If you’re browsing the selection at your local Chevy dealer, you’ll probably come across a few different versions of Chevrolet’s Silverado 1500. One of the great things about the Silverado is that the company offers plenty of different technology, style, and even engine options—so you can build a truck that’s just right for you. But if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, all of these choices can seem overwhelming. Well take a deep breath and buckle in, because I’m going to guide you through all of the different trim levels of the 2022 Silverado 1500—and what you’ll get out of each one.
WT
The Silverado 1500 WT is the most basic option, as well as the most affordable. If you’re budget-conscious or don’t feel like you need all the bells and whistles of a premium option, the WT is a solid choice. It still comes standard with plenty of useful features, including Chevy Safety Assist. This suite of high-tech safety features includes lane keep assist and lane departure warning to help you stay focused on highways, automatic emergency braking and front pedestrian braking—which can apply brakes or supplement manual braking if a forward collision is imminent, and IntelliBeam headlights, which turn your brights off and on automatically in order to avoid dazing oncoming traffic.
Since this truck is geared toward workers, it’s designed to make loading and unloading easy. Its bed has twelve standard tie-downs, so you can keep cargo secure. The rear bumper features a corner step, giving you a foothold so you can climb in and out of it without too much effort. In the cabin, you’ll find storage areas both in the armrest and under the seat, so there’s plenty of room to store any tools or devices that are too delicate to weather the elements.
Custom
Moving one step up the ladder, the Silverado 1500 Custom comes standard with Chevy’s trailering package, which includes a trailer hitch, a sealed connector for syncing your trailer’s lights and brakes to your truck’s, and hitch guidance, which uses the rear vision camera to help you see what you’re doing in real-time as you line up your hitch to your trailer. You’ll also get a ten-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar control, so you can get the position just right to maximize comfort. Whether you’re putting in long hours at a worksite or hiking for miles on a weekend camping trip, having an extra comfortable seat can be a godsend.
In addition to practical features, the Custom also brings some extra style to the table. Its front and rear bumpers match the color of the body for a cohesive look. It also sports 20” bright silver painted-aluminum wheels, rather than the 17” ones on the WT.
Custom Trail Boss
As the name suggests, the Custom Trail Boss is built for adventure. Its 2” suspension lift provides more ground clearance, so it can glide right over the uneven terrain on OHV trails. Thanks to Rancho monotube shocks, bumps in the road are absorbed into the truck, not the driver. Since off-roading requires good traction, this trim doesn’t have a 2WD option—just a 4WD with a crew cab and your choice of either a short or standard bed.
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac Mud Terrain tires provide a better grip on the ground, giving you the traction you need to handle off-roading. The Custom Trail Boss also comes standard with an automatic locking rear differential. This kicks in if the system senses that the right and left rear wheels are moving at significantly different speeds, which might happen if one wheel was, for instance, stuck in a mud puddle. If this happens, the rear differential will lock, turning both wheels in unison instead of independently to optimize traction—and allow you to drive out of your sticky situation.
LT
The LT has a few differences on the exterior, like shiny chrome bumpers and mirror caps, but it really makes its mark on the inside. It comes standard with several features that are designed to make everyone comfortable. Dual-zone automatic climate control allows the driver and front passenger to set their own temperatures independently and a heated steering wheel helps keep your hands warm on cold winter days. For passengers in the backseat, there are two USB charging ports in the second row.
For navigation, music, podcasts, and more, the LT has a 13.4” color touchscreen display. You can hook a smartphone up to it either via a USB cord or wirelessly through either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. In addition to the screen in the center of the dash, there’s a large Driver Information Center just behind the steering wheel that can be personalized based on what information and alerts you feel are most important.
RST
The RST has a few things that make it stand out from the LT, but it’s not as significant a difference as some of the other trim levels. It does have a few exterior design differences: There’s a black Chevy logo on the front and its center grille bar and bumpers are the same color as the body. One big upgrade is the LED tail lamps, which have animation to make turn signals clearer, and an incandescent reverse light to help you see better when backing up at night.
LT Trail Boss
Combining the rough & ready features of the Custom Trail Boss with the more luxurious interior of the LT, the LT Trail Boss gives you the best of both worlds. If you like to vacation in the great outdoors, but need to take a longer road trip in order to get to your destination, this level is a good choice. It also includes a few other features not found on the Custom Trail Boss, like animated LED tail lamps and LED fog lamps up front that work to minimize glare during hazy days.
LTZ
The LTZ comes standard with a more powerful engine: the 5.3-L EcoTec3 V8, which provides 355 horsepower and is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission rather than 8-speed. This trim is also more capable when it comes to towing a trailer, with features that keep the driver in control at all times. An 8-camera system offers up to 14 views of the trailer, so you can monitor any potential issues in real-time. There’s also an integrated trailer brake controller, which helps provide the appropriate amount of brake force.
There’s also a suite of more advanced driver-assistance features. Rear cross traffic alert braking comes in handy when backing out of a parking space, especially in a busy parking lot. Front and rear park assist use ultrasonic sensors in the bumpers to detect objects in front of and behind the truck and use alerts to help you gauge how close they are when parallel parking. And, if you’d like an alternative to the beeps and pings of most alerts, you might appreciate the Safety Alert Seat, which uses vibrations in the left, right, or both sides of the driver’s seat to warn you about a potential collision—and let you know immediately what direction it’s coming from.
ZR2
If you’re serious enough about off-roading but the Trail Boss trims just won’t cut it, the ZR2 has the extra capability you’re looking for. It comes with a 6.2-L EcoTec3 V8 engine that delivers 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque—so you’ll have plenty of power to work with. Multimatic DSSV dampers make for an extra smooth ride, even over rough terrain. The front bumper has an off-road cut to give you more clearance for driving up rocky trails and large aluminum skid plates keep all the vital truck components safe and sound.
High Country
If you’re looking for luxury, High Country delivers with a stylish interior that features leather seats with an exclusive stitching pattern. In addition, open-pore wood trim makes the cabin feel both classy and cozy. The High Country is the only model of the Silverado 1500 that is available with Chevy’s cutting-edge Super Cruise. This feature allows you to drive hands-free on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads in the United States and Canada. The system uses radar, cameras, GPS, and other sensors to detect curves in the road—and vehicles in front of and behind you—so you can stay in your lane and keep a safe following distance.
Whether you’re a worker, a thrill-seeker, or a lover of luxury, the Silverado 1500 has something to offer. Now that you know what each trim brings to the table, you can choose one with confidence. Whether you opt for the WT, the ZR2, or the High Country, you’re sure to get plenty of use out of this capable truck for years to come.
