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April 3, 2008 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/chevrolet_silverado-ss_2003

  John Pearley Huffman
EditorJohn Pearley Huffman

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Nothing like the Chevrolet Silverado SS would ever occur to the French. Or the Germans. Or the Belgians. Or the Swiss. The Silverado SS is yet another in the long line of American things that, to Europeans, are arrogantly conceived, stupidly engineered, and ideologically appalling. And, to add insult beyond that, it’s pretty cool too. There can’t be anything more frustrating to Euro-centric eyes than seeing a society as comprehensively wrong as ours be so self-satisfied.

About the only other people on Earth who understand the appeal of full-size pickups with sporting pretensions as daily transportation are the Canadians and the Mexicans. We’re lucky to have such right-thinking neighbors.

Not a sports car, but a great truck

Ford’s supercharged, 380-horsepower SVT F-150 Lightning is, at least until Dodge’s 500-horsepower, Viper V-10 powered Ram SRT-10 shows up, the alpha truck in this segment. The Lightning is quick for a truck, handles well for a truck, and looks great for a truck. But for a truck, it’s pretty skimpy on utility. It’s only available as a regular cab with a short bed, its payload is rather modest, and it can only tow 5000 pounds. That’s good enough for play duty, but for someone who needs to also work with their truck, relatively limited.

The Silverado SS, on the other hand, is more useful as a truck even if it sacrifices some car-like performance in the process. To create the SS, Chevy starts with their extended cab, short bed 1500-series Silverado and then bolts in full-time all-wheel drive and the high-output, 345-horsepower, premium-fuel-swilling version of the Vortec 6000 6.0-liter V-8 and its 4L65-E four-speed automatic companion. They also lower the suspension a bit to improve handling. For decoration they throw on a unique cross-hatched grille and specific front bumper, add a set a 20-inch five-spoke wheels, cover much of the interior in “Dark Pewter” stuff-that-used-to-moo with embossed logos, give the gauge cluster white faces, and paint the whole thing either Onyx Black, Victory Red, or, what’s become the truck’s signature color, Arrival Blue.

While the SS is the only half-ton Silverado available with the 6.0-liter engine, it’s hardly the raw-nerved performance machine the Lightning is. The 6.0-liter engine pulls hard and it’s amazingly civil (this is, after all, the same engine used in the Cadillac Escalade), but its 380 pound-feet of peak torque is working against 5298 pounds of mass and the parasitic drain of all-wheel drive even before anything is thrown into the bed. So while acceleration is surely better than other Silverados, it’s more subdued than in the Lightning. Car and Driver measured a solid 6.3-second 0-60 mph time, and that’s probably repeatable just by throwing a brick at the accelerator pedal.

If the all-wheel drive extracts a penalty on the drag strip, it pays dividends on the road. The SS stays composed on most surfaces (the rear end doesn’t settle very well after road divots however), the steering offers some feedback and the all-wheel drive system pulls through corners with enthusiasm. The 20-inch wheels and P275/55SR20 Goodyear tires add an appreciable amount of grip without much of a ride penalty. Along with the mechanically similar GMC Sierra Denali (which also features four-wheel steering) this may be the best mannered pickup on the market today.

While generally the SS is a good looking truck, the 12.0-inch diameter front and 12.1-inch diameter rear disc brakes look absolutely puny floating inside the big wheels, and the calipers themselves look cheesy and cheap. The brakes do a good enough job stopping with help from the standard ABS, but larger diameter rotors and more detailed calipers would add both fade resistance and visual distinction to the package. 

An expensive companion

As in all extended cab GM full-size trucks, the SS’s interior is roomy and comfortable even for four adults (as long as the two in back are under six feet) for an extended trip. And, as in all GM full-size trucks and SUVs, too much of the dash is made of cheap feeling plastic and the switches don’t return much tactile satisfaction. Also with Dodge moving on to front-hinged doors in its extended Rams, the rear-hinged doors in the Silverado may be too much of a hassle.

What’s most disappointing about the SS is that, despite a thick $40,010 sticker price (that’s with the $15 optional spare-tire lock), certain elements standard on less pricey pickups aren’t included. Sure air conditioning and power windows are standard, but there’s no sliding rear window for instance or even a bed liner. Shouldn’t the SS include a bed liner with a bold logo at its center? And with Apple iPods now cramming 7500 songs within their pocket-size cases, a single CD/cassette player seems pretty dang feeble. In-dash disc changers are practically the entry level now, and every vehicle should, like the Honda Element, have a way of jacking MP3 players into the sound system.

The Silverado SS is a sporty truck that, first of all, knows that it’s a truck. If it were about $5000 cheaper, it would be easy to proclaim it one of the best trucks around. But from a $40K orbit, buyers may find some attractive alternatives.

2003 Chevrolet Silverado SS
Base price: $39,995
Engine: 6.0-liter V-8, 345 hp
Transmission/driveline: Four-speed electronic automatic, full-time all-wheel drive
Wheelbase: 143.5 in
Length x width x height: 227.6 x 81.5 (mirrors folded) x 72.2 in
Curb weight: 5298 lbs
EPA fuel economy (city/hwy): 12/16 mpg
Safety equipment: Dual front airbags, dual front side airbags, anti-lock brakes
Major standard features: Dual-zone climate control, power adjustable front seats w/ memory, power rear-view mirrors, power tilt/telescope steering wheel, cruise control, premium AM/FM/cassette/CD sound system
Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles

 

 

 

 

GET CURRENT PRICING GET AN INSURANCE QUOTE   Nothing like the Chevrolet Silverado SS would ever occur to the French. Or the Germans. Or the Belgians. Or the Swiss. The Silverado SS is yet another in the long line of American things that, to Europeans, are arrogantly conceived, stupidly engineered, and ideologically appalling. And, to add insult beyond that, it’s pretty cool too. There can’t be anything more frustrating to Euro-centric eyes than seeing a society as comprehensively wrong as ours be so self-satisfied. About the only other people on Earth who understand the appeal of full-size pickups with sporting pretensions as daily transportation are the Canadians and the Mexicans. We’re lucky to have such right-thinking neighbors. Not a sports car, but a great truck Ford’s supercharged, 380-horsepower SVT F-150 Lightning is, at least until Dodge’s 500-horsepower, Viper V-10 powered Ram SRT-10 shows up, the alpha truck in this segment. The Lightning is quick for a truck, handles well for a truck, and looks great for a truck. But for a truck, it’s pretty skimpy on utility. It’s only available as a regular cab with a short bed, its payload is rather modest, and it can only tow 5000 pounds. That’s good enough for play duty, but for someone who needs to also work with their truck, relatively limited. The Silverado SS, on the other hand, is more useful as a truck even if it sacrifices some car-like performance in the process. To create the SS, Chevy starts with their extended cab, short bed 1500-series Silverado and then bolts in full-time all-wheel drive and the high-output, 345-horsepower, premium-fuel-swilling version of the Vortec 6000 6.0-liter V-8 and its 4L65-E four-speed automatic companion. They also lower the suspension a bit to improve handling. For decoration they throw on a unique cross-hatched grille and specific front bumper, add a set a 20-inch five-spoke wheels, cover much of the interior in “Dark Pewter” stuff-that-used-to-moo with embossed logos, give the gauge cluster white faces, and paint the whole thing either Onyx Black, Victory Red, or, what’s become the truck’s signature color, Arrival Blue. While the SS is the only half-ton Silverado available with the 6.0-liter engine, it’s hardly the raw-nerved performance machine the Lightning is. The 6.0-liter engine pulls hard and it’s amazingly civil (this is, after all, the same engine used in the Cadillac Escalade), but its 380 pound-feet of peak torque is working against 5298 pounds of mass and the parasitic drain of all-wheel drive even before anything is thrown into the bed. So while acceleration is surely better than other Silverados, it’s more subdued than in the Lightning. Car and Driver measured a solid 6.3-second 0-60 mph time, and that’s probably repeatable just by throwing a brick at the accelerator pedal. If the all-wheel drive extracts a penalty on the drag strip, it pays dividends on the road. The SS stays composed on most surfaces (the rear end doesn’t settle very well after road divots however), the steering offers some feedback and the all-wheel drive system pulls through corners with enthusiasm. The 20-inch wheels and P275/55SR20 Goodyear tires add an appreciable amount of grip without much of a ride penalty. Along with the mechanically similar GMC Sierra Denali (which also features four-wheel steering) this may be the best mannered pickup on the market today. While generally the SS is a good looking truck, the 12.0-inch diameter front and 12.1-inch diameter rear disc brakes look absolutely puny floating inside the big wheels, and the calipers themselves look cheesy and cheap. The brakes do a good enough job stopping with help from the standard ABS, but larger diameter rotors and more detailed calipers would add both fade resistance and visual distinction to the package.  An expensive companion As in all extended cab GM full-size trucks, the SS’s interior is roomy and comfortable even for four adults (as long as the two in back are under six feet) for an extended trip. And, as in all GM full-size trucks and SUVs, too much of the dash is made of cheap feeling plastic and the switches don’t return much tactile satisfaction. Also with Dodge moving on to front-hinged doors in its extended Rams, the rear-hinged doors in the Silverado may be too much of a hassle. What’s most disappointing about the SS is that, despite a thick $40,010 sticker price (that’s with the $15 optional spare-tire lock), certain elements standard on less pricey pickups aren’t included. Sure air conditioning and power windows are standard, but there’s no sliding rear window for instance or even a bed liner. Shouldn’t the SS include a bed liner with a bold logo at its center? And with Apple iPods now cramming 7500 songs within their pocket-size cases, a single CD/cassette player seems pretty dang feeble. In-dash disc changers are practically the entry level now, and every vehicle should, like the Honda Element, have a way of jacking MP3 players into the sound system. The Silverado SS is a sporty truck that, first of all, knows that it’s a truck. If it were about $5000 cheaper, it would be easy to proclaim it one of the best trucks around. But from a $40K orbit, buyers may find some attractive alternatives. 2003 Chevrolet Silverado SS Base price: $39,995Engine: 6.0-liter V-8, 345 hpTransmission/driveline: Four-speed electronic automatic, full-time all-wheel driveWheelbase: 143.5 inLength x width x height: 227.6 x 81.5 (mirrors folded) x 72.2 inCurb weight: 5298 lbsEPA fuel economy (city/hwy): 12/16 mpgSafety equipment: Dual front airbags, dual front side airbags, anti-lock brakesMajor standard features: Dual-zone climate control, power adjustable front seats w/ memory, power rear-view mirrors, power tilt/telescope steering wheel, cruise control, premium AM/FM/cassette/CD sound systemWarranty: Three years/36,000 miles         GET CURRENT PRICING GET AN INSURANCE QUOTE Nothing like the Chevrolet Silverado SS would ever occur to the French. Or the Germans. Or the Belgians. Or the Swiss. The Silverado SS is yet another in the long line of American things that, to Europeans, are ...