The Chevy Silverado 1500 is one of the most popular trucks on the market. One of the main reasons for this is just how customizable the Silverado is. From the basic $36,300 Work Truck, to the High Country that you can option up to double that price, there’s a Silverado out there for everyone.
The Custom, which sits just above the base Work Truck trim, has a lot going for it. The Custom has what it takes, and with a starting price of $42,900, it sits well below the price of higher level trims like the Custom Trail Boss and others. But since you’ll be paying several thousand dollars more than you would with the base model, it begs the question: is the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 Custom worth it?
What Does the Custom Offer?
You’re probably looking at the Silverado 1500 Custom because you want more than what the base Work Truck trim has to offer. That is understandable, and you’d be correct to assume the Custom has more features than you’ll find on the Work Truck. There are a few categories where the Custom has one or more significant differences from the Work Truck trim, and it can sometimes match the pricier trims in a few segments too. First and foremost, something that truly separates the Custom from trims like the Work Truck is option packages like the Custom Convenience and the Custom Value packages.
The Custom Convenience package brings a handful of features, most notably the LED cargo bed lights providing illumination to make loading and hauling easier when it gets dark, and an EZ Lift power lock and release tailgate, allowing you to lower your tailgate at the push of a button inside the truck rather than the pull of a handle. The Custom Convenience Package also includes a rear-window defogger. Drivers in all climates can appreciate Remote Start, enabling you to heat or cool your interior before you get inside.
The Custom Value Package combines all of this with the included Trailering Package, which ensures your truck is ready to provide the best possible towing experience. Standard with the Trailering Package is a hitch platform with the necessary four and seven-pin connectors. The Trailering Package also adds to the versatility of the Custom’s standard seven-inch infotainment center with Hitch Guidance, which helps you back right up to your trailer perfectly on the first try.
The 2023 Silverado 1500 Custom isn’t just a better trim than the base model because of its towing advantages. The Custom also adds more luxury to the truck too, mostly inside the cabin. For example, the Silverado 1500 Work Truck includes a four-way manually-adjustable driver seat, which is not ideal for its price tag. Stepping up to the Custom trim makes a world of difference, as the lackluster driver’s seat is replaced with a comfortable 10-way power-adjustable seat with power lumbar support included, too. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System adds support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which the Work Truck does not include.
The Custom trim also has standard heated power outside mirrors, though this is mostly useful for those who live in winter climates. Additionally, the Custom trim adds carpeted floor coverings for a more refined driving experience than the Work Truck’s industrial-looking rubber floor. With the 2023 Silverado 1500 Custom, you can also expect cruise control to come as standard equipment, rather than optional like the Work Truck. It’s also worth mentioning the Silverado 1500 Custom has larger wheels than the base model, 20-inch aluminum wheels instead of 17-inch wheels on the Work Truck. Ultimately, there is a fair amount of differences between the two trim levels, but given the price differential you’re likely seeing what you’d hope to see from this variant of the second-best-selling vehicle in America.
A Quick Word About Performance
The Custom trim for the 2023 Silverado 1500 utilizes the same powertrain as the base Work Truck trim, but ultimately it still provides an ample amount of performance capable of handling light to moderate towing tasks. The Custom is only available with one of the Silverado 1500’s four engine choices, a high-output turbocharged 2.7L I-4 engine making 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This is quite a respectable level of performance, yet it’s also the most fuel-efficient in both RWD and 4WD setups, with EPA-estimated ratings of 19 mpg city and 22 highway with RWD, and 18 mpg city and 21 highway with 4WD. It also has the best payload capacity of the Silverado’s engine options, topping out at 2,260 lbs, and has a maximum towing capacity of 9,500 lbs.
Stepping up to any of the Silverado’s engine options will require moving away from the Custom trim level. You could get the 5.3L V8 with 355 hp by stepping down to the Work Truck, but you’ll lose a great deal of refinement to get an extra four cylinders and only another 45 hp. Plus, the 5.3L V8 actually makes less torque, only 383 lb-ft, than the turbo I-4. All in all, it doesn’t seem worth the major sacrifice in amenities just to have a V8. If a V8 or diesel engine is an absolute necessity, it may be worth stepping up one level to the Custom Trail Boss, which offers both.
Part of a Larger Picture
Vehicles produced by Chevy have a few things in common aside from the prestigious badging plastered onto the front grille of every one of its automobiles. Every new Chevy vehicle, including the Silverado 1500 Custom, has a handful of warranty coverage plans at no extra cost, including a three-year/36,000-mile Bumper-to-Bumper Limited Warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, Corrosion and Rust-Through plans, and more. Chevy does an excellent job at making one of its new vehicles worth it thanks to benefits like these.
With Chevy Safety Sense built into the 2023 Silverado 1500 Custom at no extra cost, Chevy gives shoppers another reason to consider it over the competition. The Custom trim includes all the most popular safety features, such as Forward Collision Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, and many more. There are several features not available to the Custom trim and require a higher-tier trim, like the Lane Change Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, and Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, which extends the standard system’s actions to higher speeds. However, the safety features you do get with the 2023 Silverado 1500 Custom are plentiful for the cost, and you likely haven’t had a vehicle with this type of extra level of protection before.
Worth Your Time?
I believe Chevy is a perfect representation of the type of quality we expect from our home-grown automotive manufacturers. After over one hundred years of service to American families, Chevy hasn’t lost that spark that makes them who they are (no pun intended, as there is no relation to the Chevy Spark). For a manufacturer with consistent vehicles that critics and fans would consider home runs, does the 2023 Silverado 1500 Custom deserve your hard-earned money? My answer is, if you’re the type of driver the Silverado 1500 Custom is attempting to cater to, then I believe you should go for it. You’ll likely find an amazing deal on one at your local Chevy dealership.
