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chevrolet silverado-1500 Full OverviewProsPowerful V-8New interiorSuper Cruise ConsSome questionable exterior styling decisionsDoor-mounted mirrorsRough rideIt happened not once but twice, and it's the only time we recall it ever happening. As if SiriusXM satellite radio knew how to mitigate the uneasiness we felt by the fact our test truck—a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country pickup—was driving us courtesy of its Super Cruise system, we couldn't help but sing heartily along to Bob Seger's "Like a Rock." If you're of a certain age, you know this song backed Chevrolet's epic pickup ad campaign of the 1990s. And in this moment as we drove the Silverado 1500 High Country, it magically and nostalgically bridged the gap between the Silverado of the past and the Silverado of the present. Yes, the Chevy Silverado 1500 has come a long way since its "Like a Rock" days, but it's still a Chevy truck through and through.By the StickerHere's a quick rundown of the Monroney label—otherwise known as the window sticker—for the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country 4x4. The High Country is the Silverado lineup's top trim alongside the off-road-oriented Silverado ZR2. We'll leave it to you to decide whether you love or hate the idea of a street-oriented luxury Chevy with 22-inch painted aluminum wheels featuring chrome inserts. One opinion is that the wheel's complexity could render well in an even larger 24-inch (or more) diameter.Chevrolet delivered the Dark Ash Metallic (a new color for 2022) Silverado High Country to us equipped with a bounty of add-ons: High Country Premium package (power sunroof, all-weather floor liners, 22-inch wheels), Super Cruise, Technology package (rear camera mirror, head-up display, adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking), power-retractable assist steps, adaptive ride control suspension, wheel locks, and Multiflex tailgate.0-60 MPH: Trailing the Twin-Turbo V-6s, Leading Other V-8sThe 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country is powered by Chevy's 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V-8 gasoline engine. It's good for 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, backed by a 10-speed automatic transmission. This is the largest-displacement, most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 in the segment. Bigger doesn't always mean better, though: While GM continues to smash this stout V-8 under the hood, many of its competitors offer smaller-displacement twin-turbo V-6 variants.To the point, how does the 5,578-pound Silverado High Country stack up against the new 2022 Toyota Tundra Platinum? The latter is a prime example of a truck that ditched its V-8 in favor of a 3.4-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder that makes 389 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. (There's also a stronger hybrid version.) According to our previous test numbers, the Tundra—532 pounds heavier (woof) while lacking 31 hp but gaining 19 lb-ft compared to the Chevy—accelerates from 0 to 60 mph a mere 0.1 second slower than the Silverado's 6.0 seconds. Sure, there are a bunch of additional variables at play here—we didn't test the two trucks at the same time, and they feature different gearing, transmission tuning, and so on—but the lighter, higher-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 Silverado didn't run away from the turbo-V-6-powered Tundra.As for Ford's EcoBoost V-6? The 2021 Ford F-150 4x4 Lariat FX4 twin-turbo EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6 (400 hp, 500 lb-ft, and 238 pounds lighter than the Silverado) hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. The 2021 Ford Raptor (with the high-output 450-hp, 510-lb-ft EcoBoost and 391 pounds heavier) needed 5.6 seconds, followed by the High Country 0.4 second behind. Ultimately, the Silverado's 6.2-liter V-8 is unsurprisingly better suited for heavy towing up grades than it is for track sprints against turbocharged V-6 trucks. Interestingly, the 6.2-liter Silverado RST—158 pounds lighter than the High Country—put down a 5.5-second 0-60 time, which spanks the High Country by half a second and lands it between the two EcoBoost Fords.How does the 6.2-liter 2022 Chevrolet Silverado High Country fare against other V-8 trucks in its class? The 2021 Ford F-150 4x4 King Ranch, packing a 400-hp, 410-lb-ft 5.0-liter V-8 and carrying an additional 109 pounds, hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The 2019 Ram 1500 Limited 4X4 eTorque featuring a 395-hp and 410-lb-ft 5.7-liter V-8 Hemi (and 298 pounds heavier) did so in 6.5 seconds. So the 6.2-liter Silverado is no slouch against the other naturally aspirated V-8s in its segment.Finally, on paper and in certain conditions, GM's 6.2-liter V-8 certainly outperforms the 355-hp, 383-lb-ft 5.3-liter V-8, another engine option for the High Country, as is a 3.0-liter diesel. For daily trundling, though, it would be hard to discern a 5.3-liter from the 6.2. Worth noting: The 6.2 is available only with four-wheel drive.Track Attitude: Getting Aggressive in a Luxury TruckGranted, not many folks will ever drive their 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country like a sports car. But if you overheat its brakes, the truck tells you so via a dashboard message. A 45-mph speed limit kicks in at that point for a short period while the brakes cool down.As for the High Country's performance on the MT figure-eight course, which tests handling characteristics, tester Chris Walton was surprised by how sporty the upscale Silverado was in auto four-wheel-drive mode. "The firm brake pedal is quite effective, so long as you stay out of the ABS," he said. "Do it right, and you can bleed the brakes into the skidpad almost like a sport sedan. The truck doesn't roll much on the skidpad and stays quite neutral with a mild bit of understeer. The throttle mapping, however, is a bit off. The throttle is sensitive and makes it difficult to maintain a constant speed on the skidpad. Overall, it comes off as quite sporty for a luxury pickup truck."(Not) Driving With Super CruiseOne of the big deals about the 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 High Country is that it has available Super Cruise, a $2,200 option. Yes, GM's semi-autonomous hands-free-driving system has trickled down to Chevy trucks. We found some compatible freeways and gave it a try; despite some inherent trust issues, it worked, but we have a few stories.On one occasion, a car was merging onto the freeway at a substantially slower rate than we were traveling. We could see it was going to merge in front of us, but when it seemed like the truck "missed" seeing the car and did not lift, we took control and initiated braking. It's likely the Silverado would have seen the other vehicle by the time it was fully in our lane, but it might have left "unsmart" cars behind us braking too hard for comfort.On another occasion, Super Cruise deemed there was room for a lane change, but traffic in our new lane slowed substantially as the truck made its move. The High Country, still wanting to leave a rather big gap between itself and the car in front, also slowed substantially. We saw the driver behind us needed to unexpectedly brake hard—and our maneuver came across as a "brake check." Super Cruise was just doing what it computed was best for the situation, but we received an angry middle finger in return.A Cockpit Worth Talking AboutThe 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country's new interior is one of its other big deals. Good news: it's not offensive anymore. It feels and looks like it belongs in 2022, and it's competitive with other pickups on the market. It's natural and contemporary, more horizontally oriented than upright. The 13.4-inch color touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and 15.0-inch head-up display contribute to its modern feel.Did you notice the shifter on the center console? That's different for a Chevy truck. It took a split second to figure out how to work it, but we never looked back once we did. Also, the location of the wireless charging pad cubby is perfect and out of the way—and not inherently serving double duty as a crap pad. You know that spot where fast food trash, banana peels, and loose change resides. Don't worry, Chevy left some removable rubberized pads around three sides of the shifter for miscellaneous things.In terms of interior colors, our tester was labeled as Jet Black and Nightshift Blue. In true Chevrolet fashion, there's an uncountable number of available colors—variants of chrome, piano black, blue, gray, tan, brown, silver—in a cornucopia of materials including smooth plastic, textured plastic, open-pore wood, and leather. All in all, the touch points are soft, the seats are comfortable, charge ports are accessible, and it's all palatable and impressive.Indeed, this 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country is "like a rock," but one that's unrecognizable compared to what it used to be. Consider it a big win for Chevy.2022 Chevrolet Silverado High Country Specifications BASE PRICE $64,945 PRICE AS TESTED $75,820 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door truck ENGINE 6.2L direct-injected OHV 16-valve 90-degree V-8 POWER (SAE NET) 420 hp @ 5,600 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 460 lb-ft @ 4,100 rpm TRANSMISSION 10-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,578 lb (57/43%) WHEELBASE 147.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 231.9 x 81.2 x 75.5 in 0-60 MPH 6.0 sec QUARTER MILE 14.4 sec @ 96.8 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 133 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.75 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 28.1 sec @ 0.60 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 15/20/17 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 408 miles ON SALE Now Show All Looks good! More details?

ford bronco Full OverviewOnce upon a time there was something called the Ford Bronco. People loved the off-roader, and to this day, they recount memories of adventuring in the family Bronco. The 2021 Ford Bronco has brought the nameplate back to the fore, but the original Bronco hit the scene in 1966 and galloped speedily until its ultimate demise in 1996. Unfortunately, after 30 years and various generational changes, the Ford Bronco was no more. Gone but not forgotten-especially that first-generation 1966-77 iteration—it's still sought after by restorers, off-road racers, and classic iron aficionados. It was one of Ford's most iconic nameplates.Fast-forward to 2021. Twenty-five years after Ford kicked its popular SUV out of its stalls, the forlorn Bronco returned. While many 2021 Ford Bronco owners still await their vehicle's arrival, we've had the chance to get behind the wheel of a few. Most recently we tested a two-door 2021 Ford Bronco Black Diamond powered by the 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 and backed by the seven-speed manual transmission. The exterior may look black from certain angles, but it's actually Antimatter Blue Metallic, a color Ford will not offer for model year 2022.Black Diamond vs. BadlandsBut wait, haven't we tested this two-door, 275-hp, 315-lb-ft 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder, manual-transmission 2021 Ford Bronco before? Yes, but that was the more-outfitted Badlands trim with different suspension goodies. For what it's worth, we also tested a four-door Bronco Outer Banks.How did the 2021 Ford Bronco Black Diamond stack up against the Bronco Badlands? After putting both on the scale, a weight discrepancy arose in the former's favor: the Bronco Black Diamond registered 4,491 pounds, the Badlands 4,732 pounds. That means the Black Diamond is 241 pounds lighter, a not-insignificant difference, and we wondered how much it would play a part in our track testing.The previously tested two-door Bronco Badlands galloped to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 15.8 seconds at 86.4 mph. The Black Diamond managed 0-60 in 7.9 seconds and trotted the quarter mile in 15.8 seconds at 85.8 mph. Those figures represent a 0.2-second difference in acceleration and a 0.6-mph difference in the quarter mile, both favoring the heftier Badlands. Why was the heavier car slightly quicker to 60? Likely because it rode on all-season tires with a bit more grip than the all-terrain rubber the Black Diamond wore.The differences equate to nothing in the real world and especially on the trail, as these are not high-performance track cars vying to shave every hundredth of a second. Rather, these Broncos are bricklike SUVs with removable tops and doors, meaty all-terrain tires, good ground clearance, heavy off-road components, and G.O.A.T. modes to help conquer impassable trails. They're just not quintessential traits when it comes to the track.We first tried to launch the Bronco Black Diamond at 4,000 rpm, and the engine bogged. Stepping up to 4,500 rpm also did not produce a good run. We were concerned an even more aggressive approach might break the drive train, but 5,000 rpm did the trick: The Bronco launched with some wheelspin, and the rear even kicked out a little bit. The manual transmission did not like quick, rushed shifting; it's happier with a gentler approach to the clutch. The engine felt lively enough to make the SUV feel light.HandlingWhen it came to our figure-eight course—which evaluates acceleration, handling, and braking, as well as the transitions in between—the 2021 Ford Bronco Black Diamond recorded a 28.8-second lap. We noted the Bronco was quite playful with the traction and stability control systems turned off, and we were shocked at the ease of heel-toe downshifting the SUV. The Badlands recorded a 29.6-second lap, 0.8 second slower than the Black Diamond.As expected, there was some nose dive and body roll when it came to hard braking and cornering. We likened the dive under hard braking to the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, a comparison that evoked a chuckle every time we experienced the phenomenon.On the RoadThe Ford Bronco Black Diamond we tested tracked nicely on the highway, wandering less than a Jeep Wrangler thanks to its independent front suspension rather than a live axle setup. Some off-road vehicles are really a handful to keep in one lane on the highway—a real white-knuckle experience—but that wasn't the case with the Bronco. Wind noise was our biggest complaint, as it was loud enough that we could barely hear the person riding in the passenger seat.The 2021 Ford Bronco Black Diamond doesn't come with the upgraded suspension of some other Broncos or modded off-roaders, so it wasn't able to soak up heavier hits on the road. Rather, we bounced and jolted our way through rough patches. We slowed down for dips and respected it for what it was: an entry-level true 4x4 off-roader that'll get the basic job done while being a perfectly capable on-road transporter. Those who want more may need to wait for the Bronco Raptor, which also isn't a trophy truck.We had the rare treat of driving the Bronco Black Diamond in some significant SoCal rain, and it was fun. We slipped the transfer case into 4-Auto and selected Slippery mode just to ensure we didn't get sideways on freeway entrances. Traction was ample, and although we didn't need to, we liked knowing we could have forded a couple feet of water should the need arise.As for the stick shift, the clutch was user-friendly and easily mastered by any seasoned manual driver within about four stoplights. It's technically a seven-speed, but one of those gears is a 6.588:1 crawler gear. The manual option, however, isn't compatible with some Bronco tech options such as trail control, trail turn assist, and trail one-pedal drive. Those features require the 10-speed automatic. The manual versus an automatic debate for off-roading is something we won't tackle in this piece, and besides, both sides are 100 percent sure they are correct.What Makes the Bronco Black Diamond Cool?There are half a dozen Ford Bronco trims, and the specifics of each can be mind-boggling. Ford describes our Black Diamond tester as "next-level outdoor adventure," and it falls third from the bottom of the lineup after the base and Big Bend models. For being relatively low on the pecking order, it had a rad feature palette for less than $40,000. However, opting for the 2.7-liter turbo V-6 EcoBoost engine ($1,895), 10-speed automatic ($1,595), and the four-door ($2,345) quickly elevates the price.Solid DetailsFirst, check out those wheels. Those are 17-inch glossy black steelies, and they're standard on the 2021 Ford Bronco Black Diamond. Sure, the base Bronco—which may have already disappeared—has 16-inch silver steelies, but the black is oh-so-spot-on. The Black Diamond also offers an optional aluminum wheel for people who aren't down with the steelies. The tires, 265/70R-17 General Grabber A/TX's, aren't too shabby for a modest trim. Many would consider Grabbers an upgrade.Next, the interior. The Ford Bronco Black Diamond barely misses the cut for the larger 12.0-inch screen, but we can live with the 8.0-incher. But our attention was drawn to the interior material, a Dark Space Gray with Black Onyx marine-grade vinyl paired with rubberized flooring—complete with drain plugs that make the whole interior less vulnerable to water. The vinyl felt super soft, plush, and inviting, not at all like the plasticky vinyl you may be thinking of. It looked classy, too.Finally, a few random traits distinguish the Bronco Black Diamond: It is the lowest trim to have seven G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) modes, it comes with standard rock rails and underbody protection, and it features the heavy-duty powder-coated modular steel front bumper and powder-coated steel rear bumper. You'll also appreciate auxiliary switches in the overhead console.Two-Door Family LifeFull disclaimer: We sold our four-door Jeep Wrangler upon news of kiddo number two. Our first born has still not forgiven us for selling "her" Jeep; we stand firm that its replacement, a Ford Raptor, is a roomier fit for family life.Hence, we found no surprises when squeezing a family of four into the two-door 2021 Ford Bronco tester. It was tight, and the car seat process was cumbersome (but it always is). But it worked, despite our larger Chicco car seats filled by preschool/early elementary children. But it wasn't necessarily pleasant. Getting out of the Bronco after securing the seats took some ninja skills, as does hoisting children into those seats and tightening their belts. The driver and passenger seats were perpetually in the way.As for luggage? Pack light. With just a backpack per person, your cargo room disappears quickly. The kids were afforded a nice view, as they were seated relatively high; merely an arm's length away, they might as well have been driving. The smaller child was confused as to why he had no door, despite our assurance there was none and that it was OK."Bronco" may be much easier for toddlers to say than "Wrangler," but the truth is, both SUVs—and even the larger four-door versions—are marginal tools when it comes to family life.All the FeelsDriving the 2021 Ford Bronco Black Diamond felt fun, sporty, and adventurous, almost nostalgic but modern. It felt youthful, vibrant, and it has an impact across a wide swath of the population: A mom during school drop-off noticed it. We couldn't quite tell how Jeep Wrangler drivers or old-school Bronco purists perceived us, but we imagined the best. Competition raises the bar, and the Wrangler needs a strong rival. And we all needed the Bronco's return, even if just for the grins.Looks good! More details?SPECIFICATIONS 2021 Ford Bronco 2-Door Black Diamond (Advanced) BASE PRICE $38,340 PRICE AS TESTED $38,935 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 4-pass, 2-door SUV ENGINE 2.3L Turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 POWER (SAE NET) 275 hp @ 5,700 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 315 lb-ft @ 3,400 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,491 lb (55/45%) WHEELBASE 100.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 173.7 x 75.9 x 72.9 in 0-60 MPH 7.9 sec QUARTER MILE 15.8 sec @ 85.8 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 135 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.71 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 28.8 sec @ 0.57 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 17/19/18 mpg ON SALE Now Show All

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