The Ultimate Flex: The Silverado’s Most Functional Features and Technologies

Who doesn’t want their money to work harder and go further without compromising quality? There’s undeniable value in investing in something of higher quality, from shopping for top-quality appliances for your home to buying genuine original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts for your vehicle. The same is true when shopping for a used vehicle and investing in a brand with a stellar reputation for building long-lasting and capable models. For Chevrolet, value is inherent in every car, truck, and SUV, and it shows when you shop for used Chevy trucks for sale at Vermilion Chevrolet GMC.

The Silverado is one of the best-selling trucks in America and has been since its debut in the late 1990s. Chevrolet introduced the Silverado as a more modern, comfort-oriented alternative to the C/K Series, ultimately proving trucks could be capable, comfortable, reliable, and innovative all at once. Today, we see this firsthand on the used lot, especially in Silverado trucks built since 2021.

These versatile road warriors are packed with functional features designed to make life easier and instill confidence in the driver’s seat. Where rival automakers are solely focused on putting out impressive specs, Chevrolet expertly balances performance and capability with an ingeniously designed truck that works with the driver and for the driver. Here are a few design elements, from functional features to technologies, to look for on our used lot when shopping for a Chevy Silverado.

Not Every Tailgate Can Flex: The Revolutionary Multi-Flex Tailgate

Since opening its doors in the 1900s, Chevrolet has consistently looked for ways to improve its lineup to give drivers more of everything: more capability, innovation, comfort, and features. We see this dedication in revolutionary elements like Chevy’s signature Multi-Flex Tailgate, the first multifunctional tailgate in the industry. Where other automakers willingly accepted the traditional tailgate design as an industry-wide standard for pickups, Chevrolet’s parent company, General Motors, challenged its engineers to think outside the box.

The Silverado is an exceptional workhorse, but its work ethic skyrockets when you add options like the Multi-Flex Tailgate. Unlike most fold-down tailgates, the Multi-Flex is designed to complement the Silverado’s payload capacity by folding out into six different configurations based on what you need, making your job easier whether loading, unloading, or accessing cargo. The Multi-Flex opens like a traditional tailgate using the key fob or a button in the cab or on the gate. However, that’s where the tailgate’s standard design ends.

Let’s say you’re tackling a landscaping project around the house and heading to the local hardware store for a load of lumber, a few bags of mulch, and some shrubs. The Multi-Flex Tailgate makes hauling all types of cargo easier. You can use the primary gate load stop to keep the longer lumber from sliding out of the bed and unfold the inner gate load stop to keep second-tier items on top of the lumber in place. Then, when you get home, you can fold down the inner gate to have easier access to reach into the bed or unfold it into a full-width step if you need to get up into the bed yourself. When not using the gate as a step, you can configure it into a flat work surface, perfect for holding those blueprints, your lunch, or other small items on the worksite.

Making the Most of Your Truck Bed: The Class-Leading Durabed

With the Multi-Flex Tailgate making it easier to load cargo, there’s still the question of how much the Silverado’s bed can accommodate and how easy it is to secure those items. Moreover, will using the Silverado’s bed as intended damage the bed and cause premature wear and tear? Alternatively, if you’re shopping for a used Silverado, should you just expect the added expense of having the bed relined so that it looks new?

Chevrolet considers everything and anticipates drivers’ needs, especially when designing the Silverado’s truck bed. For starters, the Silverado has the most functional bed in the industry, with its Durabed made from roll-formed high-strength steel engineered to withstand all types of cargo and everyday wear and tear without compromising its aesthetics or durability. The material is impressive, but Chevrolet doesn’t stop there and has added another layer of functionality. How so?

While the primary and inner load stops on the Multi-Flex Tailgate are designed to keep items in place, having another way to secure your cargo instills greater peace of mind. Fortunately, Chevrolet delivers and outfits the Silverado with 12 standard tie-downs rated at 500 lbs in each corner. With the most tie-downs of any pickup in the segment, the Silverado’s functionality shines and guarantees you can confidently push this truck’s payload capacity to its limits.

Innovation at Your Fingertips: From Camera Views to Trailering Technologies

Functional elements like the Silverado’s Multi-Flex Tailgate, integrated rear bumper steps, and Durabed make your job easier as you load, unload, and access your cargo. Yet, shopping for a used Silverado can also mean owning a truck that complements its functionality with innovation. What do we mean?

The Silverado is both brawn and brains. Its multi-engine lineup offers a broad spectrum of power and capabilities, but there are also plenty of innovative technologies on the side that complement and enhance the Silverado’s brawn. These technologies instill confidence and heighten your control in the driver’s seat, and you’ll find them in many used Silverado trucks in the form of Chevrolet’s in-vehicle trailering app, expansive camera system, and advanced driver-assist technologies.

Whether you’re towing heavy equipment between job sites or are moving furniture into your new home across town, the Silverado offers the technology to enhance your situational awareness and safety on the road. Depending on the year, model, and trim, the Silverado offers an expansive camera system with over a dozen unique views that give you a comprehensive view of the truck, in the bed, and of the accompanying trailer. Newer models even feature the industry-exclusive Transparent Trailer view, which lets you see behind the trailer as you drive.

Beyond the camera system, the Silverado’s in-vehicle trailering app offers customizable trailer profiles that make towing easier and safer. You can navigate pre-departure checklists, monitor trailer diagnostics, and check the lights without leaving your truck. This information is available on the Silverado’s expansive center touchscreen, where you’ll also find access to unique safety features such as Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert, which shows you a clear view along the side of your truck and trailer to assist when changing lanes.

Functionality Meets Innovation in the Silverado: The Big Picture

Looking at the Multi-Flex Tailgate, Durabed, and the Silverado’s advanced technologies highlights Chevrolet’s success in anticipating and responding to truck owners’ needs. But why does any of this matter? This balance of functionality and innovation provides tangible value. It adds to the appeal of shopping for a used truck like the Silverado.

While many automakers have since developed their own versions of a multifunctional tailgate, they weren’t the first. Chevrolet and sibling brands like GMC earn that title, adding it to a long list of accomplishments that stretch from their exceptional in-house engine builds to other functional elements like the integrated rear bumper step that’s left everyone asking rival truck brands why they haven’t stepped up. There’s no question that Chevy continuously looks for ways to improve the driving experience, thinking outside the box to develop new features and technologies.

Shopping for a used Silverado guarantees you reap the benefits of their ingenuity. After all, you’re likely not investing in the Silverado solely because you like the truck’s looks (though it certainly looks the part). You’re investing in a work partner that can help you get any job done, and Chevrolet ensures that’s what you get.