2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab is available in three trim options - Work Truck, LS, and LT - with the MSRPs starting at $28,300 and going all the way up to $38,100 for the LT trim equipped with a bigger bed. The Work Truck is a basic trim that carries a no-frills approach and gets features like 17-inch steel wheels, LED daytime running lights, xenon headlights, black front and rear bumpers, air-conditioning, vinyl seating and floor covering, a 7-inch touchscreen with Chevrolet's MyLink interface, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The LS and the LT trims add more features to the table, with the former adding 17-inch stainless-steel finish wheels, power and heated mirrors, chrome bumpers and grille, deep-tinted glass, power windows, and remote locking and unlocking. The LT adds more convenience features on top of the LS, making it well worth its MSRP. 

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If someone wants the truck to haul things, the Work Truck does just fine with all the equipment it has but if one wants a bit more comfort, the LT is the way to go. It carries a few creature comforts and a better looking cabin with some visual delight here and there. On top of that, the LT can also be, now, coupled with the eAssist package and navigation system which makes driving through the city easier. 

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab gets a 4.3L V6 engine which is rated at 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque across all the trims. The 5.3L V8 can be had from the LTZ trim and above but one has to upgrade to the extended cab or the crew cab to unlock that motor. The V6’s power is pretty decent in the competition and is sent to the rear wheels only, as standard, with 4WD being an option. The motor also comes paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission which does enable good and slick shifting experience but might give a tad lag on the highways, making overtakes a bit of a task. 

In terms of pulling power, the engine is quick and takes the truck to 60 MPH in 7 seconds flat with the quarter-mile running up in just 15.4 seconds. The towing capacity is rated at 7,700 pounds which is more than most, but still trails behind the Ford F-150. 

The Ford F-150 remains the quickest of the bunch despite having the lowest torque figure and the smallest engine capacity. The GMC and the RAM share very similar times in acceleration with the latter having more power while the GMC having the most torque in the segment. The GMC and the Chevy are similarly powered due to their platform-sharing but the Chevrolet still remains the last of the bunch. 

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab: Handling and Performance

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab drives well and has a very smooth engine option with ample output and a smooth gearbox, albeit sometimes. In the city, the truck is very easy to navigate considering the segment the Silverado competes in and all the kudos goes to the light steering and a good suspension setup. The suspension isn’t the best over rough roads due to it having a lot of jitters which are felt through the steering wheel but elsewhere, it works just fine. 

The highway driving is no issue for the massive V6 under the hood and the engine doesn;t feel stressed at highway speeds, even while towing stuff. The gearbox does feel a wee bit sluggish when the pedal is floored to overtake but works fine while cruising. The suspension setup works wonders here as well with the smooth drive, unless the road is rough. There is minimal body roll in the twisty sections of the highway and the light steering gives a lot of feedback to let the driver know where to point while turning. 

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab: Braking Performance

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab is a massive truck which weighs in over 4,500 lbs and the braking setup isn’t too jerky while also maintaining pretty decent stopping power. The rotors measure 13.6 inches in the front and 13.5 inches at the rear which take 134 feet to stop the massive truck from 60 MPH. 

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 gets pretty big rotors to stop the heavy truck, which it does after all the trucks. The GMC has a similar braking setup at the front but the rear rotors are smaller yet the truck stops well short of the Chevy when braked from 60 MPH. As for the best braking setup, the RAM takes the baton because it is the heaviest in the class but also carries the shortest stopping distance out of all the other trucks.

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab has a naturally aspirated motor under the hood, which also has massive cubic capacity, and hence the fuel economy on the truck isn't as good as the other offerings in the segment. The EPA rates the truck at 16 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the highway, for a combined 17 MPG from its 28.3 gallon fuel tank. The fuel economy is not good from car standards and are pretty low in the truck segment as well. 

The RAM 1500 gets the baton for the highest-running truck with a massive 32.0 gallon fuel tank which lends more than 500 miles just in the city, which is 20.3% more than what the Silverado has on offer. The Ford F-150 gets the highest fuel-economy figures but the smaller tank means it has a range lower than that of the less fuel-efficient trucks from General Motors’ stable. The GM twin’s economy may not be as good as the Ford but the bigger tank compensates for the same and provides more range on the highway. 

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab has a very clean layout inside which is rather uninterrupted by a centre console, and can seat three across. The seats are pretty well-bolstered with the nice overall cushioning and vinyl upholstery. When folded, the middle seat transitions into a rather practical cubby area which has a couple of cupholders, a deep storage area under the centre armrest lid, a phone holder, and some storage pockets. 

The dashboard is predominantly hard which is perfectly acceptable seeing the work the truck is intended for. The plastics provide for a very rugged interior design and a simple cabin, while the column-mounted gear shifter and the analog dials add a lot of old-school feel to the truck. To have some creature comfort, the LT adds in a leather-wrapped steering wheel and some extra bits of trim while keeping the practicality as is. 

The Silverado 1500 gets the most spacious cabin of all the trucks here, with the most headroom and an impressive amount of shoulder room to aid in fitting three people across the seats. This spacious cabin is also complemented by the segment-leading cargo space on offer. The Sierra 1500 also follows the Silverado’s lead while the RAM 1500 has the most compact cabin and the smallest bed area. The Ford F-150 falls somewhere in between with a cabin wider than the rest but the other metrics being lower than that of the GM twins. 

Some of the highlighting interior features of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab are:

• Air-conditioning
• Vinyl/cloth upholstery 
• Adjustable lumbar support for the driver 
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel 
• Carpeting/vinyl floor mats
• Deep-tinted glass
• Tilt-only steering column

What’s there to keep you entertained in the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab?

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 comes with a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen which had been made standard commencing from the 2018 model year onwards, with an upgrade to 8-inch ones available on the LT trim and above. The smaller unit runs Chevrolet MyLink and packs in features like Bluetooth, USB port, and an AUX jack while also adding Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the mix. The upgraded system runs OnStar and adds 4G LTE and Wi-Fi to the mix. Both the units are paired to a 6-speaker audio system for one’s music cravings. Some of the highlighting features of the infotainment system on offer are:

• 7-/8-inch touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Bluetooth
• USB ports
• AUX jack
• 4G LTE hotspot
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• Satellite radio
• HD radio
• 6-speaker music system

The 2018 Silverado 1500 Regular Cab looks like a typical pickup truck with massive headlights and a big Chevrolet logo in the front grille. The WT gets a cleaner look with black bumpers, while the LS gets body-coloured bits and trims. As standard, the side profile is dominated by 17-inch wheels which the WT and the LS get steel ones while the LT upgrades to alloy wheels. On the side, the Silverado 1500 gets a typical truck silhouette with some flared fenders to accommodate the wheels. To the rear there isn’t much faff with a simple design dominated by Chevrolet’s bowtie and the heavy rear bumper signifying ruggedness. 

The Ford F-150 gets the biggest proportions of all the trucks with the lightest curb weight that helps in making the truck more agile and also aids in braking in emergency situations. The rest of the trucks are very evenly matched in terms of weight, with the RAM getting bigger proportions, a longer wheelbase, and a higher ground clearance than the GM twins. 

Some of the highlighting exterior features of the 2018 Silverado 1500 Regular Cab are:

• 17-inch alloy/steel wheels
• Xenon headlamps
• LED DRLs
• Black/body-colored/chrome bumpers and front grille
• Tailgate damper

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab comes with a decent list of safety equipment added from the Work Truck onwards - a place where many trucks have been caught skimping, with the low target price being an excuse. The kit on offer is impressive still, with all the mandatory safety features on board while adding some features like cruise control and rear parking sensors as standard. Some of the highlighting safety features onboard are:

• Rear-view camera
• Cruise control
• StabiliTrak
• Proactive Roll Avoidance
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• OnStar and Chevrolet connected services

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab Vs. 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab

Both the Silverado 1500 and the Sierra 1500 are platform-sharing twins and hence have a lot in common when it comes to specifications but the latter remains a bit quicker on its feet despite weighing in the same as the Chevrolet. Both the trucks have similar cabin space as well, but the GMC gets a bit better quality but as a whole, there’s not much difference in both the trucks.

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab vs 2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab

The Ford F-150 is the best-selling truck in the American market with the value quotient being the highest among the rivals. The 2018 model year reigns over the Silverado with its quicker and more fuel-efficient powertrain and a potent braking setup but the SIlverado one-ups the F-150 in cabin space cargo space. The Silverado also gets brownie points for getting a rugged interior and a very intuitive infotainment setup on offer for the occupants to enjoy. 

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab vs 2018 RAM 1500 Regular Cab

The RAM gives a very tough competition to the SIlverado in terms of performance, braking, and overall range but in all the other parameters, the Silverado 1500 comes out as the better option. It has got more fuel-efficiency, more cabin space, more cargo capacity, and a simple cabin which has everything one would require while on the job. 

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab is a very capable offering from the American manufacturer and provides the best blend of value and capability. The truck gets a potent V6 engine which can tow nearly 7,700 lbs but does chug quite a lot of gas as per the EPA. The interior is purpose-built and the infotainment system is very intuitive right from the base trim. The brakes are decently powerful but are strong. The truck’s driving characteristics are pretty good and the light steering helps in overall maneuverability. Having said all this, the Silverado 1500 does a pretty commendable job of going up to the Ford and the RAM but still needs some more improvement, which is expected to come with the update planned for the next model year.