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When I think of New York City and motor vehicles, the only
thing that comes to mind are Ford Crown Vics. Yellow ones. As
in cabs. Certainly, there is an array of other makes and models
that make up the taxi cab fleet in the city. But the Ford is
probably the perfect exemplar of that category. When out on
various and sundry trips related to cars I sometimes encounter
someone who works in New York. Just as the weather
is the sort of thing that one can talk to relative strangers with
the feeling of certainty that the answers will not lead to places
associated with such non-good topics as politics or religion,
what kind of car one drives is usually a pretty good place to get
to when talking with someone whose job is related, however
tangentially, with the business. Funny thing. More often than
not, the New Yorker who has been asked tends to have a quizzical
look on his or her face. They don’t own a car. They live in
New York. They could probably claim, with
some justification vis-à-vis seat time, albeit backseat time,
that they have a Crown Vic.
All of which is prelude to something that struck me while
reading the Newspaper of Record just after the turn of the year,
when the various and sundry sections of the New York Times
include “10 Best Lists.” Having looked at the films and the
books—most of which I had not seen nor read—I turned to the cars
and trucks. And one line from autos editor James G. Cobb
(full-disclosure: he once employed a friend of mine as a
free-lance reviewer) struck me: “From the Chevy Silverado (still
the best full-size pickup, in my view) to a BMW-baiting Cadillac,
G.M. made the strongest showing this year on my most-impressive
list.” While I certainly agree with him on the impressive
assortment of vehicles that have been produced by America’s
Biggest Automaker, and certainly know that the CTS is
onehellavagood car (I will not soon forget my experience taking
it through the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca—although I must confess
that I took a bit of a, um, shortcut), I find Cobb’s
parenthetical account to be rather interesting. It became all
the more so after a more-recent time spent with the 2008
Silverado 1500 extended cab version, time that includes
maneuvering through the heart of downtown Detroit.
Let’s just put it this way: If there is a vehicle on the
planet that isn’t likely to be found in the same sentence with
“The New York Times,” the Silverado is on the short list.
While the interior is certainly mete, and while it has sedan-like
touches without being too prissy about it, the Silverado is truly
more relevant to the scenes in the commercial with the John
Mellencamp soundtrack, most of which include terrain the likes of
which are more aligned with Central Park than Park Avenue. With
the Vortec 6.0-liter V8—and while “Vortec” may bring to mind
something from the 22nd century (“I come to you from
the planet Vortec, earthlings!”), it does sort of smack of a
tornado, which once again, brings us to Manhattan—Kansas
(although a twister was reported on Staten Island in 2003)—this
is a powerful structure of architected sheet metal, not the sort
of thing that seems comfortable in clogged streets.
All that said: When it comes to trucks, the Silverado is at
the top. . .although with the new Ford F-150 and the Dodge Ram on
the scene, it may be challenged for position. I don’t think the
guys at Chevy are nervous.
Vehicle as Driven
Engine: 6.0-liter V8. Cast iron block. Aluminum head.
Horsepower: 367 @ 5,500 rpm
Torque: 375 lb-ft @ 4,300 rpm
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Wheelbase (standard box on vehicle): 143.5 in.
Overall length: 230.2 in.
Height: 73.7 in.
Width: 79.9 in.
Curb weight: 4,780 lb. (FWD version)
Fuel economy: 13 city; 17 highway (I averaged 13.7 mpg. If
you’re faint of heart, don’t watch the instant mpg readout)
MSRP: $34,605
Price as Driven: $41,105
