Pros: Roomy, Refined, Decently Efficient
Cons: Less Power With Diesel, V-8 Reliability Concerns
Chevy Silverado ZR2: Damn, This Thing's Good
It’s best not to mince words: The 2025 Silverado 1500 ZR2 is fantastic. If I had the need for its vast capabilities and access to the vast acres of space within which to operate this full-size Chevy, I’d probably have a ZR2 in my driveway.
A week with the truck served as a perfect reminder why half-tons are America’s darlings, offering a Goldilocks mix of comfort, capability, and versatility that remains unmatched on the market. If you're looking for a truck in this segment (full-sized off-road supertrucks), here's where you should start looking. But it begs the question: which engine should you choose?
Engine, Horsepower, Drivetrain: There's Really One Choice
Our tester’s engine bay held the Duramax 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six in place of the optional 6.2-liter V-8 gasser (Editor's Note: The red truck pictured throughout this review uses the gas V-8). What this diesel gives up in power, it snatches back in torque, churning out 470 pound-feet of twist and a modest 305 horsepower.
Either engine pairs to GM's brilliant 10-speed automatic, which transforms this diesel into a seamless, gas-like mill. Of course, there's four-wheel drive with high and low ranges, courtesy of a two-speed transfer case. With its smooth, quick, and effortless-feeling shifts, this 10-speed holds the Duramax in its power-band sweet spot. It's hard to overstate: this is seriously smooth diesel. If it weren't for the engine note, you'd think this civilized diesel was indeed a gas-powered V-8.
We capped a 500-mile road trip in the ZR2 with some light off-roading and even a little tow without a single misstep from the engine and drivetrain. The diesel performed flawlessly, returning EPA-expected efficiency, and that surprisingly delightful refinement in spades.
But ultimately, the 6.2-liter V-8 wins on power, flexibility, and aura. If you can afford the V-8. Do it.
Technology, Interior, Infotainment: All The Bells & Whistles
The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster abuts a huge, horizontally oriented touchscreen that stretches 13.4 inches across the center of the dashboard. Both function excellently, in particular, the center screen, which is laid out in an efficient and visually pleasing manner. Key features like a 3-D top-down camera and rear cross-traffic braking help you maneuver this behemoth. Crucially, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both work in this truck, even as Chevy has said it'll back away from both in the future.
While that dashboard can look a bit busy at times, it's packed with all the info you'll need when towing, hauling, or off-roading, and the truck comes with more safety and emergency features than you could shake a stick at. You'll pay the price to step into a ZR2, but you won't lack for any major tech features here.
Design: This Looks Alright. RAM Looks Better
You'd never miss the Silverado ZR2 in a striking shade like Riptide Blue. This glittering blue does much to help the ZR2 stand out in a crowded Home Depot parking lot, but also accentuates the size of this massive truck. Either pick a darker color to shrink the truck visually, or let your Riptide freak flag fly.
Chevy's gone searching here; the Silverado in general looks far busier up front than its more traditionally styled GMC counterpart, while the ZR2 in particular looks even busier than equivalent supertrucks from RAM and Ford. That discrepancy comes courtesy of those boomerang-shaped running lights up front and a particularly aggressive and angular grille treatment.
The rest of the ZR2's exterior trades in the typically muscular lines of a full-size pickup; broad, flat surfaces punctuated by a few lengthy character lines. Off-road goodies included with the ZR2 trim do their part to butch up the Silverado's presentation, especially a slightly lifted suspension and the right set of 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory off-road tires, their knobby treads riding on mile-high sidewalls.
This is a chiseled, imposing truck, just not a handsome one.
Passenger + Cargo Space: Hugely Useful
The Silverado is obviously a big vehicle. If you need a huge bed for hauling or enough interior space to sit five grown adults in comfort for hours, there is no competitor for a full-size pickup on either count. If you wonder why big trucks continue to outsell basically everything else in America, here's your answer: nothing is more versatile than this truck.
The 62.9 cubic-feet bed stretches nearly 70 inches in length, accommodating whatever you'll haul away from Home Depot each weekend
Driving Impressions: An Impressive Powertrain
The 3.0-liter turbodiesel 'six does a fabulous V-8 impression here, burbly and stout, riding a cresting wave of easy torque at all times. That's courtesy of a brilliantly calibrated 10-speed transmission that slips between cogs seamlessly, smoothing out any drivetrain harshness to a glass-flat experience.
As with the smaller Colorado ZR2, our Silverado's Multimatic dampers and heaps of tire sidewall make for class-leading ride quality. The cabin insulates the driver and passenger(s) from road vibrations and frequencies, creating a quiet and deeply pleasant place to plant your backside.
Worth noting: For a big truck, the ZR2 felt surprisingly easy to live with in my small-town-slash-suburb north of Seattle. I was able to make one-point U-turns on city streets that regularly take a two-point approach in my own Toyota 4Runner, a vehicle with a much smaller wheelbase.
That maneuverability helps shrink the edges of the truck. Well, not in reality, but it makes the truck feel smaller, which makes you stress less about aiming the Silverado through a Costco parking lot on Sunday morning.
Overall, this thing handles nicely and in excellent comfort.
Fuel Economy: Ain't Too Shabby
What would you guess a big diesel truck like this gets on the EPA cycle? If you're anything like me, the number you guessed is closer to 10 than to 25 miles per gallon on the highway. My observed mileage over about 500 miles round trip, covering a good chunk of interstate at around 80 mph and some rural two-lanes averaging 60 miles per hour, hit that 23 mpg mark no problem.
The EPA rates city mileage at 20 mpg, leading the Silverado ZR2 to a 21 mpg average rating from the EPA.
Pricing + Verdict: Good Diesel. Great V-8.
The ZR2 starts at $70,000. Another $2800 was tacked on to our truck, adding handy features like the head-up display and adaptive cruise control (courtesy of the $2040 technology package), the multiflex tailgate ($445), and of course that riptide blue paint ($395). With destination included, that's $74,875. Not cheap. But in line with the current state of fully loaded full-size off-road pickups across the market.
I'd take this diesel Silverado ZR2 home in a heartbeat. But back-to-back drives with a relative's 6.2-liter GMC showed exactly why the V-8 rules the land. It's a more flexible, punchy, and powerful engine. It makes the right noises and pairs to the same 10-speed for an easygoing swagger down Main Street or the Interstate. You take a slight hit in price on the V-8 (add an extra $1700-ish) and a negligible dent in fuel economy.
However, GM is in the middle of a recall of nearly 600,000 vehicles (including the Silverado) equipped with the mighty 6.2. You might wait to see how that shakes out before buying, or buy one under MSRP right now if you're a gambler.
Competitor Reviews
FAQs
Is The Chevy Silverado ZR2 Better Than the F-150?
For off-roading/rock crawling set who don't need to blast across the desert at 100mph in an F-150 Raptor, the ZR2 leads its class.
What Is the Gas Mileage of the Silverado ZR2?
The EPA rates the ZR2 at 20 city, 23 highway, and 21 combined miles per gallon. We observed slightly better mileage during highway use.
Does the Silverado ZR2 Have All-Wheel Drive?
Yes! In addition to two- and four-wheel drive modes, the ZR2 has a two-speed transfer case for high and low-range four-wheel drive operation.
2025 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2
