Faults:

Brakes are noisy and clingy. Thus far ignored.

General Comments:

The engine is fun with tons of surplus power. Acceleration is very good for a truck and there is no issue with making long climbs.

I do not like the "feel" of the truck. Both pedals are "jumpy," or sensitive while not really giving the truck a responsive feel. Handling is not especially thrilling, but the truck feels stable and road-gripping. While the Chevy has more responsive steering than the equivalent Dodge or Ford trucks, this is not a good-times rally truck.

Four wheel drive is fine. This truck has gotten stuck in sand. Had to be helped out with some serious digging and strategically placed lumber. Then again, most people would not have been driving in those conditions.

Fuel efficiency is unremarkable. About 18-19 MPG on long, unloaded freeway drives, and 15 MPG in the city. Towing notably reduces the fuel mileage.

This is the extended cab model, and the back seat will hold a couple people -- though they won't be happy after a couple hundred miles. The front is roomy enough, but overall the Silverado feels more cramped than the F150. The seats are comfortable.

The bed is not to my liking, with tie-downs located on the bottom of the bed and empty sockets supplied for the upper bed. Some people may like this, but I prefer to have tie-downs located toward the top.

Overall, this is a good truck, but so is almost every other model made today. I would suggest considering another model unless you're looking for that Chevy V8 mystique -- which this definitely has.

Needs another 100,000 miles before I can enter the "reliability" score.

Faults:

Nothing wrong to date. I've added a folding fabric tonneau cover ($220), nerf bar steps ($220), rubber floor mats ($20), and a bug deflector ($60). The vehicle came with a dealer installed bedliner and tailgate guard.

In order not to void the warranty, oil changes must be made with a "Dexos" type oil. I bought 5 quarts Mobil 1 full synthetic and a filter for $28, and did the first oil change at 1,000 miles.

The owner manual says to go up to 7500 miles between changes, but I drive short trips, and will change every 5000.

General Comments:

This is the base model, 2WD regular cab 6.5 ft bed, with no priced options whatsoever. 4.3 V6 with a 4 speed automatic. No power locks or windows, no keyless remote, steel wheels, mocha silver metallic paint, black cloth bench seat, black vinyl floor.

No posi-traction, but it does have a StabiliTrak system that keeps it from fishtailing in the snow. Lots of room under the hood, looks easy to get at everything for maintenance.

It rides very smoothly, and the cab is roomy and very comfortable. I'm getting 18.5 mpg, and I'm OK with this for a full-size truck.

This vehicle replaces a 1995 S-10 with 210K, and I plan on driving the new truck at least as long.