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Jalopnik Names Chevy Silverado Best Pickup Under $40,000

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strength of the Silverado

Truck Trend may have chosen the 2015 Ford F-150 as their Truck of the Year, but the acerbic writers over at Jalopnik came to a different conclusion when they compared this year’s crop of pickups.

As part of the automotive website’s “Truck Yeah” feature (named, we assume ironically, for the cheesy Tim McGraw song), writer Andrew P. Collins set out to determine what the best pickup truck available for under $40,000 is.

While a lot of publications will set up some rigorous tests and judge various pickups based on a very specific set of criteria, Jalopnik took a more practical approach to determine which model is best suited for real, everyday truck drivers.

“We haven’t taken every truck to the ragged edge,” wrote Collins. “What we have done is strap motorcycles into cargo boxes, heaved errant SUVs out of ditches, towed project cars, hauled half the contents of Home Depot back to mama’s, taken the boat to the lake, brought the bros skiing, flung a whole lotta dirt in 2WD, and unbogged ourselves in 4-Lo. Even wedged our way through a Wendy’s drive-thru or two.”

Apparently, when all’s said and done, the Chevy Silverado is the best fit for a Wendy’s drive-thru (eat your heart out, Ford!).

2015 Chevy Silverado Features


Related info: 2015 Chevy Silverado 1500 Model Overview


More than that, though, it’s also a pretty good value. Collins notes that you can get an extended cab Silverado with both a V8 engine and navigation and the optional trailer package, while still staying within the $40,000 budget.

On the other hand, adding a trailer package to an F-150 or Ram 1500 means settling for a base V6 engine. Collins (understandably) preferred the Silverado’s more powerful 5.3-liter Ecotec3 V8, which was only 1 mpg worse than the F-150, mileage-wise.

Add in the 2015 Chevy Silverado’s smooth ride, “solid” ergonomics, and classically simple design, and you’ve got yourself the best pickup truck that ($40,000 worth of) money can buy.


Related info: 2015 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Model Overview