I'll give it a go.
My car is also being repaired after getting rear ended and the only thing on the lot was this:
A Chevy 2008 Silverado 1500 LT(base model)
Now, my view on trucks has always been that while I kinda like the look and sound of them, I'd never want to drive one; too big and bothersome as well as the fact that I have no need for the utility they offer. This has changed slightly. I actually enjoyed having the high vantage point as well as the feeling of "I can do anything I want, I have a big truck." But onto specifics.
Looks and interior
As far as trucks go, I'd say this one is pretty simple and understated in the looks department, not nearly as aggressive as a Dodge or Ford equivalent. I can certainly appreciate this design, but I personally prefer the more aggressive look, especially in trucks.
On the inside it is extremely simple. The huge dash is mostly empty and the stereo is as plain and understated as they could make it, and that's fine because I'm pretty sure that most people who are interested in this truck over the competition would prefer the simple, more classic dash. I didn't like it at first, but got used to it and found the large buttons and dials to be very user friendly.
The stereo plays nice with mp3 cds, although the cd-RW I burned seems to be giving it problems. If I get a chance I'll make a regular mp3 cd to make sure it's the disk type that's the issue as I have heard of that happening. It has a three band EQ with about 10 presets as well as a custom setting. Trust me, if you're used to two band, you will fall in love with three. Having an adjustment for the mid range was something I forgot I needed after not having it in the car before. Also of note, the stereo is XM satellite ready, although it wasn't activated, as would be expected on a base model rental.
There are lots of small to smallish storage compartments tucked away in the center console and a few more in the dash, and although I didn't have much use for them in the time I've had the truck, I'm sure many of them would come in very handy to someone who actually owns one.
I haven't been in the back seats other than to load and unload groceries, but I would say that two adults could sit back there with relative comfort.
The ride
At first it seemed like this thing could flip at any moment, but that was really just because of the huge difference between this and my car as over a few days I got used to the setup and found that falling over at a stop light or even most corners wasn't going to be an issue. The steering it pretty light, too light for my liking. but not so much as tou cause the kinds of issues Noodle had with his rental.
The ride itself was a bit stiff and bouncy, but that's because this thing is designed to have up to an extra 1000lbs in the bed, so I imagine that once some extra weight is thrown in there it would be a bit smoother. The seats are big and comfortable while providing good support (my back has actually been hurting a lot less since I've been driving this), but being someone with a smallish frame, I think that it'd be a little tight for a bigger person when the center console is down.
Driving on the highway was quite nice, much better than in my car. With the engine at 1800rpm when going 70 and a good amount of sound deadening, all I hear is the V8 rumble in the background and a little bit of wind noise in the for of a slightly annoying whistle, which may be something to do with this particular truck and not the entire line.
The Power
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of it. I know that there is, but it doesn't feel like it. I've been told however, that this is largely due to the fact that Chevy goes for the "best fuel economy in class" mark, making thier trucks a bit sluggish compared to their competition. This was particularly annoying at times when coupled with a transmission that also tries to save as much fuel as possible. It seemed to resist shifting down all the time, and that almost caused a highway accident as when I gunned it to merge it took 2-3 seconds to shift down a couple cogs and take off. This sort of thing is unacceptable to me and is a major part of why I hate auto 'boxes. I know some are good, but any car close to my price range is going to act similarly, so I'll stick with a proper 'box.
Four wheel drive is awesome. When you turn it on you really feel like absolutely nothing can stop this thing, and tenfold when in 4Lo. I was tempted to drive over cars instead of going around them, and I have no doubt that it could have worked.
This truck has a V8, I like V8s. I need more of them in my life. I came dangerously close to buying a Firebird I simply cannot afford just so I could have that noise. Granted, the Silverado is actually very quiet, but that sound still comes through when you bury the throttle(and the damn thing downshifts).
The Verdict
This truck has shown me that I actually like trucks and would seriously consider buying one if I could afford the gas, which I can't comfortably do right now. It overall is pretty good, with the biggest exception being a lack of oomph for my liking and an automatic transmission, but I think a more reasonable person who doesn't have such a juvenile need to drive a bit faster than in necessary would be much more ok with these things.
7/10