What Does the Chevy Silverado 1500 Feature That the Competition Doesn’t?

The full-size, light-duty, half-ton pickup truck space is one of the most competitive out there. The market is full of options and variations that all compete for the attention of truck shoppers. However, you can’t let fancy slogans and new model year updates lure you into thinking that these other trucks are the best that the segment has to offer, especially when you consider that they still come up short in key areas compared to the Chevy Silverado 1500. Whether you are shopping for a new or used Chevy Silverado for sale as your next truck, consider that it comes packed with some features that the competition does not. These features are quite diverse, and whether you’re looking for a great light-duty pickup for its infotainment and safety or something that has great gas mileage and utility, here are some key areas where the Chevy Silverado 1500 manages to best its nearest competitors in the half-ton internal combustion pickup space.

Large Infotainment Touchscreen

Infotainment touchscreens are a common feature in just about every vehicle these days, and they continue to expand in size with each new generation of vehicles. The bigger the screen, the more options you have for accessing apps or utilizing the screen space for the rear cameras and the HD Surround Vision to check what’s around the vehicle when you park. The importance of the screen space isn’t just the luxury of having a large screen. It’s also about the importance of the utility and safety aspects that come with it, including features like the trailer hitch camera so you can properly connect the truck to a trailer or use the navigation system to plot your course to a destination.

The Chevy Silverado 1500 has one of the largest available screens in the segment, beating out the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and the Nissan Titan. The Nissan Titan has the smallest screen of the group, with a nine-inch diagonal HD touchscreen available for its infotainment stack. The Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 each have a screen size slightly larger than the Nissan Titan, at 12-inches. The UConnect system powers the Ram 1500, while the Ford SYNC suite powers the F-150. However, topping all of the aforementioned touchscreen options is the Silverado 1500, which tops out at 13.4 inches of diagonal HD touchscreen space, powered by Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium System with Google built-in. You get more room overall to operate the touchscreen compared to the competition and a fast, robust operating system backed by Google that powers it.

Great Fuel Economy

A full-size truck hauls around a lot of weight. Even as a half-ton pickup, you’re still going to be dealing with the fact that the gas mileage isn’t going to be comparable to a subcompact or compact vehicle. However, it doesn’t mean the automakers haven’t been trying to improve the fuel economy of many light-duty pickup trucks, often opting for a hybrid powertrain to get the most range out of the truck. Even with this hybrid technology, many current light-duty pickups still fall short compared to the fuel economy offered in the Chevy Silverado thanks to the inline I-6 Duramax turbo-diesel.

The Nissan Titan falls far behind the fuel economy offerings of the Silverado 1500, topping out at an EPA-estimated 17 MPG in the city and only 21 MPG on the highway. The Toyota Tundra has been in the headlines quite a bit with its new powertrain, but even with its i-Force Max turbocharged hybrid V6, the latest generation Tundra only manages EPA ratings of 20 MPG in the city and up to 24 MPG on the highway in rear-wheel drive models. Four-wheel drive trucks do slightly worse.

The Ford F-150 comes much closer than the Titan and Tundra, topping out at an EPA-estimated 19 MPG in the city and up to 25 MPG on the highway when paired with the 2.7L EcoBoost V6. However, you get slightly less highway mileage and slightly more city range with the F-150 if you opt for the PowerBoost hybrid V6, which manages 24 MPG in the city and up to 22 MPG on the highway.

The Chevy Silverado 1500 manages to top the competition with EPA ratings of 23 MPG in the city and up to 29 MPG on the highway with the Duramax engine and rear-wheel drive. This is better fuel economy than the aforementioned gas-powered and hybrid light-duty trucks. The Silverado’s city MPG rating even beats the Titan’s highway rating.

Teen Driver Mode

There are many different safety features, assists, aids, and suites available for different trucks on the market. Each auto manufacturer has their own assortment of safety features for its trucks, but despite all of the latest and greatest safety technologies, none of them have been able to measure up to what you get with GM vehicles. More specifically, none of them have been able to compare to one specific safety feature exclusive to vehicles like the Chevy Silverado 1500, which is the Teen Driver mode.

This mode monitors and records a teen’s driving habits while prompting safety reminders through features like Buckle-to-Drive, which requires teen drivers to buckle up before activating other features. There is also a report card that shows how many times certain Chevy Safety Assist aids are activated during travel, giving parents an idea of where their teen may fall short or need to improve. This exclusive safety feature for the Chevy Silverado compared to other full-size trucks on the market from rival automakers is one of the many reasons the Silverado 1500 is such a standout truck.

ZR2 Bison Edition

Off-road trims are common among nearly every type of popular pickup truck, but not every off-road trim is the same. Some very worthwhile off-road trims are out there, such as the Ford Raptor, Tundra TRD Pro, and the Ram 1500 TRX. While all of those trims offer some amazing functionality and features, what they don’t have is a collaboration with the outdoor enthusiast company American Expedition Vehicles.

The Silverado 1500’s ZR2 Bison Edition not only features everything from the motorsports-themed ZR2 trim, such as the racing-inspired suspension upgrades and exterior modifications, but it also has unique features like the AEV stamped steel front and rear bumpers with recovery points and integrated step pads. Five hot-stamped boron steel unique skid plates cover vital parts of the undercarriage, which provide protection no matter what off-road activities you engage in. This is combined with AEV badging featured throughout the exterior and interior of the vehicle, along with a unique livery. The added bonus of the Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers adds a lot to the value of the ZR2 Bison, making it a competitive off-road truck.

Multi-Flex Tailgate

One of the most significant differences between the Chevy Silverado 1500 and every other truck on the market is the Multi-Flex Tailgate. The Ram 1500 has the Multifunction Tailgate with the ability to open the tailgate normally or sideways with the 60/40 side-opening door. The Ford F-150 Pro Access Tailgate resembles the Ram 1500’s Multifunction Tailgate, offering a 20-60-20 configuration with side-opening functionality and standard power damping. However, neither the Multifunction Tailgate nor the Pro Access Tailgate offers the same functionality as the Multi-Flex Tailgate, which offers six different functions.

The Multi-Flex Tailgate has multiple load-stop levels, the ability to use the tailgate as a step-in ladder to access the cargo box, and the ability to use the tailgate as a raised work surface. Added features like accessibility and modular versatility give the Multi-Flex Tailgate a significant utility advantage over the competition. This gives you additional usability out of the tailgate, and it makes the Silverado 1500 a true standout among the half-ton, light-duty pickup truck segment. It’s a true segment-defining feature for recreational and work-related purposes.

Super Cruise

A huge tech surge in recent years has seen many cool new features available for today’s modern vehicles, including hands-free, semi-autonomous driving systems. Chevy’s Super Cruise with Trailering is one such feature as part of the Silverado 1500 High Country trim. It provides a semi-autonomous driving system that spans more than 400,000 compatible miles worth of road across North America, including Canada. The closest competitor to the Super Cruise is Ford’s BlueCruise system, which offers over 130,000 miles of hands-free semi-autonomous driving across North America, but it certainly doesn’t expand as far as the Silverado 1500’s Super Cruise. The other light-duty trucks from other competing auto manufacturers don’t offer anything nearly as comprehensive as the Silverado 1500’s semi-autonomous driving functionality, which puts it in a league of its own.

Is It Worth the Purchase?

If you think that the competitive edge that the Chevy Silverado 1500 has over the competition is worth it, then it’s definitely worth shopping for a new or used Chevy Silverado if you need a fully featured full-size truck. From the Multi-Flex Tailgate and Super Cruise to the Teen Driver Mode and great fuel economy, there is a lot to love about the Silverado 1500 when it comes to unique features that trump the competition. If you want to learn more about the Silverado 1500 or to check out our supply of used trucks, visit us at Dan Cummins Chevrolet Buick of Georgetown.