One of the most basic rules for a company's success is "Give the people what they want." Without getting on my soapbox about how an alarmingly large number of people needlessly want full-size 12-mpg pickup trucks as their primary means of transportation, let's just say that it would make sense to build these big beasts more maneuverable. And it wouldn't hurt Chevrolet if it offered something functional and unique that its big truck competitors Ford and Dodge don't.
That something is a four-wheel steering system that Chevy calls QuadraSteer (QS), which allows the rear wheels to turn up to 12 degrees left or right. At lower speeds, such as when parking or dealing with traffic on city streets, the rear wheels turn opposite the direction of the front wheels (called "opposite phase"), which allows the truck to turn a tighter circle. A much tighter one, in fact. At 37.4 feet, the Silverado's turning circle is around 10 feet less than a typical full-size American pick-'em-up. This is a serious advantage; to put it into sharper perspective, consider this, our extended-cab Silverado would require only about the same space as a Toyota Camry Solara to execute a U-turn! When dealing with parking a horse trailer or backing a boat up to the launch, the benefits of QuadraSteer become vividly clear.
Most of the time, you're not aware of the QuadraSteer technology; the steering has the same light effort and lack of road feel as any other GM pickup without QS. But when dealing with the parking lot crazies buzzing around in their minivans and SUVs at the local Target store, we found the big Chevy easy to pilot around the mayhem. And when it became necessary to perform the dreaded parallel parking operation, it was usually a one-shot deal instead of the annoying back and forth circus it usually is in a full-size truck. It's amazing how much of a stress relief QuadraSteer can be when you're using a pickup as your daily driver.
At higher speeds (above 40 mph or so), such as when running down the freeway or on wide-open two-lanes, the rear tires turn in the same direction as the front (called "same phase"), which makes for smoother transitions. Those who plan on towing would appreciate this, as it greatly reduces the "tail waggin' the dog" activity by effectively eliminating the pivot point at the trailer ball, allowing truck and trailer to gracefully handle changes in direction (such as when passing or changing lanes) as if they were a single unit.
If something should go awry with the QuadraSteer system, no worries. There is a built-in safety feature that will simply lock the rear wheels in the straight-ahead position so the truck will just drive like a non-four-wheel steerer until the system is checked and fixed.
Okay, so it's the best thing since sliced bread. What are the negatives? Well, there is the matter of cost — nearly six grand because QuadraSteer comes as a package that includes a lot more than the four-wheel steering setup. A Heavy Duty trailering package, 5.3-liter ("Vortec 5300") V8, roof marker lamps, a limited-slip rear differential and Ride Control Suspension all come with QuadraSteer. Another demerit is ride quality; on washboard surfaces you may want to secure the lid on your Starbucks cup; the stiff heavy-duty suspension imparts a jarring ride that'll rattle your fillings. We imagine that the ride would smooth out if the truck was carrying more than one or two passengers or performing towing duties. But let's be real, most of the time we see big trucks such as this carrying only an image-conscious driver.
In addition to the availability of this technology, Chevrolet gave the Silverado a facelift for 2003 that essentially consists of the Avalanche's front clip. This means it now has the same aggressive façade that seems to be Chevy's new styling direction, as seen on other trucks like the TrailBlazer and Express.
The cabin is mostly functional and comfortable and benefits from a number of minor updates, including a new seat design, dual-zone HVAC, a revised center console and XM radio technology. Still, the interior drew fire from Road Test Editor Erin Riches, who commented that she was "struck by how dated this cabin design feels compared with the Dodge Ram — the rectangular theme just looks old." And why isn't there a grab handle for the driver? Shorter folk (like this 5-foot-5 editor) would appreciate a handle to help getting into the cab, especially on four-wheel-drive models like our test vehicle.
The rest of this '03 Silverado shared its good and bad with its earlier brethren, meaning we enjoyed the potent and seamless delivery of power from the 5300 V8 (285 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque) teamed up with the superb four-speed automatic gearbox. Said tranny benefits from a "tow/haul" mode that eliminates gear "hunting" when the truck is acting as a beast of burden. But this also means that both the power windows and the antilock brakes (in spite of updates to improve pedal feel) are too sensitive. The former almost always "expressed down" when all we wanted was to lower them a bit. And the latter would sometimes be overly eager to activate the ABS when it wasn't really needed, resulting in a briefly pulsating brake pedal as the system did its thing, rapidly pumping the brakes.
Big trucks are big business here in the land of plenty. With QuadraSteer, Chevrolet (and GMC) has something of real value (even at $5,715) to offer pickup consumers. Of course, those who would benefit most are buyers who purchase pickups for the purpose of towing a trailer. But even the other 90 percent may want to consider this great advance in technology that makes living with a pickup less of a letdown when dealing with the daily grind.
That something is a four-wheel steering system that Chevy calls QuadraSteer (QS), which allows the rear wheels to turn up to 12 degrees left or right. At lower speeds, such as when parking or dealing with traffic on city streets, the rear wheels turn opposite the direction of the front wheels (called "opposite phase"), which allows the truck to turn a tighter circle. A much tighter one, in fact. At 37.4 feet, the Silverado's turning circle is around 10 feet less than a typical full-size American pick-'em-up. This is a serious advantage; to put it into sharper perspective, consider this, our extended-cab Silverado would require only about the same space as a Toyota Camry Solara to execute a U-turn! When dealing with parking a horse trailer or backing a boat up to the launch, the benefits of QuadraSteer become vividly clear.
Most of the time, you're not aware of the QuadraSteer technology; the steering has the same light effort and lack of road feel as any other GM pickup without QS. But when dealing with the parking lot crazies buzzing around in their minivans and SUVs at the local Target store, we found the big Chevy easy to pilot around the mayhem. And when it became necessary to perform the dreaded parallel parking operation, it was usually a one-shot deal instead of the annoying back and forth circus it usually is in a full-size truck. It's amazing how much of a stress relief QuadraSteer can be when you're using a pickup as your daily driver.
At higher speeds (above 40 mph or so), such as when running down the freeway or on wide-open two-lanes, the rear tires turn in the same direction as the front (called "same phase"), which makes for smoother transitions. Those who plan on towing would appreciate this, as it greatly reduces the "tail waggin' the dog" activity by effectively eliminating the pivot point at the trailer ball, allowing truck and trailer to gracefully handle changes in direction (such as when passing or changing lanes) as if they were a single unit.
If something should go awry with the QuadraSteer system, no worries. There is a built-in safety feature that will simply lock the rear wheels in the straight-ahead position so the truck will just drive like a non-four-wheel steerer until the system is checked and fixed.
Okay, so it's the best thing since sliced bread. What are the negatives? Well, there is the matter of cost — nearly six grand because QuadraSteer comes as a package that includes a lot more than the four-wheel steering setup. A Heavy Duty trailering package, 5.3-liter ("Vortec 5300") V8, roof marker lamps, a limited-slip rear differential and Ride Control Suspension all come with QuadraSteer. Another demerit is ride quality; on washboard surfaces you may want to secure the lid on your Starbucks cup; the stiff heavy-duty suspension imparts a jarring ride that'll rattle your fillings. We imagine that the ride would smooth out if the truck was carrying more than one or two passengers or performing towing duties. But let's be real, most of the time we see big trucks such as this carrying only an image-conscious driver.
In addition to the availability of this technology, Chevrolet gave the Silverado a facelift for 2003 that essentially consists of the Avalanche's front clip. This means it now has the same aggressive façade that seems to be Chevy's new styling direction, as seen on other trucks like the TrailBlazer and Express.
The cabin is mostly functional and comfortable and benefits from a number of minor updates, including a new seat design, dual-zone HVAC, a revised center console and XM radio technology. Still, the interior drew fire from Road Test Editor Erin Riches, who commented that she was "struck by how dated this cabin design feels compared with the Dodge Ram — the rectangular theme just looks old." And why isn't there a grab handle for the driver? Shorter folk (like this 5-foot-5 editor) would appreciate a handle to help getting into the cab, especially on four-wheel-drive models like our test vehicle.
The rest of this '03 Silverado shared its good and bad with its earlier brethren, meaning we enjoyed the potent and seamless delivery of power from the 5300 V8 (285 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque) teamed up with the superb four-speed automatic gearbox. Said tranny benefits from a "tow/haul" mode that eliminates gear "hunting" when the truck is acting as a beast of burden. But this also means that both the power windows and the antilock brakes (in spite of updates to improve pedal feel) are too sensitive. The former almost always "expressed down" when all we wanted was to lower them a bit. And the latter would sometimes be overly eager to activate the ABS when it wasn't really needed, resulting in a briefly pulsating brake pedal as the system did its thing, rapidly pumping the brakes.
Big trucks are big business here in the land of plenty. With QuadraSteer, Chevrolet (and GMC) has something of real value (even at $5,715) to offer pickup consumers. Of course, those who would benefit most are buyers who purchase pickups for the purpose of towing a trailer. But even the other 90 percent may want to consider this great advance in technology that makes living with a pickup less of a letdown when dealing with the daily grind.
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