Silverado LTZ 2500HD Review - The Unbeatable Tow Car?

TOW TESTING THE LTZ 2500HD
I have never towed a full-size caravan more easily than with the LTZ 2500HD. Up until the last day, I never floored the accelerator and even then, it was only to see what would happen which was the masses of torque overpowering the rear tyre traction and the control systems coming on. I never felt like the caravan dictated terms to the 2500, it was simply sensational. The tech is next level compared to what we’re accustomed to in Australia. How the gearbox changes programming and how the mirrors extend once a trailer is plugged in suggests it is no feat of luck either, the 2500HD is manufactured to tow and designed to make it easy.

TOWING TECHNOLOGY
There is too much to list and honestly, too much to keep this review interesting so I’ll focus on the big ones, Towing Mode and some of what it does and the braking systems.

As mentioned above, once you’ve hitched up, the 2500HD adjusts the two-piece mirrors outward to give legal rearwards vision. Roll the rotary dial found on the right of the steering wheel to Towing and a small trailer icon appears on the dash. Head into the menus and you can enter details on the trailer's weight, dimensions and label and save the data for a future haul. Once you’ve done that, you can do a trailer light test that illuminates all of your trailer lights in sequence so you can single handily check all are in order. There are also pre-drive checklists that you can adapt to suit your tow which is great to see.

Using Towing mode also adjusts the mapping of the 10-speed Alison gearbox. It holds gears longer and drops one or two when off-throttle and the vehicle senses that you are holding or increasing in speed, say going down a hill. The 2500HD does a great job of engine braking, especially when you turn on the exhaust brake, yes, a passenger car with an exhaust brake. I used it a lot, more than I probably needed to as I really liked how our combination would hold or even decrease speed coming down a hill. It is not noisy like a lot of truck exhaust brakes but it is noticeable.

One other detail I thought game-changing was how when indicating, the centre screen would flick to the mirror-mounted cameras (two of fifteen found around the LTZ) to show you down the side of the truck and trailer exposing any other traffic that might be lurking beside you. It worked so well, that I would look there before doing a mirror check to confirm.

The 2500HD is fitted with a factory brake controller which would be nicely positioned for a driver in the US but once converted to righthand drive, the controller is a little out of the way on the lower left of the massive centre console. It is however very easy to use with a plus and minus button to change the force your trailer brakes will apply and an override button that you’ll probably never need.

[Dazza-uc]

Great video and I am glad you mentioned the difference between registration in the NB1 cat and NB2. I have been for ages explaining that option when people on social media assume that it cannot carry much. 👍

[WayneAbdilla]

Hi so do you need a log book like a heavy vehicle that goes past 100 km radius’s thanks 7:19

[dualsport]

its a pity these aint wagons like a patrol or cruiser---not all off of us want utes