2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Exterior Review [ 2007 ]

• Overall
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability
• Specs

Exterior - What the Auto Press Says

The 2008 Chevy Silverado is an attractive truck, but places third out of seven in its class. Many reported that onlookers, even those that use pickup trucks on a daily basis, had positive reactions to the truck's styling. USA Today reports the "best acknowledgment probably was the attention from tradesmen at job sites, guys who really drive and use pickups."

Car and Driver thinks that "the new Silverado takes few risks in the styling department," but most reviewers don't have a problem with the somewhat conservative design. AutoMedia.com says, "The new look is crisp, clean, broad-shouldered and powerful." The Car Connection compares the Silverado to some of its competitors and finds that it isn't "quite as insistently angular as the F-150, or as comically aggressive as the Ram or Titan," and adds that the "Silverado has a smart, conservative look that's easy to glitz up through the available trim levels and accessories."

But the Silverado's exterior loses points with some because accessories aren't available from the factory. "Other disappointments," reports Car and Driver, include, "No factory bedliner." The Chicago Tribune thinks that thanks to a lack of running boards, the "Silverado is a groin pull waiting to happen." AutoWeek takes issue with one of the few factory exterior options, writing: "The EZ Lift tailgate, which closes with as little as 16 pounds of effort, seems more of a gimmick than a serious feature. A dampened tailgate, like those found on Toyota Tundras or Nissan Titans, would be better. Raising a tailgate isn't difficult, but setting one down gently can be."

The 2008 Silverado is available in several different exterior configurations. There are three cab sizes: a two-door regular cab; an extended cab, which adds a small rear-seat area accessed by two rear-hinged doors, and a four-door crew cab. The truck bed is also available in standard, long and short lengths. Standard bed length is 78.7 inches, while the long length is 97.6 inches. The short bed length is 69.3 inches. All beds are 61.9 inches wide (50.6 inches at the wheel wells).