Best Of The Chevy Silverado 1500 Third-Gen Features

The Chevy Silverado has endured through the years as one of America’s favorite pickup trucks. It’s unquestionable American-made design, powerful engine, impressive torque, and reliable towing capacity has made it a standout in the category of pickup trucks. If you are eyeing a used Chevy Silverado 1500, then you’re in luck because this article will detail some of the best features and options for these rugged trucks.

Eco-Friendly Performance

Chevrolet kicked off the Silverado’s third-generation with a 2014 model year, which featured seven different trims, three different engine options, and the choice between rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The heart of the standard third-generation Silverado 1500 is a 4.3L EcoTec3 V6 engine with 285 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque.

The higher trims beef up the Silverado 1500’s performance by a significant margin, featuring a powerful 5.3L V8 that boasts 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. An optional 6.2L V8 is also available, with an impressive 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. That is roughly 20% more power than even the upgraded 5.3L V8 and will help you accomplish virtually any job.

Not only has Chevrolet gone the extra mile to ensure that the third-generation Chevy Silverado is eco-friendly, but it has also made sure there are options available for truck drivers seeking a lot of horsepower under the hood. While you cannot get both outstanding fuel economy and incredible power out of the same engine, a used Silverado 1500 gives you plenty of options to find the perfect power plant for your needs.

Mid-Cycle Facelift

When the third generation of the Chevy Silverado 1500 first got underway, the trusty pickup benefitted from a significant visual refresh over its second-generation predecessor. Rectangular accents were embossed over the wheel fenders, while the grille was made more dominant and pronounced. It certainly looked fetching.

However, Chevrolet decided to take things a step further by making the Silverado even snazzier looking with a 2016 mid-cycle facelift, further highlighting the Silverado’s exterior’s more luxurious qualities. The refresh consisted of new trim badging throughout, chrome furnishings on the front fascia for the higher end configurations, and LED lighting. It also gave some brand new colors, including Iridescent Pearl Tricoat, Autumn Bronze Metallic, and Siren Red Tintcoat, to name a few.

Trim Packages

The Chevy Silverado 1500 comes in dozens of possible configurations thanks to all the optional features, powertrains, infotainment, safety, and convenience options made available. One of the highlights for the third generation iteration of the Silverado 1500 is the packages spread across all of the trims, from the entry-level WT up to the premium LTZ.

The LS trim comes with four available package options: The Chrome Essentials Package that adds chrome recovery hooks and a polished chrome exhaust tip to the Silverado. The Trailering Package adds a heavy-duty locking rear differential to help with tow loads and give the Silverado that extra oomph when trailering. The Protection Package adds all-weather floor liners and specially molded black splash guards. The fourth package is the Essentials Package, which features four-inch chrome assist steps, all-weather floor liners, and a soft tonneau cover with tri-fold retraction.

The WT trim features the same package options as the LS trim but with two additional packages, including the Chrome Bumper Package, which adds front and rear chrome bumpers and additional rear bumper corner-steps. A WT Convenience Package is also new to the WT trim, which features remote keyless entry, power-adjustable heated outside mirrors, deep-tinted glass windows, and a 110-volt AC power outlet. The LT trim keeps with many of the same package options as the WT trim. Only instead of the WT Convenience Package, it comes with an LT Convenience Package. The 110-volt AC power outlet is retained in this package, but there is also a 10-way power adjustable driver seat, a remote vehicle starter, and an electric rear-window defogger.

The Silverado 1500 Custom trim rearranges quite a few packages, offering some spiffy options for those looking to boost the Chevy pickup’s appeal. While the Protection and Trailering Package options remain from the other three trims, the Custom trim adds a Custom Value Package, which combines the Trailering Package and the Convenience Package into one bundle. The Custom Convenience Package features many of the same conveniences as the other Convenience Packages, but it adds OnStar connected support services to the bundle along with a color-matched carpeted floor mats with rubberized vinyl.

The Silverado Custom beefs up its options even further with the Rally 1 Edition, featuring 20-inch black-painted aluminum wheels, a spray-on bed liner, and front and rear black Chevy bowtie emblems. A Black Package sweetens the deal with 22-inch five-spoke black-glossy wheels, four-inch assist steps, and front and rear black Chevy bowtie emblems. If you’re feeling frisky, the Texas Edition of the Silverado 1500 comes with everything from the Convenience Package, but with the Trailering Package added in for good measure along with SiriusXM satellite radio.

The LTZ trim is the one with all the exciting packages, starting with the LTZ Plus, which adds power-adjustable pedals and a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel. The LTZ also retains the optional Street Package, Black Package, Protection Package, Texas Edition, Essentials Package, and Chrome Package, but adds the Sport Package to the line-up. The Trailering Package is also upgraded for the LTZ trim to a Max Trailering Package that sports an integrated trailer brake controller, reinforced rear springs, and enhanced radiator cooling to help with trailering.

The LTZ trim also buffs up some of the offerings with its very own Interior Convenience Package, which comes with an organizational console insert tray, an interior driver assist handle, and a composite storage bin under the rear seats. There’s the Enhanced Driver Alert Package on the safety side of the offerings, which comes with built-in lane-keeping assist, ultrasonic front and rear parking assist, low-speed forward automatic braking, and IntelliBeam automatic high beam headlights.

Silverado Special Editions

Since the 2015 model year, the Chevy Silverado received special editions for nearly every year of the third generation production run. It started with introducing the Rally Edition, Custom Sport Edition, Custom Sport Plus Edition, Texas Edition, Midnight Edition, and Black Out Edition. Some of these were later made available in the higher end trims as optional packages, such as the Rally, Custom Sport, and Texas packages.

Later, the third-generation received even more special editions, including the Custom Sport HD Edition, Realtree Edition, Midnight HD Edition, and the Special Ops Edition. The last of these is a special-operations rescue vehicle sporting a lot of exterior alterations, including a sports bar with a signature emblem over the tonneau cover, Navy-inspired livery, and a black grille with a unique bowtie emblem. Chevrolet would then keep the special editions going throughout the third generation with the All-Star Edition, Redline Edition, and High Country Edition, all of which are available as optional configurations for existing trim levels of the Chevy Silverado 1500.

The Chevy pickup’s third generation was rounded out with the Centennial Edition, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Chevy Trucks brand. This special limited release of the Chevy Silverado comes in a beautiful Blue Steel high-gloss paint job with a special 100th anniversary Chevy bowtie on the front grille and rear fascia. 22-inch chrome wheels come standard along with chrome front tow hooks. Many of the LTZ packages are also available for the Centennial Edition to further spruce up an already high-end pickup.

Used Chevy Silverado 1500 Near You

If some of the features of Chevy’s beloved third-generation pickup strike your fancy, be sure to visit Dan Cummins of Georgetown. We always keep a wide selection of quality used trucks available on our lot for you to choose from. So head on over to our Lexington-area dealership and discover your next pickup.

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