2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a full-size pickup truck, as well as one of the best-selling vehicles in America. It is attractive, versatile and powerful, covering a wide range of uses and price points. Whether you are after a reliable work vehicle, a stylish and well-equipped cruiser with a bed or something in between, take a look at some of the models available in the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for.

What’s New for 2018?

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 adds a new eAssist hybrid option to the mid-grade LT and LTZ models, as well as making the rearview camera standard equipment throughout the lineup. With the current generation of the Silverado introduced in 2014 and refreshed in 2016, the current model is still fairly new and up to date with the current feature and technology trends.

 

Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD – The Pros

1. Bold Exterior

The designers of the current Silverado generation did not pull any punches with the model. There are a lot of accents and unique design elements all around the exterior, making the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 easily stand out from among the rest of the pickup truck segment. The high styling customizability that many models offer is another point in its favor.

2. Upscale Interior

The Chevrolet Silverado generally offers a nicer interior than its competitors. In the lower-end models, the materials feel premium and exhibit a high build quality. On the upper trims, the cabin easily acquires a luxury ambiance thanks to the rich upholstery and the stylish accents. Across all of them, the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 easily exceeds the quality expectations for a pickup truck.

3. Silverado High Country

The Silverado High Country is the halo model of the lineup that easily competes with luxury cars for style and feature decadence. Offering high-quality leather upholstery, both seat heating and cooling, premium audio and a high-end rear-seat entertainment system, it is a perfect combination of style and substance.

4. Excellent Engines

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 does not just bring nice looks to the table, but plenty of muscle as well. Available in a V-6 and two V-8 flavors, it is capable of outputting anywhere between a competent 285 and a potent 420 horsepower. This complement easily matches most rivals, and outclasses some as well.

5. Optional eAssist Hybrid

While the rest of the automotive world has spent the last decade looking into alternative powertrains, turbocharging and diesel options, the pickup segment has mostly stuck to conventional engines. That makes the optional hybrid system on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 a pleasant surprise. The optional electric motor provides a slight increase in power, and can take over for the gas engine during highway cruising to conserve fuel.

6. High Towing and Payload Capacity

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 features one of the highest maximum payload ratings in the class, as well as its highest tow rating. At 2,250 pounds of payload, it can carry almost any cargo that can fit in its bed, and its 12,500 pounds of towing capacity are unmatched by other full-size pickups. As a work and utility vehicle, that makes the Silverado a strong contender.

7. Versatile Bed

Chevrolet designers have done an excellent job of making the Silverado’s bed convenient and provided several unique options to improve its ease of use. The 2018 Silverado is available with a 5.5-foot, a 6.5-foot and an 8-foot bed, making it easy to select the right size for your requirements. On all of them, a clever design makes it easy to open and close the liftgate with one hand, and built-in steps make getting in and out a breeze, even when carrying some cargo.

8. Chevrolet MyLink

Chevrolet’s infotainment system is one of the best available today, and the Silverado is equipped with it in all configurations. Combining both convenient physical controls and a responsive touchscreen, it is easy to use for both technophiles and late-adopters alike. It also makes connecting your devices easy with USB access, Bluetooth and support for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

9. Advanced Safety Options

Trucks tend to trail a little behind passenger vehicles when it comes to rolling out new safety technologies, both because of their higher durability and because it is not as high of a priority for pickup buyers. However, the current generation of the Silverado offers a full range of modern safety technology. A rearview camera is standard, and parking assist, lane keep assist, automatic high beams and forward collision warning with low-speed automatic emergency braking are all available on mid-range Silverados and up.

10. Five-star Safety Rating

The current Silverado not only is well-equipped when it comes to avoiding collisions, but fares well should it find itself in one as well. The federal government's crash testing board - the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - gives the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado five out of five stars based on their testing. This top score makes it an above-average model when it comes to safety.

 

Reasons Not to Buy a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD – The Cons

1. Dated Six-speed Transmission

Depending on the engine, the Silverado comes equipped with either a six-speed or an eight-speed automatic transmission. The eight-speed is very responsive and efficient, but the six-speed feels less responsive. This is especially notable when towing, as the gears of the six-speed are not optimized for it and it can occasionally struggle to find its groove.

2. No Turbodiesel

The 2018 Silverado stands out thanks to its available hybrid option, but unlike some of its competitors, it does not have a turbodiesel option. Anyone looking for a truck with both great mileage and lots of torque is likely to choose one of those competitors instead.

3. Pricier than the Competition

The Chevrolet Silverado is slightly nicer than most of its rivals, but it also comes in at a higher price throughout the lineup. For some buyers, the higher quality of the Silverado may be worth it, but others may prefer the less-expensive options instead.

How It Stacks up to the Competition

The competition for the Chevrolet Silverado mainly consists of the other two major American pickup truck models - the Ford F-150 and the Ram 1500. The Ram is the cheapest model of the three, but that comes with plenty of compromises: it lacks the Chevrolet’s nice interior, fewer features and options and lower towing and hauling capacities. The F-150 is a strong match for the Silverado, with a slightly larger maximum payload and more powerful turbocharged engines. However, those engines suffer from turbo lag, and the Chevrolet’s interior is a shade nicer than that of the Ford, making the choice between the two largely a matter of preference.

Conclusion

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a great all-around pickup truck with little in the way of glaring weaknesses. Its great styling and upscale design are likely to win over the more casual drivers, while professionals and performance enthusiasts will find its excellent capacity and power to be very appealing. It may command a slight premium over the competition, but its upscale nature makes it clear that you are getting what you are paying for.