I stopped by the Chevy dealer to pick up a brochure for the new Silverado just to see what all the hype is about. I'll list some features here that are new to the Silverado and then compare them to those available on the F-150. Enjoy!

- Fully boxed, hydroformed frame that is 230 percent torsionally stiffer than the previous generation. - Ford has had this feature in the F-150 since the 2004 MY.

- Front coil-over shock front suspension with cast iron LCA's. - Again, Ford has had this since the 2004MY. The LCA's on the Ford are aluminum, allowing for a lower unsprung weight and lower NVH.

- Improved Hydra-Matic 4 speed transmissions with an input speed sensor and a stand alone Transmission Control Module. As far as I know, this also mirrors the F-150's transmission, and the F-150 transmission has a higher torque rating.

- New EZ-Lift tailgaate with lock. Again, pioneered by Ford on the 2004MY F-150 with Tailgate Lift Assist. Also, a lock is standard on every F-150 tailgate.

- Driver Information Center - same as the Ford Message Center, which has been stock in the Lariat/FX4 trim since the 2004MY.

- Side Impact Air Bags - not available on F-150. These were necessary for the Silverado to achieve its 5 star government crash test rating for side impacts. Not even a factor in the F-150.

- Tire Pressure Monitoring System - available as standard equipment on every 2007MY F-150, as required by federal law.

- Safety Belt Pretensioners - Also present on the F-150 since the 2004MY re-design. Not only do you get pre-tensioners, but also multi-level airbag deployment, and air bag cushion sensors to make the shape of the air bag cushions variable.

- Passenger Sensing Sytem - Silverado claims to be the first pickup to have this feature, which is standard on every F-150 from the '04 MY and up. It is used to switch the passenger airbag on and off using a weight sensor in the seat.

- Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System - New on the Silverado this year it has also been available on the F-150 from 2004 and up. Theirs has an eight inch screen though, and I am not sure of the screen size in the new re-designed one.

- Touch Screen Navigation Radio - Available in some 2007+ F-150's. The one in the Chevy does not have 3D map view or turn by turn directions.

- Power Sliding Rear Window - also available on the F-150 from the 2004MY to present. Nothing new here for the Ford crowd.

- New, Full Drop Down Power Windows in the Extended Cab - again, an industry standard first on the F-150 for the 2004MY re-design.

- 26 gallon fuel tank for short bed models - Ford has either a 26 gallon tank, a 30 gallon tank, or an available 35.7 gal tank for extended trips available on all 5.5, and 6.5 foot bed lengths. They only offer a larger fuel tank in the 8ft bed model.

All in all, Chevy has made a good effort to improve the lackluster performance of the previous generation Silverado. However, IMO they just copied a lot of the features of other trucks and incorporated them into theirs, claiming them to be industry firsts, which they are not. I think I would consider a Chevy/GMC for my next truck, only because they are more like my current F-150 than ever. The looks would have to grow on me though. Any thoughts?

 

Well put.

It took chevy 3 years of copying to come out with their "americas truck"

 

Todays truck market is the same as the computer market. Something better comes out every year. Next year Ford will try something better, year after that Dodge will come out with something better and so on...

2007 looks like Chev / GMC is the winner.

 

They very well could be. Now if they can put up the sales numbers to compete with Ford, they'll be doing that much better IMO. On another note, Ford posted a 5.6 billion dollar loss last quarter. So who knows where they're going. Not me...

 

I know the Airbag sensor for the passenger is nothing new to GM, my friends truck has that and he has a 2002... other things, it's good to see GM finally catching up. The interiors are light years ahead of the old interiors, much better layout and materials. I rode in a new Tahoe the other day, the ride is night an dday difference compared to the last gen. I perosnlly like the GMC truck front end better... hopefully it won't be a flop for GM. I think they will do very well.

 

how do you think the foreign companies are so successful? not just in trucks , but computers, tv, and the list goes on.

 

So they lower themselves to the level of a foreign company? They are AMERICAN, they should be proud of their heritage as the original AMERICAN car company that has been around since way before Honda/Toyota/Nissan/Mitsu. Honestly, Chevy needs to say something along the lines of "We think all full size truck customers deserve features like..." not lie and claim these things to be first in the industry, or first on the Chevy truck before any other manufacturer.

That was the purpose of this post. Maybe someone at Chevy will see it and grow some ***** and get a new advertising campaign going, and not just copy the imports. Yeah, imitation is the sincerest for of flattery, but they need to stand up as an American company and be DIFFERENT. It's our differences that make this world great, and its the differences between import/domestic that make the car world great, IMO.

 

It would be interesting to see the combined number for Chev and GMC trucks vs. Ford. I believe if you combine Chev and GMC probably the numbers would be higher for GM. I'm sure it's just a numbers game and how you word it and arrange it.

 

If I ever do trade in my truck it will be for another F150.

 

And weaker (Aluminum -vs-Cast iron)

The sensing system not only does it deactivate the passenger air bag if the occupant is less than 26 pounds, if the passenger is leaning forward or agains the window, it prevents the airbag from deploying (front if leaning) as well as that of the side airbags (if so equipped) to prevent occupant injury from the deployment of the air bag. It's much more than a weight sensor.

I haven't seen a close-up of the new SIlverado, but the new Sierra looks like it means business.

Everyone copies... I remember when Infiniti came up with the intelligent cruise control (through use of a laser) and a lane departure warning system- this was 4-5 (2001 or 2002) years ago. Mercedes introduces it in the S-Class, and its heralded as if it's something new... Same principle, only MB uses "Radar" rather than a laser range finder.

 

Thanks for your input bighersh. Exactly what I was looking for. Kind of a debate thread. I didnt do my research in depth like you obviously have, so its nice to get your perspective too. When the time comes to trade out, I will consider ALL 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks equally.

 

No, no reasearch- I know how theirs works because they obviously copied that design from Acura, who has it in their new RL and in the 2006 MDX... I have an MDX. Not debating either- just stating an additional opinion.

That's how it's always gonna be. Someone will make something, then someone else will make the same thing, or something similiar, and make it better.

IE: Ipods and Mp3 players... Ipod is stil out front because they have a catchy name, and "Ipod" is darn-near synonymous with "mp3" even though they aren't the same. If some one develops a catchy name for a basic mp3 player, Apple/iPod will feel the pinch. Many industry experts thought Apple woudl lose market share once other manufacturers mp3 players hit the market, without the R&D losses associated with developing a new product...

With cars, small innovations aren't usually enough to cause a significcant loss of market share, especially where trucks are concerned. While GM may be the main threat to unseat the F-150 (Which they already have, if you could F-150 -vs- Combined Silverado & Sierra 1500 sales), the closest thing we're going to see (until the new F-150 comes out) to a "perfect" truck, will be that new Tundra, due out in 2007.

Why? Because they're last to the party, and they already know what everyone else has on the table. It may be too late to counter any GM innovations (which it sounds like there aren't any), but for everything else out there, the Tundra will match or exceed it, mechanically. It may not be pretty, but it will be fully functional, meetign or exceeding all industry "leaders". If it doesn't, then shame on Toyota for not performing due diligence.

 

The biggest improvement in the new GM trucks is in the interior. The old GM truck interiors were absolutely atrocious -- poor fit and finish, lousy quality of materials, and a very generic dated look.....

 

Ehh, give me a '79 chevy with a 454...

 

Don't forget to add that Aluminum is ~1/3 the weight of cast Iron. The strength is also heavily dependant on shape. People rant about how heavy these trucks are and then complain when "substandard" materials are used that shave weight off the truck.

Joe