Auto News 5

It's strange to jump into a heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado after coming out of a long weekend in a Mazda Miata. Even if I hadn't just spent the previous four nights in one of the smallest cars this side of a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, driving a heavy-duty pickup requires a separate mindset from our day-to-day evaluations of sedans, crossovers, and SUVs. A heavy-duty truck can't be judged on the same standards for ride quality, handling, and passing acceleration. In top-spec trim with a crew cab and a long bed, the Silverado HD measures in at 259.1 inches long--or more than 21 feet. To truly evaluate a heavy-duty truck, you need to push it towards its limits with 5906 pounds of payload or a 13,200-pound trailer. Having just one night with the Silverado HD 3500, I didn't have a chance to load it up with anything more than a tandem bike, which was easily swallowed by the swimming-pool-sized bed.