Work Truck 4x2 Double Cab 6.6 ft. box 147.4 in. WB
2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Chevy Silverado buyers have had no choice but to look enviously at the high-speed off-road specialist pickup trucks from Ford and Ram ever since the SVT Raptor invented the segment in 2010. That’s a long time to wait for a Bowtie-badged desert runner, and there are few things more important to full-size truck buyers than bragging rights. Enter the 2022 Chevy Silverado ZR2, which adds a set of high-performance shocks, locking front and rear differentials, and greater ground clearance and suspension travel than any other full-size truck in GM’s portfolio. But is it a real Raptor competitor? The answer is a qualified yes or a qualified no, depending on your point of view. And we think that’s entirely by design. The ZR2 provides greater capability than the Ford F-150 Tremor, Ram 1500 Rebel, Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and Chevy’s own Silverado Trail Boss, but occupies its own place in the segment. Think of it as more of a Raptor alternative, and also consider that GM may have left some room for future off-road editions that could conceivably be in the product pipeline. First, let’s talk numbers. The Silverado ZR2 boasts an approach angle of 31.8 degrees, a breakover angle of 23.4 degrees, and a departure angle of 23.3 degrees. Those figures are superior to the Trail Boss, and in the ballpark of the Tremor (27.6 degrees, 21.2 degrees and 24.3 degrees) and Raptor (31.0 degrees, 23.9 degrees and 22.7 degrees). Ground clearance measures 11.2 inches, and its suspension travel checks in at 9.84 inches front and 10.62 inches rear. That’s nowhere near the Raptor’s 14 inches of front or 15 inches of rear-wheel travel. Also, the ZR2 hits its figures with 33-inch tires, not the standard 35s of Ford’s Jurassic Truck and certainly not the 37s that are optional. Those off-road-specific calculations drive headlines, but there are other numbers that are just as important to consider, and some have to do with daily drivability and trail survivability. Put simply, the Raptor is an imposing beast. Notably, it’s about 5 inches wider than the ZR2’s measured width of 81.2 inches (mirrors excluded). Those are a very meaningful handful of inches when navigating tight off-road terrain as well as the average suburban driveway or a city parking garage. Without a proper side-by-side towing comparison, we can’t compare the overall feeling of putting several tons behind either the ZR2 or the Raptor, but we’d wager the Chevy would inspire more confidence due to its less extreme tires and wheel travel. By the numbers, the ZR2’s 1,440-pound payload rating and 8,900-pound tow rating eke out small victories over its rival from the Blue Oval. One area where the Raptor absolutely trounces the ZR2 is under the hood. Chevy stuck with its tried-and-true 6.2-liter V8, which sends 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. That’s more than the 400 hp of the F-150 Tremor, but the Raptor comes standard with an upgraded 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 …
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