The Chevy Silverado 1500 High Country isn’t the best truck in the segment, but you should still buy it.

The first-generation Silverado was introduced two and a half decades ago, and has been part of the booming pickup truck segment ever since. Trucks in all shapes and sizes are big business in the USA, and they’re going all-electric now: the Silverado nameplate moves into electric era with the Silverado EV. Internal combustion engines are still the favorite, however, so trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 remain in high demand, with workhorse trucks at the one end of the spectrum and plushly appointed pickups at the other.

The High Country model of the Silverado 1500 goes up against the GMC Sierra 1500 in Denali trim. For the most part, the difference is in cabin space and ride quality, thanks to the Denali’s magnetic adjustable shock absorbers. However, the price difference is a big factor: from $68k for a V8 specced High Country with 4WD to around $85k for an equivalent spec Denali. Is it short on luxury, or just more focused on balancing ruggedness with available comfort? To put it simply, the High Country is a luxury truck with a trim name that suggests mountains and forests are its natural habitat.

We spent a week with a V8-powered High Country at the end of winter – the perfect time to explore the local mountains and forest.

2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Base MSRP

$36,800

Exterior Design

7 / 10

Performance

9 / 10

Fuel Efficiency

8 / 10

Interior & Cargo

8 / 10

Infotainment & Features

9 / 10

Reliability

10 / 10

Safety

8 / 10

Value For Money

8 / 10

Pros

• Wide variety of powertrain options and a choice of drivetrain
• Attractive styling that feels old-school in High Country
• Loads of standard features in upper trims
• Rides relatively comfortably

Cons

• Rivals offer higher towing capacity
• Not the most opulent interior, even in the top trim
• Thirsty V8 powertrains

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Exterior: Purposeful

For the High Country, Chevrolet takes a Silverado and gives it 20-inch machined alloy wheels with all-terrain tires. Our version arrived wearing the optional 22-inch wheels with all-season tires – this comes as part of the High Country Premium Package – but it’s worth reiterating that, despite being the luxury designation, the High Country doesn’t come standard with a sunroof and you’ll need to spec the package to get it. You do get chrome door handles and deep-tinted glass, though.

The High Country adds some style to the otherwise ubiquitous truck appearance with body-color bumpers. The rear features a corner step, there are rectangular chrome steps running down the sides, there’s a spray-in bedliner with the High Country logo embedded in it, and a power tailgate is standard. Summed up, the Silverado 1500 High Country is an imposing truck from the front, and a practical pickup from all ofther angles. It’s only available as a Crew Cab with the shorter 5′ 8″ box.

Interior: Old-School Luxury

Chrome exterior trim is now old-school, so carrying that on inside makes sense if you’re looking to maintain that style. The vibe inside the Silverado 1500 is whiskey and cigars, not skinny latte and an iPad, which feeds into that old-school feeling. It boils down to taste, but we liked it, and think the perforated leather stitching-accented seats and the open-pore wood trim works for what the High Country aims to be.

As for standard features, the High Country gets a few luxuries to set it apart from lower-rung models, including:

• Wireless device charging
• Power tilt-and-telescope steering column
• Remote start
• Front center console with cupholder and file holder capacity
• USB ports
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated and ventilated front and heated rear seats

As standard, the Up-level Rear Seat with Storage package is included, allowing the rear seats to be folded up to create more usable stowage options. This also means you get seatback storage on the right and left, a center fold-out armrest with cupholders, and the underseat storage. This is a useful truck feature for storing things you don’t want exposed to the elements in a truck bed.

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Infotainment and Tech: Nicely Weighted

Infotainment is accessed on a 13.4-inch landscape-oriented screen with Google built in. It reacts rapidly to input and is easy to use. A three-month trial of Sirius XM is included, as is a Bose Audio system with seven speakers and a Richbass subwoofer. More importantly, at least for now, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard.

This high up in the model lineup, the truck is generously kitted out with safety assists and driver aids. On the High Country, towing is made easy by the standard inclusion of hitch view and trailer side blind zone alert. The High-Capacity Suspension Package is also a given on this trim.

Under The Hood: There Are Options

Our High Country truck came with the 6.2L EcoTec3 V8 engine, packing 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque paired to Chevy’s stout 10-speed automatic transmission. That’s an available upgrade over the standard 5.3-liter V8 engine, and instead of the optional 3.0-liter diesel. You can have your High Country in either 2WD or 4WD, but opting for the former means you lose access to the 6.2-liter V8. Lesser trims can use a Turbo Max engine with 310 hp as well, but that doesn’t come into play with the High Country.

The big V8 is everything we expected – and what we expected is an engine that is reasonably smooth while offering pulling power for days. Fuel economy is nothing out of the ordinary for a 4WD truck, with the EPA estimates coming in at 15/20/17 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles with the V8 – it also uses premium fuel, which makes it an expensive vehicle to run. With a lot of varied driving, we came in at just under 17 mpg overall for the week.

The 6.2-liter V8 is a beast of an engine, that’s for certain, but both V8s are incredibly thirsty. And even if you’re hoping to use the High Country exclusively for towing varied loads, the more frugal diesel engine is just as accomplished at hauling, since it’s torque figure is higher. We do appreciate the range of options here.

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Out In The World: Truck Driving Pleasure

The interior of the High Country does a lot to make the Silverado a relaxing truck to drive. On the road, the upgraded suspension still makes for a decent ride without a load. Bump off the road and onto the dirt, though, and things aren’t quite so smooth – although the thicker sidewall all-terrain tires on smaller wheels would make a difference there.

Heading up into the wet and occasionally icy mountain roads, the High Country was confident on its all-season tires, and when things look slippery, the brakes are easy to modulate and control. Our second trip up to the mountain to shoot photos only got halfway before snow and slush on the road interrupted play, causing us to look at the tires, shake our heads, and then turn around. With alternative tires, and snow chains in the back, we know a 4WD Silverado would have been more than competent enough.

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This truck is the right tool for getting the job done, whatever that job may be.

Back on dry roads, we took to the freeway to trial the Super Cruise system. That required a lengthy drive to find a road already mapped so that the hands-free assist could work. We’ve had experience with Super Cruise before, and not much has changed. It’s smooth and confident to operate and makes sure your eyes are on the road.

What we have done since our last experience is use Ford’s 3.2 version of Blue Cruise in the F-150, which struck us as being a little smoother as well as better mapped for our area. It’s not a night-or-day difference, and the software is always developing, so we wouldn’t consider it a deal-breaker, though, and if hands-free freeway driving is a must-have feature and Super Cruise has your regular roads mapped, you’ll find the Silverado 1500 does just fine.

Conclusion: It’s The Most Pleasant Silverado To Drive

Most of the High Country’s appeal lies in its look and status, and while its exterior chrome trim is outdated to the point of being passé, it does make a statement. We have mixed feelings on the exterior choices, but it’s all in the eye of the beholder and Chevy knows its demographics for this trim. The old-school interior of blacks and browns will never go out of style and the High Country’s bucket seats were supremely comfortable to us.

As a towing machine, particularly for long hauls, the Silverado 1500 High Country is tough to beat in terms of comfort. Super Cruise is absolutely worth the extra – assuming you frequent freeways a lot and the area you inhabit is well-mapped. The High Country starts at $64,695 with the standard 5.3L V8, excluding destination. Upgrading the powertrain and adding 4WD also adds a few thousand dollars to the bill.

As far as where the Silverado 1500 ranks among like-minded trucks, it doesn’t hold a candle to trucks with the ‘Denali’ badge, nor does it tow as much as its Ford F-150 competitor. What makes it stand out is the variety of options it has, giving buyers a choice of engines, drivetrains, and trim levels, with this ‘luxury’ trim costing much less than rivals. For those who want a little fun out in the dirt, there’s also a ZR2 Bison Edition that we had a blast with out in the dirt. If you’re looking for on-road dirivng pleasure though, the High Country is the one to get.