Chevy Silverado Special Editions 2015
Although Chevrolet has been making trucks since 1918, the Silverado has only been around since 1999. We take a look at the best and worst years.
For over a century, Chevrolet has been building trucks to get America to work. The 1918 One-Ton owns the title of being the first purpose-built Chevy truck. Times were different, and the One-Ton barely resembles the luxury versions of trucks driving across America today (like the 2021 Chevy Silverado pictured above).
The 1918 One-Tons could be ordered as either a bare cowl and chassis, the basis for a custom build, or as an express body with an optional eight-post curtain top.
The year 1929 saw the arrival of the International Series AC Light Delivery truck with many upgrades, such as overhead valve V6 engines and standard steel wheels. Then, 1938 introduced America to the Chevrolet Half-Ton with a stylish new vertical grille and design elements that make these models desirable to this day.
The 1947 3100 Series trucks were the first to use the "post-war" design language featuring a five-bar horizontal grille. The 1955 3124 Series Cameo Carrier was the first fleetside truck bed in the industry.
The C/K series trucks started adding comfort and convenience items to trucks in 1967, signaling the beginning of the trend away from being strictly a work vehicle.
The 1973 C30 One-Ton Dually was the first crew cab dually and is also considered the first heavy-duty truck on the market. The first introduction of the Silverado name on a Chevy truck happened in 1975, slotting atop their trim hierarchy of Custom Deluxe, Scottsdale, and Cheyenne.
The year 1988 debuted the design language most iconic to the Chevrolet truck line as we have seen evolutions of this design ever since. The wide, cross-bar grille splitting the headlight units, and overall boxy design have become staples of the modern Silverado.
Chevy Silverado: First Generation (1999-2006)
In what has become typical General Motors fashion, Chevy continued making the previous generation C/K truck for one more year alongside the newly released and renamed Silverado model for the 1999 model year. The 1500 models were updated first, followed by the 2500 and 3500 models for the 2000 model year.
With over a decade worth of technology and manufacturing improvements since the last major redesign, the 1999 Chevy Silverado was greatly improved over the outgoing C/K trucks. Improvements to the overall strength of the truck came in the form of a hydroformed frame for added stiffness as well as strength, which helped overall towing and payload as well as an improved ride.
The new platform, dubbed GMT800, was shared with corporate twin GMC Sierra as well as the full-size SUVs from both brands. A new powerful line of Vortec engines found their way under the hood with the top engine being the 5.3L V8 making 270 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque.
Interior improvements include a rear driver-side door on extended-cab models for easier entry into the rear seat, which itself featured more legroom than before. Bucket seats with a center console were now offered on higher trim trucks, helping to distinguish the Silverado as a truck that could be used as a family hauler, daily driver, and work truck.
Driver conveniences included a new driver information center in the dash to help give owners a better understanding of their new truck. Yes, the new Silverado was a success all around, even earning the coveted Motor Trend "Truck of the Year" award.
Now that full-size trucks were being utilized more for daily drivers, safety became more of a concern when shopping for the all-new Silverado. Receiving an overall marginal score by the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Silverado bested its main rival the Ford F-150, which received a "Poor" rating the same year.
Chevy Silverado: 2003 Facelift and Upgrades
Four years into the production of the first-generation Silverado, designers gave the truck a facelift. Mostly centered around the headlights and grille, the new 2003 truck was visually different from the Suburban/Tahoe SUV counterparts which shared most of the same components as the truck.
Given its success and popularity, Chevy made many special editions and variations of the first generation Silverado over its eight-year run. From a true four-door crew cab to a high-powered SS model, or the eco-friendly Hybrid model, the refreshed Silverado was positioned with an option for every buyer.
As the looming bankruptcy of parent company GM approached, Chevy started implementing cost-cutting measures. Starting with the 2005 model, the standard four-wheel disc brakes were downgraded to a front disc/rear drum setup.
While still competent to stop a vehicle, we recommend avoiding the 2005 to 2006 models for this reason.
Also, check out the A1 Auto video above for a look at some of the problems with the 1999 to 2007 Silverados.
Chevy Silverado: Second Generation (2007-2013)
New from the ground up, the 2007 model was a vastly improved truck. Built on the GMT900 platform shared with the GMC Sierra and the full-size SUVs from GM, the new truck was bigger, stronger, and more aerodynamic than ever before.
Like the 1999 model before it, the 2007 Silverado also brought home the Motor Trend "Truck of the Year" award, along with many others including the North American Truck of the Year. It is worth noting, the previous generation Silverado was continued for the 2007 model year under the "Silverado Classic" name.
Now more family-focused than ever before, the 2007 model redesign was the first to receive a "Good" rating from the IIHS in its overlap front crash test. The second-generation Chevy Silverado was also the generation with the least amount of recalls over its seven-year production.
Similar to the outgoing model, the 2007 was offered as a two-door regular cab, a four-door extended cab with rear opening doors, and a full four-door crew cab with larger front-hinged doors. While the high-powered SS model did not carry over into the new generation, Chevy did offer a 6.0L "Vortec Max" engine as a part of the $3,575 Performance package good for 367 hp and 375 lb.-ft. of torque.
Reintroduced for the 2009 model year, the Hybrid model employed the same V8 but with an added hybrid-electric propulsion system good for 332 hp and 367 lb.-ft. of torque.
The result: an impressive EPA city/highway rating of 21/22 mpg in rear-wheel-drive configurations, and 20/21 in 4WD.
The interiors of the 2007 model were greatly improved and featured two different designs: one more work-focused for the lower trims, and a more luxurious design with imitation wood and aluminum trim for the uplevel LTZ trim.
2500 and 3500 heavy-duty models would be redesigned for the 2008 model year, featuring the same interior cabin treatments, and more muscular exterior body lines.
Chevy Silverado: Third Generation (2014-2018)
The third-generation truck built on the successes of the previous two, with even more focus on interior comfort, convenience, and safety.
By now, trucks are the family vehicle of choice by many Americans, most notably in the southern states. With that being the case, Chevy really focused on making the third generation as comfortable and as safe as possible, winning "Good" results across the IIHS safety testing.
Engines and transmissions were improved too, making the Silverado the most fuel-efficient V8-powered truck in its class. Car and Driver noted that the 2014 model mastered all the fundamentals of the full-size truck, but asked if it was enough in the increasingly popular segment.
Motor Trend did not think so as the 2014 truck lost out to the 2014 Ram 1500 for their "Truck of the Year" award.
Refreshed for 2016 with new headlights, optional LED taillights, and new grilles, Chevy continued to make improvements to their full-size truck. Celebrating the centennial mark of their trucks, 2018 model Silverados, and mid-size Colorado trucks could be ordered in a commemorative special edition.
The competitiveness of the segment made the third generation the shortest-lived of any Silverado, with other truck manufacturers focusing on weight savings and fuel economy, Chevy worked hard to improve the next generation of their full-size truck.
Chevy Silverado: Fourth Generation (2019-Present)
Growing in size, but shedding up to 400 pounds in weight, Chevrolet got serious about improving the fourth-generation Silverado.
The 2019 model Silverado arrived with a lot of controversies, from its barely-changed interior to its functional air-curtains on the front bumper to improve aerodynamics, critics had no shortage of things to say about the fourth-generation truck.
Another controversial point is the fact that this is the first time Chevrolet is offering a four-cylinder engine in the Silverado in the form of the 2.7L turbocharged engine. Good for 310 hp and 348 lb.-ft. of torque, the little engine is no slouch compared to other options and is the only model to get over 20 mpg across all measurements (20/23/20 city/highway/combined).
Which Silverado Should You Buy?
It is clear that there are many things to consider when shopping for a used Silverado: 2WD or 4WD, Regular/Extended/Crew Cab, Short bed, long bed, four, six, or eight-cylinder engine, towing capacity, payload, trims, special editions, and more. Full-size trucks are very important for automakers and the variety of choices proves that out.
We have already named the Silverado as the best choice for a Chevy truck over its mid-size and heavy-duty siblings. As we have researched the life of the Silverado we believe the current generation model to be the most capable in terms of towing, hauling, and payload, as Chevrolet has done a lot of work to improve those numbers with each generation. However, we find that perhaps the best value is the second generation.
As you can see from the graph above, the 2007 to 2013 model trucks consistently had the least amount of recalls of any generation of Silverado.
The second generation was also the first generation to be designed from the ground up to incorporate the very popular crew-cab design. These year models were also the first to receive "Good" crash test ratings from the IIHS.
Yes, we believe the second generation (2007-2013) Silverado has all the right things to make it our choice for the one to buy.
Photos: Chevrolet
Frequently Asked Questions
Sep 20, 2021
What year is the most reliable Chevy Silverado?
The 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 series is typically regarded as the best year to get in terms of overall reliability and quality. They are known to last a long time and there are not many complaints that have been filed about them. They also have a lot of the latest technology in them, only missing out on some of the most cutting edge things like Apple CarPlay.
If you are looking for something newer than 2012 or with lower mileage then the 2018 model is where you will get all of the latest technology in the truck. These trucks were made right at the end of the third generation for the Silverado and they have nearly all of the luxury amenities of the new trucks but at a much more reasonable price.
The Silverado is a great truck to look at if you want a good half-ton truck either for getting around town or for hauling things for work. They are a competitive truck that will give you years of reliable service.
What problems do Chevy Silverados have?
The most common complaint about Chevy Silverados has to do with the oil consumption in the trucks. The V8 engines in them tend to burn a lot of oil and that leads to increased service costs as you will need to top off the oil or change it more frequently than on some other trucks.
Another common complaint with the Silverados with the 8-speed transmission is that they can shift roughly between gears. This was a new transmission that was introduced for the trucks in 2014 and since it has more gears it is more complex and they have had some problems maintaining reliability.
The final common complaint has to do with the frame of the truck. There have been times where Chevrolet has had bad batches of steel for the frames and that has led to some trucks rusting very fast. GM has even issued recalls in the past to address the frame problems and to install a rust preventative on the metal.
How long does a Chevy Silverado transmission last?
The transmission in a Chevy Silverado should have no problem lasting 150,000 to 200,000 miles as long as you take care of it. The newer 8-speed transmission that was introduced in 2014 is known to be a bit more fragile than the 6 speed that was used before, but they have revised them and gotten them working better since their introduction.
The most important thing to help your transmission last a long time is to get it serviced. Checking the transmission fluid regularly is important because if you notice metal in it then that is a sign that there is a problem inside the transmission. It is also good to change the fluid because as it heat cycles with the vehicle it can lose viscosity.
Usually, the transmission on a Silverado is one of the toughest and longest-lasting components as long as you take care of it then it will give you years of reliable service.
Chevy Silverado Special Editions 2015
Source: https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/best-and-worst-years-for-the-chevrolet-silverado
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