2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 LD Review

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was completely redesigned for 2019. If you're looking for information about that truck, you've come to the wrong place. You see, Chevy has decided to keep the old truck around for another year. Renamed the 2019 Silverado 1500 LD, it's basically a carried-over version of the previous-generation truck with fewer cab, engine, trim level and feature content choices.

For starters, the Silverado 1500 LD only gets one engine: the 5.3-liter V8 with the six-speed automatic. For body configurations, there's only the double cab (four-door) with the short bed. There's only one axle ratio and trim levels number just three: Work Truck, Custom and LT. While it isn't a bare-bones truck, this is definitely not a luxurious rig. And it lacks much of the available safety and infotainment equipment you'll find on the all-new Silverado as well as the many engine and chassis improvements.

Nevertheless, this is still a strong, capable truck. It's not like the outgoing Silverado was woefully behind the times. So, although we definitely recommend considering the all-new model as well as its Ford and Ram competitors, the 2019 Silverado 1500 LD will get the job done for those who don't need or want a lot of frills.

The 2019 Silverado 1500 LD is a full-size pickup available in just one cab style: the four-door extended (double) cab. It can seat as many as six and comes only with the standard 6.6-foot bed. There are three trim levels to choose from: Work Truck (WT), Custom and LT. The off-road-oriented Z71 package can be ordered in LT models with four-wheel drive.

All versions of the Silverado 1500 LD are powered by a 5.3-liter V8 engine (355 horsepower, 383 pound-feet of torque) paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. It can be ordered with rear- or four-wheel drive.

With the Work Truck, standard features include 17-inch steel wheels, xenon headlights, black front and rear bumpers, a rearview camera, air conditioning, cruise control, power door locks, a tilt-only steering column, vinyl seating, vinyl floor covering, and a 40/20/40-split front bench seat. Standard technology includes a 7-inch touchscreen with Chevrolet's MyLink interface, Bluetooth and a six-speaker audio system. The WT Convenience package offers keyless entry, a remote locking tailgate and power mirrors.

The Custom adds 20-inch wheels, body-colored bumpers and grille, heated power mirrors, deep-tinted glass, keyless entry, and power windows. The Custom can also be equipped with its own Convenience package that adds a remote locking rear tailgate, rubberized floor mats, a rear window defroster, satellite radio, and OnStar, which includes emergency communications and 4G LTE Wi-Fi. A version of the Convenience package known as the Texas Edition is available in the Lone Star state plus those that border it.

The LT trim is technically broken into 1LT and 2LT subtrims. Stepping up to the 1LT adds the Convenience package equipment, 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior trim, cloth upholstery (with adjustable lumbar support for the driver), carpeting, vinyl floor mats, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an upgraded driver information display, an 8-inch touchscreen, extra USB ports, HD radio, a CD player, and an auxiliary audio jack. The 2LT swaps out much of the chrome exterior trim for body-colored pieces and adds 18-inch wheels and LED foglights.

The Z71 package, which is available for the 2LT with 4WD, features 18-inch wheels, special shock absorbers, a heavy-duty air cleaner, hill descent control, underbody shields, recovery hooks, and a few unique exterior and interior styling tweaks. The Z71 Sport package, which is largely an appearance package, ditches much of the off-roading hardware and adds rear parking sensors, tubular assist steps and black-painted wheels. Available on either LT trim, the All Star package (also known as the Texas Edition in Texas) includes heated front seats, remote start, a 110-volt power outlet, an integrated trailer-brake controller and a spray-in bedliner.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab Short Bed (6.2L V8 | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 5-foot-8-inch bed).

Since this test was conducted in 2017, the Silverado 1500 has been completely redesigned. However, the 2019 Silverado 1500 LD is a pared-down version of the outgoing generation, which means that these findings from a 2017 model still broadly apply.