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Review
NOTE: There was no option on the Edmunds website to specify the 6.6L diesel for review.
Bought the 2018 Silverado 2500HD LTZ Z71 with the Duramax/Allison combo in November 2018. It sits in my garage while I drive my 2000 Nissan. The one thing I'll say positive about it is the low-end torque on this thing is unmatched. That is the only good side. Beyond that, in my own opinion, everything is over-engineered and way overly complicated. The designs are poorly thought out and remind me of my early engineering classes in which we were challenged to see just how far we could take a design idea. In engineering school you learn the old adage that "just because you can, doesn't mean you should".
First example is Chevy's HVAC controls. Look...you don't need to make everything in the world automatic. The computer chips cant tell when so many different conditions exist so they seem to fight each other to figure out what needs to happen. So, when it's 70 degrees outside and I have the thermostat on 71, it doesn't need to blow 100-degree air on me for several minutes struggling to get the temp to 71. Take a tip from foreign manufacturers...red means hot...blue means cold...select a point and go with it...make minor changes to suit your comfort. Perhaps its a minor point for some, but for $60k - $70k, I don't feel like I should get blasted out of the cab and have to keep trying to overcompensate with the HVAC controls to prevent it. In addition, because Chevy decided not to put HVAC controls and/or vents in the back seat of the crew cab, they apparently compensated by making the lowest setting on the blower motor way too high. If you like a soft breeze coming from your AC you can forget that.
Next we have the the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) tank fill. The 2500HD stands fairly tall, which looks cool. But, when you go to add DEF, the fill nozzle is all the way at the back of the engine compartment making it impossible to fill without spilling 36% urea all over the engine, which has to be rinsed off. I purchased a special funnel recommended by the manufacturer of Blue DEF, but it's still difficult to pour a 2.5 gallon jug of DEF into that little nozzle at that angle. Yes, I'll survive, but for this kind of money, one shouldn't have to deal with that kind of nonsense.
The on/off button on the head unit isn't really a power button...it's a mute button. You have to go through several steps when your phone is connected via Bluetooth to prevent songs continuing to play in the background. Not a life or death situation, obviously, but why? What the heck? Just one more annoying little design flaw that makes you shake your head. "I spent $60k+ for THIS?"
The most negative feature for me is OnStar. I was in a hurry when I bought the truck due to the death of my father. Long story...but I needed a truck that day. I didn't realize I had signed the OnStar agreement and somehow they got my email address through that process. About a month after the purchase I received an email with my "OnStar Smart Driver Report". After a moment of self-admiration of being in the top 10% of Oklahoma drivers (by whatever measure OnStar applies), I started to get that creepy feeling. They had how many hard stops I had performed, my acceleration performance, how many miles I had driven, etc. I really did not realize that I was providing this data to OnStar who was apparently all to happy to provide the data to insurance companies so that I could qualify for a discount. Yet one more Facebook-type invasion of my privacy. I had to spend hours on the phone to finally get the OnStar radio turned off. Not sure if it's really off or not. They stated on the phone that there was no further communication between my vehicle and OnStar, but I got the feeling that there is still some data that they're able to retrieve. I was told that the only way to ensure that no data is transmitted from a vehicle that I purchased was to have the actual OnStar equipment removed, and that had to be done by a dealer. Initial estimate: $1,500. I was also told that I can order a vehicle without Onstar included as standard equipment.
Finally, and not quite as annoyingly, whoever I gave my email address to when I purchased this vehicle, shared it with EVERYBODY. I cant tell you how many survey emails I've received. "Tell us how you like your new Silverado!" Over and over again. Then, the amount of snail-mail in my mailbox is incredible. I could have saved $$ on the truck if they gave me the value of all of the mailings I've received from Chevy and from the dealership; and I'm not exaggerating. They've flooded my email box and my snail mail box.
So there you have it. I'm not sure that Ford or Dodge will be much better. I'm waiting for Toyota to come out with a 3/4 ton diesel. So far, after owning Chevy and Dodge, and a couple of friends with Fords, the Toyota Tundra (2012 Crewmax) has been, by far, the best truck Ive ever owned or ridden in. I very much dislike this Chevy.