2005 Chevrolet Silverado - the Best Truck I've Owned

The best truck I've ever owned is a 2005 half ton Chevrolet Silverado with a 5300 V8. After discussion with a local mechanic who maintains all of our vehicles, we decided that this was just the truck to meet the needs of our business. The truck was purchased new from a local, small town dealer at a price below what a larger dealership had offered us. Because so many small town dealerships are shutting down that was definitely a big plus of this purchase.

My husband travels from Texas to New Mexico on a regular basis as well as frequent trips to Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. It's not unusual for him to travel 1,000 plus miles in one week so we knew that this truck would see a lot of mileage with a loaded trailer in tow. Our average gas mileage is about 22 mpg (miles per gallon) without a trailer with an average 19 to 20 mpg with a loaded trailer. It has fantastic towing power and pulls a trailer up and down the highway like it isn't even behind you.

Besides the mechanical excellence of our 2005 Chevrolet we think this is the best truck we've ever owned because of its roominess. It is a four door pickup with a full back seat and lots of room for passengers or luggage. It is comfortable to ride in either front or back seats. We love the dual air control and the fact that we can each ride in a temperature comfortable to our own liking.

Other than replacing the stereo system and the expense of tires and regular maintenance we had no repair bills on this truck during the first three years of ownership. In 2008, at 297,000 miles, we were hearing a little tapping noise in the engine. (297,000 miles; who could complain about that?) After three years of working this truck we knew it still had the capability to continue meeting our business needs so we went ahead and replaced the engine. We also had the transmission replaced at that time just to be on the safe side.

To this date our odometer reads 496,013 miles. While the truck has a few dings and rattles a bit going down the highway, it is still hard at work. Neither its towing power nor the gas mileage has changed in all of the time we have owned it. Although it will be retiring from the highway in the near future I have to say this has been the best truck we have ever owned.