2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 First Drive Review: Brawnier, Better To Live With

– Fort Lauderdale, Florida

There’s a big reason big trucks have become so popular amongst the lifestyle crowd: they’re getting much easier to drive, live with, and look at. The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, for example, now has some of the best technology and interior materials of any truck in the class. The arrival of the ZR2 and Bison off-road trims for the first time even means you’ll be able to take this monster truck on the trail.

So even if you’re not regularly towing or hauling, the Silverado 2500 makes a lot of sense as a daily. In terms of all-around usability, the LT model I tested strikes the best balance of luxury and capability for the right price. Tick a few boxes and you get real leather, real wood, a huge touchscreen, and a punchy turbodiesel engine all for around $73,000 as-tested.

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Lookin’ Large

Chevy updated the entire HD line for 2024 with new headlights and neato C-shaped running lights on top trim models, as well as rugged upgrades for the new ZR2 and Bison trims. But the biggest and best upgrades are actually inside.

A beautiful new 13.4-inch touchscreen graces the top of the dash while a configurable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster sits behind the steering wheel. The center touchscreen employs GM’s latest infotainment tech, which is crisp, quick, and well laid out. Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto don’t cost any extra, and there’s a nice wireless charging pad tucked just under the edge of the center that has excellent grips to hold your phone in place.

The interior as a whole is lovely. Even with its reputation as a “work truck,” the LT has premium leather seats and excellent trim materials like aluminum and a glossy wood finish. Black-on-black is a bit bland – and it’s one of only two colors on this trim, alongside beige – but hey, it’s great for hiding dirt.

The $2,470 All-Star Edition equipped here basically combines all of the premium cabin elements into this one larger package (for an extra $4,725), like leather upholstery with a heated steering wheel and front seats, and even 10-way power adjustability with lumbar support for the driver. The option group also includes dual-zone climate control and the addition of three, three-prong, 120-volt outlets throughout the truck, with one in the center console.

Weirdly though, this version of the Silverado HD doesn’t come with side steps. That meant even I – a 6-foot-tall human – had trouble getting in and out of this thing, let alone my much shorter wife. You have to splurge on the $1,645 Assist Step and Tonneau Value Package II if you want a bit of extra help.

Tons Of Torque 

The same two engines transfer over from last year: a gas-powered 6.6-liter V8 and a Duramax turbodiesel 6.6-liter V8. The gas engine has the same 401 horsepower and 464 pound-feet of torque as before, but the diesel swells to 470 hp and 975 lb-ft – increases of 25 hp and 65 lb-ft. Chevy also improved low-end torque by 25 percent while the new 10-speed automatic improves on the old six-speed with closer gear ratios and quicker, crisper shifts.

Even though this truck tips the scales at just over 7,400 pounds, you don’t need to tip the throttle too far to get it moving quickly. The Silverado HD has excellent acceleration thanks to all that added torque (and improved low-end torque), with the 10-speed automatic delivering quick, concise shifts.

The Silverado’s handling is what you’d expect of a massive HD truck. Thankfully most of Florida’s roads are straight and boring, but in a few tight turns the Silverado exhibits lots of body roll coinciding with a lightweight and vague steering feel. The daunting size of the Silverado also makes it difficult to park in smaller spots and tough to navigate around tight parking lots, but that’s true of most heavy-duty trucks. Where the Silverado HD excels is in its ride quality. Although the suspension isn’t super soft, the upgraded Bilstein off-road shocks gave it a smoother ride that makes it feel more compliant.

But above all else, this Silverado was made to move things – and boy does it.

The Silverado 2500 Crew Cab with a standard bed and the 6.6-liter diesel engine can tow up to 20,000 pounds – or 22,500 with the gooseneck package. That’s also with the Max Trailering package, which adds important upgrades like the 3500 HD’s frame, leaf springs, and shock package, as well as a beefier 12.0-inch rear axle. The maximum payload also increases to 3,850 pounds in the Regular Cab diesel model with four-wheel drive equipped – the LT Crew Cab tested here has just 3,411 pounds of payload and tops out at 16,000 pounds towing.

Towing safety is also an important characteristic of the Silverado HD, and nearly all of it comes standard on the All-Star Edition. It gains adaptive cruise control with trailering, an enhanced transparent trailer view, a trailer blind side alert, and a Gross Combined Weight Rating alert – for if your load exceeds its maximum capacity. It’s all accessible via the baked-in trailering app on the central touchscreen. Super Cruise still isn’t available on the Silverado HD at all, but its little brother, the Silverado 1500, does offer the advanced driver system with towing – so hopefully that makes its way to the HD models soon.

Apart from Super Cruise though, in general, the Silverado HD’s safety features are hugely improved. Adaptive cruise control makes its way to this truck for the first time along with front pedestrian braking, a forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning. And for a truck this large, having that extra safety layer makes it even easier to drive on the highway.

Big On Value

The cheapest way to get into a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD is with the base regular cab, long bed Work Truck – a cool $45,295 with the gas engine and destination included. But that’s a relatively bare-bones truck. The LT crew cab model with the standard bed, while it may not have the fully updated design, represents a strong value with a $53,095 starting price. Upgrading to the diesel tested here will set you back at least $62,585 on the LT trim, but it’s worth the cost for the added capability alone.

When it’s all said and done, this particular Silverado HD costs $73,935. The diesel engine is definitely worth the splurge if you plan on towing and hauling – and hell, even for the way it performs – while the $2,740 All-Star Edition packages excellent amenities and safety features into one single selection.

The Chevrolet Silverado HD still definitely has brawn, but with thoughtful updates for the 2024 model year, I think this massive truck is even more livable. The interior is nicer and boasts better tech, the exterior is easier to look at, and the additional safety features – for both passengers and cargo – make it all the more appealing as an everyday HD truck.

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