2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 LT Crew Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited September 2014 in Chevrolet

image2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 LT Crew Long-Term Road Test

The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado comes with built-in bumper steps that help you into the bed, but not down from it.

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  • thetruck454thetruck454 Member Posts: 11
    This is what happens when they design trucks for soccer moms (and dads). How many years have trucks worked fine w/o a step? I jump into and out of the back of my truck all the time. I can see how Fords design can be helpful, but how hard is it to jump in the bed and pull the boxes to the tailgate then jump down and pick them up?
  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827
    @thetruck454: I, like you, have always been the type to hop up in the bed. Actually, as smaller athletic guy, I was always the one who HAD to hop up and feed the other guys when I used to do a lot of manual labor. However, I know plenty of people with kne
  • nukedetroitnukedetroit Member Posts: 108
    Trucks are a lot taller than they used to be, too. Blame the soccer b!tches and limp dick beta males who comprise the bulk of 1/2 ton sales.
  • fandswfandsw Member Posts: 37
    Seriously, has anyone compared the height of the bed of an older 60s/70s/80s vintage truck to the height of a full size truck nowadays? Most are easily 18-24 inches higher off of the ground today then they were back then for NO reason other than looks. An average size person used to be able to reach easily into the bed of the truck with the top of the rail being stomach height, and then lower the tailgate and step up onto it without too much trouble. that ain't happening on today's trucks without a ladder......
  • greenponygreenpony Member Posts: 531
    Agree: bed heights have gotten taller, necessitating these extra steps. Also agree: Ford's design is better. Although there's something to be said about the simplicity of a step integrated into the bumper (vs one with moving parts like Ford's), having an actual step is certainly much safer than a toe hold. We're not rock-climbing here, we're stepping up into the beds of our trucks.
  • sharpendsharpend Member Posts: 177
    Chevy's 'solution' is a cop-out fail. You might as well just step on top of the bumper instead of a few inches below - not to mention it doesn't help at all getting out.
  • ahightowerahightower Member Posts: 539
    Always thought that was a petty commercial. Like you said, simply amplifies something that you don't have. "Yeah, well, we don't want that step anyway because it's stupid and girly..." I find the new GM bumpers unattractive.
  • dan_acostadan_acosta Member Posts: 24
    With the Chevy you just turn around and use the grab handle built into the corner of the bed and go down backwards like on a ladder. I can see the advantage of the Ford design if you are walking down forwards carrying a box. However, the Chevy design has the advantage of being used with the tailgate closed, plus as somebody else pointed out it has no moving parts. I initially agreed with the poster who said why not just step on the bumper, but the few inches lower step is actually easier to use. Is Chevy's new step a deal breaker? Probably not, but it is a nice feature to have.
  • hybrishybris Member Posts: 365
    There is always the wheel and tire step work great for going up and down with practice.
  • bassrockerxbassrockerx Member Posts: 24
    its your fault for getting the 4x4 silvarado that only has 8 inches of ground clearence. you should have just gotten the 2wd. if you had the 2wd i would just say lower the truck. Thats a good thing about lowered trucks is the bed is acessable. i think the truck bedhight has been raised artificially due to the mini or mid-sized trucks getting larger every generation. it made the 1/2 ton pickups have to get larger as well to make them seem like they are worth the extra money?
  • greenponygreenpony Member Posts: 531
    bassrockerx, I'm pretty sure they DID get the 2wd.
  • karbuffkarbuff Member Posts: 34
    One thing to remember. Ford charges $375 for a 1 step tail gate ladder and an additional $325 for the box side steps. You need these if you want to reach over the side of the truck bed easily as it is a bit higher than the Chevrolet. The Silverado comes with the built in bumper corner steps at no additional cost and with a lower bed height is more accessible all the way around. I think if I had the tail gate step on the Ford, I'd rarely take the time to open it up and extend the handle. Seems more of a novelty than anything.
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