Derek McNaughton tackled a build project and climbed Mount Washington in the Chevy Silverado, its stellar V8 impressing throughout
The drive up Mount Washington, elevation 1,917 metres, is not for the faint of heart. The average grade is 12%. There are no guardrails. The world’s highest wind velocity — 372 kilometres per hour — was recorded here in 1934. People have died on this road, many more have perished on this mountain.
What powers the Chevy Silverado?
The Silverado, equipped with the 6.2L V8 churning 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, maintained its composure throughout, mostly due to the ability to override the 10-speed automatic via paddle shifters behind the wheel. Up the mountain, third gear was the ideal position for all 12 kilometres of the ascent. Even with four adults aboard, the truck made the 30-minute climb without so much as a shrug. V8s rule.
Going down, first and second allowed the truck to descend almost entirely without the use of brakes. The truck, set in Sport mode, sounded fantastic during the climb and descent, too, the “active exhaust” growling like a detuned NASCAR truck. Indeed, do not forget to turn the truck back to normal mode if you don’t want to shock the neighbours while starting the truck first thing in the morning. As an adolescent, I left it in Sport mode the whole time. Normal mode sounds, well, like any other truck — albeit one with that increasingly rare thing known as a V8. It truly is a blessing the Silverdao can still be optioned (for $3,190) with a big, naturally aspirated gasoline V8 instead of a complex hybrid.
Chevrolet Silverado fuel consumption
Official fuel consumption is 15.6 L/100 km city, 11.9 highway, and 13.9 combined. As it was, we averaged 12 L/100 km over the two weeks and 1,446 km, the first week using the truck for construction, the second for the hiking trip to New Hampshire. No doubt the idle/stop helped too, although the system is too aggressive and should be driver activated by a firmer press on the brake pedal instead of stopping instantly when the truck stops. It gets irritating. The long-term average for the 6.2L was 14.4, about as good as most V6 turbo engines.
How much is the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado?
The camera system is great, too, with 14 views from eight separate cameras, especially the video image that engages when signalling while attached to a trailer: the whole side the truck and trailer becomes visible on the 13.4-inch centre touchscreen. The camera system needs its own button on the dash, however, instead of going through the home screen and then selecting “cameras.”
Back seat room, with the seats folded up, was equally welcoming, easily filled with a variety of tool boxes and equipment. A flat floor and thin-ish rear seats frees up a lot of space. The 22-inch wheels are a bit silly for a work truck, though, especially those wearing highway rubber that would be nearly useless in wet dirt. A 4Auto setting, in addition to 4L and 4H, is extremely useful for keeping the truck in 4×4 mode in varying roads, conditions, and drivers.
The centre armrest is OK for storage but could use more configurable nooks or shelves instead of one single tray and a deep box. Heated and cooled leather seats are comfy but I found myself cramping on the longer drives. Not sure if the “auto” heated and cooled seats, which select the heat or cool setting based on outside temp, are pure genius or just incompatible with my preferences, although it can be shut off. GM’s Super Cruise is standard on the High Country premium package; the semi-autonomous driving feature is genuinely helpful on long hauls and highways. It too can be engaged or not.
A configurable 12.3-inch diagonal instrument cluster is informative. The 15-inch multi-colour HUD is excellent. Displays are clear, although the graphics for the tach can be a bit hard to decipher. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the 13.4-inch screen has Google Built-In, which is great for Android users who will be right at home with the setup. For those who live in an Apple ecosystem, the OS feels a bit like an Android phone, less intuitive than Apple, although it all worked without glitching. The Bose premium sound system could sound better than it does.
Pros
✔ Smooth, powerful V8
✔ Trailering cameras and Super Cruise
✔ Box steps in the bumpers
Cons
✘ Fuel consumption when towing
✘ Impractical wheels
✘ Price point
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