Driving Impressions

This is a pickup truck with a long wheelbase and should not be expected to ride or drive like a car. Unloaded, the ride is mixed. In most places it's acceptable, but on concrete freeways with a periodic irregularity it can become pretty tiresome as it hops in frequency with the pavement. But that can be said for just about any pickup truck, especially unloaded. Loaded, however, the ride is better, and even the 1500-series model will take more than a ton of bricks in its bed. On balance, the ride is good, particularly for the long haul. The front seats are comfy and there's plenty of room, and roomy comfort is one of the big reasons people buy full-size pickup trucks. There's good steering feel, directional stability is relentless, and the Chevy goes where it's pointed and stays headed there. The long wheelbase of the extended cab detracts from nimbleness, and maneuvering in tight quarters might require some planning. But it's extremely stable on the highway.

Final Word

The bottom line on the Chevy C/K pickup is the power of the Vortec engines, an area where GM's full-size trucks hold a distinct edge over the new Ford F-Series. For a long time, truck buyers planning to haul big loads were almost forced to reckon with the expense--both initially and in fuel consumption--of a big-block. That's no more. The 5.7-liter Vortec V8 offers a very real alternative, with plenty of power for all but the most outrageously heavy work, yet it delivers decent fuel economy for daily driving. In case you'll be dealing with only medium loads, the 5.0-liter Vortec V8 offers performance comparable to or better than the 5.7-liter engine sold two years ago. If your needs dictate you go the other way, the 7.4-liter V8 churns out 290 hp and 410 lb.-ft. of torque. For diesel fans, the 6.5-liter turbodiesel offers 190 hp and 385 lb.-ft. of torque and is smoother and quieter than the Cummins turbodiesel offered in the Dodge Ram. While the competition has gone off on stylistic frontier busting, the Chevy and GMC pickups have retained the high middle ground. They still look clean and modern and are a proven commodity with hundreds of thousands of satisfied owners.