Here is the 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab 4×4 LT with the Z71 off-road package. This long name is familiar to the fans of Chevy pickups as is the 6.0L Vortec V8 motor under its hood. However, it’s a member of the newly redesigned lineup of heavy duty trucks for GM. So what has changed and what is this truck like on the daily basis?
| STATS | Starting Retail Price | As Tested Price | HP / Lb-Ft |
| 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500 6.0L LT | $43,750 | $49,545 | 360 / 380 |
| EPA Rating MPG | As Tested MPG | ||
| Rating: LEASE IT! | N / A |
The truck has a fresh face with a prominent horizontal grille element. It appears much taller and more menacing than before. Even if you ignore the large bow-tie symbol, the Chevrolet heritage is still obvious. There are new lights all the way around, but the truck otherwise resembles the previous generation with exception of the door design. The new doors are “inlaid” for improved aerodynamics and a less wind noise. The large vertical towing mirrors are still the same. Why change something that’s not broken? However, there will be a mid-year enhancement for 2015 models with slightly larger mirror with amber turn signals and rearward lighting integrated into the housing.
Interior is where the redesign really comes to life. Materials, design, and overall ambiance take a big step toward luxury and sophistication. It gives the big pickup a more comfortable feeling with a healthy doze of car-like ambiance. Is this a bad thing? I don’t think so. All the gauges and control are clear and easy to understand and use. The large touch screen is very handy and has high-resolution maps. However, I was disappointed by the voice-controlled feature. I could not get the system to understand my destination after about 10 tries. I don’t think it’s just me. I wish Apple’s Siri was there to help. The improved aerodynamics of the doors and other sound deadening enhancements combine with the more comfortable interior for a great vehicle for both work or play.
Speaking of work, the familiar 6.0-liter Vortec V8 engine makes a return in the new generation of the heavy duty. It makes the same 360 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque as before. It’s backed up by a 6-speed automatic transmission, which has a manual shift mode that will let you go all the way to redline and stay there. Sorry, if you were expecting the more powerful 6.2L V8 in this Chevy HD. The older workhorse has maintainability, well-understood durability, spare parts availability, and other such benefits for fleet operators or anybody else. This powertrain provides smooth acceleration, but it’s not as spritely as the addicting power of the Duramax diesel.
Here comes the dilemma. Should a proper working pickup truck be loud and crude or quiet and refined? The 2015 Silverado HD leans strongly to the quiet and refined. You can barely hear the V8 from the cabin, which is a negative. A big truck with a big V8 should belch some exhaust sound, shouldn’t it? However, you can also barely hear anything else cruising down the highway, which is a positive. If you drive for work all day, or coming home after a long day – it’s nice for your truck not to assault your auditory sensors.
The refined character also applies to the way this big beast rides and handles. The Z71 off-road shocks and overall suspension setup make for a ride that is better than you might expect from an HD truck capable of carrying 3,152 or towing 13,000 pounds with a bumper hitch. This truck is not Raptor smooth, but is still very compliant for a heavy duty. This is a big plus.
Competitors:
| Starting Retail Price | Payload / Towing Lbs | HP / Lb-Ft | |
| 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew LT 6.0L | $43,750 | 3,152 / 13,000 | 360 / 380 |
| 2015 Ford F-250 SuperCrew XLT 6.2L | $41,965 | 3,150 / 12,500 | 385 / 405 |
| 2014 Ram 2500 Crew Big Horn 6.4L | $41,330 | 3,170 / 15,500 | 410 / 429 |
This is a quick look at the competing Crew Cab 4×4 trucks with a mid-level trim configurations. The starting prices are not that far off each other. Each of the big three have various levels of trims, so it’s difficult to match them apples to apples. The payload capability is nearly identical across the board, but the Ram jumps higher on the maximum tow rating. The 6.0L Vortec is also the least powerful in this group.
On the TFLcar scale of:
- Buy it!
- Lease it!
- Rent it!
- … or Forget it!
I give the 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD CrewCab 4×4 LT Z71 a Lease It!
This was a tough decision. I really like this truck, but I wished for more usable power. This big and heavy truck feels a little underpowered. We did the Ike Gauntlet HD extreme towing test, and you will see the results of this soon. If this beast put out a bit more torque, then it would be an easy Buy It! for me.
Check out this informative TFLtruck video of the 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500. Ike Gauntlet HD video will be released soon.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, reporter, and software engineer. He has been a contributor at TFL since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or simply ‘going for a drive’.
