2004 Chevy Silverado Base Engine & Drive Test

Those are benefits of its stiff frame, which minimizes noise and vibration from the running gear. The rigid chassis allows the suspension to soak up and manage bumps and ruts and tar strips. The cab is stiffened by a magnesium beam behind the instrument panel and a lateral steel beam between the magnesium beam and the right side of the dash. This additional stiffening is designed to eliminate squeaks and rattles, and we haven't heard any.

The Chevy Silverado rides more smoothly than the Dodge Ram and Ford F-150. We drove a Silverado 1500 2WD LS Extended Cab that rode very smoothly. Its long, 143-inch wheelbase contributed to the ride (and enhanced high-speed stability). Models with Quadrasteer seem to have a rougher ride, however. At low speeds, a Silverado 1500 LT with Quadrasteer we tested tended to bounce annoyingly over a succession of dips. Could it be that the stouter rear end that comes with Quadrasteer causes a rougher ride? Silverado 2500 models ride rougher than 1500 models, but offer a bigger towing capacity (10,700 pounds).

The Silverado handles well on dry pavement, loose dirt, deep dirt, and off road. It tracks straight at speed on dry pavement and it's stable on wet pavement. It holds its line when the rear wheels spin under acceleration, even when coming out of a low-speed turn. Steering is responsive and offers the right amount of feedback. We find the Silverado more responsive to steering than the Dodge Ram; the Silverado has better on-center feel (less slop in the center). There is a dead spot in the center when cruising, however, which Chevrolet says is designed to minimize steering corrections on the highway. Rack-and-pinion steering is used on Silverado 1500 4x2s. Four-wheel-drive and heavy-duty models use recirculating-ball steering.

Quadrasteer is no gimmick. It enhances low-speed maneuverability, and is a must-have for owners who tow, though it's available only on selected models (1500 Extended Cab short-box and 2500 Crew Cab models, the last time we checked). The Silverado is a full-size truck in a compact world and Quadrasteer helps address that fact. Four-wheel steering helps when maneuvering through crowded parking lots and public garages. With Quadrasteer, you can make a U-turn in places that previously required backing up. A Silverado that requires 47.3 feet to turn around in, needs just 37.4 feet with Quadrasteer. That's 10 feet, a huge difference. Where turning around on a narrow street takes five steps in a standard pickup, it's only three steps with Quadrasteer. Changing direction is quicker, less annoying.

While Quadrasteer helps around town, it is truly a must-have feature when towing trailers. Quadrasteer can make you look like trailering pro. First, it greatly improves control when backing up, eliminating much of that trial and error that occurs when you're not towing trailers on a regular basis. Second, Quadrasteer allows you to back a trailer into spots where you could not physically do so without it. Quadrasteer also increases towing capacity slightly due to the heavy-duty componentry that supports it.

The optional Ride Control Suspension, available with or without Quadrasteer, is designed to enhance control when pulling a trailer. Press the Ride Control button when the truck is empty and the system firms up the shock damping, which reduces bouncing somewhat, although at the expense of increased harshness. When towing, Ride Control helps reduce the tendency of the truck to pogo as the trailer goes over bumps. It can also be used for better suspension control when driving off road.

Four different engines are available for Chevy's light-duty pickups, so when choosing one it's helpful to study power ratings, payload ratings, tow ratings, fuel-economy ratings, pricing, and other data. People talk about horsepower, but torque ratings better reflect how the truck will perform. The V6 model is best for light-duty work when price and fuel economy are paramount.

The two most popular engines are the small-block V8s. The 4.8-liter V8 (294 cubic-inch) is popular in base models and delivers 295 pounds-feet of torque. The 5.3-liter V8 (327 cubic-inch) is rated 330 lbs.-ft., enough grunt for all but the most demanding applications. The 4800 offers plenty of power unless you're towing, hauling heavy loads, or driving at altitude, but it could definitely use more juice when trying to accelerate up hills.

We prefer the Vortec 5300. It only rates 10 horsepower more than the 4800, but offers a lot more torque. The 5300's fat torque curve is useful for light towing and hauling, but also makes the Silverado more fun to drive when commuting or out and about. Fuel economy is the same.

These small-block V8s are based on GM's SB-2 architecture introduced on the Corvette and extended to the Camaro and Firebird in 1999. Since 2003, they have featured Electronic Throttle Control for more precise, consistent throttle operation; new oxygen sensors offer improved reliability and reduced emissions during warm-up. All of Chevy's Vortec engines come with 100,000-mile platinum-tip spark plugs, sequential fuel injection, and 150,000-mile anti-freeze. (Larger engines are available for heavy-duty Silverados. The big Vortec 6000 6.0-liter V8, standard on 2500 and 3500 models, delivers 360 lbs.-ft. for pulling big, heavy trailers. An even beefier 8.1-liter V8 is available, as well as a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel.)

A five-speed manual gearbox is standard in the base truck, but most buyers opt for the excellent four-speed automatic. The automatic features a Tow/Haul mode that reduces the tendency of the transmission to hunt between third and fourth gears in hilly terrain; when it does shift, it shifts quicker and harder in Tow/Haul mode. This strategy reduces heat buildup for improved reliability. We recommend opting for the automatic unless you run a snow-plowing operation or have a specific need for a manual. With all the advances that have been made in automatics, most of the advantages of a manual are now more imagined than real, even when driving off road.

Silverado's frame is the stiffest, lightest, and strongest truck frame General Motors has ever built. Introduced on the 1999 models, its front frame rails are hydroformed, a process that uses high-pressure hydraulics to shape large and complex components that used to be fabricated from smaller stampings. One big hydroformed part is far more rigid than a bunch of pieces welded together. Tubular crossmembers and roll-formed mid-rails increase rigidity even more. This stiff structure enhances handling and ride quality immensely, while improving crashworthiness. The front suspension comprises aluminum upper and lower control arms, with coil springs on two-wheel-drive 1500s. Torsion bars are used on all 4x4 models and 2500 models.

Silverado comes with good brakes, always useful but even more important when trailering or hauling a heavy load. This is welcome by anyone familiar with the brakes in older Chevy pickups and full-size SUVs. The current models offer vastly improved brake-pedal response and stopping performance. Braking force on the current models begins only an inch into the pedal travel. The four-wheel disc brakes are huge and powerful and come standard with ABS. Dynamic Rear Proportioning improves stability under heavy braking, whether the truck is loaded or empty. Chevrolet promises excellent fade resistance, with long pad life and good heat dissipation. We've worked the brakes hard on the Silverado and have experienced no fade.

For best ride quality and lowest load height, we prefer 2WD models. Four-wheel drive can be quite useful at times, and occasionally it's absolutely necessary.

Silverado's AutoTrac 4WD system lets the driver press a button to shift between 2WD (for best fuel economy) and 4WD. Select 4WD High, and it functinos as a traditional part-time system that delivers excellent traction off-road. Press the button for 4WD Low for particularly rugged terrain. Spinning wheels in the rain? Pressing the Auto4WD button cures that problem. Auto4WD works very well. Step on the gas in the wet and there's half a moment of wheelspin as power is transferred to the front wheels and the Silverado takes off. Auto4WD is the mode to be in when road conditions are loose and fluctuating: icy roads, spotty snow, gravel roads, even slick pavement. Auto4WD eliminates the binding of the front and rear wheels that can occur with traditional part-time 4WD in tight parking lot maneuvers, nice in the winter. When the mud or snow get deep, when the going gets rugged, switch to 4WD High. When it gets steep or truly nasty, switch to 4WD Low.