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GM Is the Only 4-Truck Player in the Field
By now, most people know that GM is the only three-truck player in the pickup truck segment: mid-size, half ton and heavy duties. Unfortunately, that's not really true; they actually have four different pickups and segments available.
Excluding GMC from this discussion (which is essentially a mirror to Chevrolet), Chevy offers a mid-size choice in the Colorado; a major half-ton player in the form of the Silverado 1500; a three-quarter-ton, single-rear-wheel-only option for many work truck enthusiasts; and a king-of-the-hill one-ton dually (although offered with single rear wheels) heavy hauler for those with massive fifth-wheel campers or hotshot haulers who have to move the heaviest of towing loads.
Recently, we had the opportunity to see the full line of what Chevrolet has to offer, and we thought you might like to see the numbers (both gross vehicle weight rating and max towing) these differently sized pickups offer. In some ways, there's not a whole lot between them, yet in others, they shouldn't even be in the same parking lot.
This formula seems to be working, as it's very likely GM will sell more pickup pickups by year's end than any other pickup maker in the world. We'll know for sure by January; however, for the first six months of the year, from our preliminary calculations, GM has a pretty good lead over Ford. From the vehicles you see below, it's worth noting that it's not difficult (at all) to get a mid-size pickup priced close to a half ton or a three-quarter ton priced close to a one-ton - it's all about what you need (and what engine you choose), how much you need to load in the bed and what you're willing to pay for.
As for the future, Ford will be coming to the pickup market later this year with their own midsize player (yes, the return of the Ford Ranger) and we're hearing grumblings from Ram Truck might do the same. In addition, Chevrolet also has a brand new medium-duty player (the Silverado 4500/5500/6500) that is ready for its debut, so expect them to possibly promote a seven-truck strategy real soon.
2018 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Duramax
Trim: Crew Cab DRW 4x4 High Country
Price: $73,395
Weight: 8,460
GVWR: 13,025
Payload: 4,565
2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Duramax
Trim: Crew Cab SRW 4x4 High Country
Price: $72,590
Weight: 7,980
GVWR: 10,000
Payload: 2,020
2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3L V-8
Trim: Crew Cab 4x4 Custom
Price: $47,435
Weight: 5,560
GVWR: 7,200
Payload: 1,640
2018 Chevrolet Colorado Duramax
Trim: Crew Cab Shortbox 4x4 LT
Price: $45,435
Weight: 4,900
GVWR: 6,200
Payload: 1,300
