Test Drive: 2022 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss

2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew LT Trail Boss

Miles driven: 261

Fuel used: 11.3 gallons

Real-world fuel economy: 23.1 mpg

Driving mix: 50% city, 50% highway

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 20/23/21 (mpg city/highway/combined)

CG Report Card

Room and Comfort	A
Power and Performance	B+
Fit and Finish	B
Fuel Economy	A
Value	B+

Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup.

Big & Tall Comfort

Big Guy	A
Tall Guy	A

Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester.

Drivetrain
Engine Specs	277-hp 3.0L
Engine Type	Inline 6
Transmission	10-speed automatic
Drive Wheels	4-wheel drive

Fuel type: Diesel

Base price: $52,000 (not including $1695 destination charge)

Options on test vehicle: LT Trail Boss Premium Package ($4000), Duramax 3.0-liter 6-cylinder turbodiesel ($2590), power sunroof ($995), front bucket seats with center console ($620), adaptive cruise control ($500), Multiflex tailgate ($445), bed-view camera ($250), credit–not equipped with heated steering wheel–includes later retrofit (-$25), LT Trail Boss Premium Package discount (-$500)

Price as tested: $62,570

Quick Hits

The great: Spacious cabin; much-improved interior materials; relatively quiet, economical Duramax turbodiesel 6-cylinder engine

The good: Long list of available comfort, safety, and technology features

The not so good: Ride quality is a step behind class rivals; off-road tires are noisier on the highway; options drive up bottom-line price

More Silverado price and availability information

John Biel

The Chevrolet Silverado LT Trail Boss just might have gotten a little bossier. For 2022 it sports touched-up frontal styling and a revamped interior with big, new gauge and infotainment displays that put it the league with its major rivals from Ford and Ram.

That’s not all of what’s new with the ’22 Silverado, but those things were the major model-year updates for the Silverado 1500 that Consumer Guide tested, a Red Hot-painted LT Trail Boss “short-bed” crew cab. The truck had a starting price of $53,695 with delivery, but an option load that included $4000 for an extensive LT Trail Boss Premium Package and $2590 for a Duramax 3.0-liter turbodiesel 6-cylinder engine contributed to a final price that reached $62,570.

2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew LT Trail Boss — Chevrolet’s full-size half-ton pickup receives a thorough refresh for 2022 that includes an exterior styling facelift and–though our test vehicle wasn’t so equipped–availability of GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist system.

Across the lineup there are new grilles incorporating redesigned headlamps and changed front bumpers, from the utilitarian WT up through the deluxe High Country. (Note that Chevy is still selling a parallel lower-cost Silverado Limited line that effectively is a continuation of the 2019-21 models.) A simplified engine lineup—the 4.3-liter V6 is dropped—includes a 310-horsepower turbocharged 2.7-liter 4-cylinder, the turbodiesel inline six with 277 horsepower, and V8s of 5.3 liters/355 horsepower and 6.2 liters/420 horsepower. All are available in the LT Trail Boss.

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All but the WT- and Custom-trim Silverados get the new-look instrument panel with the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 13.4-inch infotainment screen. The vibrant, configurable gauge array is quite a departure from the previous unit with its quartet of small, ancillary dials across the top. (The latter design remains in the WT and Custom.) The large, horizontal Chevrolet Infotainment 3 touchscreen allowed easy and intuitive audio inputs—and there is a handy physical power/volume knob. Map views are big and bright. From the LT level on up Google-powered map, app, and voice-assistant compatibility is built in. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration is wireless. Revamped controls for the dual-zone climate system continue with handy rotary temperature dials, but a big cluster of buttons—including repetitive-pushers for fan speed—governs other functions.

The optional turbodiesel six is pleasantly quiet and resistant to vibration for its kind. It is, however, not swift with its modest herd of 277 ponies. A saving grace is pull: Its 460 lb-ft of torque matches that of the 6.2-liter V8, and it reaches that level at just 1500 rpm—way sooner than the gas engine does. The turbodiesel and both V8s are paired with a smooth and effective 10-speed automatic transmission activated by either a steering-column lever or, in console-equipped models like the test truck, the “Electronic Precision” shifter that somewhat counterintuitively is moved forward to activate Reverse and back to summon Drive. A button on the grip enlists Park.

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In pursuit of maximum fuel economy, the turbodiesel powerplant is equipped with an automatic stop/start and Active Fuel Management that deactivates up to half of the engine’s cylinders under reduced load. The EPA estimates for this engine in Silverados with 4-wheel drive and mud-terrain tires (the only way the Trail Boss comes) are 20 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway, and 21 combined. Our editors actually bested the EPA estimates, averaging 23.1 in an even mix of city/highway driving, in testing that was run in 2-wheel drive and unladen with never more than two people aboard.

In certain ways, the ’22 Silverado 1500 isn’t far removed from 2019-21 models, including the ’19 LT Trail Boss that CG tested. What separates the off-road-oriented Trail Boss from other LTs is the Z71 off-road package with Rancho-brand monotube shock absorbers, a 2-inch suspension lift for extra ground clearance and heightened approach and departure angles, and 275/65R18C Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires on glossy-black 18-inch alloy wheels. Additional features are a 2-speed transfer case, automatically locking rear differential, hill-descent control, heavy-duty air cleaner, undercarriage skid plates, and a pair of red tow hooks that project from the front bumper.

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Other things to expect from LTs are a power-locking and power-releasing tailgate, cargo-bed lighting and tie-downs, twin exhaust outlets with bright tips, corner steps built into the rear bumper, heated power mirrors, and LED lighting all around. The interior contains heated front seats, a 10-way power driver’s seat, 60/40 folding rear seat cushion, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, keyless entry and starting, satellite radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Driver assists are forward-collision alert and front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist with late-departure warning, surround-view camera, and Teen Driver mode to set user limits.

The test truck was made a little cozier and more useful via the Trail Boss Premium Package with leather-upholstered front seats and rear seats with storage bins incorporated into the backrests, power sliding rear window, spray-in bed liner, and Bose sound system. The package’s driver aids included several items helpful for safe trailering. (The test truck was rated to tow 9000 pounds.) A power sunroof, adaptive cruise control, and 6-position “Multi-Flex” tailgate were among individual options.

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Passenger space remains as abundant as ever in either row, with easy 3-abreast seating for adults in back. Drivers will find some considerable roof-pillar obstructions, however. Also, without optional side steps, entries and exits are not the easiest in the high-riding Trail Boss. The change to the instrument panel has not cost the higher-end Silverados the dual glove boxes found in the old dash. However, the console box in trucks with the Electronic Precision shifter isn’t as roomy as before. Large map pockets with cup holders reside in all doors and pairs of exposed cup holders appear in the console, pull-down rear armrest, and back of the center console. The rear seat cushion flips up to enable wide storage space.

The Trail Boss and its off-road ilk cede some quiet while on pavement—blame the tires. Steering and handling aren’t bad, though, and a meaty pedal feel accompanies good braking. Chevy’s leaf-spring rear suspension, while not class-leading, still performed decently even when the pavement wasn’t state of the art.

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