2019 Chevrolet Silverado Towing Test Review: Lifestyle Trucks
On the Road with the Silverado
My first Silverado experience involved a top-spec High Country model in Havana Brown Metallic. This actually is the truck I was most interested in, here’s why: The Silverado High Country has the optional 6.2-liter Ecotec3 V8 engine with Chevrolet’s new Dynamic Fuel Management cylinder deactivation system. This replaces the outgoing Active Fuel Management (AFM) system. Additionally, that 6.2 engine is paired to the new 10-speed automatic transmission, a unit co-developed with GM’s neighbors down the street, Ford.
The Silverado High Country has a base MSRP of $56,300. The 6.2-liter engine is a $2,495 option, as are the 22-inch polished wheels ($2000), a power sunroof ($995) and the $745 Safety Package II, which is Silverado’s suite of passive and active safety tech. This includes forward collision alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, low speed automatic braking, front pedestrian braking, and auto high beam, among the other standard safety tech featured on the High Country. All in, including the $1,495 destination charge, this is a $64,030 truck. Consider my expectations high.
Initially, all signs were positive. With 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque on tap, pulling the Polaris RZR and trailer was a piece of cake. That about 5,000 pound tow weight felt like chump change. Though it should, as the 2019 Silverado High Country with the 6.2-liter engine is rated for towing up to 12,200 pounds.
At low speed the short overhangs on the truck meant the turning circle with the trailer was commendable. You won’t kink a rear bumper with your trailer on the 2019 Silverado.
All was Well, Until it Wasn’t
After about 15 minutes on the road, the Silverado High Country began to stutter. Then the stutter evolved into a kick, specifically any time after taking off from a light. About two seconds after setting off, the transmission would notably kick for no reason. It wasn’t gear change related, and initial impressions had me thinking the torque converter was on the fritz. My co-driver for the day, an editor from Wired, asked me if I thought the truck was going to make it. Transmissions temperatures were fine, so we carried on.
Traveling from Santa Monica to Malibu, our off-road meet up point, is a trip that involves constant traffic, seemingly at all hours of the day, this was no exception. The constant stop-and-go made the transmission kick a non-stop talking point between myself and my co-driver. It’s one way to pass the time, I suppose.
Eventually, the traffic lightened, and allowed for speeds in excess of 20 MPH. It was there that another issue presented itself. Between 42 to 48 MPH the Silverado High Country had a constant rear end hopping issue. Have you ever seen the Tundra twerk video before? Yeah, kinda like that. My sneaking suspicion is that perhaps the tongue weight for the trailer wasn’t right, causing the trailer and the truck’s rear suspension to play hopscotch. That’s just a guess, though, the trailer looked as solid as could be during this. The jokes transitioned from blowing up the transmission to having the RZR bounce off the trailer, or just losing the trailer altogether.
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The last stretch of the journey involved some steep grades, as the trails of Malibu are nestled within the canyons. The speed limit for these roads toggled between 50 to 55 MPH, but that wasn’t an option. The Silverado had more than enough power, but maintaining that sort of pace lasted about three minutes before the truck began to overheat. Transmission temperatures began to creep over 200 and engine water temp hit 220 before I backed off. We slowed down to about 30 MPH and eventually made a quick stop so the truck could cool down. After two minutes water temperature dropped back down to 190. The next ten minutes involved driving Silverado High Country in the “hop zone” around 40 to 45 MPH to keep the engine from overheating.
Finally, we made it to our off-road site.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado Towing Test Review: Lifestyle Trucks continued…
