2007 Chevrolet Silverado: Tell Me Why I'm Wrong

Yeah, because you guys dont pay for the gas yourselves! At $4.50 a gallon I doubt you would be taking the silverado anywhere unless you are moving homes.
 
I owned a F150 before, and never again. Cars only, thank you. If I need a truck for home improvement I can rent the one a Home Depot for $19.95...

have my 04' 2500 dmax and have racked up 93,000 since i purchased in september of 04. why haven't you guys posted anything on the silverado's tranny problem...its been asked numerous times already???????

a lot of people dont want to own trucks or vans but those who dont will always want to borrow them from those who have them. There are tons of things you cant carry in a car. Obviously trucks/SUVs dont make sense if you are only going to use their capability a few times a year but for those who need the space and utility they make sense.

I finally get to say this....I find this blog entry to be full of crap :)
 
First off, have you not had the vehicle for over 18 months? So you are currently on track to rack up about 20k per year in it....about average for a vehicle in your fleet. I actually think you are more along the lines of 20 months with this truck which equates out to about 18k per year....a little less than average for your fleet. Does not that take away your number one point? That it's actually so useful and that the miles show that?
 
The Versa was disliked compared to the Fit. How's the Fit on track so far?
 
The RAV4 appears to have gotten a little more use out of it than the Silverado is getting. Despite being more boring (in my estimation) but getting better fuel economy. How's that factor in?
 
I own a 2006 Civic SI Coupe and my wife owns a four door sedan. Somehow, we've transported large pieces of furniture and I tore out an entire kitchen (i.e. about 1500-2000 pounds of drywall, 2x4s, laminate countertop, oak cabinets, 2 layers of linoleum & plywood, plumbing, etc.. I cut it up with a sawzall and hauled it away in the back of my Civic.
 
I recently purchased 80 square feet of Bruce Oak hardwood floors...contained in 8 foot long boxes and weighing about 60-70 pounds per box (my estimate). I transported all four, simultaneously, with my wife as a passenger. Oh yeah, and a sheet of luan cut into 3 pieces.
 
I've hauled 8 to 10 foot sections of piping (copper and PVC) INSIDE of the car....i.e. the trunk was shut and the windows.
 
In fact, in my entire kitchen remodel I've only had to rent a truck for one thing: Hauling 7 sheets of 8x4 drywall from my local home depot to my house in a F-450. Would 7 sheets lie flat in the back of your silverado (do you have 4 feet of flat surface in there?). Can it fit 8 foot slabs with the tailgate closed?
 
So lets rehash your argument. A capable off-road and hauling vehicle is put in a large fleet with a bunch of people who use it to run errands, and it's suddenly the right vehicle for an individual? Or wait, is it the right vehicle for fleet duty where people need to haul stuff? That seems to make more sense.
 
Somehow, I feel that my smaller vehicle which doubles the mileage and is much more capable of performing emergency manuevers, and yet still manages all of the above feats, is the better vehicle choice for anyone who does not haul stuff on a 50% basis.
 
Blog entry debunked.
 
Joe

Very interesting observation. I agree with rsholland. Sure you gotta pay to play, but when you have one, you find lots of stuff to do.

Someone put Brian in the same room with Karl.

Brian, you're looking for posts, aren't you? You are wrong. Sure the Silverado will rack up the miles when the Edmund's garage is like a rental agency. There are plenty of things I could dream up to use a truck for if I had one at my disposal. Fact of the matter is I would still rather have a car as my daily driver. It's more fun to drive, gets better fuel economy, and can get 99% percent of what I need done. If I needed the utility I'd buy a MINIVAN or STATION WAGON, the stigma these types of vehicles have don't matter to me.

50% basis is probably a good threshold, and I agree with you. I have a '99 diesel Suburban, and it hauls damned near everything, including 4x8 sheets of plywood/drywall with the full size spare still inside. But that's what I bought it for (and to haul my boat). I do my own home improvements (major projects), and I routinely haul over 1,500 lbs. of cargo in it. I estimate I need the utility of the truck about 60% of the time. Fortunately its not my only vehicle so when I don't need its utility, I can drive something more fuel efficient.
 
While I love my truck, if I didn't have a 50% need for its utility, I wouldn't own one either.

Ahightower - I'm not smug in my civic, I'm simply pointing out a fallacy (in my eyes).
 
Generally speaking, people buy SUVs & trucks and such for properties that are rarely utilized. And they don't often realize just how capable a car is and can be.
 
Throw some bungee cords & ratcheting tie downs & and a blanket in the rear of your car. Those will get you 90% of the way there.
 
By the way, renting that F-450 cost me exactly $20. I save ~$35-40 per fill-up over a truck like the Silverado, and I fill up ~8 times a month (with my current life). Tell me exactly how it makes economic or functional sense, for the Average Joe?
 
Now, if you are a contractor, laborer, or someone who just hauls alot of sizable objects or tows something on a regular basis, absolutely. Truck truck truck.
 
But why else?
 
Joe
 
P.s. Yes I want a cookie. I'm hungry damnit.

Honda Fit is at 25,000 miles for about the same time period. Still the Silverado has more even though it sometimes sits in the garage for the weekend - many times in fact.
 
As soon as there is a truck around, the needs suddenly arise. My guess is that if more people owned trucks, we'd suddenly see clean garages, tidy yards and a back yards that lack old bikes, mopeds, go-carts, bird baths,rotted lumber, stacked newspaper and broken lawn mowers.

carguy - while minivans and station wagons can perform some of the functions of a truck, they can't do all, namely, hauling heavy loads and towing. Put 2,000 lbs. of hardwood floors in a minivan or station wagon, and it will be unsafe and likely break something. Same thing with towing a 7,000 lb. trailer. These are situations I put my truck through, and a minivan or station wagon just won't cut it. Believe me, I thought about it before I bought a Suburban. I had my eye on a Hemi Magnum. :D

Agree.
 
In my mind, the majority of people buy vehicles because of looks, there ability to do things, fit there budget, and brand image. Fuel economy is forcing people to do otherwise.
 
Trucks are able to do a lot more things than cars. Haul almost anything, tow your toys, carry your family, go off-road, sit high ("see over traffic"). Cars are easier to manuever and get better fuel economy. For all the people who don't live in the city, are fine with taking the on-ramp at 70mph vs 90mph, and can afford the fuel, drive trucks.
 
Oh and those who are worried about what there friends and neighbors think, will prefer fuel efficient cars now instead of a big SUV. But that'll change eventually too.

Your point's well taken - they're useful. But it's being shared... imagine if everyone in the office had a truck of their own. Would that be a good thing? Your overall gas consumption would double with very little benefit, since each individual probably only needs the truck a few times a quarter or a year, and some of them would have more fun driving something else.

Let me get this straight - you're surprised that a large group of people put a lot of miles on a pickup that they could use for free? You're easily surprised, it seems.

Nice blog post- I think 'truck people' can understand where you come from.
 
As for the arguments against;
--a Civic can haul nearly as much as a fullsize pickup (..ok..)
--you can 'get away' with renting a pu on occaision (good choice for some, but I'll bet the fee that total out the door cost of rental is much more than the advertised $20)
--if you like pickups, it's a bad thing because imagine if everyone had one (huge exaggeration)
 
Well, if a truck doesn't fit into your lifestyle than of course it doesn't make sense. People love to villify trucks...until they need one. I've seen it happen so many times in person.
 
Pickups didn't become so popular simply because of looks. They are used every day and a car simply will not do. If you don't understand that, than that's ok. But necessity being the mother of invention, the pickup was and has been there because of it's extreme value and utility.
 
I think a midsize Tacoma or Frontier is just as useful but... another debate for another blog.

To sum it all up. If you NEED a truck get a truck. If you really dont, like myself and can get by using, hauling, towing with a minvan then get a minivan or hell even a Ridgeline would work for a lot of people as it has some car/truck like abilities.
 
My uncle has a Hemi powered Dodge Ram pickup doesnt haul, tow, or carry anything but himself and his wife. She has a older Tahoe and it doesnt serve its purpose either. She likes the Tahoe because "it makes me feel safe".

i hope brian is just trying to rile people up because his comments are just insane.
sure, i needed a truck to pick up a motorcycle i bought... i rented one for the day and my god, was i glad to give it back.

"She likes the Tahoe because "it makes me feel safe" "
 
So she can utilize her horrible driving skill on the highway to endanger other fellow drivers in smaller cars... Great concept!!
 
Same thing can be applied to soccer moms with huge Suburbans...

If you have a group of 25 average people who all need a truck occasionally, you're going to put a lot of miles on that truck. Seems pretty simple and no mystery as to why it has lots of miles. Give it to one average person and I guarantee you wouldn't see as much truck-appropriate person.

"Someone put Brian in the same room with Karl."
 
They obviously wouldnt get along since Karl swears trucks and crossovers are unecessary for anyone under virtually any circumstances.
 
"Generally speaking, people buy SUVs & trucks and such for properties that are rarely utilized. And they don't often realize just how capable a car is and can be. "
 
I know how capable my car can be and its not as versatile as a truck. Do I really need to list all the things you cant haul in a civic? I hope not. On top of that when you have a truck you dont have to worry about scuffing up the insides of your vehicle, you can just toss stuff in the back.

Hey Cruiser -
 
You said,
 
"As for the arguments against;
--a Civic can haul nearly as much as a fullsize pickup (..ok..)
--you can 'get away' with renting a pu on occaision (good choice for some, but I'll bet the fee that total out the door cost of rental is much more than the advertised $20)
--if you like pickups, it's a bad thing because imagine if everyone had one (huge exaggeration) "
 
I'm not saying a Civic can haul anywhere near what a truck can. But I was giving examples of just what a regular ol' Civic can do, which are often relegated to truck duty. Can I put 1500 pounds in it? No. But I can put 400-500 pounds of crap in it. Can I tow 8000 pounds? No. But I can tow 1000 pounds. Can I haul a 4x4 furniture box? Yes. I put a blanket on the roof of the car and use ratcheting tie downs to keep it steady. Sheets of plywood? No.
 
Bear in mind as well, this is a 2800 pound civic COUPE...a reasonable 4-door would narrow the gap even more. A good wagon would narrow the gap tremendouly.
 
I have a Home Depot 15 minutes away from where I live (about 6-8 miles). I rented a Ford F-450 for $20, loaded it up with 7 sheets of drywall, drove to my home and unloaded them (quickly with my wife), and drove it back in 51 minutes. I paid exactly $20, no other charges. So yes, it can be as advertised.
 
Personally, I have no problem with people who like pickups. I'm all for people owning what they want (I own a coupe, one of the least capable body styles). What I am against is the illusion that the everyday person would find regular use for a pickup outside of what a car could do. Or that they have all this capability. Or that they are tremendously safer.
 
Pickup trucks & SUVs can not function as well in emergency manuevers. They are more destructive to property and people in accidents. They use more fuel and tend to cost more than their use provides benefit for(again, unless used frequently for their intended purposes).
 
The same can be said of other things, of course (an old cadillac, for instance).
 
Personally, one of my justifications for sporty cars is that they help protect my precious cargo due to their greater ability to react (limited primarily by driver, not machine). Won't protect me from getting rear-ended, but could help in a wide variety of other accidents.
 
Joe
 
P.s. I've been in two accidents in my life. One was driving a F-350 w/ a dump truck fixture on the back....I was driving in early rush hour traffic with ~a 3 second gap to the car in front of me. An 18-wheeler crossed both lines 6 cars ahead, everyone locked up....I left ~100-150 feet of skid marks before I rammed into the Hyundai elantra in front of me, pushed his trunk into his back seat, and made him ram the car in front of him. 3 seconds of distance was not enough, for which I will forever be sorry I did not realize ahead of times.
 
The other time was taking a 95 volvo 850 turbo around a corner in the rain too fast. I reacted to the oversteer by slamming on the brakes. I spun and was stopped by a tree (and I then drove home, God bless volvo, but that's another story).
 
In both instances, driver error was too fault...but I did a lot more damage in that truck than that volvo was capable of doing.
 
Of course, the truck would've taught that tree a lesson!

Owning a truck has been for me a mixed experience. Obviously it is hugely useful when you need it. But the ride of my particular truck is pretty bouncy on the highway and that is a major bummer. I always wanted a truck, and now I have one, but it will probably be my last. I'm more the type that needs one twice a year and will just borrow/rent.

i guess regularly hauling over the useful payload rating of a car and ratcheting large, heavy items on the roof is much more safe and sensible than using a pickup?
 
Putting arguments on the extreme is not useful as it does not relate to most people.
Pickups are supremely useful, which is why they are so popular

Cruiserhead makes a point that often gets overlooked. There are trucks that don't weigh 6000 lbs and get 13 mpg.
 
I drive a 4-cylinder, 2wd Chevy Colorado (admittedly, not too refined or exciting) as my daily driver. I routinely get mileage in the 20's, can drive it in traffic without feeling like a dinosaur, and still use it for the light hauling I do on my job and my home.
 
It's a shame that the small truck market has all but dried up. They would be a good compromise for lots of people.

The same argument can be made about owning a car that can run 150 mph or more... how often do you get to actually get to drive that car at it's upper limits? Probably about as often as the average pickup truck owner actually "needs" their pickup.
 
It's all a matter of choice, most of us could probably get by driving a Yugo, but who the hell wants to drive one of those things when there's such a diverse lot of rides to choose from.

My argument here is not about choice. Again, I'm a huge supporter of not bashing someone due to their desire for a specific car....but I'll bash reasons which don't pass the smell test.
 
Cruiser, you said, "i guess regularly hauling over the useful payload rating of a car and ratcheting large, heavy items on the roof is much more safe and sensible than using a pickup? "
 
and I said, "Can I put 1500 pounds in it? No. But I can put 400-500 pounds of crap in it. Can I tow 8000 pounds? No. But I can tow 1000 pounds."
 
I advocate using the capabilities of a vehicle, and my examples (400-500 pounds of junk, or towing 1000 pounds) are well within the capabilities of my vehicle. 1000 pounds for towing could be a modest jetski and a trailer, a small fishing boat & trailer, etc.....500-600 pounds of junk could be 12 bags of 50 pound dog food. Or, in my case, about 4 trips to the local dumpster of my kitchen cut up in transportable pieces.
 
How is transportating a 4x4 box on the roof of my car, tied down properly, unsafe?
 
Of course, I could also say how is driving a vehicle with a very heavy front-weighted bias, heavily sprung rear-end, and rear-wheel drive safe. When it's unloaded, it's just waiting for the right moment to have that rear-end come out. :)
 
Which is half the fun.
 
Joe

Really it all has nothing to do with trucks being bad, or high powered cars being bad etc..
 
It's people who refuse to accept someone has a preference that is differet then theirs.
 
In other words "I don't like trucks therefore those who do are wrong".

I like off-roading in trucks :)
 
(Btw, the goal of the author to create a strong comment response has been vindicated)

Cruiserhead - you forgot one thing. A person COULD use a car for hauling - in fact, i see it all the time. The trunk and interior of these cars are packed full of cans, bottles and newspapers. Personally, I'd rather keep the mess in the pickup bed and have the cabin stay clean and odor free.
 
I'll admit, a Honda Ridgeline would probably be fine for most people.

Yeah, hauling my old garbage disposal, which had god only knows how many years of ground up gunk inside of it (and of course the last thing my wife decided to put down it was red wine) was not the most pleasant smell to have inside the car :)
 
There are definite benefits to have a really rugged lined truck bed.
 
Joe

I don't think we're being unreasonable here; the blog entry was titled "tell me why I'm wrong" and I do think there was a fallacious leap in his logic, so I told him so.
 
Trucks are useful - every once in a while. Put a lot of people together and all those 'once in a whiles' add up. That doesn't make it reasonable for every single person to own a truck when they'd rather have something else as a daily driver.

I like this argument because I fit the profile so well. I own 2 vehicles, a Honda S2000 and a Chevy 2500 crew cab. The Honda is my day-to-day vehicle and I get a solid 25mpg combined with it. Very appropriate. But when I need to haul stuff (or more than 2 people), I take the truck. Is it a waste as a people mover? Sure. But the 5% of times I need to haul 3+ people or literal tons of stuff, I use my truck.
 
If I drove the average 15K miles/year, I'd have used 610 gallons (15K * 95% / 25mpg + 15K * 5% / 17mpg) in a year.
If I had a catchall sedan (@ 21mpg), I'd use 710 gallons (15K / 21mpg) in a year.
 
So having 2 cars works for me.

Another vote for the multi-vehicle option.
 
I have found that used trucks solve both the expense and the 'sometimes really handy' issues.
  
I'll probably always have a truck, but will rely on a high mileage car for most of my driving.
  
Owning an older truck also make it easier to use the vehicle for truck type jobs, the odd scratch and dent doesn't matter.

Joe, your justification for sports cars is the same one I use for motorcycles. :-)The ability to avoid accidents, IMO, is the most important thing on the road. But for everyone who says trucks are dangerous and distructive it always comes down to the person behind the wheel.

Question: who pays for the gas on these long-term vehicles? Edmunds, or the staffers who sign them out?

If you can afford the gas for a truck or SUV, go for it - but don't complain when you're paying a small fortune at the pump to fill those thirsty beasts. Personally, I'm thrilled that my 12 year old Maxima gets 20+ mpg city. And since my kids aren't in school, I save even more by bicycling the 4 miles to work. Still, as I contemplate the inevitable replacement for the Max, I'm looking at a Vibe/Matrix or an Outback or Forester - something that gets better than 20mpg city regularly on regular-grade gas.

carlisimo, dscain, & estreka - y'all hit it.

I dont know that I can add more than what's already been added, but here's my 2 cents...
 
I grew up on a farm (sort of - my grandpa did the farming), and thus I grew up around trucks, tractors, trailers, implements, and the like. There was always a trailer to be pulled, pipes to be hauled, weeds to be burnt, ditches to be cleaned and the like. I tried doing that in a car (a 2 coupe no less). It didn't work so well and the inside of my car was always a muddy mess. But I can see how you would be able to use a car for a lot of "truck" fuctions. It just won't do it as efficiently. It will mean more trips to the dump thus more gas spent, more time spent cleaning (time=money), more compromise (can't get this couch because it won't fit in the car) etc.
 
No, you shouldn't own a truck just for looks. The blinged out 20" wheeled, wood trimed, leathered out, luxo-mobiles only serve to enhance this image. I own a small, very competent older truck. It does everything I want it to do. The inside stays clean. All my friends want to borrow it because they don't have one (even the those with Exploreres and Exursions). It gets decent gas mileage. I use it as my daily driver when I am not using my work van. It even serves as a very capable substitute for the times when my work van goes down.
 
So I will agree that not everyone needs or has a use for a truck. A lot of us could get by using thier cars for "some" truck duties and the inefficiency of that doesn't outwiegh the cost of buying and maintaining insurance and resgistration on even a small fuel efficient truck. I might could even do it. But I don't want to and my truck is paid for and doesn't cost me a whole lot to keep it on the road. I probably won't replace it for a while, but when I do it will be with another truck. I just feel that it is more versatile and effecient as a 2nd vehicle than a car. I already have a family car for people moving and fuel efficiency.

True, trucks are useful when the need arises, but it's just a huge waste of energy and fuel to use it for daily driving. Again, the multi-vehicle argument rings true, although I've found my 95 Audi S6 can usually do all the heavy hauling I need. This may make some s-car purists cringe, but my Audi is quite a good tow vehicle, I regularly pull a 14 foot sailboat (it doesn't have a keel which makes life easier) with no ill effects.
 
I think many of us underestimate what one can do with passenger cars and trailers. I mean, just look at what they do in Europe.

I happen to like pick up trucks for their utility. Years ago when I was restoring a country house in the backwoods of PA, I had a little Ford Ranger that I literally wore out over 150K miles hauling stuff back and forth and it was pretty fuel efficient. Farmers are not the only people that need them on a day to day basis. Right now in front of my office is a fire resue station with 4 pick ups and a mini cooper clubman parked there. Firemen and those in the construction industry, to name but a few, actually need these vehicles. Not all of us like myself are limited to hauling our lattes every day to work. I understand the efficiency argument, but the solution IMHO is to require truck makers to use high efficiency turbodiesel engines that are ideally suited to the torque needs of truck users and make them more affordable.

Isn't it kind of like loosening your belt when you discover you are getting fatter? I'm a big fan of not overcomplicating and overconsuming. I'm don't understand people who claim they need a truck to haul a month's worth of supplies from Costco, or for that little construction project that takes place once a year.
 
There's a local dump where people bring all their yard waste, unwanted furniture, etc. We use our Prius to do it, but there's always lots of people trying to feel outdoorsy by towing 100lbs of twigs with 6000lbs of car. Seems kind of silly.
 
Plus, trucks suck to drive.

bal169 - "The same argument can be made about owning a car that can run 150 mph or more... how often do you get to actually get to drive that car at it's upper limits? Probably about as often as the average pickup truck owner actually "needs" their pickup. "
 
I don't agree with that. Most pickup owners (i.e. average) use their trucks as a tool to make a living. Contractors, farmers, builders, etc. They depend on their pickups to get work done.
 
Sure there are buyers of pickups who don't use them for what they were designed for, and buy them only for an image or to sit higher, but these buyers are certainly not the average pickup buyer, and they are definitely not in the majority of pickup buyers.

Multiple vehicles are nice, but if I could only have one, it would a truck. Extra gas is still cheaper than extra cars.
 
We're fortunate to have two vehicles. My little car for commuting, and the big SUV for family stuff. Maybe a minivan would even work for the regular family stuff, around town, etc. But occasional big jobs and towing, not to mention comfort, make the SUV an ideal vehicle. I'm not going to trade it for a Mazda5 and then go buy a pickup as a THIRD vehicle for occasional use. You have to draw the line somewhere. The SUV does it all in comfort, even if it is a bit overqualified for the daily routine. If there's something that can't fit inside the SUV, I can rent a trailer.

Just buy what you want. 'Nuff said.

stingray454,
 
I don't know where you live but around here it's quite the opposite. Most of the trucks I see are driven around for day to day activities and look like they have never had anything in the bed.
 
Just thinking about the people that I know personally who own trucks, only 1 actually uses it for his job.

Truck update from a flooded iowan. Pickups = sandbag haulers.
All of those pickups that never had anything in their bed. Full of sand. The water from the iowa river is only 100 yards from my house and we got to more inches this morning. My sandbag wall should hold. But without a truck (a whole neighborhood of trucks) we would be all wet.