Let’s face it, it’s time to purchase a pickup truck, and at Parkway Chevrolet, we’re here to help. If you’re going to be purchasing any pre-owned model, however, then why not look into a used Chevy Silverado 2500? There’s a lot to love about the Silverado 2500, and that’s without even mentioning that the Silverado is Chevy’s best-selling pickup truck and the second best-selling truck of all time. Where does all of this success come from? Is it warranted? Perhaps a better question is whether or not a pre-owned Silverado 2500 can give you everything you’re looking for in a pickup truck from performance, durability, capability, and so much more.
Today we’ll be looking at a few used Silverado 2500 models to not only see how the titular pickup truck has evolved over the years, but to see just how much performance you can retain if you opt to save some money and purchase an older used model. The first Silverado 2500 model we’ll be looking at today is the 2015 release, as well as the 2017 and 2021 Silverado models. What kind of performance can you expect, and do you lose any of the versatility you’d get with the newer models? Let’s find out, shall we?
2015 Silverado 2500
We’ll begin by taking a closer look at the 2015 Silverado 2500. Although performance remained virtually unscathed from the year prior, that’s not to say it’s lacking in power—far from it. Aside from the incredibly performant duo of powertrains, the 2015 Silverado 2500 can be purchased with a 6’6” or 8’ long bed. And, you’ll have the choice between a regular, double, or crew cab to seat between three to six passengers. As for the performance you can expect from the 2015 Silverado 2500, that comes down to its two V8 engines you can select from, one of which runs on diesel.
So then, with the base level 2015 Silverado 2500, you’ll get a 6.0L V8 engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Considering the 2015 model will likely cost you the least amount of money compared to any model that succeeded it, its output of 360 horsepower (hp) and 397 lb-ft of torque is impressive, to say the least. With this powertrain, your 2015 Silverado 2500 will tow a maximum conventional towing capacity of 13,000 lbs, a maximum fifth-wheel capacity of 14,800 lbs, and a respectable payload capacity 4,306 lbs. That’s not the end of the story, however, because the Silverado 2500 can do far more than that, and to find out for yourself, look no further than the available turbocharged-diesel 6.6L V8 engine you can opt for.
Like the base engine, this diesel-powered 6.6L V8 is coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission, but the main difference comes down to raw performance. Between the two, horsepower isn’t too different, with the turbocharged diesel engine bringing in 380 hp, albeit this is still a 5.55% increase. No, the real difference comes from its tremendous uptick in torque output, which the turbo-diesel V8 raises to 765 lb-ft of torque—a sizable 93% more than the base powertrain. All of this power gets you in real-world usage, however, is tremendous towing output, with the 2015 Silverado 2500 achieving a maximum conventional towing capacity of 14,500 lbs and a maximum fifth-wheel towing capacity of 17,900 lbs.
2017 Silverado 2500
What the 2017 Silverado 2500 proves is that massive change can occur in a relatively short period. The base engine for the 2017 Silverado 2500 is changed to a 6.0L V8 that utilizes compressed natural gas, but a V8 engine similar to the one inside of the 2015 model can still be found. The real difference-maker this year stems from the upgraded turbo-diesel 6.6L V8 engine, which can run circles around its predecessor found in the 2015 model. This is because this new diesel engine is now Duramax, well-known for pushing some of the greatest pickup trucks further than ever before, especially with towing.
With this new Duramax turbocharged 6.6L V8 engine, the 2017 Silverado 2500 will output 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque. To better illustrate how much of a difference this is—this turbocharged diesel has 17% more horsepower and 19% greater torque output than its predecessor. Like the 2015 model before, the real-world difference comes down to increased towing capacity. With the 2017 Silverado 2500, the maximum conventional towing capacity has been increased to 14,500 lbs for the gasoline engine, up from 13,000 lbs and the fifth-wheel towing capacity for the Duramax engine now sits at 18,100 lbs.
2021 Silverado 2500
Again, the difference a few years can make is massive. The 2021 Silverado 2500 not only expectedly outperforms the 2017 and 2015 models, but technology has seen leaps and bounds since then too. Starting with performance, the 2021 Silverado 2500 comes standard with a 6.6L V8 engine paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to this powertrain, the base Silverado 2500 outputs 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque, which is a substantial improvement over what you’d get standard with some of the older models.
At the top of the list remains the turbo-diesel 6.6L V8 engine that outputs the same 445 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque. However, it now comes paired with a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission, which greatly assists with towing performance. Speaking of towing, the 2021 Silverado 2500 keeps the same 14,500 lbs of towing capacity for the base engine, and the diesel-powered V8 can tow 18,500 lbs, which is the same capacity for towing with the fifth-wheel.
Now that we’ve established that performance has received an overall uptick, what about the other facets of the vehicle? As mentioned, technology has seen leaps and bounds in the past decade, and there’s no better example of this than to look at how the Silverado 2500’s infotainment center has progressed over the years. Back with the 2015 model, you’ll get a 4.2-inch infotainment center, which doesn’t come with too many bells and whistles. Meanwhile, stepping up to the 2017 model will see a proper infotainment center, complete with an 8-inch screen and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, among other features. Even in 2017, however, the Silverado 2500 was sorely missing the likes of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which had seen tremendous appeal by then by fans and critics.
Although the base level infotainment center has gone from an 8-inch to a 7-inch screen between 2017 and 2021, that’s not indicative of what you’re getting. For example, this new infotainment center includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which was a highly requested feature. That’s not to say an 8-inch infotainment center doesn’t exist for the 2021 Silverado 2500, as that’s exactly what you’ll get with the upgraded model. Aside from general improvements, the most notable update the upgraded media center brings with it is Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Find the Perfect Used Silverado at Parkway Chevrolet
There’s no denying that purchasing a newer Silverado 2500 will have immense benefits in regards to technology, but purchasing a model as far back as five or more years ago will ensure you retain most of the performance that makes the Silverado 2500 such a beast. If you still haven’t made up your mind, swing on over to Parkway Chevrolet, and we’ll help you figure out which one is best for you.
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