2014 1500 Silverado

[93Flareside]

In this day and age, power isn't really relevant any more for me. They'll all tow a boat or something easily. If the truck's overall shape was shrunk down and maybe the headlights and grille decreased by about 60%, it would be a decent looking truck. This is why I haven't bought a newer truck. They've gotten way too big for still being called a half ton, 3/4 and one ton trucks.

 

[Cellos88GT]

Ha, ironically I' the opposite. However, I'm waiting for the real trucks to show. The 1500 is great but I'm hoping GM pushes the HD trucks a bit more this time.

The 1500 update feels like a facelift in so many ways rather than a full redesign. They should have worked on the components like they did with their HD trucks back in 2011. Just my 2cents.

I don't see GM topping this: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/22/2013-ram-3500-hd-review-first-drive/

Ford will probably be able to, if not come close. GM, no way.

 

[Spectre]

Thing is, there's a new SuperDuty due out as a 2015 if rumors are true. The 'new' GM offerings are currently competing against a truck from 1998 and only edging it out in comparos in the last couple of years. And you still have the problem that it's a GM, so it's going to disintegrate in a few years. Also, the GM trans control software is nice and all, but it doesn't help when the transmission takes a crap all over your job site.

I'd also point out that buyers remain unconvinced of GMs diesels. Per http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2013/02/who-sold-the-most-hd-pickups-in-2012.html:

As you might expect, this segment is heavily dominated by the turbodiesel engine choice, with each manufacturer averaging above 80 percent in their respective one-ton truck offering. Of course, certain premium-level heavy-duty models are only offered with the diesel engine choice.

Interestingly, the overall take rates for their respective big-diesel engine choice (when calculating both three-quarter-ton and one-ton pickups together) is more than 85 percent for Ram HDs, about 68 percent for Ford Super Dutys, 55 percent for GMC and 45 percent for Chevy. As you may have surmised, the 2500 HD (both the Sierra HD at 50 percent and Silverado HD at 35 percent) trucks still sell a lot of gasoline 6.0-liter V-8s in the segment.

Add into the mix the fact that much of the GM pickup sales were to government fleets where lowest price, not features or anything else, is usually king, and the picture is not so great.

 

[Quiky]

Add into the mix the fact that much of the GM pickup sales were to government fleets where lowest price, not features or anything else, is usually king, and the picture is not so great.

From the Government Perspective, most of our HD pickups are *not* diesel due to the $8,000 premium(no discounts on that). Two of those engine upgrades will buy a sedan-- Chevy Impala, Dodge Avenger, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra that could be used elsewhere.

 

[Spectre]

I don't see GM topping this: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/22/2013-ram-3500-hd-review-first-drive/

Ford will probably be able to, if not come close. GM, no way.

Not if their light duties are any indicator, no. GM would have to get all new interior design teams to even begin to head in that direction.

What's amusing is that the Superduty is still running around on the same chassis that shipped under the 1998 (MY 1999) SuperDuty - in fact, you can bolt all the new SD stuff up to an old SD and some people have done their own 'facelifts' for their older SDs that way. The fact that Ford's been able to update the truck to keep up with (and until very recently dominate) the competition says something about their engineers.

Now imagine what those guys are going to do with a clean sheet to play with.

- - - Updated - - -

From the Government Perspective, most of our HD pickups are *not* diesel due to the $8,000 premium(no discounts on that). Two of those engine upgrades will buy a sedan-- Chevy Impala, Dodge Avenger, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra that could be used elsewhere.

Yes, but you Feds don't buy that many pickup trucks in the first place (which is why I didn't say Federal government sales). The ones I'm referring to are the ones to state and local governments - highway departments, street departments, water and power departments, etc., etc. They're the ones buying them.

Interesting local note: Dallas sued Ford over the Crown Vic fire issues and as a result they stopped buying Fords for any city department. They bought a whole bunch of Chevy and GM trucks for municipal use instead... and four years later guess what? They're buying Fords again. Turns out the GM products (both light and heavy duty pickups) required so much maintenance that 1) the savings they got by selecting them instead of a Dodge or then-barred Ford quickly evaporated in repair costs and 2) they were deadlined for maintenance so much that work suffered for lack of available trucks - including, most worryingly, the ambulance service. Dallas's purchasing people have apparently learned that a lower initial purchase price means nothing if total cost of ownership and availability for service both blow goats.

 

[fps.evan]

I can only hope they go ahead and make on of these guys to complete with the SVT Raptor and the Dodge Ram Power Wagon.

 

[Spectre]

I can only hope they go ahead and make on of these guys to complete with the SVT Raptor and the Dodge Ram Power Wagon.

With or without the tie rods made of glass they're currently shipping on all of their trucks?

 

[fps.evan]

With or without the tie rods made of glass they're currently shipping on all of their trucks?

Without!

 

[rickhamilton620]

Not if their light duties are any indicator, no. GM would have to get all new interior design teams to even begin to head in that direction.

What's amusing is that the Superduty is still running around on the same chassis that shipped under the 1998 (MY 1999) SuperDuty - in fact, you can bolt all the new SD stuff up to an old SD and some people have done their own 'facelifts' for their older SDs that way. The fact that Ford's been able to update the truck to keep up with (and until very recently dominate) the competition says something about their engineers.

I do like how people do front end conversions on the Excursion:

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

That is a pretty cool excursion.

 

[sonza68]

I don't like that front end on the pickups, but do like it on the Excursion. Not sure why that is.

 

[NecroJoe]

The "boxed-in" back half makes it look less like a giant nose on a tiny body