2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

V8 engines, monster payloads, big rig styling, and 4-wheel-drive. That used to be all that mattered in a truck -- next to the badge on the hood, of course -- but today's truckers have a much more comprehensive set of demands that, for a long time, the rather crude Silverado had trouble fulfilling.

That all changed in 2007, when this Chevy got a clean-sheet design that finally paid more than lip service to the refinement side of the equation. A new pair of coil springs and rack-and-pinion steering endowed it with newfound driving precision and ride quality, while firmer new brakes ensured steadier stopping. The outer shell got a handsome new square-jawed face, and most important of all, Chevrolet ditched the Silverado's dour, disjointed disgrace of a dashboard for the presentable setup that stands there now.

Consider the treatment an overnight success that rid the Silverado of almost every flaw. As pickup trucks go, this one is comfortable, composed, and of course capable. The Silverado's got four available engines (4.3-liter V6, 4.8-liter V8, 5.3-liter V8, 6.0-liter V8), the last of which can haul a 10,500-pound load. Also, one of the Silverado's two optional 4WD systems (the "Autotrac") has a full-time all-wheel-drive mode that works on any surface -- a rare feature in this class.

At this point, all that stands in the Silverado's way is the equally new Toyota Tundra. Its seats and interior are a little nicer, and its V8 takes the crown for performance and efficiency. GM's archaic 4-speed automatic transmission isn't helping the Silverado's case much, either. Still, when you combine its positive points with the fact that it offers an array of cab sizes (three), bed sizes (three), drive systems (three), and engines (four) matched only by Ford, what you get is the only big truck that can please all of the people, most of the time.