Comparison Test: 2019 Chevrolet Silverado vs. Ford F-150 vs. Ram 1500

It’s a Three-Truck Monte Game

In case you haven’t spent time at a low-rent traveling carnival or wandered down some poorly lit alley searching for games of chance, here’s a short-hand description of Three Card Monte. Three cards are laid out with one, usually the queen, the target you try to pick out after they’re shuffled around. In cards, the game is rigged so a player in unlikely to walk away a winner. In our truck version of the game, the tables are turned because there are no losers, only winners. After all of the shuffling between the three (actually four in this game) half-ton pickups, it’s clear that, like a deck of cards, the differences between each of them are what make this game interesting.

Let’s look the players in this game. To keep the card game analogy, everyone tried to stack the deck, offering their best shot for our version of this game. Ostensibly, we were aiming for an apples-to-apples comparison, but we remain at the mercy of the test vehicles made available to us by the manufacturers. Where possible we’ll augment that with observations from analysis of other models and features and make note of that. Also, we did not test these pickups simultaneously, but did drive most of them sequentially over much of the same roads, so we believe the comparative notes hold some weight.

We had four players in this three-card game since Chevrolet came up with two versions of the Silverado. Here are the contenders, in alphabetical order:

• 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2WD
• 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4WD
• 2019 Ford F-150 4WD
• 2019 Ram 1500 4WD

The combined sales of these nameplates (and three other truck brands—GMC, Toyota and Nissan) for the calendar year 2019 were a shade above 2.48 million units, setting a record for full-size pickup sales. Add in midsize pickup sales and you have part of the reason light trucks (which includes crossovers and SUVs) took 72 percent of the overall automotive market last year in the U.S. 

The Contenders

The first question some non-truck owners ask is—why buy a big pickup? All four of these contenders answer that quite succinctly—why not? They offer comfort at least on par with most sedans. Fuel economy suffers because of their size and weight, but it’s not punitive, bettering 30 mpg in some models. Those numbers promise to continue to rise as new technology is adopted (more on that later), but become quite reasonable when you consider the capabilities of these rigs. All of them are capable of hauling substantial loads in their beds (more than 2,000 pounds—a ton—in spite of their nominal half-ton rating) or towing more than 13,000 pounds. If either of those tasks factor into your vehicle priorities, the pickup choice is completely logical.

The universe of this comparison is the half-ton pickup market and its three top sellers—Chevrolet, Ford and Ram. Keep in mind that when it comes to pickups, the key is variety. Of course, you can choose two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. You can also have a regular cab, a crew cab or a double cab. Then there are trim levels that go from bare-bones work truck to luxury liner. Here’s a run-down of how the three contenders fared in the key areas we care about.

Fuel Economy

The first stop for Clean Fleet Report is the fuel tank. All these trucks are designed for the long haul, as in driving for days without stopping. They have serious gas tanks, ranging from 23 to 36 gallons of capacity, even at the low end of fuel economy, say towing a big load with the family packed in the cab, you’re going to be able to travel 400+ miles before having to think about refueling.

Fuel economy and the ways to achieve it are all over the map in the pickup market. Traditional V8s are still around, although they are less popular even though they’re more fuel efficient than in the past. Gas and diesel six-cylinders are offered with the diesels giving the best balance of power and fuel economy, but coming at a fairly steep price premium. Finally, something I never thought I’d say—turbocharged four-cylinder engines are a viable option in a full-size pickup for 2019. Those little engines offer good fuel economy though sometimes reminding the driver that they are not the optimal powerplant to motivate a two-plus ton vehicle.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the trim level and equipment can also affect your fuel economy, often as much as the engine choice. To top things off, the choice of engines and transmissions vary depending on the trim choices.

Here’s the challenging tally of powertrains and their best mpg as measured by the EPA (all presented city mpg/highway/combined):

Chevrolet Silverado:

• 6.2-liter V8/10-speed transmission (using Dynamic Fuel Management-DFM-that shuts off cylinders to save fuel without sacrificing power)  – 16/20/17-4WD
• 5.3-liter V8/eight-speed or six-speed trans (also w/DFM) – 17/24/19-2WD
• 4.3-liter V6/six-speed trans – 16/21/17-2WD
• 2.7-liter turbo-four/eight-speed trans – 20/23/21
• (a 3.0-liter turbodiesel-six was added for the 2020 model, delivering 23 mpg city/33 highway/27 combined, the current pickup fuel economy champ)

Ford F-150:

• 5.0-liter V8/10-speed trans – 17/23/19
• 3.0-liter turbodiesel six/10-speed trans – 22/20/25
• 3.3-liter V6/six-speed trans – 19/25/22
• 3.5-liter HO turbo-V6/10-speed trans – 16/18/16
• 3.5-liter turbo-V6/10-speed trans – 18/25/21
• 2.7-liter turbo-four/10-speed trans – 19/25/21

Ram 1500:

• 5.7-liter V8 (with eTorque 48-volt mild hybrid system)/eight-speed trans – 17/23/19
• 5.7-liter V8/eight-speed trans – 15/22/17
• 3.6-liter V6 (with eTorque)/eight-speed trans – 20/26/23
• 3.0-liter turbodiesel/eight-speed trans – 20/27/23

The plethora of mpg in the 20s with a couple 30 mpg sprinkled in signals a new era for pickups, one in which fuel economy has caught up with expectations without sacrificing any functionality, as happened with cars in the 1980s. The differential between 2WD and 4WD is shrinking and has disappeared in some models. The difference between the four engine options—gas four/gas six/diesel six/gas V8—is shrinking to the point where with stable, relatively low gas prices, the choice may come down to one of price.

Then there are also alternative fuel options–factory authorized compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane (LNG) model that can be ordered through regular dealers.

The Price to Haul

The engine cost question leads us to the bigger question about what has changed in pickups over the past decades—price! Pickups used to be the affordable, look-what-you-can-get-for-so-little end of the market. There are still some of those around, but they’re the bare-bones work trucks that tend to be driven by someone other than the boss who authorized buying them.

Check out the out-the-door prices of our very well-equipped test trucks:

• Chevrolet Silverado 2WD RST double cab – $47,795
• Chevrolet Silverado 4WD Custom crew cab – $48,375
• Ford F-150 4WD Limited Supercrew – $74,575
• Ram 1500 4WD Longhorn crew cab – $66,755

The Silverados are right around the average price of a new pickup according to Edmunds, and they were anything but stripped. In addition to having ample seating for five big adults, the 2WD Silverado had an optional Bose premium sound system, a 10-way power leather driver’s seat that was heated, power sliding rear window, bed protection, a trailering package and upgraded driver assist technology like side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert and park assist. The upgrades added about $9,000 to the truck’s base price.

The Ram started with a higher base price because of its trim level, which added much of the equipment that was added as options on the Silverado. The LongHorn package also added heated rear seats among other niceties. Optional equipment in the Ram included its iPad-like 12-inch touchscreen, an advanced safety group of technology, a trailer-tow group, the engine upgrade to the eTorque Hemi V8 and a panoramic sunroof.

The pricey Ford upped the ante by starting with a $70,560 base price for its leather-swaddled, 145-inch wheelbase pickup riding on 22-inch rims. Its Ruby Red metallic paint added $395 and a trailer-tow package and spray-in bedliner were the only other the only options. Needless to say, it did not lack for any technology, but it’s hard to pinpoint where the $8,000 upgrade over the Ram would be found. The $25,000 boost compared to the Silverados was more evident, but that’s also vulnerable to some subjectivity.

Bottom line on price—pickups aren’t a place for bargain basement hardware, but you can dial up some great technology and luxurious digs in a modern truck without losing any functionality.

Out on the Road

Another measure of the positive change in pickups is the on-road ride, handling and operation. It would be disingenuous to say the almost 20-feet-long, 4,917-pound, six-foot-seven-inch tall F-150 4×4 handled like a sport sedan, but as long as you kept its dimensions in mind, it was easy to handle. The others had similar manners on the highway, collectively their favorite place of transit. Tight parking lots present challenges, but backup cameras, a multitude of sensors and generous mirrors give you a good chance of maneuvering without damage.

The plus of the 4WD full-size pickup—and one of the secrets of why it is a joy to drive—is the driver’s seating position. It’s king of the road in every sense of the world. All of these models coddled you in luxury and gave a commanding view of everything happening around you. Electronic technology augmented what you could see directly or via the mirrors, but the size of these trucks also meant others on the road were aware of your presence.

The downside of all that high-rolling—and the huge tires most of the trucks sported—was that road feel was definitely not sedan-like, although the Ram did a good job of emulating what you’d hope for from any four-wheel vehicle on the road. In spite of 20-inch tires, the suspension managed to isolate the road better than either the Ford with its 22s or either Chevy with 18s.

All of the trucks had touches that really made the whole experience more enjoyable. The Ford had a clever rear step that made entrance to the elevated bed relatively easy. The Ram’s huge center display was easy-to-use and really upgraded the interior and complicated the fun and luxurious details of the cab. The Chevys—especially the 2WD model—delivered steady, exceptional fuel economy and also had some great technology and features at the best price point of the three brands.

There’s something to like in all three brands, but if you’re heading into the pickup market the first thing you need to do is match up your real world needs with your budget, before even diving into the fun stuff like test-driving the latest models. It’s easy to get caught up in the variety of trim levels and seemingly endless list of options for the modern pickup, but the key is to not get more than you need. All three companies have generous information online that can quickly build you a truck that meets your needs. Our quick review should give you a sense of the subtle differences between the models, but expect to be shocked at the final retail price, as I was, if you haven’t been in the market recently. The good news is, even at the high ticket prices, if you get what you truly need, you’ll find a product that not make you sacrifice anything for having bought a truck. It will be fuel efficient, have the latest safety technology and potentially have anything you could order in a much less functional sedan.  

An Alternative Future

But, you say, what about the Tesla Cybertruck that breaks all the rules? What about the all-electric Rivian pickup that looks like a real truck? How about the rugged Bollinger that looks like a tank?

Good question, but before any of these modern marvels hit the market this year or in 2021 by next year the Detroit Three will have sold another almost 2.5 million more basically ICE (internal combustion engine) pickups. That’s if they do deliver any by then—note that all of Tesla’s new model introductions have missed their target launch date or merely delivered token numbers of vehicles). The big boys in this market have electric models coming; GM says fall of 2021 it will have an all-electric pickup on the market and Ford says “before 2022.” Ford’s invested in Rivian and is sharing some of its technology to speed development along. FCA (Ram) has already started initiating 48-volt mild hybrid systems in its pickups and could feasibly up the ante to more substantial electrification. They put a few plug-in hybrid models up for sale a few years ago, so the enabling technology is in-house.

But this story is not about waiting. This is what you can get right now to solve that pickup-shaped hole in your life. The choices have never been broader or more rewarding. Trucks have also never been more expensive, but that is mitigated somewhat by the hyper-competitive nature of this segment. It’s rare that some model or engine or feature is not being discounted. If a truck is what you need, you’ll find a great one out there.

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Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.