2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Review (continued)
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Walkaround

GM's new pickups are not standouts in the styling department, and a Chevrolet Silverado 3500 looks conservative when parked alongside a Dodge Ram 3500 or a Ford Super Duty. Though all the body work was all-new for 2001, the Silverado styling is clearly evolutionary, not revolutionary. In other words, the new heavy-duty Silverado looks a lot like the previous heavy-duty C/K trucks, until you park them alongside one another, that is. Then the differences are quite striking.

Compared with the previous-generation, the current Silverados look like they were driven through a giant sander. The body work is smoother and more fluid. Sharp creases have been rounded off and smoothed over. Silverado 2500 HDs look similar to the light-duty Silverado 1500 and 2500 models, but the heavy-duty Silverado comes with a bulging hood designed to provide space for the giant engines that are available. Even the fender flares around the dual rear wheels on the 3500 Series models are smoother and more elegantly designed.

Styling distinctions differentiate the Chevy Silverado from the GMC Sierra, unlike in the past. The Silverado is called The Truck" at Chevrolet. It looks bold, with its power dome hood and a big Chevy bow tie on the grille. That grille is accented by a heavy center bar with a bow tie in the middle.

Coming soon is a redesigned 2003 Silverado with much bolder styling."

Interior Features

Standard seating is much better than basic. In fact, these trucks are downright comfortable. They are quite roomy, among the roomiest available. Four cab styles are available: Regular Cab, Extended Cab, Crew Cab, and Chassis Cab. All offer identical front-seat space. The extended-cab's rear-door openings are the largest in the industry, according to Chevrolet

The Crew Cab offers roomy rear seats, comfortable for two adults, capable of three. In addition to their people-carrying capability, the Crew Cab models come in handy in many sometimes unforeseen ways. We like changing into our driving suits in the back seats at races or putting on a pair of waders when fishing in cold weather. The rear seats fold down, a huge benefit for carrying cargo inside.

OnStar, the telematics system, comes standard on Silverado LT extended cab and Crew Cab models. OnStar when send someone to the rescue if your airbag deploys and you don't respond to their calls. All models come standard with dual front air bags with a passenger-side deactivation switch on regular and extended cab models to protect small occupants.