few hours after the tow truck left to see if they had a chance to look at the truck. Our service advisor had said earlier that they may get to it that day, but most likely it would be Tuesday morning. I took the chance and called anyways. To my surprise they had looked at it and he was frank with his diagnosis:
"We've had a rash of these lately. The input housing busting as the mileage gets up there. It should be ready by Wednesday."
I left them alone and waited for a call on Wednesday. It came around 2:00PM and said that the truck was ready. The forward clutch sprag was replaced -- they did not, as some commenters had assumed, replaced the transmission with a refurbished unit -- and the transmission was, again, reconditioned. Two days to tear into a transmission and have it back in our hands? Not bad. But if they have, in fact, had "a rash" of these, it may have saved a lot of time in diagnosis and parts availability. There is also a TSB out on this issue, NHTSA ITEM NUMBER - 10021018.
The good news: Drive works and the transmission is again able to use all gears.
The bad news: The transmission doesn't shift any smoother than it did before the sprag failure.
Days out of service: 3
Cost to us: $0.00
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 31,485 miles.
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- Posted by: Mike Magrath July 7, 2008, 12:35 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
July 3, 2008
On the eve of Independence Day, I thought I'd peruse our garage for the most American metal. Amongst the many long-termers presently in the long-term fleet, we have quite the selection of cars built by domestic makers. Some are excellent representives of this great land, others ... not so much. And that's not counting the pretty cool American cars that reside in our editors' own garages: Trans Ams, Challengers, Corvettes and Schmidt's big ol' F-150.
Of course, what constitutes an American car these days is up for debate given the Focus is hecho en Mexico and our Hyundai Veracruz is hecho en Alabama. But I'll leave those determinations up to you. And the nominees for our Most American Car are...
Buick Enclave
Cadillac CTS
Chevy Silverado
Dodge Caravan (oh dear god, I hope not)
Ford Edge
Ford Focus
Ford GT
Pontiac G8 GT
Saturn Aura
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
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- Posted by: JRiz July 3, 2008, 9:12 AM
- Categories: 2005 Ford GT, 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT, 2007 Ford Edge SEL, 2007 Saturn Aura XR, 2008 Buick Enclave CX, 2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI, 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, 2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe, 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
June 16, 2008
We have talked about the transmission in our Silverado before and the less than smooth shift from first to second. I can't tell you that it has gotten any better or any worse but there does seem to be a new noise related to the transmission. Now when shifting into drive from neutral there is a pause and then a clunk as the gear engages. I don't remember the shift from neutral to drive sounding so violent in the previous times I have driven our Silverado. I'm not sure if this is just a sign of aging or if something will need to be done about it, but I am sure we will keep you updated
Seth Compton, Broadband Production Coordinator @ 31,198 miles
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- Posted by: June 16, 2008, 8:17 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
June 10, 2008
Trucks are better than cars. How do I know? Our Silverado has more than 30,000 miles on the clock while many of our long term cars struggle to reach 20k in a year. True, we've had the Chevy a little longer than a year but there's a reason the Nissan Versa struggled to its 16,000 miles in one year and the Hyundai Azera to its 18,500 and the Toyota RAV4 its 19,400 - they weren't as useful and people didn't like driving them that much...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody June 10, 2008, 7:41 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
June 5, 2008
While driving the Silverado into the office this morning, I noticed some wear and tear on the steering wheel's silverish plastic trim. The black plastic beneath the silverish paint is showing through on the left side (in closer detail below) from obvious wear caused by drivers' left hands. There's also a spec chipped off on the right. Our big Chevy now has 30,737 miles on it, so if this is typical, it could be important to note given this same steering wheel appears in most of GM's trucks and SUVs. Over more miles, this could start to look bad and be detrimental when it comes time to sell. It's certainly not consistent with the rest of the interior's wear and tear.
Our Enclave has the same wheel design, although it has a different type of painted plastic trim in that area (lower-level Acadias seem to share the Silverado's). Given that there's a good chance the Enclave will also hit 30K (we do love it so), I'll make note if it shows similar wear.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 30,737 miles
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- Posted by: JRiz June 5, 2008, 9:52 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
May 7, 2008
The 10-year-old boy in me lived a life-long dream this past weekend when I attended a taping of "American Gladiators." Now, Hulk Hogan is no Larry Czonka and there was a disappointing lack of teal and pink No Fear wife beaters decorating the crowd, but heck, it was sure fun. They were only doing one event (which still took 2 hours to film four contestants), but it was Hang Tough and we got to yell out such classic heckling as "Oh yeah, scissor her! Yeah scissor!" Plus, I got a high-five from Wolf. Not Tower, Turbo or Laser, but certainly the awesomest new Gladiator...
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- Posted by: JRiz May 7, 2008, 3:14 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
April 17, 2008
Our long term Silverado just returned from service at S&J Chevrolet in Cerritos, Ca. Oil and filter change plus tire rotation rang up a bill of $67.96.
Before and after the dealership visit, I drove the Silverado extensively and really love the center storage area - In past week, I've stuffed tons of junk in it. Contents this trip - wallet, hard sunglasses case, two DVD cases, two Quaker granola bars, bottled water, Garmin nav system, two packets of seeds, three Sharpie pens and a notepad...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody April 17, 2008, 11:49 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
March 14, 2008
Here's one clear way in which the Chevrolet Silverado gets it right, and the Toyota Tundra gets it wrong.
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February 11, 2008
My husband's Xtracycle needed some professional help this weekend, so I grabbed the keys to our long-term Chevrolet Silverado, and we made a trip to the bike shop.
I was so happy to have a reason to need a full-size truck and was all ready to write a post about the trip (it was an uneventful success), but then, as I was walking along the outside of the truck, the light of the setting sun hit the fuel filler door just right, and I noticed the unsightly chipped paint you see in the photos. The chips, near as I can tell, are due to normal fuel fill-ups. And so I post this question to you: Are our editors extremely uncoordinated, or is it unreasonable to expect a factory paint job to maintain its integrity in Southern California for 25,000 miles?
I also noticed that we haven’t given you an update on the truck’s fuel economy since June 2007...
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- Posted by: Bryn MacKinnon February 11, 2008, 5:08 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
January 28, 2008
My friends and I took our Silverado to Mammoth this past weekend for three days of skiing and snowboarding in fresh powder. The problem with fresh snow is that it doesn't just fall on the trails, so needless to say the roads weren't in the best condition. Even with a total of 36 inches of snow fall while we were there the Silverado remained as sure footed as ever. We never once had to stand outside in the cold and wrestle with chains or dig our way out of a ditch, all we had to do was put it in 4wd and go.
However, after driving through the pass into Mammoth in 4wd there was the faint smell of burning coming from the Silverado. The next three days were spent driving around town in 4wd and then through the same pass on the return trip in 4wd. The smell was never duplicated and the Silverado ran without any problems for the rest of the trip.
Seth Compton, Broadband Production Assistant @ 24,563 miles
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- Posted by: scompton January 28, 2008, 4:36 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
January 23, 2008
In no one's estimation is the 2007 Chevy Silverado LT small. It is a very large truck: 19 feet long, more than 6 high and 6.5 wide. But it doesn't really feel that way. I even drove the Honda Fit subcompact the preceding few days, and the Silverado felt quite comfortable afterwards...
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- Posted by: Doug Lyoyd January 23, 2008, 4:55 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
January 22, 2008
Our Chevrolet Silverado en route to the Race Track in Death Valley.
Chevy guys can begin fist pumping now -- our 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT tamed the 54 miles of pounding Death Valley Road that turned our 2007 Honda Ridgeline into a bouncing idiot.
I spend a lot of time praising Hondas so this blog post is about giving equal time to the competition.
Three years ago I decided to explore the famed Race Track in Death Valley in our Ridgeline. Made it in and out of there but the next day the Honda was all over the road. Took it to the dealer and they said all four struts were blown out. Apparently, the type of shocks Honda used didn't dissipate the heat effectively and it melted the seals. Honda replaced all struts and wheels under warranty (read more).
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- Posted by: Philip Reed January 22, 2008, 9:34 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
January 17, 2008
Ok, I know what I'm going to talk about isn't the news flash of the hour but it's been a while since I've been in the Silverado:
The tranny is down right awful. It ain't fixed, it's worse. I know for many of you this is the ump-teenth post you've read about this, but last I heard was this thing was fixed and it's been a while since I've driven it so it's news to me.
The "whump" shifts are so bad that it snaps your neck...
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- Posted by: January 17, 2008, 2:29 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
January 11, 2008
A big bagel.
I drove the Silverado to jury duty the other day. This bagel joint is around the corner from Bellflower courthouse.
On a work related note, we have an appointment scheduled for next week to address the hard 1-2 shift we've mentioned on numerous occasions. And it's not with Santa Monica Chevrolet this time...
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- Posted by: January 11, 2008, 4:09 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
January 2, 2008
You may have noticed a lack of posts relating to our 2007
Chevy Silverado. No, it’s not because we’ve been blinded by our shiny new
Tundra, but rather it’s because our full size Chevy’s been on the DL (that’s
the Disabled List for you non-baseball folk).
Stricken with squeaky brakes and a transmission “whump”,
the Silverado recently went to Santa Monica Chevy and Buick
for service.
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- Posted by: Mike Magrath January 2, 2008, 3:11 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
November 12, 2007
This weekend I actually used our Silverado as a truck, not just a car with a big open trunk on the back. I needed a new bathtub and now I have one. BTW, here's a free household tip, don't use bathtub resurfacing services. You'll just end up buying a new one anyway but then you're out the $175 you paid to make the old one look pretty. It's going to look real pretty in the landfill now...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody November 12, 2007, 6:53 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
November 9, 2007
I have to buy a bathtub this weekend so I opted for the Silverado. On my way home, I had to make a stop in, uh, cozy Santa Monica - parking this thing is no treat. Thankfully ours has rear parking sensors, plus I lucked out and found an end spot.
On the way home I was impressed by the truck's highway manners...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody November 9, 2007, 3:35 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
November 6, 2007
I've noticed over the last few days of driving the Silverado, the transmission has a peculiar habit. At the point where you'd think there would be a shift between first and second, the gear holds unusually long in first and then with a good "whump" it hard shifts into second.
It's a little disconcerting to say the least. We have an appointment on the horizon to see if there is anything wrong...
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- Posted by: November 6, 2007, 10:53 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
November 2, 2007
I've driven the Silverado home a few nights this week. My commute home is pretty short so I don't have a lot of new impressions to offer. But after recently driving our Tundra for a long road trip, I have definitely gotten a new opinion on trucks.
To me, trucks are purpose built vehicles. They're for work, sometimes play, and have emphasis on durability, practicality and versatility. Trucks aren't supposed to have airs of luxury and fashion in my opinion.
The Silverado has a plain but very functional interior. A lot of plastic abounds but it gets the job done. To me, that's very truck-like: purpose built and practical.
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- Posted by: November 2, 2007, 4:48 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
October 19, 2007
How much does it cost to replace the windshield on a 2007 Silverado? $234.90
Our Chevrolet dealership recommended a mobile glass outfit in our area. Class Auto Glass had the windshield in stock and arrived with a replacement within two hours of our call. Installation time was about an hour...
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- Posted by: October 19, 2007, 11:33 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
October 18, 2007
I'm not a truck guy. Never have been. I'm averse to their road manners and size and all the awkwardness that comes with those qualities. But some days one simply needs a truck. And when that happens there's just no getting out of it. Last Saturday was one of those days.
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- Posted by: Dark Helmet October 18, 2007, 2:55 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
September 27, 2007
This morning I climbed into our Chevy Silverado, adjusted the rearview mirror, and began my commute to work. A few minutes later a very calm voice said "OnStar emergency how may I help you?" The OnStar emergency call button on the Silverado is located on the bottom-right of the rearview mirror; unfortunately this is also where my thumb lands when I adjust the mirror. I don't know where the emergency call button is on other GM vehicles but if it is on the rear view mirror I wonder how many accidental calls they get as a result.
Seth Compton, Broadband Production Assistant @ 19,809 miles
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- Posted by: scompton September 27, 2007, 12:20 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
September 24, 2007
(Hoosier Cabinet in bed of long term Chevy Silverado)
I had a chance to put the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado through its paces this weekend with a 800-mile trip while hauling two loads of cargo.
My son was returning to college and needed a load of furniture dropped off at his new apartment in Santa Barbara. We loaded the truck with a bed, mattress, bicycle, boxes of books and clothes (no, no beer kegs). About halfway there, we stopped for coffee and came back outside to find we had been overrun by a freak September rain storm...
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- Posted by: Philip Reed September 24, 2007, 8:05 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
September 21, 2007
(Cell phone picture of our Silverado on the rack.)
I had a bad experience at a Mitsubishi service department recently so when I took our 2007 Chevrolet Silverado in for an oil change and tire rotation I thought it would make an interesting comparison test. I took it to Harbor Chevrolet in Long Beach, California, near my house.
Test #1: Did I have to wait long in the service line?
Within a few minutes the service advisor greeted me cheerfully and said, "I'll help you out in just a minute." It's amazing how a few words of recognition can make you relax. As promised the service advisor invited me into his stand-up office a few minutes later to "get me all taken care of."
Test #2: Was I pressured to approve high-cost repairs I didn't need?
I visted the Maintenance Costs section of our site before I headed to the dealership and saw that our estimate for a tire rotation, oil and filter change, and a host of inspections, was $156. When I told my service advisor what I wanted he said, "A lot of those inspections are on our fifteen thousand mile checkup special for only $372." I couldn't help it but I laughed...
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- Posted by: Philip Reed September 21, 2007, 1:23 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
September 4, 2007
I love trucks, so a long weekend in a truck is a little slice of heaven for me. A slice of heaven if I was out on the road and not stuck in West Los Angeles that is. Living on the West Side without a parking spot can be a little tricky when trying to shoe horn in such a long truck into a small spot.
I know this isn't exactly a new statement for me, but when I drove around on Saturday for nearly 50 minutes looking for a place to park near near my apartment I just about lost it...
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- Posted by: September 4, 2007, 11:08 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
August 30, 2007
I've been in a full-size pickup kind of mood for the last week. After a weekend with a Tundra, I decided to reacquaint myself with our 2007 Chevrolet Silverado. One thing I noticed is that the Silverado has a warm, homey feel as soon as you get inside...
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- Posted by: Erin Riches August 30, 2007, 10:12 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
August 27, 2007
I put a lot of miles on our long-term Chevy Silverado this weekend, from a long highway drive to a gig on Friday night to a trip up the coast to the beach on Saturday. And despite its enormity, the Silverado is really very easy to get along with. The brakes yank it down, it handles freeway undulations and road imperfections better than expected, and it's easy to park.
Bear in mind that the theory of relativity is at play here...
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- Posted by: Doug Lyoyd August 27, 2007, 10:37 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
August 20, 2007
It was moving day in the Riswick Apartment-hold this weekend. We were only moving up a few floors in my building, but I commandeered the long-term Silverado to donate our old sleeper sofa.
A few years ago, I remember reading that my home state of Indiana was the only one that allowed you to mount a couch in your truck's bed and sit in it whilst moving. I have no idea if it's true or not (couldn't find anything on the Internet), and my respect for California's laws prevented me from really trying it out, but my fellow Hoosier roommate decided to climb aboard to somewhat recreate such a scene while parked. Readers with a keen eye will notice such Hoosier inconsistencies as an import beer and a lack of mullet.
Sadly, our couch fun ended there, as I soon discovered that some days you just can't get rid of a couch.
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- Posted by: JRiz August 20, 2007, 3:30 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
August 8, 2007
I recently took the Silverado on a road trip into the Santa Cruz Mountains to take my 13 year old son to a Scout leadership camp. The Silverado seemed impossibly large - way too big for my taste. Once on the highway heading from Santa Monica to the Central Coast of California, I was pleasantly surprised. The truck was fun to drive on the highway, and when we arrived in the mountains, my wife, always distrustful of narrow, windy mountain roads, soon shared my enthusiasm. The truck handled equally well on steep twist backs and eroded dirt roads.
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- Posted by: Karl Brauer August 8, 2007, 5:53 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
July 31, 2007
Last night I drove our Silverado home only to find that it did not fit in the parking spot outside of my apartment. Unfortunately I didn't find this out until I walked out of my apartment at about 10:30 pm and found a parking enforcement officer writing me a ticket. The overhang from the bed of the Silverado was overlapping the sidewalk, a finable offense.
I guess it's only small cars from now on.
Seth Compton, Broad band Production Assistant @ 17,185 miles
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- Posted by: scompton July 31, 2007, 4:07 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
July 26, 2007
For all you of you cave-dwellers out there, the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT is not a small car. Specs: 18 feet long, more than 6 feet tall, nearly 7 feet wide. Roughly 5,300 pounds. And that's the SHORT bed. Ours has a 6.0-liter V8, which provides it with a tow rating of 10,500 pounds...
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- Posted by: Doug Lyoyd July 26, 2007, 10:40 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
July 16, 2007
I got handed the keys for the Silverado for the weekend even though I was flying out of town Friday night. Despite having limited time to drive the truck, it sure was nice to have something with plenty of cargo room to run the couple of errands I needed to take care of before skipping town.
I didn't want to put the load into the bed since I feared it sliding around and getting all scratched up. Having the back seats flip up for more room was quite the ideal solution...
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- Posted by: July 16, 2007, 1:30 PM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
July 3, 2007
About this time next year, it will be illegal in California to talk on a hand held phone while driving. For the past few months I've been trying to use OnStar's personal calling feature rather than purchase a Bluetooth headset.
It's not working.
Undoubtedly, OnStar has saved lives but the personal calling feature is more expensive and less convenient than Bluetooth...
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- Posted by: Brian Moody July 3, 2007, 9:06 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
June 22, 2007
Earlier this week I calculated our long-term 2007 Chevrolet Silverado's lifetime fuel economy. After 16,000 miles, it's averaging 13.4 mpg. The EPA's (revised for 2008 standards) estimate is 13 mpg city/17 mpg highway. Interestingly, we're getting exactly the same fuel economy as we did from our last full-size pickup, the Nissan Titan...
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- Posted by: Brent Romans June 22, 2007, 7:35 AM
- Categories: 2007 Chevrolet Silverado LT
June 21, 2007
I just got out of the Silverado - it's clear that this is just too much truck for me. I used it to drop off a gas powered Yard Vac, then my kids played in the bed. Their jumping up and down is about the most heavy duty use I'd get out of a full size truck. I just don't tow stuff or haul bricks or whatever...
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