Do you need a truck with the kind of power that most others simply don’t offer? Are you the type of driver that others rely upon daily and require a vehicle with enough versatility to become the handyman in any situation? Truth be told, there aren’t too many options once you get to the best of the best, but what you’ll find is something truly incredible. The 2021 Chevy Silverado 3500HD is the latest heavy-duty pickup truck from Chevy and is the perfect companion to even the toughest of jobs.
This truck features a no-compromise experience with the highest levels of performance out of Chevy’s entire lineup, which also translates to exceptional towing capabilities. If you have your eyes set on a Chevy vehicle, and you’re also in the market for a pickup truck with high levels of performance, you may already have your mindset on one of these incredible trucks.
The Silverado 3500HD shares plenty of its features with the 2500HD that is sold alongside it, both of which make up the Silverado HD lineup. Both of these trucks are available with three different cab configurations. In addition to the cab size, there are four trim levels to select from for the 3500HD, with the fifth trim level again being limited to the 2500HD. We’ll be focusing on the 3500HD today as it’s a pickup truck that’s indeed celebrated due to its immense power and towing capabilities, but this truck also greatly impresses with cargo capacity. This is thanks in part to two separate bed sizes, a standard and long bed, while ditching the smaller regular bed that you’ll only find on the 2500HD.
Next-Gen Performance
For the 2021 Silverado 3500HD, here you’ll find two engines. Without comparing them, each of these engines contributes to a seriously capable pickup truck, but even between these two engines, the one you go with can make a world of difference. The first engine for the Silverado 3500HD, and the one that will come included with a base model, will be a 6.6L V8 engine that comes paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Alone, its 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque is already a combo that helps models with this engine accomplish a maximum towing capacity of 17,370 lbs. For drivers who are perhaps more interested in the Silverado 3500HD for these capabilities rather than those who need one for the workplace should highly consider this powertrain configuration. With 17,370 lbs, this towing capacity still lends itself to your ability to tow large boats, livestock, campers, and more. The drivers who require even more performance than this will want to pay extra close attention to the next available engine.
Drivers who demand ultimate performance will have finally met their match with the second available engine for the Silverado 3500HD. While more powerful, it’s also a similarly sized 6.6L V8 engine, except with the improvements that come from being both a turbo diesel and paired to a far superior 10-speed automatic transmission. The difference between these two engines is quite substantial, albeit not as much in regards to horsepower, as this new engine produces 445 hp, a still rather noteworthy 16% increase.
Torque output is vastly different between the two engines as this turbodiesel option will give you a rather phenomenal 910 lb-ft of torque, and this is one of the main reasons why properly equipped models with this engine can tow upwards of 36,000 lbs. As a 107% increase in potential towing power over the standard engine, models with this engine can tow more than double what the base model can, and this capacity will help you tow just about anything on the job.
Storage Options Aplenty
Work trucks can’t be entirely reliant on their power as not everything has to be attached to a trailer. For a work truck to succeed against its competitors, it needs to offer a couple of additional things, these being an abundance of cargo space along with enough space within the cabin for a comfortable ride. The 2021 Chevy Silverado 3500HD is built with both of these aspects in mind, and more as the two available bed lengths are generously sized.
For the smallest size, the Silverado 3500HD can come equipped with a Standard Bed that measures out at 80.2-inches or 6.6-feet. The larger bed, known as the Long Bed, measures out at 96.3-inches or 8-feet, a 20% increase in size. Interior cargo space, which is normally non-existent for the most part on certain pickup trucks, is another strength of the Silverado 3500HD with available storage containers that you can fit throughout your cabin, including one in the rear between the seats and a container under the rear row of seats. In total, the 2021 Silverado 3500HD has an available 83.5 cu.ft. of available space, and when combined with anything you may have in tow, you’ll never have to leave anything behind for the ride.
Your Silverado 3500HD will always provide you and your passengers with enough space at all times, and this is true for all three cabin types: Regular, Double, and Crew. Driving in a Silverado 3500HD with a Regular Cab means that you’ll have 43.1-inches of headroom and 44.5-inches of legroom. The spaciousness of the cabin can also be enjoyed by passengers sitting in a backseat as this row gets 40.12-inches of headroom and 43.4-inches of legroom.
Choosing a Double Cab means you won’t be sacrificing the spaciousness of your vehicle, as the front row will still have 43.03-inches of headroom and a similar amount of legroom as the Regular Cab with 44.53-inches of space. Unfortunately, the Double Cab offers the least amount of space in the back, but it’s certainly not terrible with 39.88-inches of headroom and 35.24-inches of legroom. Lastly, the Crew Cab is the final available cabin for the Silverado 3500HD, and its dimensions are highly comparable to the Regular Cab, meaning the rear row of seats will get the same 40.12-inches of headroom and 43.4-inches of legroom. Seats in the front row of the Crew Cab are also identical to the Double Cab with 43.03-inches of headroom and 44.53-inches of legroom.
Top-End Performance Starts Here
Not everybody needs or wants a pickup truck with the amount of power that vehicles such as the 2021 Chevy Silverado 3500HD offers. For those who do, you’ll understand how much thought, time, and effort must go into making such a purchase. For those who don’t want to settle for anything but the best, whether it’s for a career that makes a truck like this a necessity or not, there are very few models that can come close to achieving even half of what Chevy has accomplished here.
Without a doubt in my mind, these trucks are designed and meticulously crafted with the future of pickup trucks in mind. While there isn’t an electric version just yet, Chevy has already begun exploring the realm of battery-powered pickup trucks, meaning an electric version may be coming within the next few years. Until then, the 2021 Silverado 3500HD does enough things right to warrant a recommendation from us, and we believe once you’ve had time with one of these trucks, you’ll have no trouble recommending it either.
