Chevy Silverado 1500 2021 Review

For the second year in a row, Chevrolet's full-size light-duty pickup truck gets a round of updates designed to add value and make it more appealing in comparison to primary rivals from Ford and Ram. Highlights include a new configurable tailgate (the Multi-Flex) that opens a variety of ways plus upgraded infotainment and trailer-towing technology. There's also an adaptive suspension option for the top trim level that should smooth out the ride quality.

Chevy does give you a lot of choice for the 2021 Silverado 1500. It comes in regular-, extended- and crew-cab styles with a short, standard or long bed. Eight main trim levels are available, including the Trail Boss version that aims to capitalize on the lifted off-road truck trend. Four engines are available too, including a diesel-powered six-cylinder and Chevy's tried-and-true 5.3-liter V8.

Is the Silverado the truck for you? Maybe. The Ram 1500 bests it in our expert evaluation ratings, and Ford's new 2021 F-150 looks like it has the potential to raise the bar for the whole class. But check out our Silverado Expert Rating to learn more about this truck's pros and cons.

Which Silverado 1500 does MatoCar recommend?

The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a full-size pickup available in eight trim levels: Work Truck (WT), Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ and High Country. Like most full-size trucks, the Silverado is offered in varying cab and bed configurations including two-door regular cab, four-door extended cab (Double Cab), and four-door crew cab with full-size rear doors and generous rear-seat room.

Depending on cab selection, the three available bed sizes are an 8-foot-long bed, a 6.5-foot bed and a shorter 5-foot-8-inch bed. Chevrolet also offers five available engines for the Silverado 1500:

• 4.3-liter V6 engine (285 horsepower, 305 lb-ft of torque) with a six-speed automatic transmission
• Turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine (310 hp, 348 lb-ft) with an eight-speed automatic transmission
• 5.3-liter V8 engine (355 hp, 383 lb-ft) with an eight-speed automatic transmission
• 6.2-liter V8 engine (420 hp, 460 lb-ft) with a 10-speed automatic transmission
• Turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel engine (277 hp, 460 lb-ft) with a 10-speed automatic transmission

We've noted which engines come standard on the particular trims but note that you can commonly get a different engine as an option. Rear-wheel drive is typically standard, with four-wheel drive being an option. Other Silverado feature highlights include:

WT The basic Silverado Work Truck has:

• V6 engine
• 17-inch steel wheels
• Locking tailgate
• Vinyl seat upholstery
• Rubber floor covering
• Air conditioning
• Power windows and door locks
• 7-inch touchscreen
• Bluetooth
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
• Six-speaker audio system

Custom Custom trim improves the Silverado's appearance and upgrades you to the extended- or crew-cab configuration. It includes:

• Body-colored trim
• 20-inch aluminum wheels
• Remote engine start
• LED cargo bed lighting
• Power-locking and power-release tailgate with assisted lift
• Power and heated mirrors
• Floor carpeting
• Cloth seat upholstery
• Satellite radio capability
• Wi-Fi capability
• Trailering package
• Hitch guidance lines for backup camera

Custom Trail Boss The Trail Boss treatment equips the Custom with the look and capability of an off-road truck by adding:

• Four-wheel drive
• Z71 off-road suspension package
• 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires
• Automatic locking rear differential

LT The Silverado LT builds on the Custom trim with:

• Turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine
• Chrome exterior trim
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat
• Heated front seats
• Heated tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
• 8-inch touchscreen

RST The RST trim adds a sport-truck appearance to the Silverado LT, as well as these features:

• Body-colored exterior trim
• 18-inch aluminum wheels
• LED foglights

Chevy also offers the All Star Edition (possibly named the Texas Edition, depending on where you live) package for the LT and RST that adds a few more standard features.

LT Trail Boss This version of the Trail Boss builds on the Custom variant with LT trim plus:

• 5.3-liter V8 engine
• Auxiliary transmission oil cooler
• Heavy-duty battery
• Bucket front seats with a center console

LTZ More upscale than other Silverados, the LTZ builds on LT trim with:

• 5.3-liter V8 engine
• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Power tailgate
• Power-sliding rear window
• Bucket front seats with center console
• 10-way power-adjustable front passenger seat
• Leather upholstery
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Advanced Trailering System (trailer maintenance reminder and other trailer monitoring features)
• Trailer brake controller (allows adjustment of a trailer's brakes from the cab)
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Higher-definition backup camera
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing)

High Country For maximum luxury, the Silverado High Country offers:

• Spray-in bedliner
• Digital driver information display
• Navigation system
• Seven-speaker Bose audio system
• Wireless phone charging
• Lane departure warning

Chevrolet increased standard equipment levels for most 2021 Silverado trim levels. Many features offered on upper trim levels are available on the lower ones as packages or stand-alone options. Numerous trailer monitoring systems that allow for trailer tire-pressure sensors or trailer rearview-camera connections are also available.

An optional Safety package (available on LT, RST, LT Trail Boss) adds front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Safety package II (LTZ and High Country only) includes everything in the standard Safety package equipment plus:

• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Silverado and the car in front)
• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Lane keeping assist (steers the Silverado back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)

The Technology package (LTZ and High Country only) adds a head-up display, a rear camera mirror, a 360-degree parking camera, a bed-view camera and provisions for two trailer cameras.