Already a popular pickup truck that allows dozenS of configurations to meet a buyer’s particular preference, Chevrolet’s Silverado has added a new extended cab with a short box for 2006, available either in 4-wheel drive or 2-wheel drive with the workhorse Vortec 5300 V-8 engine and three trims.

As the best selling vehicle made by Chevrolet, the Silverado choices are mind-boggling. The light duty models, like our test drive 1500 extended cab/short box 2-wheel drive, offers five different engines, five different transmissions, 10 different styles - regular cab, crew cab, extended cab, standard box, long box, short box - and those don’t include the Super Sport or hybrid. Also the heavy duty model lineup offers three engines, four transmissions and seven different styles. Only college math majors can figure out exactly how many choices there actually are. One that will appeal to those who want some comfort features is the new 1500 extended cab, short box with a 5 foot, 8 inch truck bed. Ours came with the best trim - LT3 - and there is LT2 and LT1, also. Lt3 added sedan-like comfort with power heated leather front bucket seats with memory, power locks and windows, leather wrapped steering wheel, tinted glass, air conditioning, remote key operation, steering wheel radio controls and some nice touches on the mirrors.

The rear view mirror shows direction and temperature; the large driver side mirror is automatically dimming, can be power folded and adjusted, is heated and contains an illuminated turn signal. A driver’s information system reports on 34 vehicle system functions. Special suspension for handling and trailering with a gross vehicle weight of 6,200 pounds also comes with the LT3. Chevrolet’s Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed automatic transmission works well with heavy loads and on the highway. Our test drive came with electronic traction control and a locking rear differential.

All Silverados come equipped with OnStar mated with XM Satellite radio as a $1,080 option plus subscription fees after the first three months. While the 1500 LT3 gets a mile less per gallon in the city than its Hybrid twin, it gets a mile more on the highway.

For those who don’t want to pay an extra $2,000 plus for a Hybrid, the 1500 can be optionally fitted to use up to 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Some cosmetic changes for 2006 include a new front end for the 1500 series to include Chevrolet’s gold Bowtie logo between a dual-port chrome grill and a power dome for the engine, similar to the Silverado 3500 models.