High Country Chevy is at the apex of the Silverado range.
Mostly everyone knows the next-generation Chevy Silverado 1500 is on its way, with production beginning this fall and the first models arriving sometime ahead of the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year holiday season.
The good news here is a larger, more powerful and lighter 2019 Silverado model is planned. The bad news, at least from Chevrolet’s perspective, is that you may forget the current model is widely available and will be for the rest of the calendar year.
Take heart Chevrolet, because the current Silverado is still in demand. Further, with nearly 700,000 shoppers choosing a new Silverado or Colorado in 2017 in the US alone, you’ll find enough consumers who simply won’t want to wait.
Lastly, from the consumer’s perspective, big discounts on outgoing models are always a huge draw. Although we don’t delve into them when writing our reviews, as of this writing they’re quite strong. Just saying!
2018 Chevrolet Silverado Overview
The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado comes in eight trims. Yes, eight!
Chevy starts things off with the Work Truck, then rolls out LS, Custom, LT, LT Z71, LTZ, LTZ Z71 and High Country trims. You have a choice of standard two- or available four-wheel drive.
Moreover, regular, double and crew cab options along with short, standard and long box options will keep you busy in your search for the right truck.
My recommendation for shoppers is this: acquaint yourself with the Configurator on the brand’s site at Chevrolet.com. It’ll help you understand what you’re getting, including packages and accessories. Drill down and you’ll find the payload and towing information. It is quite a useful tool, one that I recommend.
Earlier this year, I drove the Silverado LTZ Z71 with the Centennial package. This past week, it was the top-of-the-line Silverado 1500 High Country -— a crew cab model with four-wheel drive. As you might guess, there is quite a price disparity between models, but it narrows significantly when you choose the same cab, engine and drivetrain configurations. As for the drive, I covered those details earlier, so let’s take a deep dive into all things High Country.
2018 Chevrolet Silverado High Country
1. Exclusive crew cab.
You won’t find the High Country name attached to regular or double cab models. It is only available as a crew cab, but you do still have a choice between rear- and four-wheel drive.
2. Short or standard boxes.
Box size is important to pickup truck buyers. The High Country offers both 5-foot, 8-inch or 6-foot, 6-inch beds. You’ll also find chrome assist steps and four tie downs, and an available multi-fold hard tonneau cover along with cargo box lighting.
3. Chrome embellishments.
Bling is often the sign that your vehicle is a cut above the rest. To this end, the High Country features 20-inch chrome wheels with 22-inch wheels available.
Chrome is also heavy, so much of the bling found on the top-end Silverado covering the grille, mirror caps, handles and other surfaces is brightwork plastic. You’ll also find High Country badging placed strategically on the exterior as well as imprinted on the front headrests.
4. Your choice of V8s.
Chevrolet has two V8 gas engines in its arsenal. One is ubiquitous with its big trucks and SUVs. The other is typically found in heavy-duty applications.
The standard V8 is GM’s small-block engine, a 5.3-liter with 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. If that’s not enough power, then the 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque might do. Both engines deliver the off-the-mark kick and passing power you want, which is especially noticeable in the larger engine. Add in the throaty sound of either one and a smile will likely cross your face.
Keeping the happiness going is a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. Who needs 10 cogs when eight will do?!
5. Premium interior.
How do you dress the High Country’s interior? You start off with wide bucket seats up front and a 40/20/40 split-fold-up bench seat in the rear. You cover the seats in leather and do likewise with the steering wheel.
Double stitching surrounding the dashboard and door handles adds elegance. Woodgrain and other brightwork trim raise interest. Add in heated and cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel and you have one very comfortable cabin.
Notably, back row passengers aren’t cheated here. In fact, the seats are plush and supportive. Further, you’ll find in-door drink holders and storage pockets, USB ports and a 12-volt outlet.
6. Generous tech features.
Chevrolet may have the best tech features of any mainstream brand. They’ve long offered OnStar, which still supplies a guidance plan and includes 4G LTE with a WiFi hotspot. There is something about accessing the Internet while on the road with no connectivity nearby. Create your own hotspot and connect up to seven devices.
You’ll also find an eight-inch color display, USB ports, an auxiliary jack, Bluetooth and a seven-speaker Bose audio system with a subwoofer.
High Country Shopping Considerations
There are a few things to keep in mind when shopping the High Country.
First, the Cajun Red Tintcoat on my test model was one of three premium colors beyond the five standard ones. This one cost $495, the other two were $395 or $995.
Second, the side assist steps are handy, but they’re fixed. If you plan on going off-road, the power-retractable assist steps are the better choice for avoiding possible damage. They’re part of a $6,995 High Desert Package or you can order them as part of a High Country Deluxe Package ($7,730, reduced to $4,230).
Third, wheel choices can get quite pricey. The 22-inch silver wheels are included in the package, but upgrading to black wheels will set you back by nearly $3,000. Then again, the Configurator may have you swap out the wheels at no charge, depending on your package.
Fourth, the Performance Brake Upgrade System may be ideal for heavy-duty towing. Here, you get red Brembo six-piston fixed aluminum calipers and large rotors. The brake pad and rotor areas are larger too, so you’ll pay $2,795 for this upgrade. Add $1,249 for the available cat-back exhaust system.
Fifth, a rear entertainment system is available. Consider this option if you buy a Silverado with your young family in mind. For $1,620 you get a drop down 9.2-inch color display, a Blu-Ray/DVD player and wireless headphones.
Add in most of the available amenities and your price will likely come in somewhere above $70,000. Again, not all discounts have been factored in. Find out from your dealer which ones apply to your vehicle.
Parting Thoughts: Silverado High Country
I’m not here to tell you to buy this truck or opt for that model year. What I can tell you is that for pickup truck shoppers wanting the maximum package, the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado High Country does not disappoint. If your budget for a crew cab is below $50,000, you still will find ample choices. Some trade-offs in engine availability and creature features will factor in, but a truck to your liking is certainly within your reach.
2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
High Country Edition
-
- 2WD sticker price from $52,000 (plus $1,395 destination charge)
- 4WD sticker price from $55,300 (plus $1,395 destination charge)
- Price as tested: $65,000 (est.)
- Seats five
- Engine No. 1: 5.3-liter V8 gas
- 355 horsepower @ 5,600 RPM
- 383 foot-pounds of torque @ 4,100 RPM
- Engine No. 2: 6.2-liter V8 gas
- 420 horsepower @ 5,600 RPM
- 460 foot-pounds of torque @ 4,100 RPM
- 8-speed automatic transmission
- Wheelbase: 143.5 inches
- Length: 230 inches
- Width: 80 inches
- Height: 73.8 inches
- Passenger volume: NR
- Storage volume: 5-foot, 8-inch or 6-foot, 6-inch bed
- Towing capacity: 11,700 (4WD), 12,500 (2WD) pounds
- EPA: 15/20 mpg city/highway (est.)
- Regular (5.3L); Premium (6.2L) gasoline
- Fuel tank: 26 gallons
- Curb weight: 5,036 (2WD), 5,300 (4WD) pounds
- IIHS safety rating: Good, except for marginal driver side small overlap
- Limited vehicle warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles
- Corrosion warranty: 6 years/100,000 miles
- Vehicle assembly: Silao, Guanajuato MEXICO
See Also — Stepping it Up With the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado High Country 4×4
Photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine. All rights reserved.
All models come with a 5.3-liter V8 engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. New for 2018 is the RST Edition available on the LT and Premier models, two new exterior colors and standard LED daytime running lights across the model line. Two new dealer-installed options roll out: a Borla performance exhaust system and a six-piston Brembo front brake package.
Where the earliest Suburbans were wagons set on truck frames, the current model finds a balance between truck and wagon. The expected long roofline, high beltline and slab sides are very much of the truck variety, but the front fascia and rear liftgate deliver a smoother, kinder look to this model.
Regardless of what your seating arrangement is, the Suburban’s cabin is as cavernous as they come with huge amounts of space throughout. If there is a penalty seat it would be the third row, but only for exceptionally tall passengers. Legroom is tightest back there, but even with a middle row bench seat you can take your shoes off and slip your feet underneath, getting comfortable the best way you know how. Otherwise, if you don’t need the rear seat it folds flat into the floor.
