2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500 Truckloads of payload and pulling power. By Mitch McCullough, Editor-in-Chief, New Car Test Drive .com

Heavy-duty pickup trucks don't get any better than the heavy-duty Silverado line. General Motors completely re-engineered its heavy-duty pickups last year. Based on our driving experience, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra appear to be the best heavy-duty pickups on the market.

That's a strong statement, but they boast the most power, the heftiest gross vehicle weight rating and the highest gross combined vehicle weight rating available. More noticeable on a daily basis is their superior refinement. They offer excellent handling, the smoothest ride and the most up-to-date interiors.

Two monster engines are available in addition to the standard 6.0-liter V8: an 8.1-liter Vortec V8 that develops 455 foot-pounds of torque, and the mighty new Duramax 6600 diesel V8 that generates 520 foot-pounds of torque. Each is available with the truly impressive Allison five-speed automatic transmission.

A dizzying number of configurations is available, ensuring that nearly everyone can find exactly the right truck to suit their needs.

Heavy-duty Silverado pickups are broadly divided into the 2500 HD series and the 3500 series. "Half-ton," "3/4-ton" and "one-ton" are outdated terms because modern trucks haul far more than 1000-2000 pounds. Many of us, however, still tend to refer to the Silverado 1500 and 2500 series as the half-ton trucks (see separate nctd.com review of the Silverado 1500 and 2500 light-duty trucks).

2500 HD pickups are what we generically call 3/4-ton trucks. All Chevy 2500 HD trucks come with single rear wheels.

3500-series trucks all come with dual rear wheels; these so-called one-ton trucks are often called "duallies."

Regular Cab, Extended Cab and Crew Cab bodies are available with 6.5-foot short beds or 8-foot long beds. Wheelbases run 133, 143.5, 153.0, 157.5, and 167 inches long on 2500 HD pickups; wheelbases are available in 133, 157.5, 161.5, and 167.5 inches on 3500 duallies. All use the standard Fleetside-style body.

Three trim levels are offered: base, LS and LT.

Engine choices: 6.0-liter Vortec V8, 8.1-liter Vortec V8, and 6.6-liter Duramax Turbo Diesel.

Just as important are the transmission choices: five-speed manual, six-speed manual, four-speed automatic ($1095 on base and LS, standard on LT), and an exciting new Allison five-speed automatic ($1200 on LT, $2295 on base or LS models). And, of course, two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are available.

Retail prices range from less than $23,000 for a 2500HD 2WD Regular Cab to more than $43,000 for a fully loaded 4WD Crew Cab with the Duramax diesel and Allison automatic.

Quadrasteer four-wheel steering - which improves low-speed maneuverability and high-speed stability - will be extended to several more GM full-size trucks during 2002. The system, first introduced exclusively on the GMC Sierra Denali, will be offered this calendar year as a regular production option on properly equipped 2002 GMC Sierra Wideside and Chevrolet Silverado Fleetside 2WD and 4WD extended cab short-box pickups.