I like shopping to be simple: find the thing I want, pay for it, and leave with it—boom, done! That works great for a new faucet or picking up a couple of bags of gravel, but when it comes to a bigger purchase—like, say, a full-size truck—I’ll begrudgingly admit that a bit more work needs to go into it. I still want things to be simple, but I’m more than willing to put in the time to do a bit of research and understand just what I want before I head to a Chevy dealer and pick out a new truck. If you’re interested in the 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500, then it’s vital you take some time to consider your (many) options and decide on the truck that’s perfect for you.
First Up: Your Configuration Options
It can be tempting to rush in and start looking at engines first, but before that, I think it’s better to dig into the five configuration options available. We’ll get to engines in a minute, don’t worry, but the configuration is somewhat more straightforward to nail down because you probably have a good sense of what you need already—and if you don’t, then figuring it out should be easy enough. There are two factors at play here: the size of the cab you need and the length of the bed you prefer for your truck.
You have three cab sizes to choose from: a two-passenger Regular Cab, a larger Double Cab, or a nice big Crew Cab. If you only want one row of seats and don’t need much space for cargo up front, then the Regular Cab could work for you. The Double Cab is a good choice for more passengers, but at that point, you’re better served by the more spacious Crew Cab. A long 98-inch bed is only offered with the Regular Cab, so keep that in mind, or you can choose an 80-inch bed with that one. The Double Cab is only available with an 80-inch bed, while the Crew Cab can come with that one or a shorter 70-inch bed. Make sure you know the length of the stuff you’ll have to toss into the back of your truck, then choose accordingly.
Next Up: Which Engine Has the Power You Need?
I told you we’d get to the engines, and now here we are—I’ll admit, this is the good stuff, so I don’t blame you for wanting to check these beasts out. You’ll find four different engines available for the 2024 Chevy Silverado 1500, most of which are offered with both two-wheel drive (2WD) and four-wheel drive (4WD). Picking the right engine for your truck comes down to a few different factors: you’ll want to consider the power you prefer, which is directly related to which one you choose, and the capability you want from it. First, let’s look at all four engines and the output they bring with them:
- 2.7L TurboMax I-4: 310 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque
- 5.3L V8 engine: 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque
- 6.2L V8 engine: 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque
- 3.0L Turbo-Diesel: 305 hp and 495 lb-ft of torque
As you can see, all four engines are excellent, though the new TurboMax is rightly getting a lot of headlines for putting out incredible performance with just four cylinders. The 5.3L V8 engine is fine, but for my money, you’re better off going with the incredible 6.2L V8 engine if you want to upgrade from the starting powertrain. Thankfully, Chevy still offers their legendary Duramax Turbo-Diesel for the Silverado, and at this point (though I never thought I’d say this), they’re the last company offering a light-duty, full-size truck with a diesel engine. Ram and Ford have both left diesel behind, so if that’s what you’re looking for, then the Silverado is the way to go.
The other consideration you need to consider when looking at the engines offered for the 2024 Silverado is the kind of work you want to do with it. Though a number of factors impact maximum payload and towing on any particular model, the engine is one of the most important ones to consider. For each engine, let’s look at the maximum capacities you can get:
- 2.7L TurboMax I-4: 2,260 lbs payload and 9,500 lbs towing
- 5.3L V8 engine: 2,180 lbs payload and 11,300 lbs towing
- 6.2L V8 engine: 1,980 lbs payload and 13,300 lbs towing
- 3.0L Turbo-Diesel: 1,970 lbs payload and 13,300 lbs towing
Payload is excellent across all four engines, which is to be expected, though the heavier 6.2L V8 and diesel options bring payload down a fair amount. They make up for this with incredible towing capacities, however, and that’s important if you need to be able to haul a lot of weight behind your pickup. In the last couple of years, Chevy has engineered it so the Silverado 1500 with its diesel engine can handle the same maximum towing as with its best gasoline engine, giving you fantastic options where you don’t have to sacrifice capability for the type of engine you prefer. All you have to do now is figure out how much weight you need your truck to handle and then choose your engine accordingly.
Third Thing: It’s Time to Pick Your Trim
We could spend a long time just looking at the different trim levels available for the 2024 Chevy Silverado, but I’ll keep things pretty simple. You have nine trim levels offered on the Silverado 1500, and most of them have pretty specific niches they fill or certain things that set them apart from one another. The WT or Work Truck is where things start, and this is a pretty barebones option—it’s great for building a fleet for a business but not ideal if you’re a general contractor or want something for going off-road.
Going with the Custom trim gets you some decent upgrades. However, the LT model is a better choice since it has the recently redesigned interior with a stunning 13.4-inch infotainment screen and a 12.3-inch driver information display. If you’re looking for some added niceties, then the RST trim gives you a number of upgrades and has comfortable seating, dual-zone automatic climate control, and more inside for you to enjoy. The LTZ trim goes even further with numerous chrome details on the exterior—including the front and rear bumper—plus a power up and down tailgate and 20-inch wheels for a bold look and great functionality. For a pinnacle experience with the Silverado, the High Country offers incredible sophistication thanks to heated and ventilated front bucket seats, heated second-row seats, and GM’s incredible Super Cruise system available for hands-free driving functionality.
If you’re interested in taking your truck off-road, whether for fun or to reach remote job sites, then the Silverado gives you three options. Both the Custom and LT trims have Trail Boss versions available, giving you the great features that each of them have, along with a Z71 suspension featuring a two-inch factory lift, Rancho monotube shocks, and improved ground clearance. For the most capable off-road version of the Silverado, check out the ZR2 trim that includes a high-performance ZR2 suspension with Multimatic DSSV dampers, Mud-Terrain Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires, strong skid plates, and access to the available ZR2 Bison Edition for even greater off-road capability.
Time to Get the Truck You’ve Been Looking For
Speaking of available editions, you also have a number of packages and extra options on offer for each of these trims, giving you more tech features and innovations inside and out. Deciding on these three major points (configuration, engine, and trim) gets you most of the way to finding the perfect version of the Chevy Silverado 1500 that will meet your needs. Those finishing touches are easy to figure out once most of the work has been done, and they give you more ways to get some advanced features you’re interested in without moving up to a higher trim. As long as you know what you need from your truck, it’s easy enough to keep things simple by putting together the pickup you’ll enjoy for many years to come.
