Ace of Base: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4×2 Double Cab Long Box

The truck you see above has a measured length nearly as long as its full name. Its overall length? A hair under 250 inches. In fact, its wheelbase is eight inches longer than an entire Nissan Micra.

Heavy Chevys have been around seemingly since the dawn of Detroit, alternating between hard work and getting shined up for a night at the Tastee Freeze. Of late, GM (and other companies) have ladeled on the chrome in an never-ending quest to quench the thirst of luxury truck buyers. And, oh yeah — profits, too.

What about at the other end of the scale? Surely there’s room for a no-options two-wheel drive Silverado HD on the worksite. As it turns out, the thing is endowed with a lot more kit for a lot less cheddar than even your flinty-eyed author expected.

Yes, there are arguably “better” Silverado HDs on offer, namely the dandy High Country trim (if gen-u-wine leather and gonzo rims are your bag). This WT trim bears a sticker price of just $37,500 before destination and whatever money is on the hood in your particular corner of America.

Thirty. Seven. Five. For a truck that’ll happily haul 14,400 pounds. Go price up a new Ranger or Colorado and see how long it takes you to crest forty large. It won’t take long.

Under that long hood is GM’s Vortec 6.0-liter V8 engine making 360 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. Many noises have been made about replacing this unit with the almighty 6.2L found in its little brother, but there’s no denying this engine can get the job done, especially with all the standard-equipment towing gear playing a supporting role.

Oil cooler? Check. Transmission cooler? Check. Extendable elephant-ear towing mirrors? Yessir. With all that hauling kit, you know they’re also going to toss in an electric trailer brake controller. It also comes equipped from the factory with a hitch receiver and 4/7 pin trailer wiring plug-ins.

In the rear pumpkin is an automatic locking rear diff and a set of 4.10 gears. That Eaton locker is said to sense a difference in wheel speed of a mere 100 rpm, perfect for those tricky boat launches or that slippery grass down by the lake where you’re not supposed to be and if the warden finds us we’ll all lose our fishing licenses.

What? You thought I was doing something other than fishing down by the lake in my big ol’ pickup? Get yer mind outta the gutter.

This truck’s interior won’t be mistaken for an Audi anytime soon, but that’s not the point. A vinyl bench is standard — however, one should pop for the no-charge cloth seats to avoid searing temperatures in the summer and frigid conditions when the mercury drops. Cloth seats get a few more adjustments, too. Carpet is optional. Stick with the standard hose-em-out rubber floors.

Chevy’s basic 7-inch color touchscreen serves duty as infotainment, bearing a backup camera and Apple CarPlay. Bluetooth is there, of course, as is a USB port. Economies of scale assure the presence of power windows, cruise control, and air conditioning. LT tires are mounted on 17-inch steel wheels.

The color shown above is called Red Hot (guffaw) and is the only non-greyscale hue offered gratis. Blue will set you back $395.

In GM’s own wheelhouse, a Colorado 4×4 Crew Cab Z71 is priced just $1,300 south of this Heavy Chevy. Sure, the Z71 has legions more features and power to all four wheels, but for those who need a tool – and don’t need four-wheel drive – a base model 2500HD packs a lot of value.

[Images: General Motors]

Not every base model has aced it. The ones which have? They help make the automotive landscape a lot better. Any others you can think of, B&B? Let us know in the comments. Naturally, feel free to eviscerate our selection.

The model above is shown in American dollars with American options and trim, absent of destination charges and available rebates. As always, your dealer may sell for less.