2017 Silverado with High Desert Package: Avalanche Wannabe?

A quick glance at our 2017 Chevrolet Silverado loaner can cause Avalanche fans to rejoice, ‘Chevy is bringing back the Avalanche!’

Upon further inspection, it is not the same truck, but it is a pretty close second.

New for 2017, the $6,995 High Desert package offers a very similar look to the Avalanche. It starts with what Chevy calls the “sport bar with sail panel” which offers the similar Avalanche rear-end look. It also has the third-brake light integrated into the sport bar as well.

Beyond the similar look, this drop-in liner offers additional storage options. Both sides of the bed rail open up to expose a covered storage space long enough for a golf club and wide enough to fit a tool bag. Sadly, we didn’t see a way to add a drain to these side storage boxes, so only dry goods can be stored.

This space takes away some of the room in the bed, however, we measured it out and a 4×8′ sheet of drywall could still fit.

Plus, the bed liner offers a fold-up gate to help separate items in the bed. For example, you could raise up this gate to separate tools from materials or to keep groceries near the tailgate instead of rolling around.

During our week of driving, we used this fold-up gate many different ways including the aforementioned groceries as well as separating our lake day bath towels and items from our camp chairs. It is a really handy feature.

Speaking of handy, the bed also features a trifold hard plastic tonneau cover. These are removable panels allowing you to remove only as many as you need. This is pretty handy for say hauling trash cans, trees or other tall items. These items can roll around in a bed, however, with the trifold panel, you can remove just the one panel and this will help items from rolling freely.

Chevy also integrated LED lights into the bed which are operated by the cargo light switch inside the cabin.

Also, included in this package are power retractable assist steps which offer three different settings operated by a piano key switch in the center console. The first setting is for their automatic operation – when a door opens, the steps move outward. Another setting is to turn them off completely for say off-roading and/or tight parking situations. The third option moves them out and back toward the rear wheels. This provides a useful step from accessing the back of the bed.

Finally, the package includes magnetic ride control also known as Magneride. This is a chassis and suspension technology that adapts and adjusts the shock absorbers in real-time to respond to terrain changes to deliver optimal shock damping. This real-time adjustment provides the best possible driving experience the vehicle can offer. It was first created for Cadillac vehicles and has now moved into trucks.

The real-world driving feel on the Silverado is pretty incredible with this technology. During our week of testing, we drove nearly 1000 miles on combined city/highway and dirt roads. In each case, the truck delivered a very smooth ride quality and during one long road trip, it was easy to see why consumers are using trucks for road trip vehicles.

Road tripping in a truck may seem odd, but these days pickup fuel economy is so greatly improved, it isn’t that unrealistic. For example, our test model had the 6.2L V8 mated to a 8-speed transmission. Historically, this engine is known as a “gas hog,” however, after our week of driving, our fuel economy was 20.9 MPG. This was actually .9 higher than the EPA rating of 15/20/17.

While Chevy offers a 5.3L V8 for even better fuel economy, it is hard to deny the fun provided by the 420 HP and 460 lb-ft. of torque of the 6.2L V8. This compares with 355 HP and 383 lb-ft. of torque offered in the 5.3L.

In the end, our Avalanche-like truck is pretty darn close with its look and bonus side storage. It does not have the popular mid-gate, but the separate pop-up gate is a nice feature. During our week, we really enjoyed the storage options and the upgraded 6.2L V8. This might just be our favorite 2017 Chevrolet Silverado yet.