Reviews of 2012 Chevy 1500 43 Liter V6
The Car Connection Skilful Review
Editorial Director
January 30, 2012
Likes
- Thousands of possible build combinations
- Course-leading gas mileage in Hybrids
- Even in luxury versions, a existent workhorse
- Handles and rides better than the average truck
Dislikes
- Front seats need some piece of work
- Lacks accessories like a factory bedliner
- Styling isn't as rugged equally the truck really is
- Gas mileage has lagged on non-Hybrid models
Ownership tip
features & specs
2WD Coiffure Cab 143.5" LS
2WD Crew Cab 143.5" LT
2WD Crew Cab 143.5" LTZ
It counts a savvy Hybrid model in its ranks, just mostly, the 2012 Chevy Silverado appeals to the prosaic truck buyer that doesn't demand equally much in the way of infotainment.
The Chevrolet Silverado lineup spans a huge swath of the total-size pickup market, from sport trucks to hybrids to heavy-duty models. For 2012, it hasn't inverse much, but it still stacks up well against newer trucks similar the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and its close kith and kin, the GMC Sierra 1500.
Chevy'due south full-size trucks come in a class to adapt nearly every possible kind of truck user, from exurban hipsters to urban structure crew chieftans. Shoppers can opt into ane of three trunk styles, and one of ii interior designs; from amidst iv gas engines and two automatic transmissions, or one gas-electric drivetrain; and from bed lengths ranging from the smallest five'-8" bed on Crew Cabs and Hybrids, to the 6-half-dozen" bed on all versions save for the Hybrid, to the eight' bed offered on all versions except the Hybrid.
The Silverado's styling remains condom and a piffling manifestly, when compared to the Ram or Toyota trucks. It's one of the oldest designs on the block and information technology shows in its less obvious looks. That's not to say it's non handsome--Chevy's trucks have a fashion of looking skillful for decades and we suspect today'due south Silverado is on its way to the same distinction. The interior's unique in that it comes either with a console and more upscale trim, or as a more basic blueprint without the console and without the woodgrain trim, both handsome and organized thoughtfully. No matter how you cut across the lineup, the Silverado look seems to be aging well.
No longer economy or horsepower leaders, the drivetrains offered in the Silverado nonetheless are competitive afterwards a few years on the market. The range of engines includes a 195-horsepower, iv.3-liter Five-six that we'd just recommend to armada buyers. Amidst the V-8s, at that place's a flex-fuel, 302-hp 4.8-liter V-8 in some of the less expensive models; a flex-fuel 5.three-liter V-eight with 315 hp in more than mainstream versions, and outfitted with cylinder deactivation for improved fuel economy in XFE models; and at the elevation of the range, a vi.2-liter, 403-hp, flex-fuel Five-eight in the Silverado LTZ. A four-speed automatic is fitted to base of operations Five-6 and base V-8 versions, while all other models except for the hybrid have a half dozen-speed automatic that shifts smoothly and quietly, and helps keep those gas-mileage numbers in the ballpark of Ford'southward higher-mpg lineup. The v.3-liter is our choice of the gas-but Silverados: information technology has aplenty power for almost every need, and comes with only a slight gas-mileage penalty over the basic 5-vi.
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The Silverado Hybrid is quite unlike from the stock-and-trade Chevy truck, thanks to a two-way hybrid powertrain that pairs an aluminum-alloy half dozen.0-liter V-viii with cylinder deactivation and variable valve timing, to an electrically variable transmission (EVT) with four stock-still-ratio gears and 2 electric motor/generators, also equally a nickel-metal-hydride 300-volt battery pack. All together, these pieces combine to produce 332 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque, to a cyberspace EPA gas-mileage rating of 20 mpg metropolis, 23 mpg highway. The Hybrid'southward operation isn't radically different from the gas-engined versions, save for the for the exceptionally polish and quiet operation of the hybrid drivetrain, which runs on electricity alone up to 27 mph. Regenerative braking helps recapture some free energy to accuse the batteries. Despite its actress heft, the Silverado Hybrid can tow vi,100 pounds with 2WD, or 5,900 pounds with automated dual-range iv-wheel bulldoze.
Beyond the lineup, the Silverado has some of the best directly-line performance in the class, though the pack has gotten significantly more competitive with Ford's new 5.0-liter V-8 and Toyota's improved 5-8s. The Silverado maxes out at x,700 pounds of towing capacity--and yet, it's still ane of the easiest full-size pickups to drive, thanks to communicative steering and good to fair ride quality, which gets noticeably stiffer with four-wheel-drive models.
The Silverado's cabin doesn't meet the flexible Ram 1500 head-on with great features, and its cabin has some foibles that you won't find in the F-150 or Tundra, either. Front infinite is ample, and though the saucepan seats could be more supportive for longer trips, we'd even so opt for them over the flat front end bench for personal employ. On Crew Cab Silverados, the rear seat is placed high, stadium-style, and is divide threescore/40 so it can be folded downwardly for more carrying space, just the rear seatback is nearly vertical, making it uncomfortable for longer trips. The rear access doors on extended-cab models open 170 degrees, for easier loading of small items like a toolbox or a properly folded tent. Throughout the Silverado range, a hushed and refined cabin is standard, with less wind noise and tighter build quality than some of the other full-size trucks in the class.
The Silverado'due south primary selling point however is its flexible order sheet. With its perennial entreatment to piece of work users, the Silverado comes in a staggering assortment of configurations and build combinations. Stripped-downwards piece of work versions sticker in the low-$20,000 range, while loaded Hybrid models are priced well-nigh $50,000. Standard equipment even includes cruise control, while the options listing counts leather upholstery, a new hard-drive navigation organisation, Bluetooth and USB connections for cell phones, and GM'south OnStar telematics system, for everything from directions to emergency services.
The Chevy Silverado's proficient looks can seem pretty quiet and tame when it's parked next to its louder, brasher competitors.
Largely carried over each year since it went on auction in 2007, the Chevy Silverado could utilise a style injection. Like its cousin, the GMC Sierra, the Silverado all the same looks tidy and neat--but in this case, information technology's maybe a piffling also peachy, as the truck world around it has gone nuts with exaggerated, hypermasculine looks (Ram, F-150, Tundra).
The Silverado's a unproblematic, plain-looking piece. The headlamps grew larger in this generation, and the gold bowtie has too. There's fiddling else to make the Silverado stand out in a full-size crowd. The generic-looking banded grille and plain taillamps are echoes of the direct-edged cabin, and save for some metallic trim here and a deeper chin spoiler there, the entire Silverado lineup backpedals its talents behind an ordinary truck torso. All that said, the look is aging well, where nosotros don't think the Tundra and Titan have grown quondam with much grace.
Inside, the Silverado and its GMC Sierra sibling are unique amid pickups in that they offer two unlike instrument panel styles. The "pure pickup" versions accept a high nuance with low-gloss blackness plastic and no center panel for three-across seating. Upscale LTZ versions get a wide console, bands of wood grain trim, and metallic-painted pieces that look far richer and more highly-seasoned—and mimics that of Chevy's Tahoe and Suburban large SUVs. It's almost carlike compared to the more upright design on base versions, which too get larger door handles and controls to make operation easier for large hands with gloves.
Both interiors share large, clearly marked gauges and soft blue backlighting, a compact steering wheel, and humongous cup holders tucked either into the nuance or the fold-downwardly armrest, or molded into the console.
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Handling remains a virtue, and then does the 5.3-liter V-viii, in the 2012 Chevy Silverado.
Chevy'due south wide-ranging assortment of engines, transmissions and related hardware gives the Silverado lots of distinct, useful personalities. We think most buyers volition be satisfied with the best-selling Five-8 version, unless they have fleet-type use in mind.
Chief rival Ford has an edge in fuel economy and performance over Chevy's 2 base engines. The work-truck staple of the Silverado lineup is powered past a iv.3-liter V-6 with 195 horsepower, an engine teamed with a four-speed automated. Fleet buyers just need apply for this kind of commonsensical duty, and they may equally well pass on the flex-fuel-capable, 302-hp 4.8-liter V-8. It's also coupled to a iv-speed automatic, and while it'southward strong enough for lighter towing, fuel economy lags behind fifty-fifty better Chevys above it in the pecking order.
The Silverado to purchase--for well-nigh of yous looking for an accommodating player--is ane driven by a flex-fuel 5.3-liter 5-8. With 315 hp and cylinder deactivation for improved fuel economy in XFE models, this and a six-speed automated make for a responsive drivetrain with excellent fuel economy for the size, and a prissy, crisp exhaust note and off-the-line acceleration. There'southward a much more than powerful 6.2-liter, 403-hp, flex-fuel V-viii in top-line LTZ Silverados, but few buyers really need its draining gas bills for the extra hauling capability it provides.
For those who want to become green, at any cost, the Silverado Hybrid has a sophisticated 2-mode hybrid powertrain combining an all-aluminum 6.0-liter Five-eight featuring variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation, to which GM adds an electrically variable transmission (EVT) with two electric motor/generators and 4 fixed-ratio gears, equally well every bit a 300-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. In all, the hybrid organization is rated at 332 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque, which pushes EPA fuel economy to 20 mpg metropolis, 23 highway. Operation feels similar that of the 5.3-liter V-8 engine, except for the almost absurd smoothness and quietness as the Silverado runs up to 27 mph on battery power alone.
Well-nigh the entire Silverado lineup comes in either rear- or four-bicycle drive. Basic versions use a single-range transfer case, with pricier models graduating to dual-range 4WD or, on top models, electronically controlled four-wheel drive. Properly equipped, a long-bed, rear-drive, V-eight Silverado tin tow upwardly to x,700 pounds. Even saddled with more weight, the Hybrid tows six,100 pounds with 2WD, or 5,900 pounds with automated dual-range four-wheel bulldoze.
Aside from its on-newspaper force, the Silverado also has some more than nuanced skills that aren't shared by many other full-size pickups. Information technology's one of the easiest full-size pickups to drive, with more communicative steering than other trucks. Ride quality has been matched and exceeded by the Ram 1500, just the Silverado still tin can experience like a smaller truck in most situations. Every bit for the Hybrid, it has less of the natural steering feel--its electric steering isn't as well-tuned equally the newest units from Ford--and it feels less satisfying to drive every bit a issue.
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It could utilize more comfy rear seats, but infinite abounds within the bigger versions of the 2012 Chevy Silverado.
When it was new in the 2007 model year, the Chevy Silverado broke sharply with its utilitarian roots. The work-truck ethic still showed upward in base versions with up to six-passenger seating, but slick five-seat versions with all kinds of luxury features became a much more important part of the Silverado mix.
Those luxury versions besides compelled GM to lift the Silverado's game across the lath, past improving its interior quality and fit and stop.
In any of today'due south Silverado pickups, space isn't much of an issue. The Ram 1500 or Tundra may have a few inches more than to spare in some directions, but very few large adults tin quibble with excellent head and leg room. The seats themselves are a separate effect: whether it's demote or saucepan seats in front, the Silverado's condolement is practiced in terms of seat width, but support is lacking, particularly lateral support.
Depending on the rider configuration, the front end seats also accept fantabulous knee room--if at that place's no center panel--or they are split with a very large storage area with a bin big enough for a netbook, a couple of Big Gulps, and some rubber-lined trays sized to hold smartphones and the like. The Silverado's big gauges and large controls can be operated when wearing gloves, too.
For back-seat room, the Silverado depends on buyers choosing the 4-door Crew Cab. The Regular Cab version has just a sliver of space behind the seat, and Extended Cabs are marginally meliorate, with space to hold toolboxes and gear, but not much more. Coiffure Cabs are fitted with a rear bench and are good for 3-across developed seating; the stadium-manner rear seat has a 60/40-divide pattern and tin can be folded up for more cargo space. Still, the back balance sits also close to vertical for long-distance condolement. The dorsum seat in Hybrid models is somewhat like that in other Crew Cab models simply under-seat storage gets compromised, to make room for batteries.
Across the Silverado 1500 / Hybrid lineup, bed sizes range from 5'eight" on Coiffure Cabs and Hybrids; 6'half-dozen" on all versions except the Hybrid; and eight' on all versions except the Hybrid.
Throughout the Silverado lineup, the cabin is unexpectedly hushful and refined, thanks to increased sound deadening and tight build quality. Wind racket has been further reduced for 2011.
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Safety scores are muddled, but the Silverado has options for some advanced safe engineering science to go with standard airbags and stability command.
Prophylactic scores for all kinds of new vehicles have been shifting since final twelvemonth. That's when the National Highway Traffic Safety Assistants (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) both changed the manner they crash-test vehicles and how they calculate the end results.
With the Silverado, the crash tests don't give a complete picture of safety, simply they do produce some data for all three body styles. The IIHS says the Silverado is a "practiced" performer in frontal impacts, without specifying a body styles. Nevertheless, they also observe the side-affect protection to exist simply "acceptable," and roof strength "marginal."
The NHTSA, on the other hand, rates all torso styles at four stars overall, including a five-star rating for side-touch on protection.
Side and side curtain airbags are standard on all Silverado 1500 models, while anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, OnStar, and tire pressure monitors are all included. A rearview photographic camera is bachelor, as are power-adjustable pedals.
The 2012 Chevy Silverado runs the gamut from luxury family pickup to bare-bones work appliance.
The overwhelming array of body styles, bed lengths, and drivetrains is enough to make a Silverado shopper weary before they prepare foot in a dealer. Ah, but it doesn't end there--the Silverado'due south features list spans just as much of the automotive realm, with work trucks lining upward on the same order sheets as $50,000 hybrid trucks with existent-time traffic and DVD entertainment systems.
The basic Silverado'due south a spartan workhorse, though. It comes with few creature comforts: the windows wind up by manus, the locks lock that mode too, the demote seats are covered in vinyl, and the AM/FM radio goes abroad if you desire to save a hundred bucks. That'south one farthermost. The other extreme--with lots of steps between SL and SLT between--piles on luxury hardware similar satellite radio with NavTraffic; navigation; OnStar; leather seating; a power sunroof; a power sliding rear window; Bluetooth; a USB port for media players; and of course, dozens of cargo-securing features, down to the bedliner itself.
Options and features are more selective on the Hybrid edition. The base version has material seats; steering-bike audio controls; a USB port; and remote keyless entry. The upscale edition has leather; Bluetooth; navigation; and satellite radio.
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Last twelvemonth, GM updated the Silverado'south OnStar system to version 9.0. Information technology now includes automatic crash response, crunch assist, and stolen vehicle slowdown, with a one-year subscription to the Condom and Audio plan.
Information technology'due south not green past mass-market passenger-car standards, but among trucks, the 2012 Chevy Silverado is among the best in its class for efficiency.
Gas mileage is a factor that rarely weighs in a pickup truck's favor. While the 2012 Chevy Silverado does better than most--much better, in the example of the Hybrid--it's nevertheless a relative laggard in overall fuel-economy ratings.
The Silverado'southward gas-simply editions fare better with fuel bills than almost all other big trucks, relieve for the Ford F-150. The bones Five-half-dozen and V-viii, though, aren't every bit good as Chevy'due south biggest seller, the 5.three-liter V-8. In function it'southward because the fleet-duty six and 8 are sold with four-speed automatics, while the 5.three gets a six-speed automatic. Only the five.three likewise has cylinder-deactivation engineering and an aero-smoothed XFE edition. The largest V-8 has the 6-speed equally well, only it's the lowest-rated by the EPA.
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If y'all're looking for the most fuel-efficient Silverado, the winner past far is the Silverado Hybrid. With EPA ratings of xx mpg urban center, 23 highway, whether you go 4WD or not, the Silverado Hybrid is the green choice for full-size truck shoppers.
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The Car Connexion Consumer Review
April 28, 2015
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4WD Coiffure Cab 143.5" LS
Drives smooth, very reliable, comfortable seats, 4WD piece of cake to activate, I like my truck.
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