Trail Tested, Class Trusted: The 2024 Chevy Silverado High Country's Dependable Durability

When it comes to test driving and selecting a new truck, the 2024 Silverado 1500 has so many capable and dependable options here at Jim Butler Chevy of St Louis! It has gained such an incredibly loyal following by being spacious and powerful, along with a form of versatility that's ideal for the challenges of everyday life. The Silverado is offered in a wide range of trims, with the High Country existing as the upscale and “top shelf connoisseur’s choice.” 

The U.S. News auto review crew took a close look at the High Country this past week on their blog and highlighted the abundance of space as a front-and-center feature. Once inside, you immediately sense the presence of the premium leather upholstery, which guarantees the High Country's resid
ence in the “country club” variety of today’s awesome truck offerings. Heated and ventilated front seats add another sweet dimension of comfort to the ride, while the dual-zone automatic climate control keeps you comfortable no matter what condition Mother Nature doles out.

Screen size has been getting larger and larger with each annual auto release, and the Silverado High Country follows that trend courtesy of its 13.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. Another optional interior feature that we'd recommend in conjunction with the coming of spring is the power sunroof, along with the power-retractable assist cab steps. The High Country arrives standard out of the gate with GM’s 5.3-liter V8, which has been praised for its tremendous all-around performance. 

There are also the additional options of the 3.0-liter Duramax Turbodiesel or the upgraded 6.2-liter gas V8. The 10-speed automatic transmission paired with these powertrains does a class-leading job of managing power while delivering very smooth and instantaneous acceleration. The Turbodiesel claims the most efficient spot, offering fuel economy estimates of up to 24 mpg in the city, and up to 29 mpg on the highway. The gas V8s follow closely behind, returning up to 17 mpg in the city, and up to 21 mpg on the highway. 

Tackling off-road terrain has become much more popular over the past decade, as everyday truck owners realized that slapping on some durable extras will properly equip them for the challenges of the trail. The Z71 Package handles this hefty business with its heavy-duty skid plates, hill descent control, and powerful air filter. The Silverado 1500 also has earned top marks from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with five out of five stars as a badge of honor regarding overall safety rating. Some standard safety features present in the Silverado 1500 include lane-keep assist and lane-departure warnings, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking.

The Topspeed.com review crew deemed the Silverado 1500 High Country as a major success due to its “Top notch interior, functional features and accessories, and stout engine options.” Taking to the highway will still boast a sense of smooth familiarity, as the body-on-frame characteristics have a huge sway on overall demeanor. Their testing experts also employed the Max Trailering package, which boasts an upgraded radiator, 220-amp alternator, a wider rear axle, revised shock settings, and heavy-duty rear springs. 

While this thrilled team was winding through corners, they maintained a sure-footedness that provided solid reassurance and excellent maneuverability despite the truck’s size. If you happen to overheat your brakes while carrying heavy loads or towing, the High Country will display a dashboard notification, and impose a 45-mph speed limiter until the situation cools down a bit. The optional Multiflex tailgate folds down for easier bed access and is particularly useful when loading large gear or quickly needing to hop inside the truck bed.

Embarking on Adventure + Igniting Excitement: Unboxing the 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Creating the “Ultimate everyday SUV” happens to be an incredibly challenging business! All of us here at Jim Butler Chevy of St Louis have watched for quite some time as demand for screen space, standard features, and durability has risen to new heights. The 2024 Trailblazer greets any newcomer with a very roomy interior for such a subcompact SUV, along with the choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. 

Reigning as superior and always eco-friendly when pitted against the competition, the Trailblazer “does demographic battle” with the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Kona, and Honda HR-V. The 2024 model year sees a mid-cycle update that includes new wheel designs and a revised front end. A high-definition rear camera and cruise control are now standard across the lineup, and the KBB.com team was won over by the Activ model’s off-road capability. The entry-level Trailblazer LS comes with manually adjustable front seats and the suitably luxurious 8-way driver’s seat with 2-way lumbar. 

One of the ways that the Trailblazer beats out the new breed of “dreadfully ordinary commuter” is with its screen space: there is an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen for each trim. As soon as infotainment became prominent in cars, drivers began to crave the size that they enjoy while on a laptop or other screen at home. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included across the lineup, as well as Wi-Fi hotspot capability. The RS, Activ, and LT trims feature the all-season savvy automatic climate control, and an immersive Bose 7-speaker audio system is optional on the Activ and RS.  

Higher trim levels boast chrome accents and higher-end colored trim, with a dash design that excellently draws attention to the larger screen and cluster. The Quality of seating material has gone up so very much in recent years, and we love to see the satisfaction that customers experience after seeing the faux leather on the RS and Activ trims! The RS trim breaks away from standard necessity and offers a sporty vibe with red stitched accents and stylish flat-bottom steering wheel. 

Abundant space in any crossover SUV is a commodity that makes for efficient airport runs, after-school sports, or welcoming spring with a few extra plants to brighten up the home. After folding the 60/40 split rear seats forward, the 25 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats increases to a segment-leading 54.4 cubic feet. Other additions for 2024 include standard cruise control on the base trim and push-button start on every model. 

Stepping up from the base LS to the LT trim adds tinted windows, keyless entry, and heated side mirrors. The latest and greatest safety features have saved so many lives on the road, and many of our customers here at Jim Butler have let us know just how much confidence they have in situations such as the bustle of rush hour. Blind-spot warning quickly alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane approaches your blind spot, and Rear Cross-Traffic Warning alerts you if a vehicle behind you is poised to cross your path. 

One incredibly satisfied buyer claimed on the Edmunds.com review forum that the Trailblazer was “efficient, excellent-looking, peppy, and performed like a junior Camaro!” Other buyers who were newly retired took the Trailblazer on its first trip and nailed down 30 mpg average while enjoying the comfortable ride and multiple convenient USB chargers up front. 

King-size Comfort, Midsize Charm: 2024 Chevy Colorado Remains Superb & Solid

The beginning of each year here at Jim Butler Chevy of St Louis offers many opportunities to sweep up the numerous awards this thrilling industry offers! As reviewers thoroughly test and tear up the roads respectively with the latest and greatest in tow, they eventually decide which cars, trucks, and SUVs are a solid and high caliber cut above the rest. The 2024 Chevy Colorado is a force to be reckoned with as the Autoblog.com team’s favorite “Midsize truck of the year.”

The Colorado offers a very robust drive with a potent engine, solid ride, and class-leading off-road variants heavily prepped for the obligatory trail tackle. The interior boasts an abundance of new technology that looks awesome while offering segment-leading performance. The base Colorado Work Truck can be acquired for an excellent and economical price, and the ZR2 is a class favorite due to its heavily equipped and boulder-smashing stance. The ZR2’s suspension and chassis are adequately primed for off-road conquest, and the Z71 offers the tops of confines for those seeking true luxury. 

The Colorado measures up quite well when it comes to spec comparison, offering great power and a 7,700-lb towing capacity, while also adding an AEV upgraded off-road trim for 2024 on the Bison model. This year also sees the truck foregoing the smaller 8-inch digital cluster to make the 11-inch version standard on all trims, and improvements have been made in appearance and quality that set it apart from last year’s version. Stepping things up on every trim to 11.3-inches gives drivers the growth rigs now needed to “keep up with the Joneses”, while offering simple-to-use controls.

Chevy has still stuck with the traditional and familiar hard buttons and knobs for items such as volume control, drive modes, and climate controls. The Colorado remains firmly rooted in the midsize class, with a crew cab that measures just 5’1” and power derived from a 2.7-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, with 237 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque output. Every Colorado is paired with an 8-speed automatic, with official fuel economy weighing in at 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. The high-output version features a tow/haul mode that beefs things up nicely in the torque department.

The Colorado is situated on a body-on-frame pickup, with the ZR2 model’s spool-valve dampers offering a ride quality that can hang tough even during the most challenging of ruts and rivets! Another Autoblog review from last spring claimed that the “latest technology and compelling design makes the cabin look and feel less bare bones and like a well-equipped and capable daily driver.”

This review then excitedly became a fully-fledged beach day, embarking from Malibu down to Conejo Valley through a beginning interval of slow-moving traffic. The steering remained adequately weighted and responsive, and the truck performed fantastically on steep grades. The bed’s load and side heights made arranging and quickly lifting the various items from a Home Depot run a breeze, offering a very accessible and sure-footed errand-runner. After attempting a boulder-strewn valley in California’s famed Johnson Valley, the group also claimed, “You know ‘Dukes of Hazzard?’ Yeah, Bo and Luke would have LOVED to have this hefty thing!”