On Wednesday, June 6th, I participated at the Silverado/Sierra Challenge at General Motors’ Milford Proving Grounds.

On Wednesday, June 6th, I participated at the Silverado/Sierra Challenge at General Motors’ Milford Proving Grounds.

A little background: I entered the automotive scene around 2005 while researching the newly-released new Pontiac G6 sedan. Many of the events that seasoned auto journalists take for granted are brand new to me. Personally, I take that perspective as a strength: I don’t look at, for example, the Chevy Cobalt or Toyota Camry from the vehicles’ past history or, worse, their manufacturers’ reputation that so many pros seem to pepper in their reviews. Instead, I just look at the vehicle and consider what my readers — the average consumer — will be looking for when purchasing a new vehicle.

The Truck Challenge showcased the strengths and weaknesses of the new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. When I received the invitation, I immediately asked if I would be allowed to write my own opinions of the GM-sponsored event. The representative reassured me that I would, asking that I note that GM had paid for the event. (I did say I was a newbie, didn’t I?)

At the Proving Grounds, journalists were given free reign to compare the two pickups against the competition under various simulated “real world” conditions. The competitors included the Dodge Ram, Ram 1500, and Ram 2500 Heavy Duty; Ford F-150, and F-250 Super Duty; Nissan Titan; and the all-new Toyota Tundra. While I have sat in each vehicle at earlier auto shows, I had never, until now, actually driven any of them.

The testing conditions were as numerous as the vehicles themselves and, because I hadn’t driven a truck for over a decade, brand new to me. In the Towing and Training section, for example, my trucks pulled 8000 pounds, or roughly 4 tons, on smooth roads, obstacle courses, and up an incline. The latter, which I called “truck drag”, had two pickups like the Sierra and Tundra climbing up an incline at top speed. The GM representative, at my query, gently pointed out that truck owners would want to know how quickly their vehicles could past a slow vehicle on a single-lane road while driving up a mountain.

Other tests included measuring the trucks’ acceleration, braking capacity, and traction control. I approached the latter, one of which involved controlling the pickup through a slippery surface via its anti-lock brake system, with some trepidation: I have never, in over two decades of driving, ever triggered such systems in any of my vehicles. But the reassurance of both GM engineers had the test past quickly and safely (though with some interesting footage).

I also had a chance to check out the trucks’ fit and finish; drive the GMC Sierra, the star of the event, extensively; and receive plenty of input from engineers, marketing personnel, and management who participated in the event. Fellow journalists, too, were quite helpful, especially Dale Wickell from About.com.

So what did I think of the event? I think GM was smart to showcase its new vehicles by comparing them to its competitors. Though truck buyers tend to be strongly loyal to a particular brand, they do cross-shop or at least give a cursory glance at the competition to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth. While I would ultimately pick the Sierra if I was in the market for a full-size pickup (something I’ll discuss in future posts), all the trucks at the event offered something for every buyer. The ultimately winner is, in my eyes, the consumer.