The feel and driving impressions of this truck were everything I expected. The 5.3 engine moves nicely. The interior felt solid and very safe. The back seat is useable for a family vehicle. The doors make cab access easier than just about anything. Add to all this good fuel economy and it looks like a good bet.

Price. The one we are looking at is close to $27,000.00. This is invoice for the LS with most of the options. A lot of money for a truck. The only thing saving this may be the resale value of trucks in my area. Wish the extended cab rear bench was a 60/40 split instead of having all or nothing fold up out of the way.

If all goes well, we should take delivery in abotu 2 1/2 weeks. I've heard some bad tales about transmission and such so I'll post another review. Performance, comfort, and safety seem to make this truck the obvious solution for our small family.

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None

VERY COMFORTABLE, LOTS OF ROOM COMPAIRED TO MY OLD RANGER.
GREAT LOOKS. IT'S NOT A DODGE.
STRONG ENGINE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SIX

SMALL GLOVE BOX.
HAD TO TAKE IT IN TO GET THE BELT PULLY REPLACED AFTER ONLY 6,000mi.
IT WAS PAINTED BY THE FACTORY...WHO STUPIT

I GOT A GOOD DEAL AT $17,000
LOVE THE TRUCK NO PROBLEMS OTHER THAN THE PULLY
HAVE A TWO WHEEL DRIVE BUT IT HANDELS THE LIGHT OFF ROAD STUFF VERY WELL
MY GIRLFRIEND LOVES IT TOO.
IT LOOKS GREAT, DRIVES VERY NICE, WITH PLENTY OF POWER.

I WOULD AND HAVE RECOMMENDED THIS TRUCK TO ANYONE I KNOW.

JUST DON'T BOTHER WITH THE 8s UNLESS YOU KNEED THE POWER.
MY 6 IS GREAT FOR A DAILY DRIVER AND LIGHT WORK TRUCK.
IT GETS A CONSISTANT 17 MILES TO THE GALLON.

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RANGER, 95 89

I like the roomy interior and the power of the 5.3 liter vortec also the
ride is really good for a 4-wheel drive.The truck has a solid feel and i
have had only a few problems,with over 56k miles i am happy with it.

There are only a few things i don't like about the truck. Mainly the wind
noise from the rear and the cold engine ticking also the sticking gas pedal

For the price paid,this truck seems to be worth it but i have had some pro-
blems. It has been back to the dealership several times for a squeaking
rear driveshaft and to have the drivers seat fixed. Also it leaks fluid
from the front differential and lastly i just had to have new u-joints
installed in the front drive shaft.
The gas milage is decent at 15-18 mainly city driving and the 4-wheel
drive is great when the situation calls for it.
I would recomend this truck to anyone.

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I've driven other earlier chevy models and find this one to be a better
truck.

The interior is very roomy and the fourth door is a nice touch. The 2500 series ride is very smooth compared to the Dodge and Ford 2500 series trucks. The four wheel disc brakes are a great improvement.

The 6.0 liter engine is not very impressive for having 300hp(?) and drinks gas like water. I average 10 mpg in town and 13 mpg on the highway. There is alot of wind noise when traveling at highway speeds. I don't care for the automatic headlights.

I paid $32,000 for my truck and I would not reccomend this truck to my worst enemy. I used to be a die hard Chevrolet person fan until I bought this truck.

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I had a 1996 GMC K-1500 SLE ext.cab 4x4 with 5.7 liter engine with a automatic transmission. This truck ran much better than my 2000 silverado and it also got better gas mileage. I regret trading this truck everyday.

Solid construction, plush interior, well thought out interior, great ride, lots of room in rear seat area, power, power and did I mention POWER!!!

front cup holders too large, That's all.

Test drove all the big 3 and bought the Chevy. Ford drove too harsh and the Dodge didn't feel solid. I also owned a 1996 Dodge Ram Ext. Cab and had to sell it, I didn't want to take out a second mortgage to keep gas in it. The Siverado does everthing very well. The 5.3 liter engine grunts out impressive power. Even with 285 HP I have not experienced traction problems in the rear. The ride is as good as any luxury sedan I have been in. It is very "not-truck-like".

6700 miles on it now and no problems, no rattles and I'm getting 15.6 mpg in the city and 20.2 mpg on the highway. Most impressive for a powerhouse V-8.

I would recommend the Silverado highly. I was not brand loyal and researched all the trucks for 6 months. I obviously made the right choice.
I got the last of the 3 door units so I got a $1500 rebate. The truck has every option except leather. I paid $23,600 before tt&l.

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'99 Chevy S-10, 96 Dodge Ram-terible gas mileage

I dont know of one. I guess you could say alot of space. Gas mileage is pretty good if you keep the foot off the gas.

Hmmm, here we go:
1. Trany dropped going down the road after 8 months.
2. Pull power sucks a$$.
3. Electronics sometimes wants to be fiesty.
4. Engine knocks sometimes.
5. Cant depend on it to start every morning.
6. One time the overdrive went out.
7. Leather seats easily stained for life.
8. A/C sometimes locked up.
9. Alignment bounces most of the time approaching a stop area.
10. OVERALL PIECE OF SHEET TRUCK : DO NOT BUY!!!!!!

26,000 - hell no

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Earlier model dually's

The seats are the most comfortable in it's class. The 5.3 engine has the most power torque ratio in it's class. The truck feels so solid all the way around. This is my forth Chevrolet truck I've ownerd in the past ten years, and the components used are very acceptable in this competitive class.

I recommend that before some purchases a 4 door silverado please make sure they do better design on wind noise on the current three door truck first. Wind noise is the only thing that I can say is a weakness in the design of the 2000 Silverado.

I paid under $30k for the truck with a GMPP Warranty, do not purchase any other warranty!!!!!!! I highly recommend the Chevrolet Silverado 2 Wheel Drive, I can not comment on the 4 Wheel drive truck. By far the most comfortable truck I've ever driven. The leather interior is the most plush in it's class!!!!

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I've test driven Ford F-150 Laredo, Tundra, Dodge Ram, and does not compare when it comes to comfort and powertrain. Also if anyone get's a chance to look under the truck, the components flow so well with the truck, GM didn't cut too many corners when designing this truck.

Pulls a 20' bass boat better then my 1998 Z71

Where do I start. I have had it in for engine ticking, transmission slipping, hard to steer, poor breaking, and many other little things like wind noise switches.

I traded a 1998 Z71 for this 2000 and kick my self every day. I paid 30,000 for a truck that I hate. I can't drive it on the gravel road to my farm without worrying that something else will break. I have had the trasmission replaced once and now it is in to possiblly have it replaced again. The braking distance changes each time I touch the petal.The engine runs rough and the ground clearance sucks. I have owned 4 new chevy trucks and now I'm thinking of buying a dodge

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95 S-10, 97 S-10, 98 ext cab Z71

- The 2000 5.3L engine is very POWERFUL (also see weaknesses)
- 4 wheel ABS discs
- Handles great (for a truck)
- MECHANICAL shift lever for the transfer case
- Excellent compression braking in 4x4 low range
- Mileage
- Seating is comfortable, even with 3 people (Automatic - no stick in the way)
- Ride is smooth at higher speeds (unlike a few other 4x4's I've driven)
- In my opinion, wind noise is minimal
- A/C will freeze you out
- 3 "power points", otherwise known as cigarette lighter sockets - is EVERYTHING politically correct these days?

- The 5.3L is almost TOO much on wet roads - see review
- Doors take some pull to get closed properly
- While easily remedied, if a window is slightly opened while driving in the rain, you get SOAKED...."VentShades" are a must have here.
- Automatic headlights - I HATE these. (But I showed them)
- Goodyear Wrangler ST's

Let me start off by saying that this is a company truck, so I really can't compare it to other 2000 models, because I wasn't the one doing the shopping. These are my opinions based on this truck, and being in the construction industry, compared to my past trucks.
I am a construction inspector, and quite often carry heavy loads of concrete and asphalt samples (sometimes a bit beyond the 1/2 ton rating), and am off road on muddy sites as well as doing a lot of highway travel.

The following is a line-by-line explanation of my "Strengths & Weaknesses" descriptions:

STRENGTHS:

- The 285hp 5.3L Vortec has got to be one of the best engines I have ever had the pleasure of having in a company vehicle. This engine is always ready to go, even under the heaviest loads I have put in the bed of this truck.
With this truck being a standard cab, it does not have the extra weight of the longer frame and body of the Z71, and I have seen a few surprised faces from the drivers of 225hp Mustang GT owners, from the rear view mirror, of course. Enough said there.....

- The 4 wheel (large) ABS disc brakes deliver wonderful stopping power, even when the truck is overloaded. I have yet to see how the ABS works in the snow, but so far, I am very happy with them.

- From what I have read about the new Silverado ('99-'00), the suspension is directly off of the Suburban/Yukon line, and it shows. Police departments and the Secret Service use the Suburban for a reason....

- Call me old fashioned, but I don't like anything electronic that controls my transfer case!! The floor mounted shift lever is within easy reach to go fron 2H to 4H, and is a bit of a stretch to go into 4L, which is a very good thing. If you're going to go for 4L, it had better be for a reason.

- As said earlier, I am in construction, and must often go where the road has not yet been built. Getting into some rather hilly terrain, going downhill can be rather nerve rattling, but the 4x4 low range leaves a rather comforting feeling. The only time you really need to step on the brake is to come to a complete stop. The gearing is low enough (if the transmision is kept in low as well, so it doesn't shift) that even going down a decent grade, the truck really never surpasses about 5 to 7 mph, which is very controllable, unless the terrain is rocky, then the brakes come into play.

- Gas mileage is a rather touchy subject with truck owners. Some complain, and some don't, but a lot are not happy with what they get. My only comment---Don't buy a powerhouse of a V8 with truck gearing if you want the mileage of a 4 banger Cavalier. Considering the 5.3L is a rather powerful engine, of course it's going to suck down the fuel if it's being jack-rabbited at every light. This engine has enough power that the pedal merely needs feathered to get you going in everyday traffic. If the cruise is set at a decent highway speed, or you do not constantly change speeds, this engine actually does very good on the gas.

- The highway ride is very smooth and pleasurable. Being a pick-up, the rear can skip sideways a little upon hitting a good bump or dip. But, again, being a pick-up, there is no weight on the rear end!!! Anybody who drives pick-ups for a living is well used to this, and every review in every major auto/truck magazine always rips the pick-up for this. I have never driven a pick-up truck that DIDN'T do this, folks.

- As far as the stereo, it's not bad, but it's rarely on. I'm more of a quite person (you'd probably never guess from this review...lol), which brings me to the wind noise. I don't know if it's just me, but comparing it to trucks of my past, this one is very relaxing to drive in with the radio off and the cruise set.

- The Air Conditioning. Being a standard cab, there's not much area to have to cool off, so this thing will put you in a freezer real quick, even with the color being the dark metallic indigo blue.

- Finally, one of the little things. The three "power points" ( I won't get started on that one, being a smoker) can be a god-send if needed. I run a flashing light, a cell-phone charger, chargers for other equipment, AND I smoke.....you get the idea of the octopus of wires occasionally in the cab.


Now for the WEAKNESSES. While mostly minor and few, being an objective review, they do exist.

- Back to the 5.3L Vortec. Even though the power has to go through an extra set of gears with the transfer case for 4x4, this can be most un-nerving on wet roads. The tires (a following subject) can, and will, easily cut loose with the slightest amount of over-pressure on the pedal. This takes some getting used to, but it also falls back to the point of learning to feather the accelerator.

- While not really a bad thing in an accident, the doors on this truck are quite heavy, and do take a considerable amount of force to get them closed. I quite often find myself having to re-open the door to slam it shut, which can get quite annoying.

- I guess that most vehicles are getting more aerodynamic, so gutters are becoming a thing of the past. As stated above, "VentShades" are a must, if you like having the window slightly open while it's raining, without getting SOAKING wet.

- My one true HATE on this truck was the automatic headlamp system (noticed I said WAS). If it is bright enough outside, the only thing that comes on is the driving lights (sensor is front and center on the dash, between the defroster vents), and when the sensor thinks it's dim enough, it switches to the headlights (and running lights). While this system can be turned off by pressing the "dome over-ride" button 4 times within 6 seconds (an audible alert will let you know that it was succesful), this must be performed EVERY TIME the vehicle is re-started. Also, there is no way to turn the driving lamps on when the headlights are on, for supplemental lighting off road. I merely dis-connected the driving lights from the system, and hard wired them to an interior switch so I can add light when I need it, and the sensor turns on my headlamps when it gets dark enough.

- My final unfavorable point of this truck is the stock tires. It came with 245/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler ST's. While these are decent street tires, they have very little bite in sticky mud. The ST's clog up very bad, and have very little self-cleaning ability. If you want to clean them off to get a fresh bite, you have to nail the accelerator to spin the mud off (you get a picture of the mess & wear on the u-joints). My opinion, if they wanted to use Goodyear Wrangler, Chevy should have at least went with AT/S's. They are still a comfortable ride on the highway, but are a bit more aggressive off the beaten path (and, no, they don't "sing" on the highway).

In Conclusion, this is a truck I would definitely purchase for my-self as a fun truck, and to pull or move anything that I saw fit. While all the Z71 extended cabs running around are very pretty, and functional, trucks, I think I would buy myself the standard cab truck that I have, to keep that power/weight ratio down....hehehe.

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--- Company Truck --- I didn't get the choice, but I'm pretty sure I would have picked this one anyway.

I love how my truck looks. The Sportside really sets my truck apart from others. I added an aftermarket dual exhaust and a K & N Air Filter to my truck and noticed significant power gains over an already impressive 5.3 motor. I went from a 1996 Dodge Intrepid with a very peppy 3.5 in it. I figured I would lose a lot in passing power, but my truck smokes 'em. I love the Auto 4x4. It works like a dream in the snowy Upper Peninsula winters. It kicks in when the differentials start slipping. The Sportside box is fiberglass sides, so it is kind of light, but I haven't noticed too much slipping and sliding due to thishis was happening already.

Where to begin. I have had it at the dealership more than I have driven it, I think. I brought it home at night, and the very next morning, it wouldn't start. The passenger lock came keyed wrong from the factory. The gas pedal got to sticking so hard that you literally had to raise your leg to stomp on it. This ended up being a recall on the throttle body assembly and seal which was replaced. I complained and complained at the dealership about a God-awful clunking in the rear end. Finally it dawned on some bright serviceman to check and see that there was a recall bulletin on this as well. They had to drain and refill the transfer case twice and lube the drive shaft spine. This took care of the clunking completely. The cruise switch would stick upon trying to resume and you would have to shut the cruise off and start all over. The whole switch ended up being replaced. The power door lock works sometimes and sometimes it does not. Of course the dealership can find nothing wrong with it. My drivers side power window also makes an annoying cracking noise at the bottom of the track and again on going up. The dealership claimed that there was nothing wrong there either, but someone slipped up and told me that they have had other truck owners in with the same complaint. The drivers seat track sticks and will just sit there all jammed up. This wasn't abnormal to the service dept. either. The front end shakes and shimmys so bad sometimes that I can literally watch my Mountain Dew foam up in the bottle. The dealership says this might be due to the fact that the torsion bars are adjusted all the way up. They need to be lowered and then I have to pay for an alignment and rotation of my tires afterwards. The fact that I didn't touch the torsion bars, that they came adjusted wrong, escapes the dealership. I don't think I should have to pay for anything. It's not my fault. I also have problems with rough shifting and a slipping feeling when I am going up a hill. There is a yucky clunking sound when I first start the truck and now it hesitates a bit when I take off after it has sat all night. I also had a problem with my low coolant light coming on after only 200 miles on the truck. The dealership just topped it off and didn't seem to think it odd that this was happpening already. After 3 trips to the dealership, the oil change guy at the Quick Lube place noticed that a clamp from my radiator was broken (keep in mind I hadn't even been off the pavement with the truck, no rough rides at all). He ended up fixing it since the dealership service people are such idiots. So much for Customer Satisfaction. I am pretty sure that Chevrolet took that "Service after the sale" manual and burned it.

As you can see, I have for the most part been a die-hard Chevrolet fan. The list price on my truck was $30,500. I got it in December of 1999 for $26,500. I thought I was getting a good deal, but now I feel like I walked into the dealership butt first. I thought I was free and clear of all major repairs on a brand new vehicle, but I have had more trouble with this truck than any vehicle I owned. Chevrolet service S T I N K S. If I could get rid of it right now and pay off my loan, I wouldn't think twice. I love how it looks, I like the large backseat (great for my 3 yr. old and her carseat), I love the power the 5.3 offers and the auto 4x4 is a dream, but everything else has just sucked for me. I would be less inclined to drive the truck off a high cliff if I felt that Chevrolet cared. But I think they got my cash and laughed all the way to the bank.

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1984 Chev Silverado, 1979 Chev Silverado, 1992 Chev. S-10, 1994 Chev. Beretta, 1995 Jeep Cherokee Limited, 1996 Dodge Intrepid, 1996 Chev. Blazer