2000 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra

Paul Fleet

Whoever arrives last to a party had better bring a big gift.

The 2000 Chevrolet Silverado extendedcab and its GMC Sierra twin are the last of the fullsize pickups to offer four doors -- as in two regular doors and two reverse-hinged doors -- but they

also come with big gifts in chassis dynamics and powertrains.

If memory serves, GM was also the last to add an extended cab.

The addition of a third door -- originally called an Easy Access Panel -- was added punctually almost three years ago.

But when four doors became the rage, GM was busy getting its new full-size trucks into production, so the fourth door took some extra time.

The additional door is now being manufactured, and our test truck was one of the first off the Oshawa Truck Plant line -- one of six plants producing the C/Kseries full-size light trucks.

The newstyle extended cabs are currently made in Oshawa and in Pontiac, Mich.

Access truly is easy: the extra door panels can be opened from either the outside, using the handle in the door jamb, or from the inside, using a handle on the inside of the door.

The opening is large; the secondary side doors, when opened with the fronts, provide the largest combined side opening of any pickup.

Since they are integrated into the seatbacks, the front shoulder belts are kept out of the way. What did get in the way, unfortunately, was the door seal that kept falling down when the

doors were opened. This happened on both sides, and has been seen on other models, too.

The new-style extended cab is noticeably longer -- probably the most distinguishing visual cue of the new design. It almost looks like a crew cab, without the extra door handles.

Inside, there is extra room and a more inclined seatback for the one-piece rear bench. Two head restraints prevent the outboard rear passengers from banging their noggins against the

rear window.

The rearseat cushion folds up for cargo loading on a flat, carpeted floor -- a best-in-class feature.

The handling also stands out, and ride is not far behind. The steering effort on the luxury trimmed LS Silverado provided greater feedback than standard models, more like that of a sports car. (Yes, it really was a pickup.)

Road feel was also nicely defined, even without the electronically slowed damping of the Firm Ride Control. Its dash button changes the shock absorber rate for less bounce when loaded or towing. HIGHS Handling Power Access LOWS Brake pedal feel Exterior styling Trim quality

Also excellent, and best-in-class, is the torque and power.

The optional 5.3 L Vortec V8 has demonstrated tire-burning power on several tested models. Based on the same engine block, the 4.8 L has a bit less power, but the best fuel economy of any big V8-powered truck.

The durable 4.3 L V6 is standard in 1500 2WD extended-cab short box and all 1500 regular-cab models.

The 2500 models feature the Vortec 5300 and 6000 (6.0 L) V8 engines.

Should 3,901 kg be insufficient, new Silverado HD and Sierra HD 3/4ton and 1ton pickups will be released this fall, with Vortec 8.1 L V8 or Isuzu-supplied Duramax 6.6 L turbodiesel V8

engines.

The balance of the drivetrain is also impressive.

The four-speed automatic transmission not only shifts smoothly, but has a unique Tow/Haul button on the end of the column-mounted gear lever. Instead of cutting out the overdrive, it reprograms the shift points for all gears for heavy loads, including trailering.

GM's Autotrac automatic four-wheel drive can be added to the part-time 4WD system. It runs in rear-wheel drive for better fuel economy, but switches to four-wheel drive automatically when slip is detected and will even divert all power to the front wheels, if needed.

Drive-line binding and resulting axle hop when making a U-turn on a dry paved surface is minimized. It operates imperceptibly to the driver, except for the extra grip it provides.

It also provides peace of mind. Just hand the keys to any driver and the truck has surefooted traction in any conditions, without damage to the driveline when in Auto 4WD.

Two-wheel drive high-range, 4WD high-range and 4WD low-range are also available at the press of the 2HI, 4HI and 4LO buttons, respectively.

Neutral is also now included, to disconnect the drive-line when the truck needs to be towed.

The only dynamic problem that continues to plague the GM C/Kseries full-size trucks is initial brake-pedal feel.

Standard four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are impressive on paper -- discs are superior for fade resistance and performance in the wet, ABS ensures control with threshold braking (even in

an emergency panic situation). Braking distance is good.

Yet, the initial braking feel is spongy, inspiring little confidence. You have to get used to going through the first inch of brake travel before any braking effort is felt in the vehicle. Despite the delay, braking is strong and sure.

Several GM truck owners I have asked about this feel it's no big deal. So there.

What some people have griped about is the conservative exterior styling -- especially considering that everything down to, and including, the frame rails is new.

No one would confuse the new-style Dodge Ram or Ford F150 with their predecessors. Yet, you have to look carefully at the new GMs to distinguish them from the carry-over models.

Slightly stronger feature lines on the body panels and yellow lenses in the taillights seem to be the strongest visual cues.

These complaints are relatively minor in the scope of things that a pickup really has to do. In its core attributes, the new Sierra and Silverado are exceedingly strong.

When the last person to arrive at the party comes bearing steak, its time to eat.

The Silverado extended-cab, shortbox 4x4 LT model with the 2+2 door configuration starts at $40,305. As tested, including the Vortec 5300 V8, the price was $42,560.

The fourth door is a $430 option.

Prices/residuals*

Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Extended Cab 4x2 short box 3dr.: $25,625/51 4x2 long box

3dr.: $26,830/51 4x4 short box 3dr.: $30,030/53 4x4 long box

3dr.: $30,330/53

GMC Sierra 1500 Extended Cab 4x2 short box 3dr.: $25,785/51

4x2 long box 3dr.: $26,990/51 4x4 short box 3dr.: $30,140/53

4x4 long box 3dr.: $30,440/53 Freight: $960 Air tax: $100

*Residual percentage for a 36-month lease, as supplied by the current ALG Canadian Percentage Guide. Freelance journalist Paul Fleet prepared this report based on driving experiences with a vehicle provided by the automaker, General Motors of Canada Limited.