2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vs 2022 Toyota Tacoma

Other small trucks have come and gone—and come back again—but the Toyota Tacoma has been the cornerstone of the segment for decades now. Though it has grown in size through the years, it has remained one of the best options if you’re in the market for a smaller alternative to full-size pickups. It’s a great option for a commuter who goes on the occasional camping, kayaking, or mountain biking adventure. The bed is good for picking up supplies to tackle a weekend project.

But the midsize Tacoma has increased competition. In the past decade, the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Ford Ranger have returned. The Nissan Frontier recently received a long-overdue overhaul. And there’s even a new crop of compact pickups, including the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick. So is the Tacoma still the big dog among small trucks?

There was once a time when we expected less out of specialized vehicles. Cars were for families, trucks were for the work sites, and SUVs were for hunting lodges. That concept left decades ago. Today, we expect our vehicles to do it all. There’s no better example of this than in the full-size truck market. These are incredibly capable, powerful vehicles that are also expected to be reliable, comfortable commuting vehicles that have the latest in-car and infotainment technology.

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is in a tough spot. The big pickup has the work-truck credentials covered, but it has some stiff competition in the refinement department. A critical update to address these issues arrived for the 2022 model year. While the exterior updates were subtle, the big changes came inside the cabin. For 2023, the Chevy Silverado 1500 receives power upgrades for the optional Duramax diesel engine. A new Silverado ZR2 Bison off-road configuration is available as well. But the real work to keep the Silverado relevant came in 2022 with those interior updates. Read on to learn if those changes are enough to keep the Silverado 1500 competitive in the perpetually evolving full-size pickup truck market.