Considering a new truck this year? You wouldn’t be the only one. In fact, 2019 saw trucks among the 20 bestsellers, with the Chevy Silverado coming in at number #3 on the list. This is new; it’s been #2 on the list for years until the Ram recently surpassed it. But if you’re in the market for a new ride and have your eye on the Chevy Silverado 2500 HD, there’s something you should know. No, it’s not bad news, but you do need to do your homework and read several reviews before choosing which vehicle you’ll ultimately bring home. And you’re in luck because the reviews for the Silverado 2500 HD are plentiful. Here are three reviews that will help you determine if this truck is the right fit for you.

What Gear Patrol has to say

Gear Patrol is a product journalism magazine that does reviews of just about everything, including vehicles, and they’re often spot on. They test things out personally, so you’re getting a first-hand account of the reviewer’s thoughts. So, what are they saying about the Chevy Silverado 2500 HD? By the sound of their title – ‘Tow, Haul, It Does It All’ – they like it.

What they liked

They feel like the Silverado 2500 HD is finally catching up to what Ford and Ram have been rolling out. With shiny new tech, a new engine, and a complete redesign, veteran haulers will wonder where it’s been all this time. Novice ones will feel at ease in this beast of a truck due to the camera package with the “invisible trailer” feature that uses two cameras to fashion an image that makes the trailer seem to disappear. And of course, the towing capacity and the fact that the engine can still effortlessly get up a steep hill while towing the 9300 lbs. it did in their test run. Without cargo? Forget it; it doesn’t even seem like a heavy-duty truck the ride is so nice.

What they could have done without

When you have to put ‘don’t ask’ after mpg, that probably means it was something that didn’t impress. Gear Patrol also wasn’t that impressed with the different front fascias that came with different trim levels, as they altered the truck’s personality. From just ok fleet rig to luxury truck, the front end look was a bit confusing. In the end, they admitted that you can’t see the front from the inside, and it had enough good things going for it to make up for not being as handsome as some other big rigs. After all, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, right?

MotorTrend’s thoughts

Another first-hand account that reviews the Silverado 2500 HD, MotorTrend knows cars and trucks. They share their thoughts on what they call a ‘larger than Los Angeles work truck.’ It sounds funny to hear it described that way, but this is a big truck. MotorTrend isn’t as big of a fan of the truck as Gear Patrol seemed to be, and they weren’t afraid to share it.

What stood out

They appreciated the new 10-speed automatic transmission Allison engine because it was beyond powerful and able to tow an impressive 18,500 lbs. The Duramax 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 brought the speed, with 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque. Its acceleration certainly impressed. Road test editor Chris Walton boasted, “What an amazingly quick truck!” And he’s right, it goes from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and is definitely not meant to be a city truck.

What was just ok

However, what they didn’t like was the deceleration. They didn’t feel as if the pedal was connected to the brakes, which felt less than confidence-inspiring. Despite a lot of vibration and bouncing from the brakes, they still accomplished a stopping distance of 60-0 in 134 ft. The numbers are still better than Ford or Ram, both for acceleration and deceleration. 

Car and Driver has an opinion too

You know Car and Driver had to get in on the action, too. They seem most impressed with the towing capacity and new engine, but have a lot of other thoughts as well. 

What they couldn’t get enough of

The new cooling fans that look like windmill blades were a huge hit, and all Silverado HD trucks got new bodywork this year. The crew-cab models have an extra 5.2 inches of wheelbase, 10.4 inches of length, and 1.4 inches of width more than last year’s trucks. The results? More legroom. The HD bed also comes in longer and able to hold more volume. Maybe bigger is better.

What they didn’t like

When testing on narrow, two-lane roads, they felt that there were some limits to what the Silverado 2500 could do. And as they said, “limits aren’t really something we enjoy exploring while piloting nine tons of steel and rubber.” To avoid this, you have to get the diesel, which does a much more effortless job of towing and handling the roads. But the fact that some of their trucks could use better steering capability isn’t that big of a deal to Car & Driver, who felt that the big-tonnage crew that buys these big rigs won’t care all that much. 

Headed back to the #2 spot?

It sounds like Chevy is amping up to get themselves back to the #2 spot. By outdoing some of the things that made their competition run ahead of them, they’re ready to prove themselves again. It’s reportedly better than the Silverado 1500 by miles, and no one mentioned the price as a factor. If you’re ready for a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD, it sounds like now is the perfect time to go all in.