When you really break it down, the Chevy Silverado EV is a wonder of design and engineering. How do you make something that big turn on a dime, go over 400 miles on an electric charge, and tow like nothing is back there? All with the familiar callbacks to one of Chevrolets all time cult classics? The Chevrolet Silverado EV answers all of these questions, while thoroughly annihilating the competition in the process.

Out of the four benchmark EV Trucks, the Silverado EV is the only one that most people would actually buy. Here is how the range estimates brake down for all of the major players in the EV Truck market:

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So there arent a lot of new trucks out there, and the ones that are out there are often in a lower trim level. Its pretty simple, the less features your car has, the less semiconductors it needs. The problem becomes magnified though when you get into the EV and Hybrid segments of the marketplace, as these often require several times the amount of semiconductors as a well equipped Silverado.

Can you get a new Chevy Silverado in 2021? Absolutely. We are still getting them in here and there, but they dont last long once they get to the lot. Where can I find a 2021 Chevy Silverado in Rochester? That question gets a little bit more complicated. If you are looking for a truck that ticks all of the boxes in terms of features, trim and color- you might be out of luck. However, if you have a decent trade in (especially something diesel) and are willing to be a bit flexible in what you want, you can get an absolutely screaming deal on a limited-only-by-supply edition

or Colorado.

Because of the lack of new inventory throughout the region, trade in values have been going through the roof. If you have a late model truck in good shape, youre never going to get more money for it than you can right now. So if you are thinking, should I trade in my current truck? the answer is yes! based on what current used inventory is going for. On the other hand, if you have something good to trade in but you want to replace it with something very specific- you might want to hold off.

If searching for a new truck has left you frustrated, we completely get it. We are right there with you, but unlike many other Rochester Area Chevrolet Dealerships, we wont force you into a truck that doesn’t fit your needs just for your trade in. We will buy your truck outright without the hassle! Come see why

is a fan favorite for Rochester area Chevrolet buyers.

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I know what youre thinking, Wait a minute, doesnt oil come in those 55 gallon drums? Yes, it does, sometimes. Gasoline is significantly more volatile (read explosive) than the light sweet crude, therefore having that much of it without some form of vent is genuinely dangerous. Even when it is properly vented those vapors are highly flammable, so when the sealed container that the vapors are escaping into is your car, youre going to have problems! Dont believe me, ask the bloke who burned down his Hummer!

This one made us laugh. Admittedly we first saw it in the form of a meme, but then we saw people actually do it! This will probably land you on some sort of list, in addition to ruining whatever vehicle you put it into- because this is the basic formula for napalm. The gasoline starts to break down the styrofoam, it becomes more of a gel than a liquid, and you have big problems in a hurry.

When it comes to bad ideas, this one is the winner. Except maybe that one lady who was putting her gasoline into a laundry hamper. Again, gasoline is highly corrosive, so it can break down the relatively thin plastic of a plastic bag in a hurry, thus leaking into the ground/floor of wherever you were keeping your molotov water balloon.

Gasoline has a way shorter shelf life than people think. Try getting a car running that was full of gas when you parked it the last time two years ago. It wont want to run. That is because the gasoline that was stored in the tank (in optimal conditions) has gone bad. It is closer to varnish than it is to something that can run your car.

Injectors, fuel pumps, fuel lines, spark plugs: you name it under the hood of your car, it wants good gasoline.

Also, if you think the state is overbearing when it comes to COVID stuff, just wait until you see how overbearing they are when you have several hundred gallons of an environmentally toxic, highly flammable liquid in improper holding containers. The Karens of the HOA will be the least of your worries when the EPA forces you to pay for the environmental remediation if some of this stuff is found leaching into the ground.

Oh, and also, it explodes.

With the scarcity of gasoline we have seen multiple posts about people trying their luck at running E-85 in their vehicles. While not as widely available as gasoline, it is still comparably cheap because of government subsidies and the fact that we make more corn than just about everyone. If E-85 becomes the fuel of the future were not mentally ready for Nebraska to turn into Dubai.

The weird part here from a purely chemistry standpoint is that E-85 is actually a little bit more shelf stable than regular 87. The alcohol in the fuel absorbs the water that has a tendency to foul regular gas. The important thing to remember here is that not every car can run E-85.

Luckily, because of the aforementioned government subsidies, there are a lot of cars that can run E-85, either stock or with minor factory or aftermarket modifications. The 2021 Chevrolets that can be purchased with this FlexFuel” option to run E-85 are the Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 work trucks with the gasoline engine. The better bet actually is when you start looking at used trucks and SUVs. All of the Silverado 2500s from 2010 to 2019 model years had FlexFuel capability as standard. Owners note mostly a slight drop in fuel economy, but a pretty big pickup in torque.

For some of the smaller displacement V8s, the aftermarket is loaded with options for people looking to run their vehicle on E-85. There is a good reason why a lot of people who have built their GM V8s up with tuning and forced induction use this as their fuel. It makes a lot of extra power.

We will be getting more in depth on E-85 in a later post because there is a lot to explore and as gas prices continue to rise here in good ole Rochester we have a feeling this is going to be a hot topic in a few months.

So if you have put long-past-due gas into your car because you just haven’t been driving as much during the pandemic, or because youve been stockpiling gasoline this entire time, you might want to schedule an appointment for us to check it out. Some symptoms to be on the lookout for are strange sounds when the car is running, the car randomly misfiring (sometimes accompanied by a check engine light) or your car may not want to start at all. You really can’t miss the smell of bad gas.

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In its original military guise the Hummer (HMMWV) was an extremely capable, extremely uncomfortable, purpose built off roader that could carry troops and supplies and was often adorned with a .50 calibre cupula. The H2 had literally nothing in common with this. It was a gussied up Tahoe with huge tires, terrible aerodynamics and a 6.0L V8 engine. Gas was cheap, sentiment was low, and people bought them.

Hummer has one of the most complicated legacies of any GM subsidiary. They lacked the amazing technological innovation of Oldsmobile, or the renowned comfort of a Buick. But for a short period of time in the early 2000s, the Hummer H2 was one of the hottest selling premium full sized SUVs you could get. It was, in many ways, an instant status symbol. It was huge, it was gaudy, it would only seat 6, and none of that mattered.

However, as gas prices started to creep up and the H2 became an icon of American excess, the mood in the room shifted. Suddenly the Hummer went from something that you desperately wanted to be seen in, to something that people would make a massive judgement call about their owners just for having. The situation was not good for the Hummer brand, and even resulted in several cases of arson by environmental terrorists at Hummer dealerships. Slow fade to black.

The

:

There is nothing wrong with hot pickup trucks. In fact, we are super glad to see them coming back with a vengeance in the form of the Raptor, Ram TRX, and any baja-ready Silverados we may or may not be working on.

But when the last-gen F-150 Lightning came on the scene, the hot pickup truck wars had entered a new phase where things got really fun. The Silverado SS, the SRT-10 Dodge Ram with a full blown Viper V-10, and the Lightning all brought the capability of pickup trucks and more firepower at the disposal of your right foot than youd get in a lot of the sports cars of the day. The Lightning had 4 gears, 8 cylinders, and a supercharger belting out nearly 400 hp and 450 ft/lbs of torque, and you could still put stuff in the back of it. It even got a cameo in the original Fast and the Furious, you know, when those movies were still about cars.

The 2022 GMC Hummer:

We have to be honest, we thought this thing would be massive. We were thinking it was going to be part Tesla Cyber Truck, part road-going aircraft carrier. Turns out it is massive, just not in the way we thought it would be. The 2022 GMC Hummer is a little bit longer than a Crew Cab Colorado, but wider than a Suburban!

Its basically a brick that can crab walk.

The performance numbers are off the charts, featuring 1000 horsepower, which is going to be impressive any way you slice it, but also terrifying considering its curb weight is over 9000 pounds! Are Brembos an option?

Pair this with the Watts to Freedom mode for max power and you have a ludicrous, t-topped EV that has caught the eye of a lot of people who typically wouldnt give an EV a second look. It did this by combining a niche brand with one of the original theories of EV vehicle design- make EVs stand out! But wow are they going to be expensive. The base model is starting at 60k, which is still a pretty good value for what you get, but if you want one of the first ones, or one with all of the crazy options you are looking at spending ZR1 Corvette money. However, with that huge torque, 4wd, and wide stance, the GMC Hummer is still somehow reported to go 0-60 within range of the aforementioned big money Vettes.

Moreover, there is a distinct possibility that people will reject the new Hummer regardless of its new, less CO2 producing design because of its gas guzzling history. It may have an image problem with the people who are currently buying EVs, but stands to recruit a whole new market segment if done right. To test this theory, if the Hummer starts getting mainstream traction and people start saying, well, you know were going to run out of lithium or they use coal fired powerplants to make the electricity you know that this criticism is because of the brand, not the product or even the entire segment!

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning

So far what we know about the newly unveiled 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is promising. It is going to be relatively cheap in base trim, coming in at 42k, not bad for 426 hp! The torque will be generated by a dual motor AWD setup, with a range between 230 and 300 miles depending on the trim level. It will be able to tow 10,000 pounds, which is extremely impressive given its independent rear suspension. For a bit of reference a Bolt EV can allegedly tow up to 3500 lbs, it only has the one motor, and its a small hatchback. These electric motors are not messing around, they put the torque down immediately!

The real rub here is that it is a departure from the existing theory of EV design. This looks a lot like a regular F-150, but a bit more cyberpunk futuristic. The interior will also remind you a lot of the old F-150. Maybe this is the heralding of a new phase of EV design, where EVs will start to better blend in with their ICE cousins with the prices starting to come down. The F-150 Lightning is going to be getting upgraded screens in the interior, as well as some party tricks that have become synonymous with EVs including auto-pilot. However, so much of this comes down to branding. What can you call your features that will make people want to try them? As previously stated, the Hummers party mode is called Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode, and the Lightnings high-powered party mode is called Unbridled Mode, which just isn’t as cool or memorable as WTF mode.

Ev Trucks in General

There are other EV pickup trucks on the horizon, but these are the first mainstream ones that we will be seeing in great quantities. The

and

are going to be hitting a higher end of the market first and we cant wait to see how they are received. We specifically want to see if anyone uses these things like people use diesel or gasoline trucks, and specifically how well they hold up to the abuse that regular pickup trucks see from pretty much minute one of leaving the dealership. Time to see if less parts = more reliability theory is going to hold up in the real world or if it will be relegated to something that only works in a classroom, like Communism.

The real beauty of designing EVs that applies to both the GMC Hummer and F-150 Lightning is that they will be able to develop the platform as breakthroughs are made. They are extremely modular so any advancements in battery technology such as aluminum ion or solid lithium will be able to be developed and deployed for testing quickly. This will further advance EVs rapidly in the years to come, and these former gas guzzlers might be the perfect mainstream test bed.

Which one would we rather have? Oh thats easy. Give us the t-topped cinder block with a button that says WTF! We still prefer the insane EV design school that the 2022 GMC Hummer graduated Magna Cum Laude from, but we love the steps that the 2022 F-150 Lightning is poised to take when it comes to making mainstream EVs for the non-EV crowd. We like even more that we get to rub it into the pious Prius crowd with these nameplates that are all about the old ways reimagined for a nearly silent, tire-shredding future.

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Finding a clean, low mileage diesel in 2021 is like finding the Arc of the Covenant in a Bigfoot den. Typically we have an expansive diesel inventory, right now we have two! Whats even more incredible is that two diesel ton full quad cab pickups right now is A LOT, so upgrade the Bigfoot cave to a duplex with the Loch Ness Monster as the downstairs tenant.

We made it 7 months into 2021 before we saw a 2021 GMC Sierra 3500HD. Admittedly, a few of us had completely forgotten that it had a front end redesign, so when it showed up it was met with a resounding, woah, that’s new! It has the 6.6L Duramax turbodiesel, the heavy duty 10-speed Allison Transmission, 6 tires, 5th wheel prep package, and it can tow 31,000 lb. When you need to pull something truly massive, you need something like this.

The wild part though is that despite the 910 ft/lbs of torque, the massive curb weight, and the fact that it has a DRW axle- its still very pleasant to drive. The interior is quiet and comfortable, and the GMC Intellilink infotainment is rock solid as ever. At just over 3k miles we didnt spend a ton of time driving this one because it is still so new, but you just wouldnt expect that out of something that you know could tow a building.

Its also smart. This 2021 GMC Sierra 3500HD has the Safety Confidence Package ” that equips it with forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, lane change alert, and side blind-zone alert. Not going to lie, playing chicken in something this big to figure out how it all works was not something I was going to try with a very possibly 1-of-1, 1-ton pickup within 500 miles.

Need to tow said aforementioned building, and want every option under the sun? LTZ. This 2019 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD LTZ fits that bill perfectly. Z71 suspension package, 6.6L Duramax Turbodiesel paired to an Allison 1000 6-speed automatic transmission and 4WD are the main headlines for this big crew cab.

But then you get to the creature comforts, and the option sheet pretty much explodes. Heated seats, heated steering wheel, center console with tons of USB, AC and DC charging options, and it has done under 30k miles. The Chevrolet MyLink infotainment that handles the backup camera will also seamlessly pair your phone to pump through the Bose speakers and you can control the entire thing from the steering wheel.

The idea that big diesel pickups are more of a family car than ever is definitely one of the things that is adding to the shortage of them. Quite simply put, as diesel pickup trucks became more refined and user friendly, the benefits quickly began outweighing the reasons that people didnt buy them, because they are in many cases more efficient and capable than comparable displacement gasoline engines.

Thats why they work. It does everything that an upscale Blazer does: carry 5 people, decent console and storage space in the cabin, tons of places to plug in and charge up devices, the ability to electrically warm your hands and buns – but it can tow over 7 tons! Also it would be hard to get a four wheeler or a few dirt bikes into the back of a Blazer without the aid of a sawzall.

When the Silverado Trail Boss and GMC AT4 pickup trim levels came out everyone immediately jumped the gun and started comparing it to the Baja-ready Ford Raptor and the incoming Hellcat powered Ram pickup. After spending some time with these high-riding-half-tons, we figured out what the real point of it was.

If you were going by popular media, the Raptor and TRX are more Fast and the Furious” while the AT4 and Trail Boss are more Knives Out, meaning that the former are a bit more gratuitous and indulgent, where the latter are more about perfecting a good formula by making it a little bit more interesting. They know youre not going to use 700hp all the time, so they give you a 5.3L V8 that is naturally aspirated. The lift is a mild 2 to keep the driving dynamics nice on the road, but the underbody shielding and chunky tires make this a genuinely capable half ton when you take it off road. In spending some time with this trim level we have found a definite charisma that is undeniable.

At one point in researching and writing this article, searches for 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss were up 1,800% over the average set by searches for 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Unfortunately for everyone involved, good luck getting a 2021 Trail Boss! We have had a few, and almost all of them have been sold before they ever touched our lot. Fortunately though, because of their popularity they have begun showing up on the used market, and most of them are low mileage because they were bought right before a global pandemic!

With the Chevy Silverado Trail Boss you get two trim options, Custom or LT. We have spent a lot more time in the Custom, and despite it not having all of the bells and whistles of the LT it still works. The Trail Boss is equipped standard with Apple Carplay and Android Auto which make pairing your phone a breeze for either media or communications. As far as road noise goes, you are definitely going to get more than you would from a standard 1500 because of those chunky tires. Its not deafening, but were sure you could change that!

As far as driving the Chevy Trail Boss goes, yea, it’s a little taller but it doesn’t make enough of a difference to the driving dynamics to notice. We have to remember that the Silverado 1500 is a pretty big truck to begin with, but it is well planted and well designed, so adding a bit of height while stiffening the suspension doesnt turn it into a wobbling mess at 75 mph.

The biggest difference that we have noticed between the standard Silverado 1500 and the Trail Boss is how many more people look at you in the Trail Boss. It is a good looking truck and it has just the right level of accents that make people who are not in the know say, whats that! Its not gaudy, just a handful of different colors, a different badge on the back, a slight lift, and a very good pickup truck underneath all of that. If youre from a small town and want to flex without being considered ostentatious the Silverado 1500 Trail Boss fits the ticket. At the time of writing, we have five used Chevy Silverado 1500 Trail Boss on the lot, but honestly thats probably going to change before the end of this sentence.

So if you get a Custom Trail Boss because you dont want to stand out too much at your small hometown bar, you get the LT or AT4 because you do want to stand out. Between the two of them they have more technology than you can shake a stick at, and even have some features that you wont be able to get in a 2021, or possibly even a 2022!

The LT Trail Boss is smack between the Custom and the AT4, with a ton of amazing features that make this big half ton a genuinely nice place to be. The LT that we have (currently) is a gorgeous black on black-leather crew cab that works as both a daily driver and capable workhorse. The Z71 suspension package and underbody shielding make it so that you can take this heated seat half ton just about anywhere with confidence. The steering wheel is also heated, and the rear seats have in seat storage. Additionally, there is a trailer brake controller and active fuel management which will be unavailable for the foreseeable future due to the lack of semiconductor components.

We really like the fixed console on the LT. It provides so much space, and for many drivers having a fixed position to keep all of their stuff is crucial, as the flip down consoles that reveal the 6th seat can trebuchet for all of your stuff into the back seat. Additionally we think it provides a cleaner look to the interior and breaks up the space.

While all of the Trail Bosses on our lot have to make do with the fantastic 5.3L V8, the AT4 is packing the epic 6.2L making 420 HP and 460 ft/lbs of torque. It is a completely different animal. It sounds better, it revs better, it goes like a train, and on top of that is one of the most well appointed interiors ever to roll out of Detroit.

Looking at the jet black leather with Kalahari accents, you are instantly thinking of something high end and European. When you turn it on and hear that tremendous 6.2L roar and then calmly burble you are reminded that this is American, and you can do some serious work with it! The heads-up-display is also instantly familiar to anyone who has spent some time in a Corvette or high end Suburban. All of the seats are heated, and the front ones are also air conditioned. The Multi-Pro tailgate is a fantastic piece of engineering that reminds you of a massive Swiss Army Knife, and the integrated step handle is a legit safety feature coming from someone who has jumped in and out of the back of a lot of pickup trucks.

The tech fest with this truck really doesn’t stop. The around view video cameras offer 360 degrees of vision which makes driving this big, jacked up, long-box, half ton pickup in a crowded parking lot a lot less nerve wracking. If you love the half ton GM pickups, but want it to have Cadillac Escalade levels of comfort and refinement this is really the only GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 you should be looking at!

How are Ford and FCA (Ram) doing these days? Well Ford just announced that they are probably going to shift more towards build to order and Dodge keeps putting Hellcat Motors in places that they probably dont belong. So were all basically in the same boat. Not enough trucks and way more demand than supply.

But with that being said, weve still been getting used units of some of our fiercest in market competition.

We have had some epic Fords on the lot over the last few months. One of the highlights was a F-150 diesel with enough extra goodies on it to make Henry roll over in his grave. It was black on black which would have made him happy, but the heated and ventilated seats while getting nearly 30 mpg turning 1150 RPM at 65 MPH would have freaked him right out. Admittedly, that oddball stayed around a lot longer than we thought it would, which isnt surprising then that they have dropped the diesel from their lineup for 2022 in favor of the Electric F-150 that we have outlined in a previous blog.

But here’s what we do have: a trio of EcoBoost F-150s and a big F-250 with the 6.2L V8 and all of them are full crew cabs.

When they first pitched the V6, twin turbo charged F-150 a lot of the die-hards were skeptical. They prefer the easy going torque of a small block V8 over forced induction witchcraft. And then they drove it. Forced induction and pickup trucks should get along like peas and carrots. Its free horsepower. What do you need when you are pulling or hauling stuff? Some free horsepower! The downside though, and not a lot of drivers really understood this, was that turbochargers make a vehicle as efficient as you want it to be, or rather how efficient your right foot makes it.

From a driving dynamics standpoint, the F-150 is a lot lighter and a bit more car-like of a ride than a lot of the GM stock and trade. Some people love this, some people hate it. It really comes down to your personal preference and how you like a truck to ride. It still feels solid, but it does take some getting used to. Even the 4-cylinder Silverados still feel like a pickup truck, which is something that we think the Ford engineers worked really hard for, just for people to complain about on the internet.

Then there is the Platinum. See, all of the F-150s on our lot have the fantastic 3.5L EcoBoost V6, but only one of them has all of the options you get in an LT Tahoe. This thing is loaded. Heated and ventilated front seats, 360 degrees of camera coverage that displays through the Sync III Infotainment screen, and a massive panoramic sunroof. If you want an up-trim used BMW X5 that doesnt corner quite as well but can do it with a 4 wheeler in the back, here ya go!

The F-250SD on the other hand is a monster. There is absolutely no mistaking the ride of the F-250SD with anything other than a massively capable ton on chunky tires with tons of 4×4 grip. The 6.2 can tow up to 12,500 lbs with its 6-speed automatic sending the power to all four wheels, and the interior is extremely spacious with seating for up to 6 when you fold the center console up. This one has the full sized Sync III infotainment system which is a major upgrade over the tiny screen from the XLT, but either way you can pair your phone for media and cell phone integration with tons of steering wheel mounted controls.

Isnt it time for them to put a Hellcat motor into a 500 Abarth or something? The minivan was awesome, the Wrangler is a death trap, and the Trackhawk is one of the best SUVs nobody really bought. But the TRX, that is a whole other level. That is the most logical thing to throw a Hellcat motor into – almost specifically for the purpose of filming your shenanigans and putting it on Youtube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7fmkc-qQX4)

However, we haven’t seen a TRX yet. Its been a while since weve seen one with a Cummins diesel! Were even sold out of the Hemi powered Rams! We have a few though with one of the most under-appreciated engines ever to grace an American car. Ram (formerly Dodge) is known best for hemispherical combustion heads, huge displacement, and putting a V-10 into a slightly bigger Mazda Miata. However, one of the best things that they have made in a long time is the 3.6L V6. At first it had premature wearing problems that would cause catastrophic failure, but they have worked that out over the last 10 million units they have produced and stuffed into everything from the Challenger and Grand Caravan, to the Wrangler and Ram 1500.

The V6 in this truck is way more entertaining than it should be. The Pentastar 3.6L V6 has no reason being as popular and prolific as it is, until you absolutely stand on it. The extra valves, variable valve timing and other clever engine electronics take a good engine and make it genuinely great while still being naturally aspirated. With forced induction we would imagine this would be an absolute hoot in anything you put it in.

The other major reason why people buy Ram trucks is the comfort factor. Their interiors are all well laid out even in the base trims with tons of options and a fantastic infotainment system in the form of the uConnect. These relatively basic trucks ride and drive fantastically, with tons of awesome options that make them perfectly capable daily drivers.

Normally we would make a transmission joke here, but the V6 1500 rams are a perfectly suitable pickup truck option if you don’t need the massive towing capacity, but you still need to haul stuff! The 4wd is very solid, and the infotainment systems really are some of the best in the segment. The only drawback comes from the anti-touch screen crowd, as most of the climate controls are on screen.

Not looking at a domestic, but need that familiar pickup truck form and capability? We have a few other oddballs on the lot that are interesting and have forced us to look at how other continents see American pickup truck consumers.

The Nissan Titan is very much its own thing, but if it reminds us of any of the domestic truck producers, it has to be Dodge. You can get a Titan with a V8 Cummins turbo diesel that gets a whopping 12 MPG. This one however is the 5.6L gasoline burning V8 that makes a ton of power with a plush and comfortable interior. Seriously, the seats in this thing are Ram levels of comfort, but overstuffed and oversized. Everything about the Titan is in fact titanic, and we kinda dig it. Also serious shoutout to that Cayenne Red paint, we dolled it up a few weeks ago and it still blinds us when its decently sunny out!

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have a 2020 Toyota Tacoma Crew Cab SR5. These things just keep getting better and better looking, while not getting too big and too far from their original mini-truck roots. We love the 3.5L DOHC V6 for its legendary reliability and torque, and the rest of the truck is a genuine winner with upgraded infotainment for the 2020 model year. The 4WD is also a bona fide winner with tons of grip and an even power split from the electronically controlled differential. There are a lot of good reasons why you see these things all over the world. They haven’t made an environment that can kill the Tacoma yet.

Aside from all of this, we have a great selection of low mileage, off lease half ton Silverado 1500s and several 6.0L 2500HDs with plow prep. As stated all the way at the beginning of this article, we have two new trucks on our lot. Odds are if you want a brand new one, youre better off coming in and ordering exactly what you want. However, if you have an open mind and do some homework, youll find that we have one of the strongest used truck inventories out there right now! So click that little orange chat bar at the bottom of the page if you are in the market for a great used truck, because nice inventory hasnt been sticking around for long.

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Chevrolet put a 4-Cylinder into the Silverado 1500 for the same reason that everyone has been moving to smaller displacement turbocharged engines: government fuel economy standards. As the price of fuel ratchets up we need to squeeze more out of every gallon: enter forced induction.

The 2.7L 4-cylinder can be an epically frugal engine despite pushing out 310hp and 348ft/lbs torque. It pretty easily averaged lower-mid 20s in highway cruising at 65 mph thanks to its clever 8 speed automatic transmission that keeps the RPM low, while also keeping you nestled nicely in the power band. Its also quite a bit lighter than a 5.3L V8 equipped Silverado, and weirdly the place you notice this most is in the handling. A lighter truck also means better fuel economy because it doesnt have to work as hard.

Yes, the 2.7L Turbocharged Silverado 1500 can tow up to 7,000 lbs in Crew Cab, Standard box 4WD configuration. The 2022 High Output 2.7L equipped Silverado 1500 can tow an astonishing 9,000 lbs in Crew Cab, Standard Bed, 4WD configuration. With a smooth and robust power band, we argue that it is very good for towing small trailers, smaller boats, jet skis, and tow dollied vehicles under the maximum payload capacity.

The long term results are not in yet because this is a fairly new engine and we dont know anyone towing for a living with a 4-cylinder Silverado. Typically for bigger/more sustained towing operations customers opt for the 5.3L V8.

We tested examples at 10k miles, 25k miles, and 35k miles with no discernible difference in performance. With modern engine tolerances, oils, and maintenance schedules many engines have little trouble making it to 250k miles with routine maintenance and replacement of certain wear items on the engine such as belts, guides, hoses, pulleys and pumps.

One of the problems with high-compression, turbocharged engines is their need for premium, or higher octane fuel than their naturally aspirated brethren. *Turns out, the 2.7L doesn’t have that problem at least according to GM. The second problem with turbocharged engines is that they are only as fuel efficient as you want them to be. If you are using heavy throttle movements your fuel economy can actually be worse than with a naturally aspirated V8 in this configuration.

When you are making those phenomenal turbo noises, youre not being super efficient. However, with some clever hypermiling behind a dump truck, making sure that the tires are properly inflated, and using premium fuel we sustained 28.9 mpg highway on an economy run.

*EDIT* Thank you Anastasios for the correction!

With a great ride quality, a host of connectivity features for both media and communications, respectable towing figures, and better than expected fuel economy when youre not driving hard; we can say that the 2.7L Silverado 1500 is a good truck for what most people use trucks for. The negative of the uninspiring noise is immediately canceled out when you get on the throttle and the turbocharger drowns out the clatter with a flurry of boost and induction noise. If you do a lot of towing or plowing, you might want to steer more toward the 5.3L V8 just because it is such a well-proven platform, but time will tell if these applications can be tackled by the clever 2.7L.

The High Output 2.7L on the 2022 Silverado 1500s is noticeably more powerful with a whopping 420 ft/lbs of torque, but because most of them have been sold before they get here we havent had the chance to do real world fuel economy tests. This High Output 2.7L turbocharged Silverado 1500 took a bunch of engine components off of the 3.0L Duramax engine to make it able to sustain the kinds of boost this thing makes. It is a thoroughly impressive engine that seems to have boost right from the word GO! And go, it does!

The overall verdict on the 2.7L Turbocharged Silverado 1500 is a solid truck that completely renders the 4.3L V6 obsolete in everything but the durability category, and only because we dont have the data on the 2.7L long-term. We used several trucks for our test drive sample in a variety of driving environments. From the construction choked East End of Rochester, to the wide open rolling expanse of RT 104 all the way to Oswego, the 2.7L Silverado 1500 was at home in any type of driving, and the connectivity features made all of the commutes a joy. The fact that I didnt have to fill up every other day was a welcome addition, as truck stuff still needs to get done even when gas is $5 a gallon. If you really hate the way it sounds that much, put an aftermarket exhaust on it or always have your foot in the throttle!

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Well start with the new kid on the block.

Taken from a decade old nameplate which started off life as the high-end trim level on the S-10 Blazer, the 2020 Chevy Trailblazer is a clean sheet of paper. The 2021 builds on the base and adds a few new trim levels making it well suited for a variety of potential buyers.

This is probably where the TrailBlazer beats the Trax by the most noticeable margin. The Trailblazer interior, even in the base trims is a nice place to be. Everything falls to hand incredibly easily and the rear seats fold flat with the pull of a lever instead of a seat forward, seat-back down configuration like on the Trax. This is a big plus if you tend to find yourself having to transport larger things fairly often.

The black on white dials on the cluster are a much more distinct and muscular look than the Trax and the console is a bit more truck-like. When it comes to styling, this is the second biggest margin that the Trailblazer beats the old guard. It looks tougher and a lot more aggressive than the relatively tall and lanky Trax

The ride of the Trailblazer is a very planted, sturdy feeling. This is pretty incredible because the new 2021 actually is lighter than the 2020 model, coming in under 3,000 lbs. Despite the exterior being more muscular and truck like, the ride is very nice. It has a definite planted feel to it where it tends to want to go wherever you point it.

I know what youre thinking, 3-cylinders? Yes, it has 3-cylinders but it also has a turbocharger, so what this does it gives you a lot of bang for your buck. 155 hp out of 3-cylinders is pretty impressive no matter how you slice it. Even the base model 1.2L Turbocharged I3 is still pretty spritely. This all works because it stays on top of the power band very well through the use of a 9-speed automatic transmission, which also gives an impressive highway top end that allows for 30 MPG.

It sends that power to all four wheels, or the front wheels. We have only driven the AWD variant, so we can say that the power delivery is biased more towards the front, but this isn’t a bad thing because the Trailblazer isn’t very heavy. For some perspective, a 2021 Mini Cooper weighs about 150 lbs more!

Because of the fact that the all new Chevy Trailblazer is very much a new car there arent a lot of them out there on the secondhand market right now. So if you want one, odds are youll probably need to buy new.

The Chevy Trax is one of Rochester and Upstate NYs favorite crossovers. Having been around in one form or another since 2012 and only undergoing minor cosmetic changes in that time. This slightly taller riding crossover has become a massive hit with consumers of all types, but most notably people who are downsizing from larger SUVs.

It’s a simple formula: people like the elevated ride height, great visibility, and safety and stability of AWD, but don’t need the massive engine, towing capacity, or cargo room.

The interior of the Trax is noticeably more open and airy than the Trailblazer. If you are worried about blindspots, the Trax is a much better bet and many of ours come with blindspot monitoring as standard.

The actual seating position of the Trax must have been designed by a world renowned hip surgeon, because this is one of the most comfortable and easy to get in and out of cars ever made. It is intelligent, comfortable and simple. There isnt a ton going on in the interior of the Trax, and thats not a bad thing. The standard issue Mylink infotainment system does everything that you need it to do competently and effectively and gives a nice display for the backup camera.

The ride of the Trax is similar to the TrailBlazer, but it is a bit better suited for suburban and city driving because of its better visibility and narrower footprint. The way it is geared suits city or stop and go driving very well, giving a wide first gear and doing a good job getting out of its own way!

If you think about it in terms of our area: the Trax is more Greece or Irondequoit, where the Trailblazer is a bit more Hilton or Brockport.

The Trax is also a popular option for ride-sharing operators because of its solid ride and ergonomic interior. The fuel economy is not as good as the TrailBlazer, but we think this is more because of the transmission and aerodynamics than having an extra cylinder.

The 1.4L inline 4-cylinder has an extra cylinder on the all-new 1.3L, but makes roughly the same horsepower and is paired to an automatic 6-speed transmission.

The front-wheel drive and AWD versions of the Chevy Trax both feel well planted, and given their propensity to be demos at dealerships, we have driven them in all sorts of weather and are happy to report that both the FWD and AWD versions of the Trax are very capable when roads get slippery.

In the base trims, it is one of the best values in the entire crossover market because of its price point.

The best way to buy a Chevy Trax is right out of the dealer demo or loaner fleet. These cars are a tremendous value because of their low mileage and meticulous maintenance, without the depreciation hit that you get from a traditional new car. If youre looking for a great deal on a Chevy Trax, look for dealer demos.

So if you like a good interior, a stout ride, and well laid out interior the Trailblazer is probably better for you. If you want something that is comfortable, easy to get in and out of, but still planted with optional AWD, you should check out the Trax. If you are in the market right now, click here to see our

, or here for our

.

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Because of this, you really need to find a dealership with a crack service department. A service department full of GM Factory Trained technicians that can stay on top of the pace of technological change to be able to keep these cars running when they do inevitably break. The other reason you might need to take your car to the dealership is the seemingly endless string of recalls, but these are typically covered for free by the dealership. So how do you find out if the service department that you bought your car front is worth their salt? Simple, read the reviews. Where to look for reviews, typically a dealership’s Google My Business Page has the most but you might also want to look on their Facebook page or possibly even Yelp. Specifically read the reviews relating to people who have had to have their car serviced by that Chevrolet Dealerships service department.

Heres what you’re looking for: reviews from verified service customers. See what they have to say about their service experience. Find out what they had done and if you can – find reviews from people with the same make/model car that you have that is getting serviced for a similar concern.

A word of caution here: if a review sounds completely unreasonable, use your better judgement. There are a TON of service related issues that are completely out of the service departments control. If someone had to wait weeks for the right parts, odds are that isnt on the Chevy Dealership- it probably has more to do with limited parts availability due to COVID. Also sometimes customers have unreasonable expectations for turnaround time on certain repairs. So if you read something to the effect of, waited to get my connecting rod bearings replaced, took all day, still not done –that person wasn’t being logical at all. They wasted an entire day waiting around for a job that requires major engine surgery and wouldnt be done in a single day even if the service department moonlights as a F1 pit crew.

However, if you are looking to have your Chevy serviced by a dealer and they have nothing but complaints about their service department- that probably isn’t a fluke. Dont waste your time and money. More importantly, dont put your vehicle at risk by taking it to a sub-par repair shop.

Another major factor for getting your GM vehicle serviced is proximity. When it comes to our service client base, it comes mostly from the eastern suburbs of Rochester: Webster, Brighton, even the more discerning customers from places like Henrietta and the City of Rochester who want their car fixed right the first time. We are conveniently located right on Rt. 104 in Williamson. We sell a lot of cars in these zip codes, but we have found that it is our service department is one of the big pull factors that keeps our customers coming back to Cavallaro-Neubauer Chevrolet for years!

So whether you need a recall done, a repair, or just routine maintenance: check the reviews! Then schedule your appointment with a handy appointment scheduler or just call Nikki at (866) 627-6825 – shell get you set up!

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With the proliferation of turbocharged engines, Google searches surrounding these symptoms are increasing A LOT. Turns out there is a really good reason, because with some of the higher compression turbocharged engines you NEED to use good gasoline.

Octane is important, but in the case of many Upstate NY drivers the availability of significantly cheaper, untaxed gasoline on reservations is too good to pass up. However, it is unregulated and more often than not people have to find that out the hard way. Modern, high compression turbocharged engines HATE bad gas, so if it is bad youre going to find out in a hurry!

There are also a lot of banging sounds that can come from your suspension system if a component has failed. Youll notice this one more at speed or hitting a pothole.

The most telling factor when your car is making a squealing noise is what action you performed to cause the squealing. If you just start your car and it makes a squealing noise, it is more likely than not a serpentine, drive belt or other engine related component. If the squealing sound gets worse on acceleration this is likely the culprit. However, if you step on the brakes and a squealing noise pops up, it is likely to be a problem with the brake rotors, pads, or shoes.

Make note of whatever you just did that caused the squealing noise and tell us! This is the best way to get a proper diagnosis the first time because it is easier for us to replicate the concern and get you back in your car faster!

This concern is more about where and can be a lot harder to replicate the specific conditions. If the clicking or tapping is coming from the engine bay, it typically means that there is a problem with oil pressure or valves. However, it could also be the first indicator that your engine is low on oil which can cause catastrophic failure, so engine bay tapping/clicking is something that you have to keep an eye on and do not want to ignore. It typically will not resolve itself without being addressed.

If the clicking or tapping is coming from under the car, odds are that it is a problem with an axle shaft or U joint. There are also a lot of components in the suspension that can manifest this type of sound.

Were not talking the are we there yet whining, we are talking about one of the most common sounds that says something is about to fail.

A more common failure that causes this to be noticeable to drivers are blower motors. Your entire car has a self contained HVAC system that regulates air flow with the use of one or multiple blower motors, and that noise can be seriously annoying when they are on the way out.

Whining or whirring can also signal the end of your power steering pump (or that it is low on fluid), a failing alternator, a bad wheel bearing, or in the most extreme and expensive cases- transmission problems. As with the above set of sounds and the age old real-estate adage, location, location, location If you can tell us where the problem is coming from the odds of a correct and quick diagnosis are better.

When a whirring noise is clearly coming from under your car, you could be about to have a whole lot of extra neutrals unless you get it to us ASAP. And for the love of God dont try to limp a car with a messed up transmission to us, just get it flat bedded.

Weirdly, this is the first noise that your car can make that incorporates all three states of matter. Hissing can come from a leak in a vacuum line (gas), a leak in a coolant line or possibly oil dripping onto a hot exhaust manifold (liquid) or in extremely rare cases in Rochester, it can come from something inside the car (solid).

The first two are fairly easy but can be made difficult because of the layout of modern cars. They have so many lines and hoses running under so many plastic shields that it can be genuinely hard to make heads or tails of what you’re looking at, let alone finding the leak. The easiest way to find a coolant or oil leak is with a dye test which will circulate and leak a phosphorescent dye from wherever the leak is happening, literally highlighting it so we can fix it properly.

The other type of hissing can happen from something crawling into your car, or rather in the most terrifying cases, slithering into your car. Reptiles love heat. What does your car make a lot of when it’s running? Heat. You can see where this is going. Believe me, it’s not fun for us either. Thankfully this happens a lot more often in the southwest than a place where it randomly snows in mid April after a gorgeous March, but it has happened.

The simplest way to describe grinding noises with your car is that something round that is meant to rotate a specific way, isnt doing that because it probably isnt round anymore. Wheel bearings, brakes, differentials, transmissions. All of these things are designed to rotate and when they are grinding that means that they arent happy. Sometimes it can be an easy fix, sometimes it can be expensive and laborious. This depends entirely on what is making the grinding noise.

One special instance of this is actually more of a growling sound. When it comes to the wheel bearings this growling will get louder with speed and can be accurately diagnosed as a front wheel bearing if the growling noise changes in intensity when the wheel is turned in either direction. The odds of having multiple wheel bearings go out at the same time is low, but never zero depending on how well you or a previous owner has taken care of the car.

There are a lot of parts on a car that can make a rattling noise. Rattles over bumps or railroad tracks typically indicate a loose or worn suspension component. If you have a resonant rattle under the vehicle when started and at idle, exhaust systems and heat shields are the most common culprits here due to the rate at which salt destroys the underside of your car in Rochester.

However, there are also more facepalm worthy causes of a rattle in your car. Sometimes it can be the stuff you put it, and more often than not, forget to take out. So when a customer comes in with a complaint that states that it sounds like there is a bag of cans in the trunk of the car and we find a bag of cans in the trunk of the car, you can rest assured well be laughing with you, not at you.

So if your car is making any of these noises for any sustained period of time, take the trip down 104 to visit Cavallaro-Neubauer Chevrolet in Williamson. As we figured out in our last article, you want to take your GM truck/ car /investment /baby to the right dealership with good reviews of their service department.

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How far are you willing to travel for the vehicle that you want? Literally? The answer to that particular question has been changing rapidly with the COVID-shortened production runs for all of the major automakers and according to

– the answer is an astonishing 469 miles! As a result of less choice and more demand, people are literally willing to go the extra mile to get exactly the car that they want. And thats where we come in.

The first time that this trend really raised our eyebrows came when a couple from Arkansas ordered a brand new 21

, flew in, signed the paperwork, and drove home. They were wonderful people and we chatted about local hunting and fishing on the roughly 45 minute trip to the dealership in a company Suburban. We talked about the truck he had ordered, some of the stops they were planning on the way, and the events that led him to traverse half the country to get the truck they wanted. Usually the drive home shakedown lasts a few minutes, maybe an hour, where you get the seat just right, pair your phone, understand all of the controls, and start to make little mental notes about how much better this car is than your last one. In this particular case, the gentleman in question and his wife got a little over 17 hours to shakedown their Crew Cab! If you dont like your new car after a drive home like that, you made the wrong choice! They made a genuinely great trip out of it, and love their Silverado 2500HD.

The second notable example was much more recent, when we hit the internet with a 2016 Ford F-150 Lariat Black Ops by Tuscany. This was one macked out F-150, and the first person to put money down on it was a gentleman who let us know that he would be flying from Maine to pick it up. Given some of the roads in Maine, the lifted up and well-loaded F-150 on super knobby tires was a great choice. This truck exploded with leads, but the deposit was already made. He found a window of time in his schedule, flew in, and drove home the full 9 and a bit hours.

So, us, not missing a beat, have made it company policy that if you buy a car from our lot and youre flying in, well pick you up at the airport. Why not fly in and drive home? Especially if you have the most annoying part of the entire experience – getting from the airport to where you need to go -covered! The easiest, and by far one of the best airports in the state is the Fredrick Douglas International Airport in Rochester. Syracuse isnt a terrible drive either, especially to our Wolcott location!

How do we handle the transport? Simple,

that are good for 45 days, so you can take it back to whatever state you are from to register. This also saves you money because New York has some of the highest taxes in the country. Obviously this depends on the jurisdiction you are coming from, but all of this can be arranged with your salesperson when you complete your deal and book your flight.

We also deliver vehicles, but we know that is not for everyone. Many of our customers like to see, feel, and use the product before they sign the paperwork – and with Cavallaro Neubauer Chevrolet we make it easy to fly in and drive home!

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