(Hoosier Cabinet in bed of long term Chevy Silverado)
I had a chance to put the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado through its paces this weekend with a 800-mile trip while hauling two loads of cargo.
My son was returning to college and needed a load of furniture dropped off at his new apartment in Santa Barbara. We loaded the truck with a bed, mattress, bicycle, boxes of books and clothes (no, no beer kegs). About halfway there, we stopped for coffee and came back outside to find we had been overrun by a freak September rain storm...
We dropped our load in Santa Barbara and continued north in the rain to my cousin's house in the Santa Cruz area. He had a "Hoosier Cabinet" that had been our grandmother's. He didn't have room for it and was going to put it for sale on eBay. I couldn't stand to see a family heirloom go to a stranger so we took it apart and loaded it in the truck. It fit perfectly below the top of the bed.
With the crew cab and roomy back seats it was a comfortable trip with my two sons. There was plenty of space for our cargo and luggage. The extra room was appreciated on the open road but later, when we took it to dinner, it was a nightmare to park in the city. As I backed into a tight space, relying on the rear sensing system, I noticed how much play there was in the transmission. I had felt the harsh upshifts on the trip (commented on in earlier blogs) but now I noticed how loose the transition was from reverse to drive. There wasn't a feeling that it was getting worse, but it did feel worn and sloppy.
Over the 800 miles of mainly highway driving we averaged 15.9 mpg. With gas prices going back up again (we paid over $3/gallon in northern California) fillups were close to $60 each. This truck is great for hauling cargo but with the cost of gas, and tight urban infrastructure, I wouldn't use it for anything else.
Philip Reed, Edmunds.com Senior Consumer Advice Editor, @ 19,746 miles
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