AutoNSider Review | 2020 Chevy Silverado RST

Are you one of the only people NOT driving a pickup these days?

That's a little bit of an exaggeration, I know, but remember…the three biggest-selling vehicles for years now have all been pickups.

So…back to the question: Since almost everyone needs a pickup sometime…if you're not already a member of the club, what's been keepin' you back?

Is it that you need mileage a bit better than the high teens and low-twenties that most pickups get?

Are today's 50K+ window stickers scaring you?

Do you just not have room in your garage?

Is a pickup just too big for today's crowded streets?

Then think again, cowboy!

23 city / 33 hwy MPGs.

Window stickers from the high $30's.

Room for five inside and room for your truck AND your recycling in your garage!

Yes…even if you're already truckin', you may want to make sure you've got Chevy's RST on your radar.

With Chevy offering almost as many different styles, lengths, and powertrains for their pickups as the Cheesecake Factory has pages in its menu, we'll just talk about the RST here.

RST stands for Rally Sport Truck. And you won't confuse the RST with your plumber's work truck…not with its monochromatic paint and trim and 18" aluminum rims.

So your 2020 Silverado RST…like almost everything these days…is badder and better than the previous version…but not necessarily bigger. Yes…it's an inch and a half longer than the previous version, but a little lighter.

A power tailgate, twelve in-bed tie-downs, and the largest cargo bed of any 1500 series pickup top the competition, but it's Chevy's 3.0 liter, 277 HP diesel that really stood out in our test RST.

That's where the steady high 20's to low 30's MPGs came from…but not at the expense of GO. This turbo diesel can chirp its tires even with a light load. While 277 HP doesn't sound like it'll give you a nosebleed, the diesel's 420 ft. lbs. of torque will make you a real "sleeper" when the light turns green. And it'll tow 6,900 lbs when it's time to go to work.

And how about that diesel smell? It's all but non-existent. And gone is that old diesel clatter, too. This is one smooth and powerful combination. So much so, that you'll have to concentrate on picking up the "diesel" pump at the gas station.

We had the standard 79.4 inch bed. "Shorty" will either give you 9.5 more inches in your garage, or allow you to step up to a crew cab in roughly the same space.

Like I said, the number of combinations that Chevy offers is almost endless.

And it's the Silverado RST's turbo diesel that'll allow you to explore new roads…to almost steal a phrase. It's a welcome option that not all of the competition offers. Follow AutoNSider on Facebook for review videos and more!