2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Review: Bring Out The Big Guns

If you're looking for a dependable pickup truck capable of managing some of the more grueling challenges life might throw at you, then the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD might be the vehicle for you. With striking good looks, a spacious and comfortable interior, and a modest enough infotainment suite to keep you company during your workday, it's a hard worker that won't let you down. It comes standard with a 360-horsepower V8, but it's the turbodiesel V8 with 910 lb-ft of torque that really impresses. And, while it may not be quite as capable as the Ford F-350 or Ram 3500, which each tow a fair deal more, the Chevy can still hold its own. So if you want a dependable, sturdy everyday work truck, take the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD into consideration.

Silverado 3500HD Exterior

The Chevy Silverado certainly looks capable of moving a heavy load, with a broad, sturdy chassis, a chunky front fascia with a wide grille, and a hood vent. The two-tier headlights sit on the very edges of the fascia and the optional fog lights rest near the surface of the lower bumper. The truck rides on 18-inch wheels, or 17-inch on the dual-rear-wheel axle models. Large towing mirrors mounted to the side of the truck help to deal with its sizeable blind spots.

Dimensions

Heavy-duty pickups are traditionally enormous vehicles, and the Silverado sticks to trend. Dimensions vary depending on bed length - either 6.6 ft or 8.2 ft - and whether you choose the single rear wheel or dual rear wheel axle. The pickup stands between 239.5 and 258.4 inches in length, with a wheelbase of either 153.7 or 167.7 inches. Without mirrors, the truck is between 80.5 and 95.9 inches wide, while height varies between 77.9 and 78.8 inches. Following the same vein, curb weight can be as low as 6,423 lbs and climb as high as 8,070 lbs. A ground clearance of 8.3 inches means that the truck could manage in an off-road capacity.

Silverado 3500HD Performance

Engine and Transmission

Each Silverado comes standard with a 6.0-liter Vortec V8 gasoline engine that sends 360 hp and 380 lb-ft to the rear wheels or all four, and is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. This is a fair amount of power, but it isn't enough to move the heavy truck with much haste, especially when loaded to capacity with cargo. Getting around town or merging onto highways won't cause you too much trouble, but it won't inspire confidence either.

For real power, you can choose the 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8. Mated to a more refined Allison six-speed automatic transmission, this powertrain produces 445 hp and 910 lb-ft. As with the standard engine, both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive are available. With this impressive torque, the pickup can accelerate effortlessly, even when fully laden. It can complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint in around eight seconds, although this athleticism is toned down a bit in busy town traffic.

The standard powertrain is capable of towing 14,100 lbs conventionally, and up to 14,200 lbs with the gooseneck fitting. The turbodiesel engine is capable of towing 20,000 lbs in the conventional method, maxing out at 23,100 lbs with fifth-wheel hitch equipped. While this is nothing to sniff at, it's about 10,000 lbs less than segment leaders.

Handling and Driving Impressions

While by no means athletic or nimble, the Silverado handles itself quite respectably on the road. Unless you're driving like a hooligan, the hefty pickup handles turns with aplomb, rolling only mildly. But just because it behaves well doesn't mean that the truck likes playing with others. Heavy town traffic and busy parking lots make the pickup seem even larger than it is, and maneuvering around is a chore due to the lazy steering. While feedback is decent at all speeds, the wheels aren't very talkative and you're likely to dislocate your arm if you need to do a sharp turn suddenly.

The brakes don't help to inspire confidence here either, offering less resistance than you'd expect from such a burly vehicle. They are fit for purpose around town, but emergency stops are even less advised than usual, with a stopping distance of around 130 feet from 60 mph.

Ride comfort could be better, but it's unsurprisingly stiff for a heavy-duty truck. However, rivals like the Ford F-350 manage to be more comfortable without needing a heavy load to keep them from bouncing over bumps. This discomfort isn't helped much by the standard seats, although the leather-appointed seats on the upper trims do improve comfort somewhat. Wind noise can be obnoxious as it blows past the large towing mirrors, but road noise is dampened well.

Overall, the Chevy Silverado doesn't offer much to commend it as a daily driver, but such things are rare in the heavy-duty segment. It handles well enough for a vehicle that is designed to pull heavy loads without complaint.

Silverado 3500HD Gas Mileage

While the Silverado has not been tested for fuel economy by the EPA, real-world testing has shown that it can cover approximately 13 mpg across the combined cycle when equipped with the standard gasoline engine. This makes it slightly more fuel-efficient than class rivals like the Ford F-350 Super Duty. Switching to the more powerful turbodiesel engine further improves this figure to around 15 mpg, where the Ford's turbodiesel sees it achieving results of around 14 mpg. With 38 gallons of fuel in reserve, the Chevy truck can cover up to 570 miles between pit stops when equipped with the diesel engine.

Silverado 3500HD Interior

Seating and Interior Space

The interior of the cabin is not luxurious, but it is hardy and inspires confidence in the truck's workmanship and durability. The seats are upholstered in vinyl as standard, with leather-appointed seats available on the upper trims. Each row of seats can accommodate up to three passengers, although both rows have a fold-down center seat that doubles as an armrest or storage area, limiting functional space. Space is never lacking though, even with all six seats filled; both head- and legroom are generous throughout the cabin, even for larger adults. The driver's seat is manually adjustable as standard, but the available 10-way power front seats are definitely recommended if you want to find a suitable driving position in this blind-spot-prone pickup.

Silverado 3500HD Trunk and Cargo Space

Aside from its impressive towing capacity, the pickup has more than enough cargo capacity in its bed. With the standard 6.6-foot bed, a maximum capacity of 61 cubic feet is available. The longer 8.2-foot increases this to 76.3 cubic feet with both the single and dual rear wheel axle configurations. Either way, this is more than enough space for daily errand-running, and a variety of hooks and attachments make it possible to handle more awkwardly sized cargo. The maximum carrying capacity varies from 3,821 to 5,761 lbs depending on the engine and body style you choose. Both this space and payload capacity is quite a bit lower than the Ford F-350.

There is plenty of space inside the cabin for all your knick-knacks, with large door pockets, two glove compartments, and a variety of bins in the center dash. You shouldn't struggle to find space for just about anything you might have in your pockets, although the storage solutions aren't as smart or creative as those in some rivals' trucks.

Features

The truck comes equipped with only the most basic of features as standard, with a focus on performance and utility over luxury until you move up the trim levels. Each Silverado 3500HD comes equipped with air conditioning, vinyl upholstery, cruise control a rearview camera, a teen driver system, a manual tilt steering column, a seven-pin wiring harness with a brake controller, and a 3.5-inch driver information center. Keyless entry and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted controls are added on the LT, while the LTZ upgrades to leather-appointed seats with 10-way power front seats. Dual-zone climate control, remote start, and a 110-volt power outlet are also equipped to the penultimate trim. The top-of-the-range High Country sees the addition of forward collision alert, lane departure warning, front and rear sonar, and a safety alert driver's seat, and heated and ventilated front seats.

Infotainment

The infotainment suite is pretty standard, but it includes all the essentials. All functions are routed through a seven-inch touchscreen interface and include Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A USB port and auxiliary jack are available for physically connecting your devices. A six-speaker audio system comes standard and supports AM/FM Radio. As you move up the trim levels, more advanced features are unlocked, including a larger eight-inch interface that can support navigation, while the seven-speaker Bose audio system can play music from HD Radio and SiriusXM. A 4G LTE hotspot is made available from the LT trim upwards.

Silverado 3500HD Problems and Reliability

J.D. Power rates the Chevy truck at 85 out of 100 for dependability, placing it at the forefront of the segment. Two recalls were issued for the 2019 model: for the possibility of a short circuit within the engine block heater, and the potential for the fuel tank to develop holes. Chevrolet offers a 36,000-mile/60-month basic warranty, while the powertrain warranty and roadside assistance are valid for 60,000 miles/60 months.

Warranty

Silverado 3500HD Safety

Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHs has crash-tested the Silverado 3500. The base model comes with only the most basic of safety features. These comprise ABS, stability and traction control, a teen driver system, a rearview camera, and six airbags: front, front side, and side curtain. Available features include forward collision alert, lane departure warning, front and rear parking sensors, and a safety alert driver's seat.

Verdict: Is The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD A Good Truck?

The heavy-duty segment is a demanding one, and any vehicle capable of holding its own against such stiff competition as the Ford F-350 and Ram 3500 deserves to be recognized. And the Chevy Silverado manages to do just that, by being a rugged and dependable pickup truck that still turns heads, even if it isn't as capable as its rivals when it comes to hauling gargantuan loads.

The optional turbodiesel V8 is the truck's claim to fame, giving it the power to pull up to 23,000 lbs of weight behind it. And the cargo bay space is competitive, even if the Chevy can't carry the same heavy payloads as the Ford or Ram. A choice of two bed lengths and either single or dual rear wheels also allow you to customize between style, functionality, and performance.

Inside, the cabin is relatively well-appointed for a truck that focuses on work over play, with standard smartphone integration and more basic safety features than some rivals reserved for the more advanced trims. Still, you will need to aim higher for the advanced safety and best tech features the Silverado has to offer, and its best isn't as good as what its rivals offer. But, where the Chevy does impress is in its extremely spacious seating appointments, both up front and in the rear.

Yes, there may be more accomplished trucks out there that can do the job better than the Chevrolet Silverado, but that doesn't make it a bad truck at all. The all-American rugged pickup still has a place in the market and in the hearts of its fans, and for good reason.

What's the Price of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD?

You can get behind the wheel of the entry-level WT for a market-average price of $40,300 MSRP. Each subsequent trim increases the price by around $5,000 in exchange for a few extra features at each level. The LT will cost you $45,400 while the LTZ will set you back $50,500. The top-tier High Country will cost you $56,000 in its base form. Replacing the standard rear-wheel drivetrain with a four-wheel drivetrain will bump up the price by approximately $3,000 on each trim. These prices exclude tax, registration, licensing, and destination charges.

What Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Model Should I Buy?

The Silverado 3500HD WT is more than capable of handling most of your hauling and towing needs, but if you want anything more than a workhorse, you will want to look one or two steps higher. The LT comes equipped with an infotainment system and a few useful convenience features, although it lacks the advanced safety features and comforts of the upper-most trims. However, you will need to be willing to fork out a hefty sum for those features.

2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Comparisons

2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD vs Ford F-350 Super Duty

The base Chevy is a little weaker than the F-350, which comes equipped with a V8 that develops 385 hp and 430 lb-ft - but the turbodiesel Chevrolet option is just as powerful. Unfortunately, the Silverado doesn't manage to haul or tow as much as its Ford counterpart, coming up short by around 8,000 lbs in towing capacity. Both trucks are ruggedly attractive, but the Ford has a more comfortable interior with better-quality materials. On top of this, it offers a more engaging and responsive driving experience. The Chevrolet does come with a better infotainment system, though. Overall, the Ford F-350 is a step above the Chevy Silverado in most of the ways that matter in a pickup. It is even a bit cheaper, to boot.

2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD vs Ram 3500

At 410 hp and 429 lb-ft, the standard engine on the Ram 3500 is a bit more powerful than that of the Silverado, but its optional diesel engine is less impressive. Regardless, the Ram truck is the better workhorse here, towing considerably more than its Chevrolet rival. It also competitively priced with a quality interior and all the same infotainment and safety features you will find in the Silverado. You will still need to climb the trim levels to get access to most of the features, but those trims come in quite a bit cheaper than comparable levels on the Silverado. The Chevy does handle a bit better than the Ram 3500, but not by enough to warrant picking it over the more capable pickup.