Chevy Silverado ZR2: Rattling, This Factor’s Good

It’s finest to not mince phrases: The 2025 Silverado 1500 ZR2 is unbelievable. If I had the necessity for its huge capabilities and entry to the huge acres of house inside which to function this full-size Chevy, I’d in all probability have a ZR2 in my driveway. 

Per week with the truck served as an ideal reminder why half-tons are America’s darlings, providing a Goldilocks mixture of consolation, functionality, and flexibility that continues to be unmatched available on the market. In the event you’re on the lookout for a truck on this section (full-sized off-road supertrucks), this is the place you need to begin wanting. Nevertheless it begs the query: which engine must you select?

Engine, Horsepower, Drivetrain: There’s Actually One Alternative

Our tester’s engine bay held the Duramax 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six instead of the non-obligatory 6.2-liter V-8 gasser (Editor’s Be aware: The pink truck pictured all through this evaluation makes use of the gasoline V-8). What this diesel provides up in energy, it snatches again in torque, churning out 470 pound-feet of twist and a modest 305 horsepower.

Both engine pairs to GM’s sensible 10-speed automated, which transforms this diesel right into a seamless, gas-like mill. After all, there’s four-wheel drive with excessive and low ranges, courtesy of a two-speed switch case. With its clean, fast, and effortless-feeling shifts, this 10-speed holds the Duramax in its power-band candy spot. It is onerous to overstate: that is significantly clean diesel. If it weren’t for the engine be aware, you’d suppose this civilized diesel was certainly a gas-powered V-8.

We capped a 500-mile street journey within the ZR2 with some gentle off-roading and even somewhat tow with no single misstep from the engine and drivetrain. The diesel carried out flawlessly, returning EPA-expected effectivity, and that surprisingly pleasant refinement in spades.

However finally, the 6.2-liter V-8 wins on energy, flexibility, and aura. In the event you can afford the V-8. Do it.

Know-how, Inside, Infotainment: All The Bells & Whistles

Picture by: Chevrolet

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster abuts an enormous, horizontally oriented touchscreen that stretches 13.4 inches throughout the middle of the dashboard. Each operate excellently, specifically, the middle display, which is specified by an environment friendly and visually pleasing method. Key options like a 3-D top-down digicam and rear cross-traffic braking allow you to maneuver this behemoth. Crucially, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto each work on this truck, whilst Chevy has mentioned it’s going to again away from each sooner or later.

Whereas that dashboard can look a bit busy at instances, it is filled with all the information you may want when towing, hauling, or off-roading, and the truck comes with extra security and emergency options than you may shake a stick at. You may pay the value to step right into a ZR2, however you will not lack for any main tech options right here.

Design: This Appears Alright. RAM Appears Higher

Picture by: Chevrolet

You’d by no means miss the Silverado ZR2 in a putting shade like Riptide Blue. This glittering blue does a lot to assist the ZR2 stand out in a crowded Dwelling Depot parking zone, but in addition accentuates the scale of this huge truck. Both decide a darker shade to shrink the truck visually, or let your Riptide freak flag fly.

Chevy’s gone looking out right here; the Silverado usually seems to be far busier up entrance than its extra historically styled GMC counterpart, whereas the ZR2 specifically seems to be even busier than equal supertrucks from RAM and Ford. That discrepancy comes courtesy of these boomerang-shaped working lights up entrance and a very aggressive and angular grille remedy. 

The remainder of the ZR2’s exterior trades within the sometimes muscular traces of a full-size pickup; broad, flat surfaces punctuated by a couple of prolonged character traces. Off-road goodies included with the ZR2 trim do their half to butch up the Silverado’s presentation, particularly a barely lifted suspension and the fitting set of 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory off-road tires, their knobby treads driving on mile-high sidewalls. 

This can be a chiseled, imposing truck, simply not a good-looking one. 

Passenger + Cargo Area: Massively Helpful

The Silverado is clearly a giant automobile. In the event you want an enormous mattress for hauling or sufficient inside house to sit down 5 grown adults in consolation for hours, there isn’t any competitor for a full-size pickup on both rely. In the event you marvel why large vans proceed to outsell mainly every part else in America, this is your reply: nothing is extra versatile than this truck. 

The 62.9 cubic-feet mattress stretches almost 70 inches in size, accommodating no matter you may haul away from Dwelling Depot every weekend

Driving Impressions: An Spectacular Powertrain

The three.0-liter turbodiesel ‘six does a superb V-8 impression right here, burbly and stout, driving a cresting wave of straightforward torque always. That is courtesy of a brilliantly calibrated 10-speed transmission that slips between cogs seamlessly, smoothing out any drivetrain harshness to a glass-flat expertise. 

As with the smaller Colorado ZR2, our Silverado’s Multimatic dampers and heaps of tire sidewall make for class-leading trip high quality. The cabin insulates the motive force and passenger(s) from street vibrations and frequencies, making a quiet and deeply nice place to plant your bottom. 

Price noting: For a giant truck, the ZR2 felt surprisingly straightforward to stay with in my small-town-slash-suburb north of Seattle. I used to be in a position to make one-point U-turns on metropolis streets that frequently take a two-point method in my very own Toyota 4Runner, a automobile with a a lot smaller wheelbase.

That maneuverability helps shrink the perimeters of the truck. Properly, not in actuality, nevertheless it makes the truck really feel smaller, which makes you stress much less about aiming the Silverado by means of a Costco parking zone on Sunday morning. 

General, this factor handles properly and in glorious consolation.

Gasoline Financial system: Ain’t Too Shabby

What would you guess a giant diesel truck like this will get on the EPA cycle? In the event you’re something like me, the quantity you guessed is nearer to 10 than to 25 miles per gallon on the freeway. My noticed mileage over about 500 miles spherical journey, overlaying a superb chunk of interstate at round 80 mph and a few rural two-lanes averaging 60 miles per hour, hit that 23 mpg mark no downside. 

The EPA charges metropolis mileage at 20 mpg, main the Silverado ZR2 to a 21 mpg common ranking from the EPA.

Pricing + Verdict: Good Diesel. Nice V-8.

The ZR2 begins at $70,000. One other $2800 was tacked on to our truck, including useful options just like the head-up show and adaptive cruise management (courtesy of the $2040 expertise bundle), the multiflex tailgate ($445), and naturally that riptide blue paint ($395). With vacation spot included, that is $74,875. Not low cost. However in step with the present state of absolutely loaded full-size off-road pickups throughout the market. 

I would take this diesel Silverado ZR2 house in a heartbeat. However back-to-back drives with a relative’s 6.2-liter GMC confirmed precisely why the V-8 guidelines the land. It is a extra versatile, punchy, and highly effective engine. It makes the fitting noises and pairs to the identical 10-speed for an easygoing swagger down Fundamental Avenue or the Interstate. You’re taking a slight hit in value on the V-8 (add an additional $1700-ish) and a negligible dent in gas financial system.

Nonetheless, GM is in the course of a recall of almost 600,000 automobiles (together with the Silverado) geared up with the mighty 6.2. You would possibly wait to see how that shakes out earlier than shopping for, or purchase one underneath MSRP proper now in the event you’re a gambler. 

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