2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab

With a base price of $35,800, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab competes with the likes of Ford F-350 SuperDuty Regular Cab, GMC Sierra 3500HD Regular Cab, and RAM 3500 Regular Cab and performs exceptionally well against all of them.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab is available in two trims and in multiple configurations. The base trim is the Work Truck which is priced at $36,895 and the LT will cost you $40,795. Both these trims come with RWD as standard but have an option of Single Rear Wheel or Dual Rear Wheel and AWD option as well.

The Work Truck or WT is very basic and is solely for buyers who are looking for hauling activity and nothing else. It is equipped with only a few creative features which include single-zone climate control, 4-way manually adjustable driver and passenger seats, 7.0-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, vinyl bench seats, etc.

If you don’t want to limit yourself to the features and options, then the LT trim is the right choice and our recommendation for you. The LT trim will add an 8-inch touchscreen display instead of the 7, 18-inch aluminum wheels, bucket seats with cloth upholstery, back-up camera, etc. Some of the highlights are:

• 4-way manual adjustable seats
• Cloth upholstered bucket seats
• 7.0 or 8.0-inch infotainment system
• 3.5 or 4.2-inch diagonal color Driver Information Center
• 18-inch aluminum wheels

Which trim should you buy?

Our recommendation is the LT. Just like the WT, it is available in RWD and AWD drivetrain options and single rear wheel and dual rear wheel options. The LT trim unlocks a few features which are not available on the WT trim and also upgrades a few existing features for a small price difference. It offers a bigger touchscreen display, aluminum wheels, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi compatibility, front bucket seats with leather upholstery in addition to the features offered on the WT trim.

The standard engine on the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab is a 6.6L naturally aspirated V8 engine. This engine has been one of the key selling points for the Silverado and is known to be highly reliable and capable of towing and hauling heavyweights. This engine was only available in Diesel before but in 2020 a new gasoline engine has been introduced which has even better load-bearing capabilities.

It produces 401 hp @ 5,200 RPM and has a peak torque of 464 lb-ft @ 4,000 RPM. The payload capacity is about 7442 lbs and it can tow about an impressive 20,000 lbs. This engine is hooked up to a 6-speed automatic transmission which is trustworthy both on-road, off-road, and for hauling situations. The drivetrain options on both the trims are RWD and AWD with the former being the standard one. A new feature that Chevy has introduced this year is the option of having either a single rear-wheel or double rear wheel which is exciting.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab is the fastest to 60MPH from a standstill, but the clear winner of the performance section is the 2020 RAM 3500 Regular Cab which has the most powerful engine and the highest top speed as well.

How well does the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab handle?

Chevrolet has built the Silverado keeping focus more on the hauling and towing capabilities. Being a massive car, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab handles pretty well. The steering wheel is light-weighted and has an adequate response to it.

The front suspension type is independent which is stiff and soaks in the bumps on the road. The rear multi-leaf suspension is designed to do the same when carrying loads, but without the loads, it feels a bit jumpy. Overall, it is easy to maneuver this beast both on-road and off-road.

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab Braking Performance

Brake rotors of 14.0-inch are present both in the front, as well as the rear handle the stopping responsibility for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab. These rotors are the smallest in size when compared to their rivals. This, however, doesn’t affect the braking performance of the truck. The brake pedals are not adjustable which is a bummer. This causes an issue in terms of the dead travel on the brake pedal which is a bit too much for our liking.

The car with the biggest brake rotors is the 2020 Ford F-350 SuperDuty Regular Cab with 14.3-inch front and rear rotors. With a curb weight of just 5878 lbs, it is also the car that weighs the least. This combination gives the Ford a phenomenal braking performance.

All the cars taken up for comparison have a massive and powerful V8 engine. For obvious reasons, fuel economy is not a strong suit for any of those. We don’t have the data for the fuel economy but based on some interpretations it should be around 13.5MPG (combined) for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab. The fuel tank capacity, however, is officially out.

Both the Chevy and the GMC offer a huge 36.0-gallon fuel tank which is the best in their class. The Ford and the RAM offer a smaller 34-gallon and a 32-gallon fuel tank respectively but given the engines on offer, the Ford is expected to be the most fuel-efficient. 

The interior of the Silverado was a letdown in its previous generations. Hence Chevrolet has made some amends in 2020 giving it a better-looking cabin and space. This however is still not up to the mark and can definitely be improved. The interior looks aged and have a familiar design to it. The cabin space of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab is spacious with ample headroom, shoulder room, and legroom. The numbers on the dimensions are matched by the 2020 GMC Sierra 3500HD Regular Cab but are better than the rest.

Regardless of the trim, the Silverado 3500HD features a tall and huge dashboard with easy-to-use buttons and switches in the center console. The seats are 4-way manually adjustable with vinyl trim. Opting for the LT trim will fetch you bucket seats with cloth upholstery. The latter provides better seating comfort and has a nice feel to it as well. 

The 2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 and the 2020 GMC Sierra are literally the same vehicles from the inside. Both of these cars offer more space than the Ford F-350 and the RAM 3500 but unlike the Silverado’s dated interior, the RAM 3500 offers a more modern and luxurious cabin. The RAM is also the only car that offers 3 seating capacities at the entry-level trim. Some of the standout interior features are:

• Vinyl bench seats (WT)
• Cloth upholstered bucket seats (LT)
• 4-way manual adjustable seats
• Single zone air conditioning
• 2 USB ports

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The base trim Work Truck or WT offers a 7.0-inch touchscreen display with a 2-speaker audio system. It is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible and has features like voice commands, AM/FM Radio, Bluetooth, etc. the WT is fitted with a 3.5" diagonal monochromatic Driver Information Center which is a monochromatic display.

Opting for the LT trim will give you an 8.0-inch touchscreen display with some additional features like a backup camera, Chevrolet 4G LTE, and an available built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. Both the systems are excellent and have an easy-to-use interface. Some of the highlights of the infotainment system are as follows:

• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
• AM/FM Radio
• 2 USB charging ports
• 2-speaker audio system
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot compatible
• Voice command pass-through to phone
• Back-up camera

The 4th generation Silverado for the year 2020 is quite the looker. It has some bold, aggressive and upright exterior looks making it look like a pick-up truck with a mean attitude. The front side of the car is where the attitude comes from. Its tall and large hood with a hood scoop, two-tier halogen daytime running headlights, and a massive grille, give it that rugged look. There’s not much happening around the sides of the car, no body lines whatsoever. 

The major highlights are the huge fenders, corner step, 18-inch aluminum wheels, astonishing 11.2-inch ground clearance, and blacked-out power-adjustable and extendable mirrors. At the rear end of the car, you’ll immediately notice the dual rear wheels which Chevy has offered on the Silverado 3500HD. Other than that, a power cargo door, LED tail lights, huge Chevrolet bow-tie badge, and single exhaust outlet complete the rear fascia of the car.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab has the best in class ground clearance. All the cars mentioned above have almost identical wheelbases and lengths. Only the Ford F-350 manages to cut down the weight to a total of 5878 lbs which is significantly lower than the rest of the cars mentioned above. Some of the standout exterior features are as follows:

• 2-tier Daytime running halogen headlights
• Power and extending blacked-out mirrors
• Corner step
• 18-inch aluminum wheels
• 11.2-inch ground clearance
• Single or dual rear wheel option
• LED taillights

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab hasn’t been tested by the federal authorities like the NHTSA but according to us, it is a safe truck. It offers plenty of safety features to keep you safe. As younger siblings like 2500HD and 1500HD have performed well, we expect the 3500HD to do the same. Some of the safety features offered on the Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab are as follows:

• Back-up camera
• Forward collision alert
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring system
• StabiliTrak
• Electronic trailer sway control and hill start assist

 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab vs 2020 Ford F-350 SuperDuty Regular Cab

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab has better engine performance, towing capacity, cargo space, better exterior looks, and better cabin space. Even though the Ford offers better braking performance, weighs the least in its class, and is known to be a highly reliable car, it is simply not a match for the Chevy.

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab vs 2020 GMC Sierra 3500HD Regular Cab

The data mentioned in the above article will tell you that the Sierra and the Silverado are just clones. The factor that sets them apart is the quality of the interior, which is better in the GMC. When it comes to performance, the Silverado is more oriented towards it. Hence buyers who are looking for a performance-focused vehicle instead of luxury driven design, then the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab is the right choice.

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab vs 2020 RAM 3500 Regular Cab

The 2020 RAM 3500 Regular Cab has the best performance in the class. It outperforms every truck with its astounding V8 engine. However, the Silverado has an upper hand in other aspects like cargo capacity, towing capacity, cabin space, etc. Buyers who can compromise on performance and are seeking a good overall package should consider buying the Silverado over the RAM.

After comparing the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Regular Cab to its major rivals in the class, we can conclude that there’s close competition but no car matches the Silverado’s all-around performance. Some of its rivals have a better interior and have more active safety and driver-assist features but this should not bother the buyers much. It is truly the quintessential pick-up truck and with its new generation in 2020, it has set a benchmark for other companies to build a worthy rival.