Video: A Closer Look at the 2007 Silverado
Joseph B. White, of The Wall Street Journal, talks with GM’s Gary White, vice president GM North America and full-size truck vehicle line executive, about the 2007 Chevy Silverado during last week’s unveiling in this video interview. Gary discusses how GM plans to stay competitive in the full-size truck market with the debut of this model and the GMC Sierra.
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I don’t think that there is a better sound that is manufactured today than the sound of a Chevy truck engine. It sounds like America breathing.
Now is she corn fed?
This is off-topic, but with all the hype about Hybrid car gas mileage, I wondered what the mileage for the old economy cars was. I looked up an 1986 Chevette, and the Diesel model got 40 city/46 highway ! 20 years later, that’s still hard to beat ! Just start building Chevettes again !
Can’t make Chevettes any more because the body wouldn’t come close to passing todays crash tests and the diesel engine wouldn’t come close to passing the enviro standards. By the time you add the extra weight for the crash tests and choke the engine for the pipe sniffers… it just isn’t going to happen.
All the new GM SUV’s, trucks, and crossovers are really good and will sell well.
However, like it or not, the perception still exists that Toyota/Honda build higher quality (broadly defined) vehicles. This perception will not change overnight. Until GM can build a car that can be better (in every sense) than the Camry/Accord/Corolla/Civic, they will still struggle. People base their perceptions about GM on the passenger cars.
To T. Thomas:
When I remember my former 1991 Opel Kadett, this car already provided a good mileage, too. 6.8 liters per 100 Kilometers is about the same like 35 mpg. But I think it was inevitable, that fuel-efficiency couldn’t improve so dramatically during the last decades, because the cars gained more weight, since more safety- and comfort-technologies had been applied. When I compare my 2001 Olds Alero to my father’s 1977 Opel Rekord, which is about the same size, the Alero’s weight is 794 lb higher than the Opel’s. But that’s the price to pay, since today no customer would accept a car without air condition, airbags, ABS, power-windows, ESP (Stabilitrak) and so on.
Congratulations to GM regarding the latest results at the J.D.-Power VDS. It confirms my experiences with my Alero, which continues to prove as a very reliable vehicle.
I agree with Edward Hayes to a point. The only sound better than the truck engine in my Silverado is the absolutely fantastic Bose stereo. Like a Rock on GM.
Off topic
Imagine what a clean burning Diesel Hybrid H2 would do for GM!!!
The continued decontenting of the chrome front bumper is disappointing to say the least. Personal preference I suppose, just looks cheap without. Hybrids are overrated, and impractical overall. The 20 MPG combined driving is a plus mentioned in the vid is a plus.
This truck is cool. Chevy really has to make this truck have a diesel engine so it can do better on gas. My friend’s 2003 diesel silverado gets about 21-30 MPG, so I want this 2007 to do better then that or the same.
“But I think it was inevitable, that fuel-efficiency couldn’t improve so dramatically during the last decades, because the cars gained more weight, since more safety- and comfort-technologies had been applied.”
“Can’t make Chevettes any more because the body wouldn’t come close to passing todays crash tests and the diesel engine wouldn’t come close to passing the enviro standards.”
Fuel efficiency hasn’t improved in the past dozen years because the major domestic car companies, and the UAW, bullied Congress into “frezing” the CAFE standards, not because it can’t be done.
A “present-day Chevette” could certainly be made, if the design was based on a (currently not available in NA) European or Asian GM design, as the original Chevette was.
How does this sound for a GM
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Mr. White: Thanks for the recently announced Turbo-Diesel for the 1500 series trucks.
Hope this means it will also be available in full-size SUV’s and Vans, if one found it’s way into the new RWD Impala it would not hurt.
Don’t forget the ¬æ ton Suburban – it still needs the Duramax/Allison from the HD truck.
When my 2008 Sierra comes off lease I will be looking for at the Turbo Diesel model; maybe in a crew cab this time.
The new split rear seat and roll down windows are great additions to extended cabs models.
I would like to see an optional folding passenger seat back like the HHR. This would be great for hauling things inside the cab and still have room for rear passengers. It would even be handy in regular cab models for bulky cargo you want to keep out of the elements.
Since the Silverado has been redesigned will there be an SS model available?
Mr. White,
It appears that you have done a very nice job with the new Chevrolet pickups and have made a number of excellent improvements. However, you have alienated a share of the truck buying market of which I am a very stubborn member.
I bought my first new Chevy truck in 1993. It was a 1500. Starting in 1996 I have been ordering a new truck every two years. These trucks have all been extended cab long box 2500 models.
The reason I have been ordering these is to get them optioned just the way I like them. When I sell them after the two years I typically have a waiting list of people who want to buy them from me.
Why is this? It is because I have been ordering them with a manual transmission! Contrary to what you might believe, there is still a relatively large number of people out here who prefer to shift their own gears in a working situation. Dealers push the automatic optioned trucks “because it’s easier to drive and it has a higher resale value”. Bull! People who want the manual transmission can’t find them on the used (or new) market and they are willing to search far and wide to get what they want.
Now it has been announced that the new GM trucks will not offer a manual transmission in any of the models! I find this ironic as I read Mr. Lutz’s new catch phrase “Give the people what they want.” Well, it looks like the only way that I will be able to get what I want is to buy either a Dodge or a Ford!
I’m sure you have many ways that you can justify this so-called improvement but I’m sure it comes down to cutting costs on your assembly line by eliminating something that is only ordered by 5% of the buying public. This mentality has shown up glaringly with things like not being able to get two-tone paint on a long box 2500 while being able to get it on a short box 2500 even thought they go down the same line in Pontiac, the elimination of the lock cylinder on the passenger door, and not putting the side rub-strip molding on the box side and keeping it on the cab side (why would you think that the box side wouldn’t be susceptible to door dings in a parking lot?)
You have obviously made a major commitment to eliminate the manual transmission so I doubt that my complaint will cause a ripple in your design committee meetings but I’m very disgusted that I will be forced to spend the extra $1,000+ to get something that only has the advantage of being “easier” (yes, it has a lockup torque converter for better fuel mileage above 45 mph but my transmission locks up solid every time I remove my foot from the clutch pedal!)
A previously loyal customer.
Len Kaufer
The person who made the last comment is right. Rowing your own gears makes a vehicle have personality, it gives the owner a chance to express something that other vehicle buyers who buy automatic slushboxes do not. The thing is the silverado loses something with this new model. I would have loved to drive a 5-6 spd. manual 4.8l V8. I hope this mistake doesn’t show up on the new camaro or I’ll just stop buying new vehicles and work on older ones, who can be converted( and will be in my case).
I agree with you guys too, this is GM, best-selling in the world, and you guys have the best manual transmission, here in the Middle East, Automatic is sold for $3000 because nobody wants it, and you guys want to cancel the best of the best “Stick Shift” on a Sierra Stepside, think about it GM, you really dissapointed the buyers with your new decision, thinking that “Automatic” is an improvement, I was your biggest fan but the only thing I can do now is search for some other truck or whatever.
Thank yuo
What I want to know is what in the world was GM thinking by putting antique rear drum brakes on what was supposed to be a state of the art pick-up? I have asked several different dealerships, all with the same ignorant answers. They told me that G.M. testing proved them better, but if so why does the Vortec Max , the Tahoe & the Suburban all have 4 wheel disc brakes? My answer GM cheaped out like always. Not one other pick-up in the U.S. has these dinosaurs for brakes. I waited for this truck but I will probably go with Toyota or Ford. G.M. your idiots.
all these new trucks and can;t get it right. the cabs are getting smaller and the fuel has not yet hit a good the mark that everyone wants to see. the new chevy’s look awsome but lots of defect’s they are still to low to the ground. i want a real truck but still be somewhat better riding, sound’s,like a truck i know that is hard to do but i think listening to the buyer’s could make one heck of a truck. i will alway’s be a chevy guy all the way.
I too was very dissapointed to find out that the manual transmission was no longer offered in any model. I found out the 5 speed transmission was cancelled when building a new truck on the chevy website. Looks like i will no longer be ordering a new truck. Old reliable will just have to last the rest of my life.
Extremly dissapointed in GM.
I am not going to call GM morons. However as someone who has recently increases my income. I’m in the truck buying mode. I am disappointed that I will have to buy a used, instead of a brand new Silverado, to get the manual transmission I want. Maybe someone will screw their head on and “Give me what I want”. I might be able to buy that manual in a few years. A 6 speed or 7 speed w/granny gear. Wake up and be an American Revolution let me get the truck I want.
I agree that it was the biggest mistake GM did when cancelling manual transmission. I gues i would have to get one out of old chevy and put into that brand new truck i buy. At least they could’ve got a six speed auto ready for launch, but first new trucks to come out still have those old four speeds from late 90’s and early 2000
I hope this makes a difference but i doubt it. Given the choice I will take a manual over an automatic any day. I would buy a truck with vinyl seats and an AM radio if it had a V8 with a 5-speed. It might seem silly but it matters to some people.
I have a 98 Z71 5.7 chevy that has served me well. It was the first full size truck that I had ever owned with an auto trans. I have to say that I will never own another full size with an auto! I really like the new body of the GM trucks, but like some of you, I went to my dealer and started looking for a plain jane HD 4X4 with the 6.0 and a manual trans, and guess what; not available. The dealer pd me off when he tried to push the auto. My brother had a duramax with the allison, and got rid of it 1 month later because of the overrated junk tranny.I guess if gm can’t give me a manual, I will go with dodge or ford. Unlike some, I have never had many problems with the other brands. The only really bad truck that I ever owned was a ZR2 S10. Too bad GM, good looking truck with a piece of trash transmission.
I too like shifting them cogs. I have owned GM trucks for the past 12 years and have always preferred the truck manual transmissions with granny-low and overdrive. I also prefer the manual shift transfer case over a button or knob. Atleast give us those two options. Manual lock hubs would really be nice but God forbid your buyers leave the cabin of the truck to have the option of a reliable 4-wheel-drive system. The Ford SD still has all of these options and they appear to be doing pretty well with us guys out there. Come on, give us these options. You have the best engine, rear axle, body style and interior layout. Give us the manual transmission, manual shift transfer case (I know it still exists) and a set of manual lock hubs. Your buyers will be happy with these options. One more thing… is the Z71 a sticker or an actual off-road package? I’d be scared to death to drive one down a dirt road. Versus a stock 4×4 there appears to be no difference in ground clearance, tire height or low reduction gearing. So, what is the point in offering such a package other than to fatten the corporate wallet? I think this brand has taken all of the sissification it can withstand. Please listen to diehard truck guys and build one for us too.
Where is the ground clearance? Is this a truck or a car? I guess the New Silverado is made for paved roads only. The pansie-fication of the American 4×4 continues….. How much will it cost to replace the front facia the first time you hit a rut on a logging road? My dang S-10 had better ground clearance / approach angle than this thing! The rest of the truck looks great, but I won’t buy one unless you give me a 3″ lift kit for FREE!
I have owned my 1978 Chevy C10 2WD-305 V8 3 speed on the column since I was a senior in high school in 1985. I also recently purchased a used 2000 Silverado 1500 2WD 5.3 V8 to replace my old truck when the unfortunate time came. Yes, the new truck is more powerful. Yes, the new truck isn’t a rust bucket. Yes, the new truck looks nice. But if I could buy my old truck in brand new condition again, that would be the last truck I would ever own again……PERIOD! Unfortunately, I have the opportunity to compare trucks built over 20 years apart on a daily basis and hands down, the 1978 chevy feels like it almost speaks to me. The 2000 Silverado is generic in its feel and just reminds me I’m driving an appliance with wheels. When it goes bad, junk it or trade it in. It’s not like I’ll ever keep it for 25+ years again. My 1991 Toyota Camry is a wonderful little running car that is too rusting away silently, but again it shows clearly why Toyota has proven to be the best. No rattles or squeaks in the Camry with almost 225,000 miles and my 2000 Silverado has squeaks in the right side dash by the windshield and driver’s side door near the top, not to mention a ticking cold start engine that my old ‘78 Chevy with 331,000 miles still dosen’t do. If I could somehow bolt my newer trucks body onto my original ‘78 frame including power train, I’d hit my home run. With a long list of issues with engines and transmissions, my newer truck pales in comparison with what my old chevy has brought me, not to mention there are no computer malfunctions or ABS sensors to fail. Come to think of it, I better get some body panels ordered for the old truck so when my 2000 goes down, atleast I can continue to ride the best truck I have ever owned to work in style. Sorry to say GM, but the 2007 Silverados just don’t do it for me either. In my opinion, they stopped making good trucks 29 years ago.
Add another vote to the manual transmission tally. I’ve never owned any vehicle, much less a truck with a manual transmission. My current truck, a 2000 GMC Sierra 2500 has a manual tranny, but I guess I’ll hang on to it for a while longer now.
As far as the disc vs. drum brake discussion, I’d prefer drums to the discs I have on the Sierra. Worst brake system I’ve ever had on any vehicle. Front rotors warped at 12,000 miles, and the entire brake system needed replacement at 25,000, not to mention the various recalls. My 1992 Silverado went 92K on the front brakes before I had to replace the pads!
As far as I’m concerned, when you stop offering a manual transmission, you’ve stopped building trucks. No manual, no sale!
Im glad to see that Im not the only one who is missing a manual tranny. I also went to buy a new Silverado. I wanted a short bed 4wd V8 5 speed 1500. Guess what? I was informed I couldnt get it and that I better get used to autos and was also told they didnt know why I would want an auto anyways.
My reply…”Because its my money and thats what I want! Have a nice day!”
I keep my trucks for at least 5 years and the current Silverado I own has over 200k on it. Drivetrain has never had a bolt turned on it.
It just galls me to no end that the people who actually kept the market for pickups alive for all these years have been alienated for people who could care less if the bed was ever used!
Manual transmissions, vinyl mats, and v8’s are the epitome of a pickup!!
Count me as another lost sale Chevy!! My new Dodge wasnt exactly what I wanted but it is a nice truck and Dodge was glad to have my business.
This from a company who throws the words rock n roll around so much. Will the hood emblem be a sheep on the new trucks?
I was really interested in the new Chevy trucks until I found out that they were not going to be offered with manual transmissions. First, they take away the stepside bed and now this. Does Chevy even know its customer base? I have a ‘95 regular cab stepside with a 5.0 V8 and a 5-speed. I love it to death. It has 364,000 miles on it and runs great. I would love to replace it with a new one but not if I can’t get a manual transmission. Wake up GM and listen to your truck owners.
No Stick = No Sale
My Grandfather was a foreman at Chevrolet and built engines. Their tolerances, when tested, exceeded Cadillacs. They built Cars and Trucks with pride, and not some kind of yuppie whore house parlor on wheels. I’ve been driving Chevy trucks for almost 40 years and now I have to look elsewhere. Why?
Manual Transmission:
* lighter weight
* less complexity
* less expensive
* better fuel economy (when operated properly)
* more reliable
* much better driver feedback
* much better control in low traction situations
* Higher driver involvement = Increased Safety
GM: an American Revolution against the customer!
Fly on the wall at GM Corp overhears genius business plans” Well Ed, What can we do for our bottom line? Well RW, we can get rid of the manual gear box and force everyone to buy automatics. We don’t need no stinkin “driver types” !
Now, do we really need steering wheels? We could use buttons and microprocessors!
And, while we’re at it, lets get rid of the silly brake pedal too! It just gets in the way of legroom anyway!
I, like many of the others who have commmented before me, am sorely disappointed by GM’s decision to eliminate the manual transmisison in the Silverado and Sierra. It was bad enough when they started treating SUVs like station wagons instead of trucks, now they won’t even treat trucks like trucks. I’ve been waiting several years to get a full size truck and now I can’t get the truck I want.
I recently was in the market for a 2008 silverado regular cab until I was informed that the manual trans was no longer offered. Fortunately, I found a 2007 silverado classic with the 5 speed. however, I am very sad to see the manual trans be discontinued. i will def be taking my business elsewhere if no changes are made
Hey guys there is good news you can get the new body style GM truck with manual transmissions… If you live in Mexico. For some reason GM is selling the 4.3L V6 with manual transmissions in Mexico and nowhere else. Worst move ever on GM’s part. I was gonna buy one even if I had to get the V6 I would, just to have the new body/manual combo. Now I am going to get a used truck instead. You lost my business GM and I really wanted to give it to you, but I don’t drive autos.
I could have lived with the new bodystyle, could have gotten a lift kit for the weak ground clearance, but no manual tranny… Let the cityfolks have their nissans and such,but let us have real trucks. In my opinion chevy is gone…..
“…but let us have real trucks.”
Roger that! Real trucks have manual transmissions. (I’ve often wondered how many SUVs GM would have sold if they had all come with manual transmissions and locking hubs. Of course that wouldn’t have deterred the people who really need heavy trucks and SUVs from buying them.)
actually, I do believe it costs more to make the manual tranny, the only reason it appears cheaper is because automakers sell automatics at a premium because they are a luxury item.
greg c.
Actually rear drums are better. the only downside to drums is the fact the drum expands under high heat lessing its stopping potential. but for average joe towing moderate loads, its perfect for controlling rear axle stopping.They have a better clamping force than disc, and they make the truck slightly more efficient because the pads automatically retract, unlike disc brakes that use the disc to retact the pads.
I too was very dissapointed to find out that the manual transmission was no longer offered in any model. I found out the 5 speed transmission was cancelled when building a new truck on the chevy website. Looks like i will no longer be ordering a new truck. Old reliable will just have to last the rest of my life.
I stopped looking at GM trucks the day they stopped offering the manual transmission. I’ve had nothing but trouble with the few autos I’ve owned, and nothing but enjoyment, economy and reliability with the manuals. Manuals are designed the last the life of the vehicle. Autos by their nature shifting under load with small clutch packs are not. They always seem to be in the wrong gear, and have shifting quirks that drive you crazy. The new GM trucks also have atrocious approach and departure angles for a 4×4. I don’t see how you can take them offroad, without a lot of scraping and damage. These trucks have been neutered. GM needs some new market planners, and get rid of the wimps. It’s really hurting the company, as we have seen by their recent bankrupcy.
My ‘84 GMC Sierra Longbed Pickup was my main source of transportation for 20 years and although I had to change out the 305 engine for a 350 and the column-shift 3-speed for a 4 speed w/ compound low gear, I finally found the combination of power and versatility I needed to haul most any load I needed to. I much prefer the added sense of control under varying conditions the manual tranny and locking differential provided and have put off buying a new GM truck because of
(1) the unavailability of a manual tranny AND
(2) GM’s failure to produce a new-generation diesel engine for 1/2 ton pickups.
I know that frills are where the profit is in the truck as well as the auto market, but there must be plenty of fellows like me that would like to see GM making a work truck that makes use of the latest diesel technology while retaining the option of a manual tranny for people like me who much prefer them.
Why should I have to buy another domestic or even foreign make to get what I want?