2007 Chevrolet Silverado Extended Cab LTZ 4x4
As with most of our long-term test vehicles, I was hesitant to hand the keys of our `07 Silverado over to Mark Halvorsen. Not because Mark is known for destroying vehicles (only his own), I had just become accustomed to driving the Silverado. Because I'd become so accustomed to driving the Silverado, and since most of the photo shoots we've planned for our Silverado have focused on the exterior, I decided this update should take a look inside.
I've spent time behind the wheel of an LT trim-level truck, and while its interior is more utility-oriented, it is still among the best truck interiors available. Step up to an LTZ-equipped truck, such as our CrewCab 4x4, and you have an interior that, just a year ago, could only be found in a luxury vehicle. The dash panels fit well, there are no squeaks or rattles, and the list of available features is incredible. Our Silverado came with all of the bells and whistles, but the one I missed the most was the navigation system. I relied on the GPS navigation of our Silverado almost too much, asking it to find businesses, restaurants, and routes around traffic. It put the navigation system in my daily driver to shame. Granted, the navigation system in my daily driver is a 2-year-old AAA map stored in the center console; but even compared to other factory systems that work well, the touch-screen unit in our Silverado seemed to have all of the buttons where you'd expect them to be. All of the controls in the center stack worked fine for me, since I didn't mess too much with the HVAC controls, which was one area where our Senior Editor Dan Ward had a complaint. Another feature I have come to appreciate is the steering-wheel-mounted audio controls that allowed me to keep my focus on the road whenever I needed to switch channels in a hurry--like when an errant Michael Bolton song popped up on the satellite radio. Crisis averted.
This is the second installment of our long-term coverage of the `07 Silverado. The overall mpg for this period is 14.8.