2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Silverado 3500HD, and includes Chevy Silverado 3500HD safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Chevy’s heavy-hauling workhorse is a full-size pickup truck built for managing the biggest loads. It competes with the Ford F-350 Super Duty and Ram 3500 Heavy Duty. Nissan and Toyota don’t stand a chance against this monster.

For 2012, Chevrolet is claiming numerous best-in-class towing and hauling ratings for the Silverado 3500HD. According to Chevy, maximum payload capacity measures 7,215 pounds, the maximum standard towing capacity is up to 18,000 lbs., and the Silverado 3500HD’s fifth-wheel tow rating increases to 23,000 lbs. Chevrolet also reports that the maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating is 30,500 lbs. Given these new ratings, it comes as no surprise to learn that the Silverado 3500HD gets a standard Trailering Equipment Package and heavy-duty automatic locking rear differential for 2012.

If you’re not sold on the strength of those numbers, perhaps new colors will sway you. Silver Ice, Graystone, Mocha Steel, and Carbon Flash are the new exterior paint choices for 2012, while new Dark/Light Titanium or Dark/Light Cashmere two-tone treatments can be added to the Silverado 3500HD’s cabin.

In other news, the Work Truck models now come with standard cruise control and vertically-oriented camper mirrors with convex spotter glass, while the LTZ models can be equipped with a new hard-drive navigation radio, heated and cooled seats, and for models with dual rear wheels, polished forged aluminum wheels. A new Z71 Off-Road Appearance Package is also available for 2012, offered on LT and LTZ models.

The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD is available in Work Truck, LT and LTZ trim levels. The first two trims can be applied to all three cab styles – Regular, Extended and Crew – while top-of-the-line LTZ trim is reserved for the larger and longer trucks.

Chrome bumpers and chrome grille trim give the Work Truck a nicer appearance than one might expect, though black door handles, black manually-adjusted camper-style mirrors and plain silver steel wheels underscore the basic Silverado 3500HD’s intended role of workhorse. Air conditioning, a stereo, a tilt steering wheel, cruise control, and a driver information center help make the standard vinyl seats and floor coverings bearable, while automatic headlights and cargo bed lights prove handy after sunlight fades from the job site. If you’ve got a Crew Cab model, you can use the power door locks with remote keyless entry to make it easier to load and unload your, uh, crew.

In addition to these few creature comforts, the Silverado 3500HD is equipped with a Trailering Equipment Package with a trailer hitch platform, a 2.5-inch receiver, a seven-wire harness, an integrated trailer brake controller, and a heavy-duty automatic locking rear differential. A heavy-duty Handling/Trailering suspension is also included, along with a 3.73 rear axle ratio, a heavy-duty battery boasting 600 cold-cranking amps, heavy-duty transmission oil cooling, heavy-duty engine cooling, a high-capacity air cleaner, and a 125-amp alternator. Front frame-mounted recovery hooks are also standard.

Extra-cost upgrades for this model include Bluetooth hands-free communication, satellite radio, OnStar telematics including Automatic Crash Notification service and Turn-by-Turn Navigation, and a mobile wi-fi hot-spot Internet connection. Carpeting, cloth seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls are available, along with power door locks with remote keyless entry, heated power side mirrors, dark tinted rear privacy glass, and a rear window defroster. Amber roof marker lights and an EZ-Lift locking tailgate are also on the options menu, along with all-terrain tires, a 160-amp alternator, a trailer brake controller, Skid Plate and Snow Plow Prep Packages, and a Performance Package that upgrades the 3500HD’s payload and towing capacities.

Most Silverado 3500HD buyers are likely to upgrade to the Duramax turbo-diesel engine. In conjunction with this choice, Chevy makes available dual heavy-duty 730 cold-cranking amp batteries, an exhaust braking system, a high-idle switch for faster cabin heating, and a one-piece cold-weather cover for the grille and front bumper.

Chevy uses power windows to lure buyers to the more expensive Silverado 3500HD LT. They aren’t available on the Work Truck. Additionally, the LT model is equipped with standard OnStar, a better stereo, power locks with remote keyless entry, heated power camper mirrors, rear privacy glass, premium cloth seats with manually adjustable lumbar support for the driver, carpeting on the floor, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and more. Body-color side moldings and fancier wheels are also included on the LT model.

Another reason to choose the Silverado LT is for access to options that can’t be added to the Work Truck. A Convenience Package includes power adjustable pedals, Ultrasonic rear parking sensors, remote engine starting, a rear defroster, and a programmable remote control. An Interior Plus Package adds Bluetooth, a six-way power driver’s seat, an EZ-Lift locking tailgate, fog lights, and an upgraded stereo with a CD/MP3 player, an auxiliary audio input jack, a USB port, and steering wheel audio controls. You’ll probably want both of these groups of options.

There’s also a Custom Sport Truck Package that includes dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, a six-way power driver’s seat, fog lights and a locking EZ-Lift tailgate with extra chrome trim and chrome tube-style side step rails. Additionally, a long list of extra-cost features can be added to the 3500HD LT. Highlights include leather bucket seats with six-way power adjustment and a center floor console, a Bose premium audio system, a reversing camera, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a power sliding rear window, and amber roof marker lights.

For people who actually go off-roading, there’s a Z71 Off-road Suspension with skid plates, jounce bumpers, a 33mm front stabilizer bar, and 35mm deflective-disk twin-tube shocks. Or, for those who just want to look like they do, the new Z71 Appearance Package adds Z71 decals, a body-color grille surround with chrome mesh inserts, body-color bumpers and trim, and 18-inch polished forged aluminum wheels. Like the Work Truck model, the LT can be equipped with a Skid Plate Package and a Snow Plow Prep Package.

The well-equipped Silverado 3500HD LTZ sits at the top of the lineup, available in Extended and Crew Cab format. Identified by its body-color exterior trim, fog lights, and forged polished wheels, the LTZ includes heated power folding side mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators and auto-dimming glass on the driver’s side. The seats are covered in leather, a Bose sound system with a USB port and an auxiliary audio input jack keeps occupants entertained, and a dual-zone automatic climate control system as well as heated 10-way power front bucket seats with memory settings contribute to increased comfort levels. Bluetooth connectivity is also standard on the LTZ model, along with an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a center floor storage console, remote engine starting, and more.

If that’s not enough to satisfy your needs, try the optional LTZ Plus Package, which comes with a HomeLink remote, an EZ-Lift locking tailgate, power adjustable pedals, and rear parking assist sensors. The 3500HD LTZ is also available with a rear seat entertainment system with back seat audio control and headphones, a hard-drive navigation system, a power sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, the new Z71 Appearance Package, and other extras.

Buyers can further upgrade a Silverado 3500HD through a wide range of accessories installed by the local Chevy dealer.

In the Silverado 3500HD, the standard 6.0-liter V8 is adequate. The E85-compatible V8 provides 322 horsepower at 4,400 rpm and 380 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm, and a six-speed automatic transmission with a tow/haul mode delivers the power to the rear or all four wheels.

For serious towing and hauling, we recommend the optional 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel V8 for its 397 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 765 lb-ft of torque at 1,600 rpm. The B20 biodiesel-compatible V8 teams with an Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission, a tow/haul mode, and engine grade braking to provide the Silverado 3500HD’s maximum towing and payload figures. When ordered in conjunction with the pickup box delete option, the Duramax is detuned to 335 horsepower at 3,100 rpm and 685 lb-ft of twist at 1,600 rpm.

Each engine can be matched with a four-wheel-drive system. A manual transfer case is included on Work Truck models. The Silverado 3500HD LT and LTZ feature an electronic shift 4WD system, controlled using a rotary dial on the dashboard.

When it comes to airbag count, the 2012 Chevy Silverado 3500HD comes standard with dual front airbags. That’s it. Side-impact airbags for the front seat occupants and side curtain airbags for outboard seating positions are optional. The stump-pulling Chevy does have standard StabiliTrak traction and stability control with Proactive Roll Avoidance protection, and a set of four-wheel-disc Hydroboost antilock brakes with intelligent brake assist. Models with a single-rear-wheel axle setup also get standard Trailer Sway Control and Hill Start Assist.

There’s one other Silverado 3500HD safety feature we must mention, and that’s OnStar telematics with Automatic Crash Response. Optional on the Work Truck model and standard on LT and LTZ variants, this feature activates when the Silverado’s airbags deploy, putting a live operator in touch with the truck’s cab and occupants. Even if nobody is conscious and able to respond, the operator can send rescue personnel to the Silverado’s location to speed medical assistance.

Crash-test ratings for the 2012 Silverado 3500HD don’t exist, and Consumer Reports doesn’t make any forecasts about how the truck might perform in terms of reliability, so that leaves us to consult J.D. Power and Associates, which gives the truck a predicted reliability rating of slightly better than average. If that proves accurate, maybe you won’t need to take much advantage of the generous five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

There are a few things you should know about the optional 6.6-liter Duramax turbo-diesel V8 engine that can be installed under the Silverado 3500HD’s hood. First, its selective catalytic reduction after-treatment system requires Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) to work properly. The DEF lasts 5,000 miles, and then needs to be re-filled. Second, when the temperature dips to 20 below zero, Chevy says the Duramax engine’s glow plug cycle takes no longer than three seconds, allowing the engine to fire up just as quickly as a gasoline engine under the same conditions. Third, a high-idle mode switch helps the Duramax engine to warm the truck’s cab faster on cold days. Fourth, the Duramax engine includes an engine exhaust braking system that reduces brake pad wear and help control speed on descents. Finally, Chevrolet claims that with the 3500HD’s 36-gallon fuel tank, the Duramax can cover 680 miles of highway before requiring a stop at a diesel pump.

There’s more to the 3500HD than the Duramax diesel. For example, the standard Hill Start Assist feature holds the truck on a hill for up to 1.5 seconds or until the driver steps on the accelerator pedal. Also, if you buy the luxury-trimmed LTZ model, you get leather seats featuring dual-density foam padding for improved long-distance driving comfort. When equipped with the mobile wi-fi option, the Silverado 3500HD is an Internet hot-spot on wheels, allowing multiple users to go online from within the truck’s cab or anywhere within 150 feet of the vehicle.

In terms of capabilities, it’s helpful to know that the Silverado 3500HD’s independent short-long arm/torsion bar front suspension features a 6,000-lb. front gross axle weight rating, specifically to better accommodate the installation of a snow plow. Minimum ground clearance ranges from 8.4 to 8.6 inches, depending on cab style and drivetrain. If you decide to load up the bed, the regular box can handle 60.7 cubic-feet of cargo up to the top of the bed walls. Get the long bed model, and you can place up to 75.5 cu-ft. of cargo into the bed.

Factories located in Flint, Michigan and Ft. Wayne, Indiana build the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD.

For serious towing and hauling requirements, you can buy this Chevy, its GMC sibling, or choose a Ford F-350 Super Duty or a Ram 3500 Heavy Duty. In this vehicle class, brand loyalties run deep, a fact that informs Chevrolet’s current “Chevy Runs Deep” advertising campaign. Any of these four trucks are able to do just about anything you might require of them, and so, with few exceptions, selecting one over another really does boil down to personal preference.

By Christian Wardlaw